Sharing Too Much - Can You Recover?
So you were at an event and you talked to someone for way too long about your childhood dog getting hit by a car.
Now it’s the next day and you’re sure that person is never going to want to talk to you again, because you are sure they think you are crazy.
Should you try to contact them, or should you give up and move on…hoping the person you told your tale of woe to won’t spread it around to the rest of the people they meet forevermore?
Boundaries, shame, and recognizing if you made a mistake
When you share things you shouldn’t, you will probably feel it the next morning. Even if you didn’t have an ounce of beer, wine, or liquor…your shame-o-meter will remind you that you talked a little too much about something a little too personal. Don’t have a shame-o-meter? Make sure you know your boundaries well enough to know when you’re sharing too much.
Damage control is important
If you made a mistake, you need to acknowledge it without overdoing it. Email the person and follow up, mentioning something they said you’d like to know more about. Their business, plans, whatever it is they talked about. Prove you were listening, and not just talking.
Then you can either say you were having an off day and you don’t know how that happened, or you were really nervous and when that happens you (for some reason) talk about your childhood pet. Tell them it only happens once and that they don’t have to worry about a repeat performance. (Make the tone of your email light and “no big deal.”)
Don’t beat yourself up
Everyone makes mistakes. If someone doesn’t understand that you had an issue and that it was a one time thing, to heck with them. Unless it’s someone you desperately needed to connect with leave it alone and let them go after your attempt at damage control.
If it is someone you really need to talk to again, find them in person and prove you’re better the second time around. You will always have another chance to make a good impression.
Tags: damage control, first impression, sharing too muchRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Business Networking, Networking Etiquette, Networking Tips
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