What to Say in a Crowd

Have you ever been to a conference, a luncheon, or a professional meeting and not known anyone at your table? Most of us have. You may find yourself at a table of 8-10, surrounded by an eerie silence while everyone pretends to have a strange fascination with their food.

If you do find yourself in a new environment like this, embrace the moment. I have discovered a new strategy that works wonders in this situation.

Your job will be to facilitate discussion among the group. Since no one knows each other, ask them to go around the table and introduce themselves. After the introductions are over, you can facilitate a roundtable discussion.

Ask the people at your table to share the best experience they’ve had that week or something that made them smile.

You will find that the table of strangers will quickly turn into a talkative table of good memories and good cheer. Best of all, you have put everyone at ease in what could have been a stressful event. Most people are just looking for someone to talk to, why not be the one to spark some interesting discussions?

You’ll be surprised how much others will appreciate you for having the courage to get everyone talking.