Aaron Gerry: My Philosophies for Having a Conversation; Have Fun!

Part of being an entrepreneur is the fact that you have to network, network, network.  Whether you have started ten companies or are new to the scene, it’s an inevitable aspect of life.  The beautiful part of meeting new people, though, is that you never know where a conversation will lead; you can make new friends, find potential partners or simply have an engaging conversation -- take a chance, start a conversation and get out there! 

To preface, this is my mindset: you have something you are passionate about and I want to hear all about it.  I’m a listener by nature and would rather ask questions than talk.  I love learning and if you have something interesting to say (everyone does) then I’m in this conversation for the long haul.

Without further adieu, these are my “guidelines” for having a conversation:

I’m going to have fun and be myself. 

First and foremost, I don’t have an agenda when I go out and it certainly isn’t about getting the most business cards.  My only motive is to have fun and meet interesting people; anything else is ancillary.  By being myself I am at my most confident and can focus on the conversation rather than worrying about what I’m going to say next or how you are seeing me.  Honestly, what is there to worry about?

I don’t care who I’m talking to, but I do care to learn about you.  

Whether you are a big name Angel, a rock star student or a steady janitor, all that matters is I get to know you a little bit better because your life is interesting and you’re passionate about something and that is truly fascinating.

I’d rather ask questions than talk. 

What are you working on? (kudos to Cort Johnson for that question).  How did you get into that?  How did you come up with the idea?  What are your next steps?  What do you need help with?  Everyone has a story and I love learning; it’s a wonderful combination.  Asking questions makes it easy to let the story unravel and guess what, there is a lot to be learned from hearing about someone else’s experiences.  (Anyone else read Founder’s at Work? It’s brilliant).

I’m going to be honest and I’m going to have an opinion. 

I have a chip on my shoulder and I’ll let you know.  I’ll tell you that I’m working to make Northeastern the best entrepreneurial school in Massachusetts (and then the World) and why.  Want to know what spurred this desire?  All you have to do is ask.  The point is, by being truthful you have a more connected conversation and it allows for your true passion to come through.

I’ll adjust to make you feel more comfortable.  

Touching on the nuances of conversation; everyone is unique and as such, you have to understand how to chat with different people.  If you are talking with a jokester, crack one-liners along with them.  If they are quieter, it might not be ideal to rant and rave and jump around flailing your arms…  Simply, talking the same “language” makes it easier to relate to each other and jump into that awesome conversation.

So that’s my approach to having an exciting and engaging conversations.  It’s a great way to build strong connections with others you meet.

What do you think?  What is your mindset when chatting with someone? 

Aaron Gerry is the Resident Buyologist at Zazu, the Smartest Damn Alarm Clock.  Aaron is also the President of the Entrepreneurs Club at Northeastern University and is passionate about supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem at NU and in Boston/Cambridge.  He also enjoys hot sauce and zombie movies.  You can follow him on twitter @AaronGerry

Photo Credit: Matt From London on Flickr