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by nunez 3322 days ago
ehhhhh sort of

it is very hard to replicate the behavior of someone that just loves being around people. i can usually tell who is a "natural" and who isn't (i.e. those that went through therapy, coaching and the like)

learning how to be around people can't really be done in a safe space since the world at large in unsafe. people will say dumb shit at you. people will cut you off. people will do unexpectedly nice (or mean) things. everyone is different.

the only way to truly learn these skills is to get out there and be vulnerable. i can see how classes and sessions can get you to a point at which one is comfortable enough to even BEGIN doing this (I went to a few social anxiety meetups with friends), but that alone isn't enough.

getting to the root of that anxiety with a psychologist is more effective, in my (limited) opinion, but that can be expensive for many

you CAN get pretty far on the basics though. most people like being around someone that is humorous and makes them feel good about themselves. you can go REALLY far by finding what someone really likes to talk about and letting them talk (while asking questions throughout)

podcasts with interviews from journalists or news companies helped me with this a lot

1 comments

Oh! I forgot two really important ones: understanding what incentivises people and being able to tell a RELATABLE story around those incentives.

People LOVE stories they can see themselves in. Gets their imaginations all worked up.

Also, EVERYBODY has incentives. Money, becoming a 10x developer, travelling the world, being a better parent. All of these are incentives.

If you don't believe me, check this out.

Remember the last time you got pitched a timeshare? (If you ever went on a heavily discounted Disney vacation, you almost certainly did.) The salesperson working the room will spend at least the first 15-30 minutes setting the scene. "You. Puerto Rico. Corona. Beach. Need I say more?" type stuff.

Pyramid marketing salespeople do the exact same thing to build their downlines (i.e. hire more people under them). They spend 80% of their presentation on how much you can make and maybe 10% on what they're selling (the other 10% is lost to heat).

Luxury brands are THE MASTERS at this. (I would not be surprised if hip hop icons got some kind of commission/free clothing from high-falutin haute fashion brands; luxury setting is all they do!)

They seem cheesy, but people eat stories up (and, consequently, buy product) like no tomorrow.