English with Kirsty – episode 14
Keeping conversations going and avoiding awkward silences 2
In this episode I continue my series that looks at strategies for making general conversations less stressful and more enjoyable.
You can listen to episode 14 here:
4. Get people talking about a subject about which they feel passionate
Most people have favourite subjects. Perhaps they have a hobby or interest. This may be work related, or perhaps they enjoy talking about their recent holidays or what their children or pets have done. Whether or not you share an interest in these subjects, if you can get the other person to talk about them, you will find out more about the other person and the dialogue will continue.
5. Find common ground
Do you share the same interest? Have you had similar experiences professionally? Did you attend the same conference/training event? Are you working on similar projects? Topics like this are good because you can both contribute to the dialogue.
6. Try not to make other people feel that they have nothing to contribute
Sometimes people can be afraid of natural silences. These aren’t the awkward silences that I’m talking about but the natural pauses that the other person can use to decide what to say or how to answer. Don’t dominate the conversation by trying to fill every silence or you will deny the other person the opportunity to contribute.
Find out more
There are two more parts to this series. Here are the links to part one and part three.
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