Oh. And dont ask them if their work is in a gallery. Oh? That could be a
sore point. Instead ask Is there anyplace I
might see your work? Theyll love that because, even if theyre not
represented by a gallery, they can invite you to their studio to possibly buy
their work.
How to Sound Like You Know All About Their Job or Hobby 153
Technique #39
Learn a Little Jobbledygook
Big winners speak Jobbledygook as a second language. What is
Jobbledygook? Its the language of other professions.
Why speak it? It makes you sound like an insider.
How do you learn it? Youll find no Jobbledygook cassettes in the
language section of your bookstore, but the lingo is easy to pick up. Simply
ask a friend who speaks the lingo of the crowd youll be with to teach you a
few opening questions. The words are few and the rewards are manifold.
Thats all you need to get startedtwo good opening art questions and a
warning against the most-asked dumb outsider question.
Lets say youve given a great opening serve with the right question on
their job. Youve slammed a swift ball dead center into their conversational
court. Happily, thinking theyre with an ace player, they answer your
question. Then they put a little spin on the ball and send it lobbing right
back into your court and its time for a follow-up question. Whoops, what to
do now?
If you dont want to come out of the bluffers closet just yet, you must
master the next technique, Baring Their Hot Button.
How to Bare Their Hot Button (Elementary Doc-Talk)
My friend John, a physician, recently married a charming Japnese
woman, Yamika. John told me the first time they were invited to a party to
meet many of Johns colleagues, Yamika was panistricken. She wanted to
make a good impression, yet she was tense about talking to American
doctors. John was the only one shed ever met, and during their romance
they didnt spend a whole lot of time discussing medicine.
John told her, Dont worry about it, Yami. They all ask each other the
same old questions. When you meet them, just ask, Whats your specialty
and Are you affiliated with a hospital?
Then, to get into deeper conversation, he continued, throw out questions
like Hows your relationship with your hospital? or Hows the current
ooja
(Ooja)
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