At drinking parties， third-rate people get excited about “gossiping，” while second-rate people get excited about talking about “politics and professional baseball．” So what about the top class？
“I don’t know what to talk about at a drinking party…” Many people have this problem. In particular, when you are at a drinking party or dinner with people who are much older than you or with whom you have not yet built a relationship, it can be difficult to even find something to talk about. In the end, they end up getting excited about talking bad about people who are not present, or trying to get through the situation by talking about inoffensive topics. However, this type of communication will not yield any business opportunities or results that will lead to personal growth. So this time, we asked yuuu, a dining expert who is the author of the new book “The Complete Guide to Business Dining Out” and who had up to 28 dining outs per month while working at a major advertising agency, about “ways to gain the trust of others” through conversations at drinking parties. ● Badmouthing and joining in badmouthing are a no-no –As a dining expert, yuuu, are there any topics that you should avoid at dinner parties? yuuuThere are a few. First of all, I think it’s best not to talk about politics or professional baseball, because no matter how much excitement there is about these topics, they rarely lead to any business benefits. In the case of professional baseball, if you know beforehand that you both like the same team, you can be proactive in bringing it up, but if you don’t know the other person’s preference, there’s no need to go into that too much detail. Also, while politics is indeed a topic that comes up quite frequently, it is best to refrain from expressing your own opinions and instead “wait and see how the other party responds.” If you are asked “What do you think?” before you know what the other person thinks, you can answer “That’s a pretty difficult topic, and opinions are divided even within our company. One option is to avoid the question by asking back, “What do you think, Mr. XX?” –I see. “A gentleman does not approach danger.” yuuuThat’s right. And the worst thing is general bad-mouthing. Speaking ill of others is absolutely not allowed, and of course you should not say it yourself, but it is not uncommon for clients to say things like, “Our client, Company A, is bad at managing things, and your company is much better.” While it’s tempting to agree with what your client says, don’t go along with it here. This is because you never know when or where the slanderous comments will spread and have a negative impact on you. Even if you simply agree with someone by saying, “That’s right,’’ you may end up getting hurt by being told off later. –That’s a possibility given that the participants are not all united. yuuuYou’re right. Therefore, if the other person starts speaking ill of you, it is best to “keep quiet as a general rule,” “neither confirm nor deny,” and “dodge the question.” When in doubt, just reply with something like, “I see, that’s what you think,” and refrain from expressing your opinion. More detailed “secrets of conversation” are introduced in this book, but when you’re at a dinner party, it’s best to focus on “communicating in a way that doesn’t result in any penalties.” (Omitted).
>>21 It’s disgusting to laugh at friends saying “The king has donkey ears” but it’s okay to shout out the window to yourself “I’m disgusted by people who say the king has donkey ears”?
It’s fun to go out for drinks after work with friends who gather together for hobbies like fishing or mountain climbing. Even my quiet friends talk a lot at that time.
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