How to Start and Keep a Good Conversation Going

How to Start a good conversation

“Hi，my name is Sara．”“I’m Frank. Nice to meet you．”

Introductions，like the one above，are a great way to begin a good conversation．When you introduce yourself，be confident and comfortable．That will make others comfortable，too．After the introduction，wait a bit．If the other person doesn’t ask a question，you ask one．Starting with a question shows interest in the other person．You could ask” What do you do?”or“How do you know our host?” But asking something a little different shows you are clearly different．“What did you do last weeked?”and“Have you seen any good movies recently?” are two topics you could ask about．Another good way to start with is” Tell me about yourself．”Most people love talking about themselves．

How to keep a good conversation going

As the other person begins to answer your question，look for the same opinion．If you ask about last weekend，the person could talk about a bike ride they took．When the person finishes his opinions，you could mention an experience that you had with biking．You can then move on to discussing other sports the person may be interested in．

When the other person is talking，be interested in them．Listen carefully to their answers．Don’t look around the room．That gives the other person the message that you are not really interested in them．

If you are answering the question，don’t go on and on．Answer the question and then stop．A good conversation is like a tennis game where the ball goes back and forth．

With some practice，you’ll be able to start and keep a conversation going with anyone！

What do you do in a situation like this? You’re having dinner with friends at a nice restaurant. You’re having a great time when a phone rings at the table next to you. A man takes out his phone and starts talking loudly about problems he’s having with his girlfriend. He talks for almost ten minutes! This happens all the time－on buses, in restaurants, everywhere!

Many people find cell phones useful in their daily lives. But we’ve all sat next to someone talking too loudly on a cell phone. You may want to tell the loudmouth to end the conversation, but let the management take care of those noisy customers. You can only control your own behavior. Here are a few rules:

Off means off! Follow the rules of restaurants and other public places. If a sign says “turn off cell phones”, don’t use your phone. If you are allowed, speak softly for a short time and try to move away from other people.

Lights off, phone off! Never make calls in a theater or at the movies.

Pay attention! Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. And watch where you’re going when you’re walking down the streets and talking on the phone.

As more people use cell phones, things are only going to get worse. So, the next time you’re getting ready to make a call, stop and consider the people around you.