One of my favorite quotes in the world is by Agatha Christie who said,
“Conversation reveals all”
And she should know.
The Grande Dame of Whodunit has built an empire of mystery novels of assorted murderers, scoundrels and thieves who have been undone by conversation.
I prefer to keep company with other types of people less deadly but just as fascinating. For me, the best place to do this and to have a conversation is over lunch.
How do you get to know someone?
Spending an hour with a person over a sandwich and coffee is a great way to start a relationship. Breaking bread is usually followed by breaking the ice. If you are a skilled conversation artist, you will find yourself listening a lot more than talking. If the food is exceptionally tasty, this is not difficult to do. People like to talk and share stories about themselves.
I think of lunch the same way I think about weddings.
Who is the wedding for, really? The bride and the groom? Guess again. It’s for everybody else. You guys are just animated versions of the cake figures.
Who is lunch for? I’ll give you a hint:
The most important letter in the word “lunch” is u.
U, as in you. Not you, the other you. The other person.
Lunch is about everybody else, if you really want to get to know people. When you invite someone to lunch, ask them to bring their appetite. You bring your ears.
