The 6 Conversation Questions that Get People Talking

| Posted: 27-06-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 46 | Rating: (75)

(?)

Good conversation relies on your ability to ask the right questions to stimulate discussion and keep people talking. You can learn this skill. Good conversation questions are not difficult. They have to be things people can talk about or your conversation is going nowhere fast.

Good conversations are like tennis matches, with plenty of to and fro. Questions are a really important part of that.

You can ask questions for various reasons in a conversation:

- Questions to start conversations
- Questions to get to know people
- Questions to clarify understanding
- Questions to bring in quiet people
- Questions to progress the conversation
- Questions to make sure there's a next time

Let's have a look at each of those in turn:

1. Questions to start conversations:

1. Have you been here before?
2. I wonder what the tutor will be like?
3. I like your (shirt, decor etc) where did you get it?
4. Have you had to travel far to get here?
5. So you have a child in the show?...

And so on, you get the idea. Latch on to what strikes you immediately about the situation you're in and ask questions which invites the other person to respond with a comment that is more than a 'yes' or 'no'.

Some of the above questions are closed questions but since they are about topics which evoke strong feelings like children and travel - they are not likely to be met with one-word answers. There are no hard and fast rules here - relax and enjoy the conversation.

2. Questions to get to know people better:

1. Do you live around here?
2. How do you know our hosts?
3. Are you here with your family?
4. What are your hobbies?
5. Have you read any good books/been to any good movies
recently?

3. Questions to clarify understanding:

These are useful to avoid misunderstanding which can either cause tension as you comment on something in an inappropriate way as you didn't understand - or you feel too out of your depth to contribute to the conversation at all.

When in doubt - ask! Something simple like, "Excuse me - I didn't quite understand that," will do.

4. Questions to bring in quiet people:

Make it easy for quite people to join in a conversation by asking them direct questions by name, but don't make it obvious you feel they're quiet.

"Hey! Have you lost your tongue?" won't work nearly as well as something like, "You went to that restaurant too, didn't you? What was it like?"

5. Questions to progress the conversation:

These build on the topic you're already talking about and take the conversation into greater depths - and so make them more interesting.

For instance, if you're talking about sport, you could ask: "You are a fan of ____ aren't you?"..."What did you think of their last game with ___ "..."What do you think of their chances of winning ___ this season?"

You get the idea, I'm sure.

6. Questions to make sure there's a next time:

Oh these are goodies! You've enjoyed talking to the person and you want to see them again. It doesn't have to be a date, just a continuation of a friendship.

You've probably got to know a little about the other person's interests by then, so your question could focus on what you have in common. If you're stuck, though - "How about we meet up for coffee at the weekend?" is always a good question.

Whatever stage of the conversation or however well you know the person, conversation questions will always help to smooth things along and get you where you want to be in talking to someone.

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Conversation Questions

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/the-6-conversation-questions-that-get-people-talking-171931.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available only at: conversation starters

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Advice Articles

Tips for Natural Hair Treatments
By: Kim Snyder | 21/08/2008
Beautiful and healthy hair truly comes from with. By eating well, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep all help your hair. As well as staying away from drinking too much and smoking because it all shows up in our hair. Only women can blame having a really bad day on our hair. Sorry guys it doesn’t sound quite right to hear from you that you are having a “bad hair day”. Women say it all the time.

Why Bond Grows Bitter?
By: Dr. Pratima Jagadeesh | 21/08/2008
All about make and break of relationships. If enough precautions are taken not to break it, naturally you have made it.

Set of My Likings Dated 21.08.08
By: Dalip Singh Wasan | 20/08/2008
Every one of us must try to understand and enlist one's likings so that we could understand what other likes and we shall be improving on our conduct with others.;

Hypnotic Writing, Does It Work?
By: A. Thomas Perhacs | 20/08/2008
Have you ever wondered if Hypnotic Writing or influencing others through the written word worked? In this thought provoking article, you'll be shown some examples of how Hypnotic Writing works.

Can You be Friends If They Think You Are Faking Your Illness?
By: Lisa Copen | 20/08/2008
Living with a chronic invisible illness can be difficult, but having those you care about the most doubt your disease can be even more disheartening. Can you still be friends?

The Power of Taking Responsibility
By: Gregory McGuire | 20/08/2008
Let me just ask you a question: Do you believe that you could take action in the next 2 weeks that would make your life significantly worse?

How to Rid yourself of Destructive Jealousy
By: Katlyn | 20/08/2008
Most everyone experiences jealousy at some point in their life, but jealousy for some, can get out of control. It becomes a toxin to themselves and adversely affects their relationships. It's important to assess your jealous feelings and learn how to deal with them.

Making Friends
By: carol stanley | 20/08/2008
Good friends are what life is about. There are many places to meet them...As we age the process has more challenges.

More from Peter Murphy

Quick and Easy Interpersonal Communication Success
By: Peter Murphy | 19/10/2007 | Advice
Whatever reason you have for wanting to improve your speaking or listening skills, you can pick up some useful tips from interpersonal communication articles. Reading about the techniques and tips lets you digest the information when you're not under pressure to communicate.

Best Ways To Start A Great Conversation
By: Peter Murphy | 19/10/2007 | Advice
One characteristic of good communication skills is the ability to start a conversation. How are you supposed to start a conversation anyway? Starting a conversation is very interesting and it has been coined with so many names.

How To Communicate Well Under Pressure
By: Peter Murphy | 18/10/2007 | Advice
People who have great communication skills can communicate well despite being under pressure. Notice the great public relations officers out there. Despite being bombarded with controversial issues, they are still able to remain graceful under such pressure.

How To Brainstorm Great Ideas For Conversation Topics
By: Peter Murphy | 18/10/2007 | Advice
Engaging into conversations with people happen everyday and with the right communication skills, you can pretty much talk about anything under the sun. If you want to become a great communicator then you have to think about great ideas for conversation.

How To Deal With Nerves When Meeting People
By: Peter Murphy | 18/10/2007 | Advice
It is very difficult to manage your nerves when you meet people but with effective communication skills, you will be able to manage these nerves properly even under pressure. Being nervous when you meet people is certainly normal.

How To Make Conversation With Difficult People
By: Peter Murphy | 18/10/2007 | Advice
A person who is able to have conversations with difficult people is considered to have highly developed communication skills. There are so many difficult people out there. What constitutes a difficult person anyway?

Verbal Communication Skill Secrets for Success at Work and at Home
By: Peter Murphy | 17/10/2007 | Advice
To be able to communicate verbally, even if that "verbal" is with sign language for people who are hearing impaired, is vitally important. Without good verbal communication skill, getting by in life would be virtually impossible. Every day, in so many ways, we use those skills.

7 Fast Steps to Great Interpersonal Communication
By: Peter Murphy | 12/10/2007 | Advice
Interpersonal communication has a lot to do with non-verbal cues as well as what you say. People unconsciously detect a lot of meaning - and sometimes misinterpret it - from body language.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Follow ArticlesBase at http://twitter.com

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.61, 9)