• Converse with your eyes – Eye contact is an essential part of talking to others in order to be perceived as self-confident and engaged in the conversation.
• Personalize the conversation – Taking the extra step to remember a person’s name indicates that you are interested in that person. Using their name several times during the conversation will help you recall it later.
• Body language – Non-verbal communication counts for 50% of a conversation. It is important to maintain a calm and poised posture; avoid fidgeting as this expresses nervousness and insecurity or worse, boredom.
• Say something positive. If you begin with something positive people will think of you and remember you as a positive person.
• Don’t settle for small talk -You know more than you realise.  Sharpen your knowledge by keeping current with what’s happening in the world; read newspapers, watch the news, etc.
• Avoiding unnecessary detail. Don’t assume the person you are speaking with wants to know every detail of your day or circumstance.
• Pick up on what people say. If the person mentions they just returned from holiday, ask them if they enjoyed it or where they went,  etc.
• Start with a general topic which anyone can relate to.  Like the weather – we all experience it. You can also talk about the latest movie, sports or news.
• When it’s over – end it.  Say something like, “It’s been a pleasure talking to you,” or signal the end of the conversation by offering your hand and saying, “I enjoyed meeting you.” Then smile and walk away – no excuse needed!

Final word

We hope you find this post useful. If you are looking to improve your conversation skills, you may be interested in our English Conversation Class and Courses in London or Online English Classes.

Do you have other ideas on improving English communication skills? Have your say and post your comment below.