How To Keep Conversations Short

Build  your list 3x faster on Autopilot

Even those people who disagree with the sentiment that "time is money" still tend to believe that time is important. Time can be anything from money to leisure to fun, but whatever the case, time is an important element for many of us. And even though it might seem funny to figure out how to "keep conversations short," you will also acknowledge that you often end up in conversations you would rather end quickly. Regardless of whether these conversations occur with a coworker, a neighbor, or a stranger, you will have more of your "time" if you know how to keep these conversations short.

Be polite: When aiming to end a conversation quickly, the best thing you can do is to summon every ounce of politeness you can muster. If you try to end a conversation in a rude or abrupt manner, you may actually end up finding that the conversation drags on even longer! If, on the other hand, you are polite and friendly, it becomes much easier to graciously end the conversation, as your counterpart can leave the conversation feeling fulfilled.

Recognize what people want to talk about: Even though conversation is intended to be a back-and-forth exchange between two people, most people truly are most enamored when they are talking about their own self. Allow the other person to tell you all the things they want to tell you as quickly as possible by turning every question they ask back to them, and in this way they will feel fulfilled with the conversation much more quickly.

Know how to graciously finish: Closing out a conversation is often the toughest part of keeping conversations short, as lots of people try to exit a conversation by making excuses. Instead, the best way to end a conversation is to simply end it; tell the person that it was great talking to them, and tell them you look forward to catching up with them again at some point in the future.

If you follow these tips, you will not only be able to keep conversations short when you need to, but you will also do so in a manner that leaves your counterpart feeling fulfilled!