5 Simple Ways To Break That Awkward Silence!

Have you ever experienced running out of things to say in a conversation? If you have, you’re not alone. Many people have experienced conversations run dry, often resulting in a long “awkward silence”. 

Awkward silences often leave lasting impressions, especially during dates, meetings, or interviews. And sometimes, they can really ruin a moment. So, how can you avoid falling into this awkward phase? Here are 5 simple tips to help you keep that conversation flowing:

 

 

 

5 Simple Ways To Break That Awkward Silence!

 

5. Avoid close-ended questions.

Questions that elicit simple “yes” or “no” answers are real conversation enders. For example, asking “did you like the film?” could easily be shut down with a simple “yup” or “nah”. If you’re good with follow-up questions, you’d be able to pick up from here; but if you’re not, the conversation dies out. You can avoid this by asking dialogical questions like “how did you find the film?” which rarely get one-syllable responses. 

 

4. Find an activity to do.

Recommending an activity is another good way to start up a dying conversation. Even if your request gets denied,  the response will still help you grasp the situation and prepare accordingly. Simply asking “do you want to go grab something to eat?”can do the trick. If she answers “yes”, you can go grab something to eat; if she answers “no”, you can simply recommend another activity.

 

3. Avoid boasting.

We often like highlighting our achievements to our friends and peers, especially when trying to impress them. Although highlighting your good points is not entirely bad, it often leaves a negative impression. And since the conversation is “all about you”, the other person doesn’t even need to be there.

 

 

2. Prepare a variety of conversational topics.

Keeping a number of things to talk about in your pocket is often a sure method to keep the conversation running. Topics like the latest Samsung/iPhone release or last night’s basketball game are some good topics to keep people interested. A word of warning, though: not everyone has the same interest, so make sure you know what topics are worth dishing out on the occasion (you wouldn’t want to be talking about basketball in a conversation with academicians who aren’t interested in sports, would you?).

 

1. Jump-start the conversation with small talk.

Finally, jump starting conversations with small talk WORKS. It may sound cliché to start off with “the weather is nice today, don’t you think?”, but it does strike up a conversation. The other person would likely respond to the question, and if they know where it’s headed, it could strike up a humorous conversation. Either way, you get the ball rolling. 

 

 

There you go! 5 simple tips you can bring with you in your next conversation. Hopefully, these tips will spare you the need cut a thick air of awkward silence and keep the conversation smooth. 

Care to add more to the list? I can’t wait to hear your suggestions in the comments below!