Striking up a conversation is not the most difficult part. Surprised? Engaging in one and sustaining the conversation is.
Most people are clueless about how to keep a conversation going and hence, they end up saying or doing things that eventually kill the mood for conversation.
People are not aware of the things that they say subconsciously that make all the difference.
Here are some of the subtle mistakes people make that kill conversations.
1. Small talk
Beginning your conversation with small talk is absolutely alright. In fact, it is a great way to break the ice but after a while, people try to find reasons and topics to talk about. Small talk doesn’t help then. You need to move past and find deeper things to talk about.
2. Not responding fast
This happens when you get lost in your thoughts while someone is trying to talk to you. Not responding fast enough to the ongoing conversation can seem very dull. And hence, the conversation eventually dies down.
3. One-sided conversation
A conversation goes both ways. However, if you space out or the other person pays no attention to what you have to say, then engaging in a one-sided conversation can be pretty bland and dull. There’s no point to it. Or if you simply respond to the other person’s questions and do not ask them anything in return, it can be a bit hurtful too.
4. Pretending to not understand
If you are unable to understand what someone is saying, don’t just sit there pretending to understand. Unknown to you, the person might actually sense this. And they might feel really bad. The right way to go about this is to just ask them!
5. Complaining a lot
This is a big conversation killer. When you only resort to complaining all the time, the other person may get bored immediately. Not only would they withdraw but also avoid any future interactions with you.
