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How to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime

How to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime

The A.R.E method

Chandan Karkera
April 6th, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

After reading this post, we’ll see:

What is the A.R.E method
How you can use it to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

TL; DR;

Use the Anchor; Reveal; Encourage method to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

I’m an introvert. To be honest, I used to prefer the company of books than a room full of people. My circle of friends is quite tight - knit. And I take a long time to develop friendships. This is my nature.

But over time, I realized that it’s a lost opportunity if I don’t actively seek new connections.

Just think about it. Life can take interesting turns depending on who you meet. From each person, we can learn something new. Something which can completely change your mind.

So I began practicing talking to strangers.

While waiting in line.
In the Grocery store.
Any other random place.

But without a “cheat code”, it’s difficult. I mean, how much can you talk about the weather, isn’t it?

Fortunately I discovered a simple method to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Enter the A.R.T method. I learnt it from Paul Russel, co - founder of Luxury academy.

Your network is your net worth.

- Tim Sanders

But what is it?

As Paul says:

" there was a topic of conversation that every single person on the planet shares and could chat about endlessly without force...

and that's ourselves."

The A.R.E method uses this to our advantage.

Anchor

Begin the conversation by connecting to something you’re both experienced / aware of.

Reveal

Share a relevant , personal detail related to the anchor. The personal part is important here. It makes you relatable ( and avoids the conversation from becoming an interrogation)

Encourage

Ask an open - ended question. This allows the other person to take the lead & share their thoughts.

How to use this in your daily life:

As with anything, practice this technique. Here are a few prompts to get started.

Situation	Anchor	Reveal	Encourage
Personal - Meeting someone new at a party	"This is quite the gathering, isn't it?" or "Have you tried the [mention a specific food or drink item]?"	"I was just saying to someone else that I love [mention something related to the party, e.g., the music, the venue, the host]."	"How do you know the host?" or "What brought you out tonight?"
Personal - Talking to a new neighbor	"The weather has been [mention the current weather] lately."	"I just moved in last month, and I'm still getting familiar with the area."	"Have you lived around here long? Any recommendations for good local spots?"
Professional - Networking event	"It's been a busy but interesting evening, meeting so many people."	"I've particularly enjoyed hearing about the work being done in the [mention a general industry or theme of the event]."	"What kind of projects are you currently involved in?" or "What are you hoping to gain from the event this evening?"
Professional - Talking to a high-net-worth client before a meeting	"I hope you had a smooth journey getting here today." or "Did you happen to catch [mention a recent news item or local event]?"	"I was just reading about that this morning, and it seems quite [offer a brief neutral observation, e.g., significant, interesting]."	"What are your thoughts on that?" or "How has that impacted your perspective recently?" (if the topic is relevant to their field)

That’s it!!

I hope this concept helps you talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime . If you found this helpful, share with someone who will benefit.