| Have you ever found yourself in conversation with | | | | By using this wording, you are granting the other |
| someone whose area of expertise totally stumps | | | | person the status of insider. Since we all enjoy talking |
| you? What should you do? | | | | about our special knowledge, that will usually |
| First, don't try to wing it, because you'll make | | | | encourage him or her to give you all sorts of |
| mistakes and look foolish. Why would you want to | | | | information. |
| fake it anyway? There's no shame in not knowing | | | | - Your enthusiasm about this subject is infectious. |
| about a topic you've never studied. When referring | | | | What is it about it that so fascinates you? |
| to something that's not too difficult, you may have | | | | You have subtly complimented the speaker, who will |
| used the expression, "It's not brain surgery", but did | | | | subconsciously want to convey the same fascination |
| you ever stop to think that to a brain surgeon it | | | | to you. |
| might be just as appropriate to say, "It's not | | | | I don't know anything about the flower business. |
| accounting" or "It's not desktop publishing" or even | | | | Would you explain what that expression means? |
| "It's not rock music"? Will Rogers once said, "We're all | | | | When you have admitted ignorance of a subject, |
| ignorant - just in different subjects". Personally, I | | | | there is no such thing as a stupid question, so go |
| believe the only reason I can't perform brain surgery | | | | ahead and ask away! |
| is that I've never studied it, but that doesn't mean I | | | | (By the way, this last question is also very useful |
| am less intelligent or worthy than a brain surgeon, | | | | when purchasing services. Have you ever received an |
| does it? | | | | order back from the printer, only to find it was not |
| If we're not embarrassed to admit we don't know | | | | what you had envisioned? You could probably have |
| about brain surgery, or rocket science, why should | | | | saved time and money by admitting your lack of |
| we be concerned about admitting ignorance of any | | | | knowledge right up front and letting the specialist |
| topic? Perhaps there's a clue right there in the word I | | | | help you order exactly what you wanted.) |
| used. "Ignorance" is a loaded term, isn't it? But the | | | | Did you notice the common element in all three |
| Oxford Dictionary defines it simply as "lacking in | | | | examples? Yes, I am inviting the person to tell me |
| knowledge", with no connotation of shame. In fact, | | | | more. There's no more effective conversation |
| I'd suggest that admission of ignorance is the first | | | | technique than asking people about themselves and |
| step towards learning-and often to a truly interesting | | | | their interests - and then genuinely listening to their |
| conversation. | | | | answers. During my networking workshops, people |
| To take advantage of this idea, try some of these | | | | often tell me they are nervous about meeting new |
| conversation encouragers: | | | | people because they don't know what to say. If |
| I haven't had any exposure to the world of | | | | that's your challenge, why not turn this around, and |
| multi-media marketing. Is it really as exciting as it | | | | consider what to ask? |
| looks from the outside? | | | | |