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Along your journey to mastering the art of conversation, you
must learn to become interesting. Actually, you must become
interesting to the point where you are intriguing, so that
people no longer just listen to you, but are so caught up
listening to what you are saying that they are hang on your
every word. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to become a
better conversationalist - whether its to hold an audience
captive in order to sell more, or to interact with the opposite
sex with more confidence - it is absolutely crucial that you
hone your storytelling skills.
"What? Impossible!", you say?
Honestly, it's much easier than you think. Just look at some of
the key ingredients that go into making a great story:
1) Timing
You've heard the saying, "Timing is everything", and well, it
is. You must know exactly when to use (or in some cases, not
use) a particular story, based on your audience or the current
circumstances.
For example, if everyone around you is currently distracted, or
carrying on conversations of their own, don't try and get their
attention by telling your story.
An expert storyteller knows how to recognize the best time to
relate their story for maximum effect.
Watch how others tell their stories. When did they tell their
story? Who was around? How well did people react to the story?
2) Never Rush Your Story
Use a relaxed, informal speaking style to relate your story and
remember to pause for emphasis at significant points during the
story. This will increase your audience's attention and will
have them on the edge of their seats.
3) Ease Your Way into Telling a Story
Use transitional statements such as, "Speaking of (insert former
conversation topic here),..." or "It's funny you brought that
up, because......" to introduce your story and get everyone's
attention.
Warning: If your story is funny, never announce your story by
telling everyone "I have a funny story to tell you." If you do
that,
1) you ruin any chance of surprising your audience with the
humor of your story and 2) if your audience doesn't find it
funny, your credibility among them is lessened.
4) Tell Stories About the Adventures that You've Had
A lot of the magic that comes from storytelling is that it gives
you a chance to open up and give your audience a little peak at
what you're really like.
Telling of some of your past adventures provides two benefits:
it makes you sound very interesting and it allows you to connect
with your audience a little, as they get a glimpse of what your
little world is like.
Of course, if you haven't had any recent adventures, go to a
website like http://discount-global-travel.blogspot.com, or
www.bigbrothersadvice.com to get some ideas from what others
have done, or what you can do to add a little adventure to your
life and spice up your stories a bit.
The most effective and engaging stories that you can tell will
often poke a little fun at yourself. This is one of the most
powerful ways to connect with your audience and grab their
attention, as it shows that you don't take yourself too
seriously and are willing to open up in front of them, which
shows that you have a lot of confidence.
About the author:
If you would like some more technical points on how to start or
carry on a conversation, visit a blog like http://conversat
ion-starters.blogspot.com, or check out a site like http://www.conversation
-master.com for more dating specific information on starting
a conversation.
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