conversation skills
some of this stuff is going to be repeats from asks I’ve answered because I want to make one big post for conversation skills. so hopefully this is helpful to someone
starting conversations
-no basic small talk. things like “hows the weather” can be as bad as cheesy pick up lines. every situation is unique so there should always be different topics to ask about.
-ask for their opinion on something. everyone has an opinion and most people can get quite passionate about it so try and ask about that. this will also help you to get to know someone better.
-ask for advice/recommendations. similar to opinions this is also something people tend to enjoy being asked about.
-mention something about your surroundings. something you find cool or you think most people don’t notice. this is a good way to come up with a topic to start on
-hypothetical questions. this is a great way to get someone thinking for example “If you could be any water creature what would you be?”
keeping conversations going
- ask open ended questions, not yes or no ones. this will make there answers longer and give you more things to ask/talk/agree about.
-ask about things they enjoy. like hobbies, projects and pets, people love talking about things that they like. they will also feel happy talking about things that make them happy meaning your question will literally lift their mood.
-mention current events. or just anything that most people know about.
-ask for more! literally say something along the lines of “wow, tell me more”. or you could pick on small details and ask about them to get them to expand on what they’re saying
-stories. everyone knows that stories help conversations but people tend to only say ones from their life. you can say any stories you’ve heard on TV or read somewhere. this will then create a load of conversation topics from that.
- fake confidence. This may sound weird but convincing yourself that youre not afraid or uncomfortable can help you seem more fun to talk to, therefore letting the conversation last longer.
- don’t be obnoxious. sure speaking clear and loud enough to hear is important but you don’t want to be one of those extra over the top people.
- be yourself. sometimes when we overthink a conversation we take out our personality and natural charm. use your humour and talking habits otherwise it could feel forced.
dealing with nerves/ be confident
-keep your self-esteem high. this is difficult i know but try your best. it will make talking to people so much easier
- push out negative thoughts. thinking things like ‘they definitely dont want to talk to me’ and ‘im just bothering them’ will instantly destroy your confidence. so don’t do it! no one hates talking to someone that much.
-accept that everyone makes mistakes. miss-wording something or being awkward every now and then is natural and normal.
-wear something comfortable. if you wear something you feel great or comfortable in you are a lot more likely to be confident and less nervous
-confidence isnt just a mind set it’s a habit. get used to being a confident person not just with certain people
compliments (because this is a crush blog so…)
-be genuine. pick something you honestly really like and sound like you mean it
-be specific. if something is specific that person is less likely to have thought about it or been complimented on it before, making it more meaningful
-it doesn’t haft to be physical. some people only compliment people on their looks but there is so much more to talk about on this inside. commenting on someones personality trait can honestly mean so much to someone.
-telling someone they are funny or hilarious is always a good one because it’s an instant confidence boost for them and shows you get their humour
I’m probably going to edit and add to this post as time goes on but for now I hope this is helpful
