Effective Communication Skills that Bring People Together
How can you use effective communication skills to create a
conversation that leads to more than small talk?
Everybody has had a conversation that seems more like an
interrogation then a friendly exchange. Drilling questions at
each other is not a good way to talk. You really are not
learning anything, but rather just saying anything to keep the
conversation going.
Worse than just asking constant conversations is answering a
question and then asking it back of the other person. That shows
zero creativity and can come off as insincere.
The whole idea to a good conversation is where all parties
involved really care what the others have to say. Having
effective communication skills can lead to an interesting
conversation.
In order to move on form small talk and into a real conversation
you need to understand how. You may start out with simple
questions like, 'What have you been up to?' or 'How is your
family doing?'.
The idea is to take what you learn during this small talk and
turn it into a conversation. The following list outlines how to
do this.
1. Listen.
Really listen to what they say and how they answer your
questions. If they seem hesitant in answering a question then
that topic may be something they feel uncomfortable talking
about.
If they seem to brighten up and really get excited about
answering a question then this is where you can find something
to talk more in depth about.
2. Body Language.
Watch the reactions you get from a person. If they have their
arms crossed or are displaying a nervous habit then perhaps
right now is not a good time to talk. You can ask or simply say
you are sorry for taking their time.
You may actually find that conversation just makes them nervous
or that they have something on their mind. In that case you can
really open up a conversation if they want to talk.
3. Deal with questions.
If it seems questions are the main part of your conversation
then it is up to you to turn this around. Answer a question with
more detail that can lead into a good conversation.
Perhaps they ask about work, you can answer about work, but then
lead into how you'd prefer to have more time for your hobby.
This is a great way to make conversation.
4. End it.
If you really are not going anywhere just end the conversation
politely. If you have something else to do or sense the other
person has something to do then it is good to end the
conversation.
There is no point in tying up time that can be better spent. You
have actually laid the groundwork for your next conversation.
The next time you speak with this person you can talk about what
you had to rush off to do or ask how the rest of their day went.
These pointers are meant to give you a good idea of effective
communication skills. Most small talk conversations seem overly
polite and boring, so if you desire a better conversation use
these tips to develop the small talk into a good conversation.