Instructions
- Step 1: Feign a need Assuming you don’t already have a full cocktail or plate of food in your hand, excuse yourself to get a drink or visit the buffet. Or, you can always say you need to use the bathroom.
- Step 2: Flatter them Tell them you’ve really enjoyed chatting with them, but you don’t want to monopolize them.
- Step 3: Throw someone under the bus Grab the next person who happens by, drag them into the conversation, and make your getaway.
- TIP: Make this enjoyable for yourself by choosing someone you dislike intensely.
- Step 4: Spot someone you must speak with Use the old, ‘Oh, there’s so-and-so, and I haven’t seen them in ages!’
- Step 5: Set up a code If you’re at the party with a friend or your partner, use a pre-established ‘rescue me’ signal.
- Step 6: Be honest Just be honest. Kind of. Tell the person it’s been great talking to them – now here comes the honest part – but you really want to mingle. No one can fault you for that.
- FACT: Thirty-four percent of Americans are uncomfortable when introducing themselves to strangers at a party, according to one survey.
You Will Need
- Credible excuses
- Flattery
- A “sacrificial lamb
- Honesty
- An enemy (optional)
- A friend (optional)
