Making conversation and keeping it flowing can be challenging if your brain goes blank very often. Luckily, there are certain rules you can follow to never run out of things to say and avoid awkward moments.
Though some people are born with a natural skill for conversation and connecting with others, it’s not the case for everyone. Some people struggle with being talkative and sociable.
Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn! With the right tools and enough practice, you can learn to be a smooth conversationalist. Today, we will provide 5 simple rules that will allow you to never run out of things to say.
If you practice them consistently, they will become second nature and you’ll never have issues making conversation. Without further ado, let’s get into the details!
5 Rules to never run out of things to say:
1. Speak your mind:
Saying what’s on your mind is never a bad idea. Granted, it’s important to have certain filters and keep things appropriate depending on who we’re talking to.
However, you should never be afraid to speak your mind. Even if what you have to say seems mundane or dumb. It isn’t, especially not if it keeps the conversation going.
For example, pointing out obvious things like the weather or the traffic is an easy way to start a conversation with a stranger. Making small talk is a good warm-up. After that, you can talk about more substantial things on your mind and have a lovely chat.
If you focus too much on saying the right thing or sounding smart, you’ll always feel insecure about anything you say.
2. Relax, it’s not that serious:
Keeping the conversation going doesn’t have to be a super-serious thing. If you take it too seriously, you risk trying too hard.
That will only make you feel even more self-conscious and it will make the conversation go stale. Instead, try to relax. Talking to people is about communicating, not about who gets to say the most words.
A few seconds of silence is not a bad thing. In fact, it allows you to think about what you want to say and formulate better answers or explanations. If you’re uptight and you rush to always say anything, people will think you only want to hear yourself speak. It’s the fastest way to end a conversation!
3. Practice active listening:
Being an active listener is one of the best ways to never run out of things to say. The conversation is reciprocal, so paying attention to the other person is key. Focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Don’t interrupt or speak over them, and don’t rush to answer.
Allow the other person time to say what they want to say so you can have more to work with. Plus, focusing on listening will help you keep your anxiety at bay. If you worry about coming up with things to say, your mind will go blank quicker than ever. Keeping your attention on the other person will prevent that from happening.
4. Refer to your environment:
Using your environment for inspiration is one of the best ways to never run out of things to say. Anything can be a topic of conversation or an ice-breaker, so if your mind is going black, just look around. Maybe there’s a lovely plant to comment on, “Isn’t this plant beautiful? Do you have a green thumb?” It’s that simple.
If you’ve talked to this person before, you can also reference other things you’ve talked about. For example, maybe they mentioned that they had a pottery class every Tuesday.
You could ask about how their class went or what they’ve made in the past. Using references is a great way to keep the conversation going forever!
5. Use open-ended questions:
Closed questions can be the death of conversation because if the answer is just “yes” or “no”, where do you go from there? Sure, the other person could offer further details. However, why risk an awkward moment that can break the flow of the conversation?
Instead, ask open-ended questions. When you’ve already exhausted a particular topic or you don’t know what to say, just ask something. For example, you could ask about their favorite books or what kind of food they like best.
These kinds of questions make it easier for you to branch out to other topics and keep the conversation alive.
Conclusion:
Being good at conversation is not always about sounding like the smartest person in the room.
These 5 easy rules will not only help you start a conversation with anyone, but they’ll also enable you to never run out of things to say. This can be very helpful for your social life in general but also for your dating life and can help you impress anyone during the first date itself.
Practice makes perfect! Use these tips any chance you get and, little by little, you’ll feel more and more comfortable in conversation.