As Laurie David said, “A great dinner must include not only yummy food, but good conversation.”
Have a better conversation means not just mix and match some words. It is more that that. To make it an interesting conversation we must include active listening, add some humour, curiosity, honesty and much more.
In this blog, I am going to talk about 13 amazing ways to converse in a better way.
Let’s dive in.
13 ways to have better conversations:
1. Listen actively
Dale Carnegie stated that, “If you want to be a good conversationalist, be a good listener.” Listening actively is an important key if you want to have a better conversation.
I have met so many people who starts a conversation, and when I respond, they start roaming around in their own world. Which is a big NO, if you want to have an engaging conversation.
You must listen with all your attention. Because you also have to keep in mind that the person at the other end is giving their time, enthusiasm and attention.
So, listening attentively is not just courteous but essential for creating a genuine connection.
2. Maintain eye contact
Maintaining eye contact is a must thing to do when you are talking to someone. This enhances the chance of having a better conversation.
It has several benefits. Such as, it shows that you are actively involved and interested in the conversation. Also, it helps us to understand the speaker’s emotions and intentions well.
Maintaining good eye contact is an important non-verbal communication tool that can improve the quality of the conversations and reflect one’s confidence.
3. Be present
Being present at the moment while you are having conversations with someone is an essential thing.
If you give them your complete attention while having a discussion, it will help you to understand and connect with them in a better way. Being present means, you are showing respect to the speaker.
As a result, that person will feel valued. This helps to build trust and strengthens relationships. Also, there’s a sure shot of having a fulfilling conversation.
4. Use open-ended questions
Open-ended question is an essential tool we can use while having a conversation. It encourages deep understanding about the person we are speaking to and strengthen the connection. Open-ended questions can enhance the quality of our conversations.
If you are talking with someone and constantly using close-ended questions, the person in the other end, might think that you are not interested in talking. Because you are not engaging enough.
Also, one of the key benefits of using open-ended questions is that they promote active listening. When we ask open-ended questions, we can encourage the speaker to express themselves. If you ask someone, “What’s your take on this?”, they can give us more insight.
5. Be careful of body language
A good body language helps to have a clear and effective communication. When our non-verbal cues, such as gestures and facial expressions get aligned with our words, it strengthens our message.
For example, maintaining eye contact means we’re attentive. But if we’re avoiding eye contact or looking at everywhere without listening properly, it can affect the conversation badly.
So, we must be aware of our body language to have a better conversation.
6. Respect differences
When you are having a conversation, try to respect different opinions. Because everyone’s thought process or how they see things are different. It is important to have the ability of acceptance if you want to engage in an interactive conversation.
Accepting different opinions and perspectives helps you in your personal growth and development.
7. Stay on topic
Staying on topic while having a conversation is a good habit one should build. It will be helpful for anyone who want to engage in a meaningful conversation.
There’s a habit of some people who start a conversation on a topic and suddenly change the topic. It could be disturbing for the person they are talking to.
This leaves a negative impact on the communication as it is annoying. If you stick to the main topic in a conversation, it prevents confusion and help others to involve as well.
8. Use humour appropriately
Using humour appropriately is an important component to improve any conversation. It can make any conversation more engaging and positive if used thoughtfully.
You can use humour according to the situation and the people you’re with. That’s why you must be sensitive while applying it. Try not to overuse it. You must be aware of what’s appropriate in different contexts. Also, it should not hurt others.
Whether you’re chatting with friends or leading a meeting, remember, humour can turn an ordinary conversation into something memorable.
Just use it wisely and see what happens!
9. Be aware of your tone
Always be aware of your tone while talking. Maintaining a polite and enthusiastic tone while having a conversation, gives a good impact.
For example, if you are talking to someone about a topic and the person’s viewpoint is not matching with yours, try to avoid getting rude or angry at the first place. Instead, keep your tone normal.
It’s okay to have a difference in opinions but the tone which we are using for talking, plays an important role. We can avoid unnecessary clash or arguments just by keeping the right tone.
10. Avoid interrupting
While you are having a conversation to someone, try not to interrupt while they are talking. It gives a bad impact. Also this breaks the flow of speech.
Interrupting frequently when other person is talking can be built as a bad habit. If you want to have a better and meaningful conversation, you should get rid of this habit.
Moreover, this reflects one’s bad listening skill. Good conversation involves both attentive listening with effective speaking. Many people mostly focus to prove their viewpoint rather than listening and understanding speaker’s perspective.
Other thing is, people also lose interest in making a conversation if they get interrupted often. So, its better to avoid interrupting.
11. Be empathetic
Being empathetic while having a talk is crucial. Those who are empathetic, not only actively listens but also understands speaker’s basic emotion and thoughts.
Also, they can respond accordingly which encourages the speaker to engage more. This leads to a more fulfilling conversation.
12. Be genuine
Always try to be genuine to yourself and others while having a conversation. Through talking with someone, we can get an overview of their personality.
If you are throwing too much nonsense and wrong, false information about yourself, the person you are talking to will get a misleading view of your character.
Being genuine or honest while having a chat is essential as it builds trust and credibility. Honest conversations are essential not only in personal relationships but also professional spaces.
Like, if you are collaborating with a team in your office and you are not having genuine conversations, it will lead to several miscommunications which brings negative impact in your life.
13. Avoid distractions
Avoid getting distracted while talking is an important tool to have better conversation. If you are talking with someone, but your mind is roaming everywhere except the conversation, the person you are speaking with, will be upset or discouraged.
We must be present at the moment whether we are having a small chat or a long discussion with someone. Also, distractions can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.
If you are checking your phone or thinking about something else, chances are you’ll miss necessary details in the conversation. In that case, the result will be some off-topic responses.
Ultimately, will lead to ineffective communication.
Conclusion
As we have come to an end of this blog, I hope that you got some idea for having a better conversation.
In today’s time, our communication skill helps us to achieve our personal and professional goals in many ways. To express our thoughts and opinions clearly, good communication skill helps us to build our career.
But I feel technology has affected our ways of having conversation in both positive and negative ways.
Anyways, are there any habits or behaviours you actively try to avoid during conversations? Let me know in the comments.
Take care.
Make the most of your day.
Until we meet again.
