Knowing how to keep a conversation going when discussing with people is vital because, as humans, we communicate daily. But of course, there are different ways to do that, and this article aims to explore some of them so you can be better at conversing with people around you.
Of course, there are many reasons why some people like to hang out with some set of folks more than others. However, could it be that one of the primary reasons may be because of how bad they are at conversing? Frankly, nobody would enjoy the company of one who doesn’t know how to keep a conversation going.
Humans are relational beings, meaning we are connected to other people. And when there is a link with other persons, we must communicate effectively to ensure we keep that relationship fun, alive and healthy.
So part of that communication style means knowing how to keep a conversation going in that relationship. This is vital because failing to understand the need to know how to keep a conversation going can negatively affect that relationship.
Not everyone has the courage to walk to a stranger and start a conversation. And I understand that because some of us are introverted or shy or lack the courage to, as I said earlier.
But what about the people you are comfortable with, and why is it so difficult to keep conversations going smoothly with them? Of course, I understand that there are some days when our mood fluctuates, and we all have those days when our communication could use improvement, but it can’t be a daily thing. So, join me as I share some helpful tips about how to keep a conversation going regardless of who you are with.
1. Ask Open-Ended Questions
We cannot talk about knowing how to keep a conversation going without leaving room for asking open-ended questions. And I will tell you why as we proceed. So, if I may, what will a conversation be like without asking interesting open-ended questions relating to the topic of discussion?
Furthermore, it will interest you to note that a conversation is an interactive communication between two or more people, and most times, asking open-ended questions is a part of that interactive communication. Otherwise, how else can they respond if not engaged? In contrast, closed-ended questions invite only two possible answers; yes or no.
However, they are not always bad, but if you have difficulty getting conversations going, you can ask more open-ended questions occasionally.
The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an integral part of socialisation, and I stated this earlier when I said humans are relational. So the need to engage the person or people you are with cannot be over-emphasised if you must enjoy such meetings or dates.
So when we advise asking open-ended questions, it is because they cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no” response or even with a static reply. In other words, it requires a more extended response, meaning the conversation will continue smoothly. So, this is how to keep a conversation going if you are wondering how.
2. Balance Between Sharing And Asking Questions
There are several reasons why some people never get a chance for a second date. And sometimes, if they genuinely love that person and want to have a relationship with them, they will try persuading them for a second date. So, for such a person, it is essential to learn how to keep a conversation going in a relationship if they eventually charm their way into their date’s heart.
Undoubtedly, the place for having a balance between sharing and asking questions cannot be ruled out. Otherwise, if care is not taken, what should have been a promising date would end up being an interview session. Only that, in this case, you are not in a formal setting with your resume right in front of you.
How awkward! Unfortunately, this has made many people miss out on a potential mate because they couldn’t find a balance between both.
Again, this is one conversation skill that can make you good at keeping conversations going. Not only will that happen, but it will make you an exciting person to have a conversation with because of your understanding of the need to maintain a balance between sharing and asking questions.
Additionally, you can use the IFR- method. In that acronym, I stands for inquire, F means follow up, and R stands for relate. So, you could inquire by asking a question and then ask a follow-up question after that. And finally, share something about you that relates to the subject matter to keep the conversation balanced. Now, this is how to keep a conversation going.
3. Avoid Asking Too Many Questions In A Row
I encouraged us to ask questions earlier in my first point, and my second point discussed finding a balance between sharing and asking questions. So, this should tell you that the points listed were carefully considered for the reader to understand better how to keep a conversation going.
Frankly, asking too many questions will bore the other person and make them eager to end things so they can go their separate way. So, if you do not want them to feel that way, allow them to engage you in the conversation too. Otherwise, for the other person, it will feel like you only want to know about them and not want them to know about you. Especially when on a first date, avoid doing that, please.
We all know that you didn’t call them to leave their house to where you are to make them feel like they were ambushed into an interview with you, which is rather impromptu for them. And I know you intended to have a pleasant conversation with them, so let that be the case. Occasionally, in between questions, share relevant things about yourself because that’s how to keep a conversation going.
4. Be Genuinely Interested
One of the best ways to kill the vibe of the person you are hanging out with is to be uninterested in the conversation. But, of course, it might not sound very kind if you told them that to their face. So, one of the subtle ways people end conversations is to act uninterested. And often, such interactions will be filled with awkward silence.
On the other hand, one has to be genuinely interested in the chat to keep a conversation going. For example, if you show genuine interest, your chat buddy will feel it because the chemistry between you and them will be undeniable. And when you do this, they will be more motivated to share and ask sincere questions about you.
So, in keeping conversations going, learn to be interested, and when you are, even your facial expressions and body language will communicate that to your chat mate. Conversely, it isn’t difficult to tell when someone isn’t into what you are conversing about. And this is so because certain non-verbal gestures will let the other person know what’s on your mind.
5. Find Mutual Interests To Talk About
There are many ways to keep conversing with even a stranger effortlessly. Of course, as humans, we share similar things with others. But the problem may be finding those who like what we like and dislike what we equally dislike. So, in other words, it is vital to find people with whom we share a mutual interest in any area of life and discuss them.
This way, the conversation will be livelier and more fun. We tend to gravitate more toward people we have something in common with. Such things bond people together, and sometimes, even strangers can become best buddies because that first conversation went smoothly.
So, if you want to know how to keep a conversation going, finding mutual interests and talking about them is necessary. For example, you will effortlessly have a beautiful discussion with someone who enjoys talking about sports if you love that, too. And from experience, sports unite men of different colours. Also, this will go beyond the small talk because you both share a mutual interest to talk about.
Of course, sports isn’t the only topic that can unite people for a fantastic conversation. Literature, health, technology, movies, family –name it, any of these topics can make you bond and enjoy your time with whomever you are discussing.
6. Face The Other Person And Keep Eye Contact
This is one of the best ways to tell your chat buddy that you are into what they are saying. But, to keep things real with you, some people can still do this and not understand what you are saying or be interested. However, if you listen to your instincts, you will know something about the whole connection is off.
We often advise people to face the other person and keep eye contact when discussing because both will enjoy the conversation more. For example, how would you feel if someone you were talking with didn’t face you the entire time or at least make eye contact with you? Awful, I suppose, because you will leave there feeling bad, with more questions than answers.
When we talk with people, we often feel a particular connection when they face us and occasionally look into our eyes. Additionally, it is said that making eye contact helps both people concentrate on the conversation and read facial expressions. Thus, this can greatly improve understanding, and in turn, improved understanding can greatly improve communication between two people.
7. Use The FORD Rule
Earlier, I briefly discussed how people could connect more when they share a mutual interest. To further bolster that point, here is what I call the FORD rule. And this has nothing to do with the car called Ford.
Talking about Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams can be a perfect basis to converse on. As humans, we all have families, and we somehow do something to put food on the table. And sometimes, we enjoy doing some activity when we are not working, and we all have dreams. Trust me; these topics have linked people together.
For some people, family, occupation, and recreation are topics for small talk, while they are a big deal for others. So again, you just got to find where you belong and enjoy the conversation. Personally, the fascinating conversations are about interests, passion, and dreams.
But the downside about this is you may need to make small talk before people are comfortable enough to dive deeper into more intriguing topics like this. So if you want to know how to keep a conversation going, use this rule.
8. Practice Being OK with Silence
Most people are scared of that awkward silence in the middle of a conversation. This does not only happen when interacting face-to-face with a person. Shockingly, it occurs, too, during texting. So, if you are thinking of how to keep texting interesting sometimes, you may have to be comfortable with the silence. This is pretty unpopular.
Shockingly, silence is a natural part of conversations, but many do not know about this. So instead, they try to avoid it by filling the gap with irrelevant topics, which can ruin the entire conversation. Moreover, the silence can only be awkward if you panic and make it awkward.
So long as it is a conversation between you and someone when there is that uncomfortable silence, that doesn’t mean that only you need to come up with something to say. They are equally thinking of what to say next to keep things going, which means they are feeling the pressure, too, so do not fret.
So learn to be comfortable with silence at times, but don’t let it linger for too long. This way, if you continue the conversation relaxed or comfortably, you will also help the other person relax. This will help more instead of stressing to think of something to say and ending up saying rubbish.
9. Return To A Previous Topic
Sometimes, most people don’t like returning to previous topics they have discussed because they feel they might be tagged as boring when they do that. But if it really was that good, who says you can’t?
So if you reach a dead-end and feel you have exhausted all that you have to say to them, you can take a few steps backwards and discuss something the other person mentioned in passing earlier. It could be interesting if you dig deeper since they said it in passing the first time.
For instance, if they earlier mentioned that they have a cat while chatting, you could say, “how did you get it?” Of course, I am sure it will lead to something interesting as they answer the question. And if you were thinking of how to keep a conversation going over text with your crush, this is the way too.
They would love it if you showed interest in the tiniest of details they shared with you. This will tell them you were paying attention because they just mentioned they have a cat in passing.
10. Stay Well-Informed
Stay informed if you want to know how to keep a conversation going over text with a guy. So, again, the reason isn’t far-fetched because it can significantly influence how things will eventually go at the end of the day. So, for instance, it is even easier if you are already familiar with his likes and dislikes because all you have to do is go with the flow.
Again, for example, if he likes sports, stay informed about the happenings around that particular game that he likes. Let’s say it is basketball; stay updated about basketball.
Having a conversation with someone who isn’t updated about things you like or any other trendy news can be challenging because they may not relate to what you are saying. It wouldn’t hurt if you took time daily to skim through the news and the latest social media trends to help if a conversation dries up.
So read a few stories online or any amazing trendy stuff. The benefit of generally staying well-informed cannot be over-emphasised when conversing with people. Depending on the context, you will be a fantastic person to have a quick or long chat with.
11. Compliments
How to keep a conversation going through a text is to shower your chat mate with compliments. One can rarely go wrong with this terrific move of praising the person you are talking with. However, if you have difficulty complimenting your boyfriend, my article titled Compliments Men Can’t Resist will help you overcome that challenge.
One of the fantastic things about complimenting someone while discussing with them or before that is that it helps them better warm up and relax. Sometimes, to see the best of other people, they must first be relaxed or comfortable. Also, a compliment or two is a pleasant break from the typical conversation of questions and answers during conversing. And it also helps add colour to everything.
On a cautionary note, using compliments too soon can seem a little desperate or creepy. So use them only after talking to them for a few minutes. This way, it will be better. And if they mentioned something that they are proud of, make sure you use that avenue to compliment them about it.
12. Know When To Transition Out Of A Topic
Knowing when to transition from one topic to another is a great skill that great conversationalists have. But unfortunately, not everyone has this. However, the good news is that it can be learned if you work on it.
So if you have been discussing the same topic for an hour or half, it is time to move on to something different. Don’t you think? I understand that some folks can talk about the same thing for hours and not get tired.
But how often do you come by such people? So you must learn to read the signs to know when someone is bored of talking about the same thing and move on to another.
This is why it is advisable to watch closely for the person’s facial expressions and body language. And most importantly, most topics naturally transition from one thing to another. You only need to understand the right time to make that happen.
13. Connect The Dots
This is not so hard to do if you look around you. First, there are a few things that connect people and help them to start talking. Simply use those things, and everything will automatically fall into place.
Always remember these five primary conversation starters that work every single time! As I said earlier, mutual interest, the weather, what you do for work, the place you are in now, and something interesting around you.
Whichever you decide to go for will serve as a good start. Trust me; you can initiate and converse with anyone in different ways.
Hopefully, when you use this well, you can build a connection with the other person more quickly than you would ever have imagined. This is also how to keep a conversation going with a girl over text.
14. Listen When They Talk
Listening is vital when talking with others. And it will interest you to note that you can’t have a successful conversation if listening is taken out of the equation. And you don’t always have to be the one constantly talking. For instance, you don’t have to start chatting immediately after introducing yourself. Also, allow them to introduce themselves, too, as you did.
Some people who like to dominate may not want to give room for others to chip in on what they have in mind. If everyone acted that way, what would be the outcome? Sometimes, they do this because they want to appear interesting or well-informed. However, you don’t have to do that.
Paying attention to others when they speak doesn’t make you less of a human than they are. Moreover, when you are truly great at something, you don’t need to rush to prove how good you are.
15. Use Humour Fairly Often
How to keep the conversation going over text is to show your humourous side more. Who doesn’t enjoy the company of funny people? We all want the company of funny individuals because they bring so much fun with them.
So if you are that type of a person, you should throw in some humour to keep the conversation going. Make a few jokes, and see where things go. The more they enjoy having you around, the easier it’ll be to hold the conversation. And trust me; they would like you to join them next time.
There are many ways to keep a conversation going, but we hope these shared will help you get off to a strong start. For other excellent articles like this, you can click here. Also, to get more from us via social media, you can click here too.
So, use these tips the next time you’re wondering how to keep a conversation going. And you’ll never have any difficulty impressing anyone you meet, and you’ll have a great time, too! Remember that sharing is caring.
