The ability to communicate guarantees success in a career and in personal life. The following is a list of ways to avoid embarrassing when dealing with strangers.
10. Plan how to have a conversation
Of course, it’s impossible to plan a conversation. You do not know how the interlocutor will behave, what questions he will ask. But you can prepare. If this is an interview, then make rough answers to common questions. If you get to know the parents of the second half, get some interesting stories from childhood. In any case, prepare your questions, then the conversation will be "not one gate." You will be not only a grateful listener, but a full participant in the conversation. Depending on who you have to communicate with, think over the style of conversation. Some people are afraid to communicate with strangers even by telephone. In this case, it’s even easier to prepare, write an example dialogue on a piece of paper.
9. Make positive comments and compliments.
Your interlocutor tells the tenth story from life, and you only nod in silence. And with each of his remarks it becomes harder for you. You think that in an hour you did not say a word. You already feel physically constrained, you no longer want to say anything at all. And even the opinion of the interlocutor is already indifferent. Do not be afraid to talk. If it’s hard for you to tell something to a stranger, listen to him. But listen with interest, comment, be surprised, praise him. You yourself will not notice how you connect to the conversation. It will be hard at first, but then you will feel lightness and desire to communicate.
8. Avoid moments of silence in conversation
When there is a pause in the conversation, people feel uncomfortable. Someone begins to sort out all sorts of topics in the head to continue the conversation, but still does not find it suitable. Someone begins to panic, he scolds himself for having agreed to this meeting. If a moment of silence arises in a conversation, do not wait for the other person to speak, speak for yourself. You can communicate on any topic, tell us about a movie you’ve recently visited, evaluate the interior or the menu if you are sitting in a cafe. Talk about anything, at least about the weather. If you don’t know what else you can talk about, ask questions. You will keep up the conversation and learn new things about the person you are talking to.
7. Reconfigure your thinking
Most people themselves attract trouble with their thoughts. If you think about the upcoming communication with a stranger as something terrible, it will be so. You will tremble with fear, worry, and you will not be able to connect two words. Relax, your interlocutor is an ordinary person with his worries and problems. It is unlikely that he will recall your conversation after a while. Think of the meeting as a pleasant event in your life, as an opportunity to try yourself in communication with a new person. It is easy to communicate with a positive person, be so.
6. Be careful
For your thoughts and worries, you again lost the thread of conversation. But maintaining a conversation will be much easier if you listen to what your interlocutor is talking about. Concentrate, do not think about your problems, communicate. If your interlocutor notices that you are not listening to him, that you are not interested in, perhaps he will not want to communicate with you anymore. If you are genuinely interested in his stories, he will be interested in you in response. The conversation will flow at ease and you will not have to look for topics for conversation anymore.
5. Take the initiative
Do not be afraid to take the initiative. Modesty and embarrassment will not make you a pleasant conversationalist. Take an interest in the interlocutor, this will bring him to you. Feel free to suggest ideas. If this is your friend’s company, and you don’t know anyone in it, instead of gathering in a cafe, offer a bowling trip. You will soon meet for a friendly game, and they will be grateful to you for having a good time. Take the first steps in communication. But do not overdo it, do not confuse initiative and arrogance, these are completely different concepts.
4. Improve and develop your social skills
If you are not very sociable, this can be fixed. Of course, if you are ready to make efforts and learn something new. A lot of books have been written about the development of social skills. There are various methods and principles for the formation of effective communication skills. But they all have some common features and suggest the development of verbal and non-verbal communications, control over their emotions, the ability to feel the interlocutor, empathize with him. In addition, trainings are held in many cities, including for successful communication. There you will have to deal not only with theory, but also perform tasks in practice. You may need to meet someone on the street, and then report to the group and mentors.
3. Find the causes of your awkwardness and work to resolve them
Think about the cause of your communication problems. Typically, these situations occur in people who are unsure of themselves. In this case, you need to work on your self-esteem. In some cases, the awkwardness in communication is due to past negative experiences. It’s unlikely that you can manage it yourself; a qualified psychologist can help you. Do not try to solve your problems by forcing yourself to communicate with a large number of strangers. This will make the situation even worse. Such communication will not be natural, and the consequences of self-experimentation can be sad, depression can develop.
2. Stop worrying about what others think of you
Often people are afraid of the opinions of others. This is the most common reason for stiffness in communication. You are afraid of ridicule of the interlocutor, and therefore prefer to remain silent. You think to tell a story, but worry that you will be misunderstood. Do not overestimate yourself, it is quite possible that the person you are talking to will forget about you when you disappear from his field of vision. Immerse your thoughts in conversation, and do not reflect on what the interlocutor thinks about you.
1. Learn to listen to people
This is the most important quality of a good conversationalist. People do not listen to each other, it is important for them to talk, find a grateful listener. If you listen to your interlocutor with attention and interest, he will answer you the same. Many pretend that they are listening, but they themselves pass words past their ears. You may get into an awkward situation. Try to concentrate on the conversation, sweep away all distractions. If you learn to listen to the interlocutor, this will be very useful to you both in your professional activity and in your personal life.