Each week of winter, we show up at work and meet new people. Whether it's new clients, coworkers, or friends, we're continuously meeting people. Which can too often lead to having the same conversation over and over.
But over the years, we've improved our conversation skills (chairlift conversations are sometimes the best!) through techniques that you can apply to any situation in life. Here are five simple ways you can easily skip the small talk and always have great conversation.
How to Always Have Great Conversation
1. Be a good listener
Have you ever caught yourself tuned out the person you're talking to? You're busy thinking about your relatable story you want to share next. If you notice yourself doing this, stop. People will notice you're not paying attention. Just listen, and wait your turn to share your story.
The only way we can keep improving as instructors and as a support team is if we truly listen. How can we adapt a lesson or help make your holiday a bit smoother? We wouldn't be able to do this if we weren't listening.
2. Ask open-ended questions
The quickest way to make a conversation awkward is to ask a yes or no question.
Ask open-ended questions that inquire about how the other person thinks or feels about something.
If we were only asking yes or no questions we'd have some pretty monotonous chairlift rides...
3. Dig deeper into what they share
Ask question upon question on a topic. Go further into what they've shared and the conversation will become more interesting.
If a person mentions they traveled somewhere you've never been, ask what their favourite part was? Why was that? Would they go back? Why or why not? You'll be surprised at how much people are keen to share if you give them the chance.
4. Find common ground
One way to instantly connect with another person is on a common interest. Be genuine about it. If they mention something you're truly interested in, tell them.
Luckily, we have skiing in common with all of our clients, so that's an easy place to start. However, you can easily go beyond this. From the same city? Have another hobby in common? Visited the same destination? Like the same music? Get creative and you'll be able to find something in common with anyone.
5. Don't immediately share how awesome you are
You probably are awesome, but that doesn't need to be the first thing you tell others. Don't worry about selling yourself, people will naturally think you're awesome as the conversation develops.
So go on, strike up a conversation with someone new. You have five tools in your toolkit to make it meaningful.
We'd love to know if you've tried any of these techniques. Let us know in the comments below how they worked for you.
