A great conversationalist knows 2 things. The first, is that speech is music. And second, speech is power.
Just like a good song, good speech has a rhythm. Give yourself a few beats before you respond. And the slower you speak, the better your usage of intonation, the more you resonate, and the more powerful you are.
The Foundations of a Great Conversation
You MUST be Completely Relaxed
Social events usually cause quite a bit of tension in our bodies, from the excitement, the anticipation and the anxiety over the fear of feeling and looking foolish. We all have it. Please note that almost everyone at the event is feeling similarly to you, and most people are too concerned about themselves to be overly observant about what you are doing. So chances are you won’t look foolish no matter what you do. Do your OSLIC relaxation exercises until you can rid your body of tension at any given moment.
Speak Slowly
Once you are completely relaxed, there will be times during conversations when you want to share your opinion, make a witty observation, or relay a brief anecdote. Leave lengthy pauses between breath groups. Connect your breath groups (linking, don’t drop the ball) but utter them slowly. The same story told twice, once slowly, once quickly will have two different impacts on the audience. The one told quickly will be confusing and boring. The one told slowly will leave your audience at the edge of their seat hanging on your every last word.
Use a Great Deal of Effective Intonation
Lengthen and increase volume of the vowels you need to emphasize and significantly reduce length and volume of all other vowels. There should be approximately a 1 to 7 ratio of big to small.
Use Back Resonance
Always use a full resonance just above the back of the tongue. You can maintain that resonance by pairing it with linking. Each breath group is beautifully maintained by “hovering” that “ball of energy” over the back of your tongue.
A Great Conversation Has Rules
An effective communicator and conversationalist will spend most of his or her time listening. People want to be heard. They want to spend time with people who understand them. Really listen to people when they speak. Try to understand them. React during appropriate times by letting them know that you hear them.
“I understand what you mean.” “I know the feeling.” “I gotcha.”
It makes people feel good to know that they are understood. Try not to fall into the trap of preparing what you are going to say next while others are speaking. You will have the opportunity to speak and when you do you will have a firm grasp on your communicative partners’ feelings, preferences, wit, etc and you will be well-equipped to speak.
Be Brief
Keep your stories/anecdotes short and sweet. Concise and to the point. Good story-tellers practice their tales. They do so during their free time in their minds or aloud in front of the mirror. They do so during real-time situations.
Ask Questions
If you are speaking with someone whom you find interesting, ask for more detail when there is more you’d like to learn about their topics. Always keep your questions open-ended rather than asking yes or no questions. Examples of this include: “How do you feel about…?” and “What do you think about…?”
Segue
Segue into something more profound. Basic conversations regarding weather and everyday activities can end at a brick wall. You can prevent that by considering your emotions as a result of a topic. The best communicators understand that humans have feelings that are similar to their own. Understand how you feel about something and you will have insight as to how others might feel. Remember that opinions are different from emotions.
Phrases to Use
The best conversationalists practice active listening and ask questions. Here are some examples of active listening: “I understand what you mean.” “I know the feeling.” “I gotcha.”
Asking open ended questions is the best way to strike up a conversation or keep the conversation going. Here are some examples of open ended questions: “How do you feel about…?” and “What do you think about…?”.
Finally, asking unique or interesting questions are the best way to break out of the day to day malaise. Here are some examples of unique questions: “How’s your spirit?”, “How are you changing the world this year?”,“What is the last thing you found absolutely delightful?”
Happy conversing!
