Schmoozing Can Get You in Trouble

I spent 40 minutes in front of a business audience, demonstrating the value of asking the one great question when they are at business networking events, and urging them not to fall into the trap of asking personal questions or schmoozing.

So after the event, a member of the audience comes up to me, engages me for a minute with some interesting questions, then asks me a personal question--and it's the personal question I most hate being asked.

So what do I do? What I really want to do when I am asked this question is to answer that that is none of the person's business. Of course, that seems rude, so I try to deflect the question. And that feels evasive to both of us, so inevitably the conversation ends shortly on an awkward note.

You don't know what personal questions will bother people. Something that most people easily talk about may hold lots of discomfort for one person here and there. And you won't know that until it's too late. Save your conversation and your opportunity for strengthening connections by sticking to business.