Conversation Skills That Make You Look Smart

• Be the “You were saying?” person. Let’s say somebody gets cut off during a group conversation. Be the one to bring the person back into the conversation by saying, “You were saying?”

• Be the “Tell me more” person. This is a person that is genuinely asking you follow up questions, trying to get to know you better.

• Be the “We were just saying” person. If someone new comes into the conversation, into the group, be the one to loop that person into the conversation… it makes them feel important.

• Be the “What do you mean by that?” person. This is one to use on someone who’s delivered a passive-aggressive comment. Following up with “What do you mean by that?” will force them to recognize how they spoke. It’s an immediate way to shut down any sort of negative talk.