Conversation Is Like Fishing

Business, Communication.

Light your conversation fire - there is a great tactic anyone can use that guarantees great conversation regardless of who you are talking to. This is a critical life skill and thankfully it is much easier than people think to excel at conversation skills once you know the smart way to go about it. The top movers in the world of business and even those charming people who light up any social event know this secret and you can use it too.

There are three simple steps to lighting the conversation fire: Complete Attention. - yes, all of your attention. Give complete attention to the person you are talking to. Resist the temptation to scan the room, play with the loose change in your pocket or start thinking about what you need to do later in the day. When you do this the other person cannot help but notice the respect you are showing him. Talk and listen to the person before you as if this is the most important person you have ever met and as if this conversation is the most important discussion of you life.

This is flattering. - he will warm to you, speak more freely and pay close attention to what you say. You will find whoever you are talking to will respond very positively to this attention. Conversation is like fishing. Why? Small talk is the starting point. You engage in small talk to fish for great topics of conversation that appeal to you and the other person - you are looking for shared interests and passions.

You need to spot clues that indicate his interests. - for this reason, and following on from step one, pay very close attention to the non - verbal behavior of the other person as he talks. And, you want to avoid those topics he finds boring, annoying or distasteful. You will still hear everything he says. It is easy to spot these clues as long as you pay more attention to how someone talks than to what he says. You then simply look for clues as indicated by more enthusiasm in his voice and body language.

When you spot a topic that generates enthusiasm follow that lead and drive the conversation in that direction. - follow the path of least resistance. This is very easy to do since people love to talk about what interests them. A spark then ignites the conversation and before you know it the conversation takes on a life of its own. A few good questions to open up the topic is usually all it takes. Make sure to match the enthusiasm of the other person in your voice tone and in your body language.

If you fail to do this you will dampen his enthusiasm. - this is important. One important point. If an issue agitates the other person the annoyance is like a negative passionate enthusiasm! Some topics will get an emotional response that looks like enthusiasm but are to be avoided is meeting someone for the first time. This is risky ground with someone you do not know very well and is best to steer clear of. Make it a goal to fish for topics that make people feel good and you will make friends with new people even faster that you expect.

Look for positive enthusiasm especially topics that cause someone to smile or laugh. - you can light the conversation fire anytime you want to by remembering these three points: give complete attention to the other person, fish for great topics and follow the path of less resistance. At this point this process will run on automatic and meeting people becomes a lot of fun. Over time you will get better and better at each step until it becomes second nature.