2. The smaller the towns, the friendlier and more helpful the people. Along the way, I pulled off into small towns like Warren and Niles, Ohio. In such towns, folks were neighborly and knowledgeable about their towns and the surrounding geography. "You should see the President McKinley Memorial," several said. Compared to the personnel at highway rest stops, people on the streets of small towns in Iowa, Utah, Ohio were refreshingly friendly and engaging.

can be a catalyst to open a larger conversation. That's

why I often gave people I met a small bag of macadamia

nuts when I lived in Hawaii, or a poker-chip styled

business card when I lived in Las Vegas. Those created interest. Of course, it's best to choose something that gets

a "WOW! response.

Loren Ekroth ©2010, all rights reserved

Loren Ekroth, Ph.D. is a specialist in human communication and a national expert on conversation for business and social life.