It was important to him that I turned off all recorders, that it was a simple conversation, not an interview.

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There are many fundraising products for many good causes, Kors said, but choose a watch and it's simple math: a direct formula that it's 100 meals per watch as a conversation starter.

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By making it as simple as just sending a text message to start a conversation, these tools help to accelerate the on-boarding and adoption process, making online collaboration visible, engaging, and participatory.

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The clerk, instead of rolling his eyes at the man next in line, could have asked himself why this woman was so bitterly complaining, after which one simple open-ended question might have opened up a fruitful conversation, not to mention the creation of a genuine human relationship, no matter how fleeting.

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