Do you bore people when you speak English?
Do you ramble?
If you do then you need to get some new skills to keep people engaged and excited to talk to you.
Today we’ll show you how to do it.
Today we’ll show you how to engage someone in person and on the phone.
Situation #1: In Person
- You need to be able to “take a hint” when someone in front of you is bored. People might look at their watch or look away from you. That means that the person wants you to stop talking. Learn to take the hint and stop talking.
- Make eye contact- don’t look around the room. Make the person feel engaged. This is different across cultures but in American culture it’s important to make eye contact.
- Vary your tone of voice- Don’t be monotonous when you speak. Be interesting! Use your words like a song. Put feeling into your voice. This can even help you on the IELTS Speaking test.
- Show the person that you are thinking about them- Use phrases like these “You are probably in a hurry” or “I want to respect your time.” It’s also great to ask the person questions about themselves. Show interest with these phrases like “what about you?”
- Use the person’s name in the conversation- check out this episode with Alan Headbloom on how to remember someone’s name
Situation #2: On the phone
- Use reference markers- Use phrases like “first of all…” and “the other thing is…” and “the last thing I want to say is…”
What do you do to keep people engaged?
Let us know in the comments below.
