How to Be an Interesting Party Guest: 7 Ideas

How to Be an Interesting Party Guest: 7 Ideas

1) Arrive 25 minutes early and greet your host with half-prepared foods that don’t include all of the necessary materials like: artichoke dip that still needs to warmed but the container that you brought it in can’t be microwaved or put in the oven. Another suggestion is frozen margarita mix concentrate that your host will have to use their blender and ice to whip up for you. This one works really well if your hosts have a new baby and the party is more or a hang to meet their 6 week old. They will really appreciate having to do things for you.

2) When in conversation with the party guests, spend a lot of time looking at your fingernails.  Make sure to grow them long in preparation and get some dirt under the nail bed to emphasize how icky they look.

3) Play conversation chicken.  Here’s how you do it: when talking to someone who you know is just talking to you to be polite, try to see how long you can make the conversation last.  For example, when they try to duck out of the conversation by saying something like “looks like my drink is empty, I’m going to go to get another, can I get you anything?” say “I’ll follow you so I can keep telling you this story about the dream I had last night”. Dare the other person to say something awkward like, “I have to go now, I have to go to the bathroom”, to get away from you.

4) Another conversation game you can play is called “Now My Turn”.  To play this game, you must listen patiently to a person who really likes telling a story. If the story sprouts another story, you should listen to that story too.  You should keep listening until it seems as though the storyteller is all told out. This might signal a natural break in the evening.  Now it is your time to pounce.  This is where you tell a story to the person who just talking to you.  Tell it with passion. Your story should be related to the story that was just relayed to you.  Keep talking until the person seems like they are bored or like they are trying to get away.  Walk away feeling smug.

4) If the party location only has one bathroom, make sure to use the bathroom as your private break room.  When you need a break from all the socializing, go into the bathroom to check your social media.  Make yourself comfortable to check your Instagram for 15 minutes. If someone knocks on the door, answer back, “Someone’s in here”. Make sure your voice has an edge. For maximum relaxation, repeat up to three more times throughout the night.

5) If it’s a work party that happens in the evening, bring your young child.  People love socializing with young children especially when your child’s presence is unexpected.

6) If it’s an holiday happy-hour and you’re the boss, invite your friend who lives nearby.  Your employees will sense that you value getting to know them better. 

The important thing to remember is that you come first!

So do your worst.