The Curse of The Social Buffoon | Travel Research Online

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The Curse of The Social Buffoon

Today’s message has little to do with travel, but a lot to do with your status within your community.

In not so many words, The Curse of the Social Buffoon sounds like this: “You think that’s cool, wait until you hear what I have to say.”

The “curse” its ugly face when one person in a group shares some interesting news (according to them) only to be trumped by the next person’s “exciting information.” The remaining people in the group immediately interpret this as a sign that it is time to play “one-upmanship.”

It may unfold something like this: “My daughter just graduated from The University of Miami. We are so excited.” “Oh! My son just graduated from Duke and we had a big party… and he came with his fiancé… and we bought him a car… and 300 people came… and he looks a lot like Brad Pitt … and I wore my red dress and… and… and…”

I am certain that you are guilty of exhibiting the CSB now and then, and I suggest that you cease this boorish behavior at once. It is the fastest way to reach a dead end street when it comes to establishing a meaningful relationship

As harsh as this may sound, I want you to remember “nobody cares about your stories.”

Too harsh you say? I’ll say it more slowly with love in my heart. “NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR STORIES.” 

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They care about “their” stories. You are well advised to probe deeper into their stories by asking questions. To the first person announcing her daughter’s graduation you might say, “That’s terrific. You must be so proud of her. What did she major in? What is she planning to do next? Did she ever skip class and hang out on South Beach? Did she ever spot Don Johnson?” (That last one was for you old folks like me.) You get the picture.

Now that I have brought it to your attention, you will notice the CSB happening everywhere. Just don’t become a practitioner yourself.

Get into other people’s stories. This is a skill worth developing. You will be glad you did. You already know your stories and other people only care about theirs. Become The Exception. Get into them.

***And it would be particularly effective if you were genuinely interested in their stories.

 


Mike Marchev
Mike Marchev is a down-to-earth motivating sales trainer, author and business coach who specializes in the travel industry. For a complimentary copy of Mike’s 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com with the number “12” in the Subject Box. His daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.

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