How to talk to anyone about anything

What is a great example of using a directional question in a conversation?

"What did you watch on Netflix? I'm looking for something action- packed myself. I just finished Breaking Bad, and I've got to say, it's pretty good." Now, through your questioning, you're guiding the conversation towards Netflix and TV series, which is a perfectly valid small-talk topic, especially if action-packed shows are something you share an interest in. You've taken control of the flow of conversation.

what is an example of transitioning the conversation away from small talk and also knowing a person's interest level depending on the conversation?

. A: Oh yeah, more of a sun worshipper? B: Yup. Any day of the week. A: Where would you go if the bus could take you anywhere in the world? A beautiful transition away from traditional small talk and into a more interesting topic of conversation that's open-ended enough for them to answer however they want. If they reply creatively, you know the person is down for actually talking. If they're pretty blunt and answer with something like, "Hm, I don't know," then you know they're probably not in the mood.

what percent of communication is body language and tone of voice?

55% of communication is body language and 30% is tone of voice.

What are three great ways to respond after someone who you were listening to stops speaking?

Addressing the key point of what they said, again for clarity Pause for several seconds that shows that you're thinking about what they said Convey your points in the best way possible

why is asking have you been here before a great question?

An open-ended question you can use to gauge someone's familiar with a place or person. If you're in a meeting or at an event, such as a business meeting, social event, birthday party (did you come last year?) and so on, you'll get a nice idea of how connected this person is. Other questions you can ask when getting to know someone, especially on a professional level

if you wanted to talk to a stranger on the street or in public what would you say?

As a side note, however, If you did want to talk to a stranger on the street, then always start with a conversation about something in the immediate environment, such as asking for directions, a good place to eat, the time, or commenting on something that is going on around you

what are some things you could ask to get your foot in the door to start small talk and move into deeper conversations?

Do you have the time? ● Where is the closest bank? ● Is the food good here? ● What time is the show starting? ● Have you seen this movie before? ● I love the music here. Do you? ● Do you know anyone here?

What are three things you need to focus on for change and why?

Education awareness and practice You need knowledge and information, so you know what decisions you're going to make. You need awareness to apply everything you've learned, to recognize where you go wrong, what you do right, and to be aware of where you need to get better. Finally, you need to keep practicing and just keep getting better and better.

how can you get someone to reveal information they otherwise would not reveal?

Elicitation is the process of getting people to share information that they are holding on to by using statements that guide the person into speaking, even if they don't really want to.

what is a great way to get someone talking?

Giving someone a compliment about how they are or their physical appearance can be a great way to get them talking. Some statements you can use include: ● I really like your coat. It suits you. ● Damn, I love how hardworking you are. ● Your attention to detail is incredible. ● The way you express yourself is great. another great way is to complain about something and it is best to complain about something affecting both of you

What's a good way to repeat back the other person's points for clarity?

If someone says, "I like chocolate because it's sweet," you show you understand by starting your next sentence with "Because it's sweet? But which brand is your favorite?"

How can one give their full attention when someone is speaking?

Minimizing distractions, such as not playing with your phone or watching TV ● Make eye contact with someone ● Face the person you're speaking to ● Don't multi-task ● Bring yourself back to the present when you find yourself drifting

what is something you should not do if a person talks about something you know next to nothing about?

Never just go for the question you think is right, just because you're going through the motions otherwise it won't seem genuine like asking for a person's dog's breed while knowing nothing about dog breeds. Really apply yourself to thinking of better, more progressive questions. This is what it means to ask the right questions

What are other ways you could repeat a person's points back to them?

Paraphrasing what has been said by saying things like, "What I'm hearing is..." or "It sounds like you're saying..." Ask questions like "What do you mean by..." or "Do you mean..." Repeat key words back to the person every now and then

what is some body language to be aware of?

Posture. Is someone's head up and confident, or unsure and looking at the ground, avoiding eye contact? Appearance. What clothes are they wearing? Casual? Smart? Relaxed? Doesn't care? Crossed arms and legs tend to portray defensive feelings Hands in pockets (or hidden hands) suggest the person is hiding something Lip biting or nail picking can be a sign of feeling under pressure Facial expressions

What are three types of questions you can ask?

Questions to change direction, clarify something, or understand someone

How do you respond after listening to someone who stops speaking?

Since you've been actively listening to the other person, and they've finished speaking, now you can respond. You don't want to fall into the trap here of just going back to what you wanted to say originally, but instead, reply to what they're actually saying

what's a great conversation opener with someone new and why?

Tell me something about yourself? This is a great question because you let the other person take control and tell them what they want you to know, because of course, no one is going to tell you something they don't want you to know, allowing you to have a real insight into who this person is and what they're all about.

What are benefits of repeating back points to the other person?

That repetition of what the other person has said shows that you're taking on board and listening to what they have to say, meaning they'll feel like they can be a lot more open and connected with you.

why is asking someone what the highlight of their week was such a great thing to ask?

This is one of my favorite questions because it allows the conversation to take a positive tone and allows the other person to really think about what matters to them. When they're thinking about positive things, they're going to be feeling positive emotions. It's far better than "How are you?" you could also ask Are you working on anything exciting at the moment?

What are questions you need to ask yourself to gain better knowledge on who you are and what you want?

What kind of person do you want to be? ➢ What kind of person are you right now? ➢ How would you describe yourself? ➢ Do you believe you've changed a lot over the years? ➢ What things in life are you good at? ➢ What things in life are you not so good at? ➢ What are you passionate about loving? ➢ What are you passionate about hating? ➢ What kinds of relationships do you have in your life? ➢ What kinds of relationships do you want in your life? ➢ How in control of your life do you feel? What are your values in life? Whatever you put for this question you need to do it daily i.e hard work family etc

Why is your connection to other people everything?

Your relationships with others, your job, yourself, and your levels of overall happiness and life satisfaction are all determined by your ability to communicate and connect

what is a secret thing to implement into your conversations that will get the other person to open up more and be themselves?

inject enthusiasm into your conversation but you need to pick times and place to go all in on this and other times to be more relaxed for example you're not going to throw all the enthusiasm you can muster talking about traffic

how should you approach all conversations?

that you are there to know more about this person, hav fun, or learn something new.

what is the great thing about clarity questions?

this is useful for making sure you understood the other person correctly. You also make the other person feel like you really want to know more about what they have to say, thus making them feel more connected to you and more open with the topic at hand

what is a technique used to make people feel closer to you?

tone of voice, posture, body language, speed of speech, and overall physical appearance

what is the next step to form a connection with someone after you've broken the ice with them?

try to find similarities with that person ask questions to find common ground on things you're interested in like hobbies passions or music taste

what is something to keep in mind about yourself when interacting with others?

you'll get reactions from people based on what you do which gives you full control when talking to someone

How can you use your body language to show your engagement while listening?

● Turning your body to face the person who's talking ● Nod occasionally ● Smiling, but not excessively (don't want them to think you're weird) ● Saying "uh-huh" to show you're engaged in the conversation and want them to keep going ● Adopt an open posture

what are some fun questions to ask that can yield interesting responses and people love to answer?

● What do you hope never changes in this world? ● What is your dream car? ● What's your guilty pleasure song? ● If you could learn any skill, what would it be? ● What do you wish you knew more about? ● How different was your life a year ago? ● What's the furthest you've been from home? ● If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?

what are some things to keep in mind when meeting someone for the first time?

● What kind of tone of voice are they using? ● What clothes are they wearing? ● Are they busy? ● Are they at work or relaxing? ● Do they look stressed out? ● Are they smiling? ● How firm is their handshake? ● How on time to meet you are they? ● What is their body language telling you? ● How polite are they? ● What manners do they have? ● What does your gut instinct say about them?

what are some great questions to keep the conversation professional?

● Where did you go to school? ● What was your favorite part of school? ● How did you join this industry? ● Do you think your career path is similar to people like you? ● What's the biggest obstacle in your career? ● What's your favorite part of your job? ● Is your day quite varied? ● What does your typical workweek look like? ● What are your plans or aspirations for the future? ● What's it like working in your office? Of course, once you've asked these questions, these nicely lead to other questions you can ask that dive deeper into the topic you choose, depending on what answers they give you. Questions to Ask While on a Date ● What do you do in your free time? ● Are you a morning or night person? ● What would be your dream job? ● Who is the most interesting person you've met? ● How would your friends describe you? ● What song or artist do you never get tired of? ● What animal do you find the cutest? What animal do you find most ugly? ● What city would you love to live in? ● What is your greatest accomplishment? ● When was the last time you sang to yourself, and what song? ● What trends have you never been able to understand? ● What "thing" says the most about a person? ● What was the strangest turning point in your life?