6 Steps to Being the Life of the Party

[ad#posts]Parties are a blast! You make new friends, relieve some stress, and have fun. Next time you go to a party, arm yourself with these 6 steps to being the life of the party.

Be a host, not a guest: You may feel comfortable at a party full of strangers; however others even struggle at a party where they know everyone personally. The host often is the most popular because they know just about all the guests, make everyone feel welcomed, introduce guests to each other, and are always warm and inviting. Just because you didn’t organize the party, doesn’t mean you can’t play the host. Always introduce yourself to guests with a warm smile and introduce guests to each other. For more information on how to introduce people, read this past post: 6 Effective Ways To Introduce People
Go straight to the back: When you walk into a party, you are probably going straight for the people you know. Instead, do the opposite, and walk straight to the back. As you walk, shake hands, point, wink, smile, and acknowledge people. Now this is important, do this to people you know, as well as the people you don’t know. Not only will this give the impression that you know more people than you do, but also makes you appear warm and inviting. Then as you make your way around, those people that you smiled at, will feel more welcomed to approach you.
Talk to the “lonelies”: You will probably notice all the different circles of people when you walk into a party. Then you notice the “lonelies”. Those people who are standing by themselves holding a glass of punch, looking at their watch, and trying to seem as if they are busy. When I go to a party, those “lonelies” are the first people that I talk to. Once I begin a conversation with one, I welcome another to join us. Before you know it, those 4 people standing by themselves, are now in the middle of their own circle and you have just gained the admiration of all of them.
Ask who they are, not what they do: People go to parties to get away from the stresses of their daily lives. The last thing they want to do is to talk about what they do for a living, yet, what is the first question that everyone is always asked: “so, what do you do?” Instead of showing interest in what the person does for a living, show interest in them. People love to talk about their families, friends, hobbies, and other interests. This will help you find commonalities, as well as show them that you are interested in them.
Don’t Box People Out: I have seen over and over again at parties how people unintentionally box other people out. Not only do they cross their arms, but they stand face to face, creating a type of social border that few can penetrate. Instead of standing face to face, turn about 45 degrees so that you form a triangle with two sides. This opens your group up so that others feel invited to join. Anytime a new person joins, open up even more to start forming a circle. Read this article about Sending the Wrong Message. Also, for a visual , check this picture below:
Keep your hands empty: When you have a drink or something else in your hand, you give off the impression that you are very inflexible, that you are set in your ways, and that you are waiting for others to come to you instead of reaching out to them. Having something in your hands also makes it difficult to use hand gestures. If you are thirsty, set your drink down. Also avoid putting your hands in your pockets.

So arm yourself with these 6 tips, and be the life of the party!