How to Trick Your Body into Doing
Everything Right
Here’s a visualization technique that accomplishes all that. It guar-
antees that everyone you encounter will feel your warmth. I call
it “Hello Old Friend.”
When meeting someone, play a mental trick on yourself. In
your mind’s eye, see him or her as an old friend, someone you had
a wonderful relationship with years ago. But somehow you lost
track of your friend. You tried so hard to find your good buddy,
but there was no listing in the phone book. No information online.
None of your mutual friends had a clue.
Suddenly, WOW! What a surprise! After all those years, the
two of you are reunited. You are so happy.
That’s where the pretending stops. Obviously, you are not
going to try to convince the new person that the two of you are
really old friends. You are not going to hug and kiss and say, “Great
to see you again!” or “How have you been all these years?” You
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How to Talk to Anyone
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merely say, “Hello,” “How do you do,” “I am pleased to meet
you.” But, inside, it’s a very different story.
You will amaze yourself. The delight of rediscovery fills your
face and buoys up your body language. I sometimes jokingly say
if you were a light, you’d beam on the other person. If you were
a dog, you’d be wagging your tail. You make this new person feel
very special indeed.
In my seminars, I first have people introduce themselves to
another participant before they’ve learned the Hello Old Friend
technique. The group chats as though at a pleasant semiformal
gathering. Later I ask them to introduce themselves to another
stranger, imagining they are old friends. The difference is extraor-
dinary. When they’re using Hello Old Friend, the room comes
alive. The atmosphere is charged with good feeling. The air
sparkles with happier, high-energy people. They are standing
closer, laughing more sincerely, and reaching out to one another. I
feel like I’m attending a terrific bash that’s been going on for hours.
How to Make Someone Feel Like an Old Friend at Once
29
Technique #6
Hello Old Friend
When meeting someone, imagine he or she is an old
friend (an old customer, an old beloved, or someone
else you had great affection for). How sad, the vicis-
situdes of life tore you two asunder. But, holy mack-
erel, now the party (the meeting, the convention) has
reunited you with your long-lost old friend!
The joyful experience starts a remarkable chain
reaction in your body from the subconscious softening
of your eyebrows to the positioning of your toes—and
everything between.
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