Ways to Have Better Conversations for Career and Business Growth

 

Building your skills to have better conversations in your career or business helps you reach your goals and build relationships with others. 

 

When women feel confident and comfortable they can easily converse with others. But when they are nervous and afraid, which happens all too often in business and work situations, it’s another story. The good news is women can learn different ways to start conversations that are effective. The key is to practice so you get better.

Begin by keeping it simple. Have a follow up plan after the initial hello, how are you? Don’t use a clever ice breaker that could blow up on you. Leave the jokes or snappy stories out of the initial conversation as well.

 

Be yourself and don’t try to say something that isn’t natural to your personality. Give the person you're speaking to a compliment about something such as a project they just finished, a presentation they gave or how organized they are.

Ask open-ended questions that require more than a yes, no, time or date. Ask something that invites a response that will draw the other person out, giving you the opportunity to listen and respond accordingly.

Stay away from controversial topics. It’s a good idea to stick to the weather or other non-political events such as sports or news events or something related to your industry as conversation starters in the workplace. Ask what your colleague thinks of the latest acquisition or the new sales figures, for example.

Practice nonverbal communication techniques. Make yourself more approachable to others. This includes nodding when others are talking or maintaining eye contact. Smile, lean in slightly but be aware of personal space, avoid crossing your arms or legs.

Get the other person talking about themselves. Ask the right kind of questions to encourage the other person to open up. This gives you time to listen and get more comfortable around them. Ask about their hobbies, a favorite food or holiday or their family.

Practice makes you feel less anxious and helps you get better at having conversations. Find ways to strike up conversations with others regularly, such as talking to the person in front of you while on the grocery store line. Say good morning and ask a follow-up question to the older person you see every day at the park. These safe scenarios help build your confidence, making it easier to transfer those skills into the various business or social settings you come into.

As you strive to gain confidence and have more conversations, you may encounter people who are not interested in talking. Some might be rude to you. Don’t take this to heart. They may be having a bad day or have something on their mind. Simply smile and move on.  If you make a mistake about a subject, laugh it off, make a joke about it or simply ignore it and move on. 

As a woman your ability to carry on conversations at work and throughout your career is invaluable to your growth and success. Getting past your fears and anxieties takes practice and ambition but will serve you well in the end. 

Your career or business depends on how well you can communicate with others. Learning how to have better conversations that help you build relationships and get to know those who you serve and work with is key to success. 

Determine what type of conversation you want or need to have before you jump in talking. You don’t want to come off as overbearing or getting too personal. On the other hand, you don’t want to come off as standoffish either.

Learn tricks like having topics or questions you can fall back on if you don’t know what to say. Practice initiating conversations with people you meet in your daily life.

Don’t put off having difficult conversations. Be polite and empathetic. Talk with the person to understand the situation better, before diving in about the issue. Be confident, yet kind while addressing an issue. Help the person to find different solutions.

Having better conversations in your business is necessary in every area from product development, marketing, to customer support and sales. Practice improving your communication skills by embracing and participating in conversations that go beyond the “social niceties” of “Hi, how are you,” to make it more meaningful to all involved.