Learn to edit your conversations.

Steve Anthony
2 min readJan 3, 2021

Knowing how to hold a conversation can mean the difference between getting a job and a raise, making new friends, or even meeting that special someone.

Here are 4 tips on how to hold a conversation:

#1. Have a game plan

The first step on how to talk to new people is knowing what you’re getting into. Before any social
interaction, set your direction and do some research. Don’t overthink this part, but understand:

● Who will I be meeting?
● Why do I want to go?
● What will I get out of this?

#2. Use the Narrow to Open method

It’s easier to know how to hold a conversation and establish compatibility when you know which questions to ask. The simplest way to do this is by asking narrow questions (yes or no) first to establish a baseline. Then follow up to expand the conversation using Open-Ended questions (What or How).

#3. Learn to Self-Edit or edit your conversations.

“Be brief” is one of the first things we say when teaching people how to hold a conversation. People who are long-winded will quickly lose their listeners. Nobody wants a fun story about your weekend to go off on twenty different tangents, or turn into a detailed Dickens novel. Instead, get into the habit of making your point quickly and concisely. It takes some practice but is well worth the effort.

#4. Know when it’s time to move on.

Whether the conversation is a success or not, there always comes a point where it’s time to move on. Knowing how to end a conversation is as important as knowing how to hold a conversation. But ending a conversation with grace takes practice.

We hope these tips helped! If you want to read our full article, check it out here at Loopward.com: 9 powerful tips on how to hold a conversation.

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Steve Anthony

I’m an adventurous coffee drinker. I’m also the founder of https://www.loopward.com/, a source to help people improve their people skills. Reach out!