Don’t multi-task. Be present. Be in that moment. Don’t think about other things as the conversation goes on.
Don’t pontificate. Write a blog if you want to control the conversation. Answer every conversation as if you want to learn. Set aside your personal opinion, once you do, the speaker will become more vulnerable and more open to listening to you. Know that “Everybody is an expert in something.”
Use open ended questions. Who, what ,where, why, how. Ie: What was that like, how does that feel? You’ll get a more interesting response.
Go with the flow. Let ideas go in and out of your mind. If you are trying to remember about a point you want to make, you will not truly be listening to the conversation.
If you don’t know something, say you don’t know.
Don’t equate the experience of others with yours. Every experience is different. It’s not about you.
Try not to repeat ourselves. Rephrasing it over and over is not saying something new.
Stay out of the details. Names, dates, who you did it with, are not important.
Listen. This is the most important skill you can develop. If your mouth is open you are not listening. Most of us listen – not with the intent to understand, but with the intent to reply.
Be brief: A good conversation is like a miniskirt; short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the subject. Be interested in each other. Everyone is interesting. Be prepared to be amazed.
