Do Something--- Different.

   I'm often asked how a conversation can be maintained after a lull. Sometimes the lull indicates that the interchange has reached its peak and it's time to graciously exit. Other times, a lull is just a pause to find another area of mutual interest. When we are informed, prepared (read a paper) and have a quiver of stories and anecdotes, topics will emerge. They come from the small talk that begins the exchange and develops there from segues, tangents and subject changes.
  These days more people are saying, "Before I forget"....because so many of us do forget and that adds a new dimension for discussion. One very gracious friend will say, "Excuse me for changing the subject but I (saw a sale, read an article, heard about a new restaurant, bumped into our colleague...) and didn't want to forget to tell you." She does this naturally and it's a polite, efficient, easy way to build interesting conversation.
  In my presentations, people also wonder what to do with boring conversationalists. The easy answer is to bale.  BUT, I recommend that we give people a second chance. When we hit upon a topic of their interest, they are energized and the conversation becomes lively.
   And what about our part in the equation?
  Some food for thought:  
 *Are we energizing listeners? (Listening with our eyes, faces, body language)
 *Have we stories of interesting experiences that we've practiced telling?
 *Are we engaging, informed, interesting?  
And my fourth morsel:
 *Have we tried something new and different to bring to the table? Whether it's a first flight on Virgin America, a new sport attempted or attended, a recipe (just read on Facebook that my cousin made cornmeal- crusted pizza for the first time), an interesting session at a convention or Speakers Series. If the answer is no, try something new and different. Whether it's a wonderful experience or not, it gives us a morsel to bring to the banquet of conversation.