A&B #104

View this email in your browser.

🙏 Support:This week's newsletter was made possible by Psychology of Marketing.Every Thursday, you'll learn about a new psychological effect and how you can apply it to scale your work and grow your business. Get 1 psychological effect, 2 real-world examples, and 3 actionable tactics–all in under 5 minutes.Join 4,000+ marketers for free here.

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

• 20 Books that will 20x your sales.

• 20 Books that (if applied) can change your life.

• 13 Scientifically-proven reasons why you should read books.

📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is The 2-Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray.Have you ever thrown a networking event or party that sucked? This book will change that. Nick shares step-by-step instructions on how to host parties that help you meet new people and make you the person everyone wants to know. Here are a few short lessons from the book:1) Give Everyone A Name TagOne of the simplest things you can do to make your event better is to give everyone a name tag.We've all been to an event where we met someone new but forgot their name moments later. It's both awkward and embarrassing to admit you forgot their name and ask them to remind you.But if everyone has a name tag, it reduces the embarrassment of forgetting someone's name to zero and makes it much easier to meet new people. Name tags are a $4 investment that will make your party 10x more enjoyable.  

2) Have People Sip, Snack, and StandDinner parties sound fun but drink-only parties are much more productive.You want people to spend more time talking than eating. You can have snacks so people don't starve, but keep them small so people can eat them without having to sit down.Why don't you want people sitting down?Sitting down is kryptonite to a successful event–it traps people in conversations and kills the room's energy level. However, if everyone is standing, people can quickly move from one conversation to the next.

3) Do Icebreakers Icebreakers may seem cringe or like a forced interaction, but they're effective at helping people connect with one another.Start with a simple icebreaker by getting everyone in a circle and asking them to answer these 3 questions:

• What's your name?

• What do you do for work?

• What's your favorite breakfast food?

This is an easy way to warm up the party and start turning strangers into new friends. Then later in the party once people are no longer complete strangers, do an advanced icebreaker.Pick 1 question such as:

• What's your favorite charity?

• What topic could you teach a class on?

• What's the best thing you bought this year?

This will help you get to know each guest on a deeper and more intimate level.PS: If you want more lessons from Nick's book, check out this thread here.

✅ Actionable Advice: 1) Give everyone a name tag.

• By giving everyone a name tag you:

  • Reduce social anxiety

  • Make introductions easier

  • Place everyone on equal footing

  • Reduce the embarrassment of forgetting someone's name

2) Follow the 3 S's (sip, snack, stand).

• Avoid dinner parties where people spend more time eating than talking and are sitting the whole time.

• Instead, host drinks-only parties (with snacks for hungry guests) and encourage people to stand and easily move from one conversation to the next.

3) Do icebreakers.

• Icebreakers are an effective way to turn strangers into new friends.

  • Start with these 3:

    • What's your name?

    • What do you do for work?

    • What's your favorite breakfast food?

  • Then try an advanced one such as:

    • What's your favorite charity?

    • What topic could you teach a class on?

    • What's the best thing you bought this year?

🎧 Podcast/YouTube Update:

Here are 3 awesome podcast episodes you may have missed:

• Jay Papasan: The ONE Thing

• Logan Ury: How To Not Die Alone

• Sahil Lavingia: The Minimalist Entrepreneur

📖 Reading Lesson:Read 1 book a year & you'll have read more than 17% of adults.Read 4 books a year & you'll have read more than 50% of adults.Read 10 books a year & you'll have read more than 73% of adults.It doesn't take much to be great.(share here)

⭐️ Weekly Quote:"Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace."From "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen.(resurfaced using Readwise)

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.