Having already covered using topics in relation to those we don’t know very well, and those we are already close to, I shall round off this series on topics by relaying Alison Wood Brooks’ - author of Talk’s - general topic-use tips.
The main message Alison drives home is that one of the cornerstones of being a decent conversationalist is to notice when the person you are talking to wants to change topic and to then do so immediately.
There is nothing worse than being stuck listening to someone drone on and on about a subject you have absolutely zero interest in.
Signs that a topic change is required are:
Awkward silences starting to occur, even if they are short.
Polite and slightly uncomfortable laughter coming from any party.
One or more people repeating things they’ve already said, even if worded slightly differently.
Polite questions lacking depth and/or enthusiasm being asked.
On the other hand, if whoever it is you are talking to asks a question out of the blue that relates to a topic you were discussing a while ago, that’s a sign that they are very interested in that particular topic!
Alison’s takeaway tip: switch topics much more frequently rather than less and you won’t go wrong.
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