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6 Great Ways to Keep a Conversation Going

Written on August 22, 2008 by George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster in Communication, Networking

When you meet someone for the first time, the hardest part is usually just getting the conversation started. But sometimes it’s also hard to keep it going.

We did some research and found a lot of articles on the internet about starting a conversation, but few about keeping it going. We also found that many suggestions for conversation starters would probably be better conversation “continuers”.

So we thought we’d focus on that part of the conversation today.

Hear us share our conversation continuers on The Bigg Success Show! Just click the purple play button: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With some people, it’s tough to keep the conversation going. They may be extremely shy or you might just not “click” with them. In those cases, you may just have to resign yourself that it’s not going to happen and move on.

6 ways to keep the conversation going

One simple way to keep a conversation going is to ask questions. Don’t get too personal. Keep it light-hearted. Also, don’t fire them off so rapidly that the other person starts to feel like they’re being interrogated. We use this one a lot, particularly early in a conversation. But here are six of our favorites ways to keep it going:

#1 – “What’s the best book you’ve read recently?”
Variations could be best movie, TV show, or music they’ve heard.

#2 – Offer up some interesting trivia.
Just don’t go Cliff Claven on them! If you’ve heard something that intrigued you, and it’s germane to the conversation, share it!

For example, we heard not long ago that 80% of all men said they would marry the same woman all over again. However, only 50% of all women said they would marry the same man. Can you see an interesting conversation coming out of that tidbit?

#3 – “If you could trade places with one celebrity, who would it be?”
Variations could be favorite actor, or you could limit it to favorite living actor, etc.

#4 – “If you could do college all over again, what would you get your degree in?”
This question also has many interesting variations. For example, you could ask them what’s the one class they would like to take now.

#5 – “What are you working on that’s fun?”
We heard this one from our friend Chris Brogan. It makes “What do you do?” seem boring, doesn’t it. We loved this question the first time we heard it.

#6 – Create a game.
We like to come up with a word of the night or phrase of the day. It’s an interesting word that naturally came up in the conversation. Ideally, it’s a word or phrase with a double meaning of some sort. Then see how many times it can be worked into the discussion.

What’s your favorite way to keep a conversation going?

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Mingle Bells: Tips For Networking At Your Holiday Party

Written on November 30, 2007 by admin in Communication, Networking

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Yesterday, we discussed a recent study on monkeys and what you can learn from them about rationalizing.

Today, you’ll learn four tips to network your way through your holiday parties.

Mingle bell #1: Break the ice.
Ideally, someone introduces you. In fact, look for people you know talking to people you don’t know. That’s the easiest way to get introduced to someone new.

If that option is not available, just think of an interesting opener. You might comment on something they’re wearing. Or discuss the food, the drink, or the place that you’re at. If all else fails, talk about the weather!

Mingle bell #2: Find something in common.
Find out how they know the host. Obvious, isn’t it? But with that information, you may get a clue to other people, places or things that you have in common with the person you just met.

When all else fails, fall back on our humanity. Check up on current events before the party, particularly lifestyle news. You can always make fun of the celebrity du jour!

Mingle bell #3: Take a genuine interest in them.
Some people network solely to do more business. They’re looking for money with every contact. In our opinion, this is a mistake for two reasons. First, you don’t get to know some of the best people you’ll ever meet. Second, people see through it quickly.

Listen intently. Remember two ears, one mouth? You’ll learn more than you ever imagined, simply by letting others talk about themselves.

Mingle bell #4: Make a lasting impact.
We live in a society hell-bent on moving fast. Speed dating came first. Now we have speed interviewing and speed networking. An article recently suggested that if you spend more than two minutes talking to someone you just met, you’re wasting your time. We think this is bull caca. Yeah, we checked the spelling … according to Webster, we got it right!

You shouldn’t force it. If there’s a lull in the conversation, find a graceful way to exit. But keep your goal in mind – to find new people with whom you connect. You’ll be more effective thinking quality, rather than quantity.

Use these four tips to take a sleigh-ride to successful networking!

Our quote today is by an unknown author.

“How far we travel in life matters far less than those we meet along the way.”

So mingle your way through the holiday. You’ll make spirits bright!

Next time, we’ll get aggressively passive when we talk about how to build a passive income that sets you free.

Until then, here’s to your bigg success!