Being able to keep a conversation going can be pretty hard, especially in a professional environment where making small talk can be integral for your job, or your relationships and small talks may not be easy for everyone, specifically introverts. Here are some pointers that will help you at getting better at making small talk.
1| Focus on Previous Successes
Usually, people who struggle socially contemplate their past failures repeatedly, which leads to messing up their whole impression. Something that will help you be in a good headspace before you socialize with others is to recall a time when you had a positive interaction with someone. Remembering the times you succeeded gives you the motivation to succeed again.
The reason why this works is that your mind doesn’t know the difference between perception and reality. Your thoughts determine your emotions so be mindful of what you focus on.
2| Have An Open Body Language
Over 90% of how you communicate to others is non-verbal like you wouldn’t want to talk to a person who has a frown on his face. It’s not just what you say but how you say it matters.
Open body language signals to others that you’re not a threat to them, and will make them more willing to open up to you. You should focus on maintaining proper eye contact, smile, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, stand up straight and avoid touching your face.
3| Follow Your Curiosity
Introverts are naturally good observers so if this sounds like you, make sure you take advantage of that trait. You should pay close attention to the person you’re talking to and ask yourself what’s interesting about them. Everyone loves to talk about their passions, so figure them out and ask the person you are talking to about them.
People love talking about themselves. By following your curiosity and being genuinely interested in whoever you’re interacting with, you’re going to make them feel interesting. As a result, they’re mostly like going to reciprocate and be interested in you as well.
4| Ask Good Questions
The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your conversations. Always avoid asking close-ended questions which can be answered by one word if you want to have more engaging interactions. Open-ended questions give you and the other person breathing room to talk about different things, instead of sticking to small talk. Ask more open-ended questions. That’s going to encourage whoever you’re speaking with to share more information about them.
To give you an example, instead of asking “do you like your job?” you can ask “what is it about your job that you like?” The first question requires a one-word answer but the second question requires more of an explanation. The more information you have from the other person, the easier it’ll be for you to keep the conversation going.
5| Explore Mutual Interests
People seek someone like themselves to hang out with. In order to build rapport with others very quickly, look for things that you have in common right away. If you discover they are interested in something you are interested in, you’ll be surprised at how easy it will be to talk.
