How To Have Great Conversations

Not long after having arrived in Germany, I was invited to a dinner party.

I was by far the youngest in the room. I felt inexperienced. And I felt that I didn’t have anything to say that could be of interest to anyone.

When I returned home, I knew that I had to do something about my conversation skills.

I started reading books about communication, having meaningful small talk and big talk and making friends. You’ll see them all on the shelves in my office.

And what I learnt was amazing. If I wanted to be good at talking to people, I just needed to ask lots of questions.

Why did I not think of that before?

People love talking about themselves.

Of course, we don’t want to sound as if we’re interrogating the other person. So we need to ask questions we think s/he will enjoy answering. We need to show real interest and to listen carefully. And we shouldn’t forget to share some of our own life experiences, too.

Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll do fine.

And tell me if it works for you.