How To Keep Conversations Short

Even those people who disagree with the sentiment that "time is money" still tend to believe that time is important. Time can be anything from money to leisure to fun, but whatever the case, time is an important element for many of us. And even though it might seem funny to figure out how to "end conversations quickly," it is also true that you sometimes find yourself in conversations you would prefer to keep short. Regardless of whether these conversations end up occurring with a neighbor, a coworker, or a stranger, you will find that you have more time if you learn how to keep these conversations short.

Be polite: Summoning every ounce of politeness you can muster is the best thing you can do when aiming to end a conversation quickly. In fact, you may end up finding that the conversation actually drags on longer if you are rude to the person with whom you are trying to end a conversation. On the other hand, your counterpart will leave the conversation feeling fulfilled if you are polite and friendly throughout - which makes it much easier to end the conversation.

Recognize what people want to talk about: Of course, conversation is supposed to be a back-and-forth exchange between two people, but most people actually only want to talk about one thing: their own self. Turn every question the other person asks back to them if you are trying to keep a conversation short, as they will feel all right exiting the conversation as soon as they have told you all the things they want to tell you.

Know how to graciously finish: The toughest part of keeping conversations short is often the closing, as people try to make excuses that usually sound like exactly that: excuses. Instead, you should always end the conversation in the same, short, simple way: tell the person that you enjoyed talking with them, and say that you look forward to catching up with them again in the future.

If you follow these tips, you will not only be able to keep conversations short when you need to, but you will also do so in a manner that leaves your counterpart feeling fulfilled!