Do you want to improve your conversation skills? One good way to pick up tips on making conversation is easily available to you every day. If you want to learn how to be a good conversationalist, a really useful place to start is by watching television!
Not just any television shows - you can learn a lot about how to have successful conversations by watching talk shows. The people who act as hosts and interviewers on these programs tend to have extremely good conversation skills.
The next time a talk show comes on your screen, take a good look at the way the interviewer will interact with the guest.
Why are talk show hosts a good source of conversation tips? These are the people that are so good at making conversation easily with others that they actually get paid for it. There are many important qualities exhibited by good talk show hosts on television that you can easily incorporate into your own conversations.
A good interviewer always makes the person he or she is talking with seem very interesting. How do they do this? The hosts really pay attention to the person they are talking with and they ask a lot of good questions. The good talk show hosts actually listen to the answers. The bad talk show hosts don't listen to the answers, they interrupt, and they talk about themselves.
The most successful talk show interviewers demonstrate great curiosity in hearing what the person they are interviewing has to say. Even if they aren't really interested in the topic or the person, you would never know it by watching them. They listen intently, and they ask a lot of open-ended questions.
Good talk show interviewers also use open body language.
The body language of a good interviewer also reinforces the impression that they are listening with great interest. A good interviewer will lean slightly towards her guest and she will have an interested expression on her face. Her head may be very slightly tilted to the side. By the use of smiles and nods, she will encourage her subject to keep talking.
She will not be gazing around the room, or rolling her eyes, or yawning. Her face will not look blank or bored. Instead her expression will look as if she can't wait to hear what fascinating thing her guest will say next!
By using good body language and facial expressions, the talk show host shows interest in the person. They show friendliness instead of hostility or boredom.
Here’s another quality exhibited by good talk show hosts: they don’t take themselves to seriously. They’re willing to laugh at themselves. They’re willing to admit when they make a mistake. They don’t always need to be right.
Talk show hosts can teach us a lot about making small talk conversation. These people have learned how to start a conversation with strangers and make it interesting.
Why not learn from the professionals! When you are engaged in conversation with someone else, give that person your full attention. Look at their face while they are talking. Show your interest in what they are saying and keep encouraging them with your smiles, nods, comments and questions.
When you improve your conversation skills, you may not get your own talk show, but more people will enjoy talking to you. You’ll impress your friends and colleagues more. You may become more successful in your career, you’ll probably have a lot more friends, and you'll be more successful in dating.
This article is from the new book by Royane Real, titled "How You Can Have All the Friends You Want - Your Complete Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends" Read more articles about improving your conversation skills at http://www.royane.com