Royane Real

By Royane Real 

Author of “Your Guide to Making Friendly Conversation”   

There's a common activity that billions of people do every day.  Some of the people who are doing it are very young.  Some are very old. 

Billions of hours are spent on this activity every single day. This activity makes the world go around, or at least it helps to pass the time. It can make life much more pleasant for a few minutes, or it can feel like absolute hell for those who are stuck doing it and who don't enjoy it. 

What is this activity that is so common that nearly everyone is doing it every single day?  It's making small talk!  Taking part in conversation!  Talking  Yakking.  Make chit chat.  Shooting the breeze.  

Whatever you want to call it, this type of conversation isn't very deep, and it's not about anything important. 

You can make small talk when you chat with someone you've known for years. Or with a stranger you just met in a lineup at the bank. You might want to share the latest gossip or talk about sports. Your conversation partner might ask you how you like the weather, or what you do for a living, or complain about the price of groceries.

Are all those billions of hours that people spend every day making small talk conversation a waste of time?  You might be surprised to learn that small talk actually accomplishes some very important goals.

For one thing, small talk conversations actually play a big part in how we get to know other people, and how they get to know us in return.  This type of conversation helps people get to know each other slowly, in fairly safe, predictable ways.

Small talk lets you get to know other people a little bit while they also get to know you a little bit.  If something about the other person alarms you, or if the conversation fails to interest you, both people involved can drift apart after a few minutes without embarassment.  Not much has been risked.

However, skillful small talk can also discover which persons might have a lot in common.  Then the possibility for a deeper relationship is revealed.

It's important to have good small talk and conversation skills. Poor small talk skills can lower your chance of having successful relationships.  When you lack good conversation skills, you'll end up having fewer friends, fewer romantic opportunities, and lowered prospects in your career. 

If you want to improve your small talk skills, how do you go about it?  One important part of the answer is, practice, practice, practice!

If you are bothered by feelings of shyness or inadequacy, remind yourself of why it is a good idea to improve your small talk skills.  Remind yourself that improved conversation skills can lead to more friendships, more romance and better employment possibilities.  When you remember what your goal is, it becomes easier to find the nerve to start up new conversations.

Ask yourself if your life would be better if you had better conversation skills.   If the answer is yes, the good news is that you really can improve your conversational skills.

It will take practice and commitment to make your conversations better, but when your conversation skills improve, it can open up a whole new world of social opportunities for you. 

By Royane Real

This article was written by Royane Real, author of the special report "Your Guide to Making Friendly Conversation"  Learn more ways to improve your conversation skills. Download it today at   http://www.lulu.com/real