How to be More Interesting?

By no means it is easy to lead an interesting engaging conversation, and capture someone’s attention for long enough to build a connection. This can be particularly difficult upon meeting the person for the first time. Contrary to what may be said by so-called experts, it is something that you can learn and get better by practicing. Before we begin, we should mention that Connect.Club offers a platform for networking and communicating, where among other things you could practice your conversation skills.

Ask and tell something personal

This doesn’t have to be big or important, but it’s a well-known fact, that people enjoy talking about themselves. Instead of cutting them off, you should offer them a chance to tell you something more or less private, that they won’t necessarily share with everyone. In exchange, you could offer the same information.

For example, “I just came back from Italy. Have you ever been?” If you’re in luck, the conversation will move to places to see, food, interesting experiences, etc. If you get a chance, share a funny or entertaining story from a trip, these things are often memorable, and the other person will be reminded of you every time they recall the story.

Don’t get too self-conscious

It’s common for people to react to the things said, process them, and carefully think about their response. However, at that point, we get distracted, and often self-conscious. For instance, if anyone mentions reading a certain book, it’s natural to wonder whether the others may think less of you for not being familiar with it.

To avoid that, focus your attention on the conversation, don’t be ashamed to ask follow-up questions, and express interest in learning more. We all come from different backgrounds, and it’s nothing strange if your experiences don’t match those of others.

Open-ended questions work better than “yes or no” ones

If you happen to ask someone about something, give them a chance to elaborate, so that the conversation would keep going. That way in their response you might find another topic and so on. Let’s say, you want to know the reaction to a recently seen movie.

Was the movie good? Would be a closed-ended question, that could be answered with a yes or a no.
How was the movie? This type of question presents an opportunity for a discussion, which might help you learn something new about the person, and their tastes.

Talk about yourself as well

In 2017 Harvard psychological scientists conducted a research, which suggests that asking follow-up questions increases a person’s likability. However, the conversation has to be two-sided, because if you keep asking all those questions, from vacation to college experience, people might feel cornered or even worse, interrogated. This is the opposite effect of the one you would want to have. So while expressing interest, don’t forget to mention your own history, and let the others ask something about you as well. Don’t be afraid to tell more, just be careful with what you say.

Multitask: converse and observe at the same time

To be successful in a dialogue, you have to take mental notes. If the other person starts feeling uncomfortable but is too polite to leave, you should switch the topic. There are several signs of discomfort. They include:

• blocking one’s body: crossing arms or legs
• unsteady eye contact
• backing away

If there is a slight possibility that the other person feels awkward, you should handle it, and not focus your attention on the matter further.

While these tips may prove useful, conversational topics are still completely up to you. Show off your knowledge, exchange opinions, stay confident, and be yourself because this is the most winning personality trait one could possess.