This document discusses effective conversation skills, including listening, understanding cues, having sequential discussions, reflecting others' perspectives, and managing conversation control. It emphasizes that a good conversationalist talks to others about themselves, exchanges views respectfully, and uses verbal and nonverbal signals to have engaging, mutually beneficial discussions. Key aspects of conversation control include recognizing topics, avoiding parallel discussions, summarizing discussions, and applying these skills in business settings like meetings, negotiations, and interviews.

1. CONVERSATION SKILLS
BY
RANJIT THOMAS

2. A Gossip is one who talks to you about others.
A bore is a one who talks to you about himself.
A brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to
you about yourself.
Lisa Kirk

3. CONVERSATION
• Conversation is an informal talk in which
people exchange views, feelings and
thoughts.
• Conversation in general is spontaneous,
friendly and casual.

4. Social Conversation
• Social conversation, also known as chit-chat or
small talk attempts to establish a sociable
atmosphere.
• At a tea-party or social gathering, the
conversation reveals feelings of togetherness,
rather than communicating ideas or any specific
meaning.
• Words are used in symbolic ways as verbal social
gestures. This social use of words is known as
phatic communion.

5. Examples
• It was a pleasure meeting you.
• Do come again.
• How is your family?

6. Effective Conversation-Features
• It takes place face- to- face and the
participants can see and hear each other at
the same time.
• It is sensitive and flexible in that it can change
quickly according to the participant’s
reactions.

7. Conversation Control
• Conversation control refers to the skills of
listening and talking in a positive and
meaningful way at an appropriate time.
• Conversation control helps participants
conclude and conclude their conversation
effectively and satisfactorily with mutual
understanding and agreement.

8. Applications of Conversation Control
skills in Business
• Selling and buying
• Negotiating
• Interviewing
• Participating in meetings
• Disagreeing without being rude
• Protesting without offending
• Complimentary/ praising
• Responding to personal criticism

9. Situations where conversational skills
are useful
• Interacting with people in meetings in a
convincing way.
• Handling objections to a proposal.
• Being able to react to criticism in a confident
manner.
• Developing skills in interviewing.
• Learning how to get correct information
quickly.

10. Direction of Conversation
• Rejection
• Disagreement
• Consideration
• Agreement
• Commitment

11. Managing negative responses
• Show that you do not doubt the positive
intentions of the other person.
• Use expressions such as “ You are right about
that, but “Avoid completely rejecting the other
person’s arguments.
• Do not use negative expressions. Instead of
saying “ Perhaps you do not know” try
Perhaps you know.

12. Techniques of Conversation Control
• Recognising cues and clues.
• Interpreting signs and signals
• Avoiding Parallel Conversation
• Practising Sequential Conversation
• Using Reflection and Empathy
• Cultivate a sense of timing

13. Noticing and Recognising Cues and
Clues
• A cue is a keyword or phrase a speaker uses
when he or she wants to indicate that
something is important to him or her.
• A clue is a word or set of words that someone
says to us.
• For Example – Let us discuss the teaching-
learning function of the case study method in
management studies.

14. Interpreting signs and Signals
• Conversation is composed of verbal and visual
indicators.
• Verbal Indicators involve cues given and clues
received.
• Visual indicators consists of signs given and
signals received.
• Signs consist of visual indicators such as smiles,
eye movements and so on.
For Ex- Drinking water every 10 minutes is a sign
of thirst.

15. Avoiding Parallel Conversation
• Parallel conversation is a type of conversation
where there is an exchange of information
without either speaker listening to the other.

16. ARE YOU LISTENING?
Most of us engage in PARALLEL conversations
Example:
1st Speaker: I have a dog.
2nd Speaker: I have a dog too.
1st Speaker: My dog is a Border Collie.
2nd Speaker: My dog is a Shepherd.
1st Speaker: My dog is really smart like its owner.
2nd Speaker: My dog is considered the smartest
breed.
1st Speaker and 2nd speaker are not listening to
each other.

17. Practising Sequential Conversation
• Sequential Conversation is a kind of
conversation where the listener carries
forward the conversation in a connected and
sequential manner.
• There is a logical link between the statements
given by the speaker and the listener.

18. An Example
• 1st Speaker: I have a dog.
• 2nd Speaker: Really? What kind of dog?
• 1st Speaker: My dog is a Border Collie.
• 2nd Speaker: That's a cool breed. How old is s/he?
• 1st Speaker: She is 10.
• 2nd Speaker: Where does she stay, inside or outside?
• 1st Speaker: Oh, both. She sleeps inside but loves to
be outside

19. Using Reflection and Empathy
• In verbal communication, the most important
skill is to demonstrate a genuine interest in
the other person.
• Both participants should be able to pick up
cues and reflect upon their meaning.

20. • The purpose of reflecting on something is to
help the other person understand his/her
feelings with greater clarity and precision.
• One may repeat the feelings expressed by the
other person- this should be done objectively
without changing, adding their statements.
• It is important to make eye contact, lean
forward and speak with genuine concern for
the other person.

21. An Example
• Anuj says to Bharat: I am not sure if I am
required here any longer.
• Bharat says to Anuj: You feel your contribution
is not recognised. What can be done to
change this?
This would allow Anuj to explore his own feelings
with greater clarity and understanding.

22. Cultivate a sense of timing
• The speaker should always keep in mind the
time taken to communicate.
• The time limits announced in formal oral
activities should be strictly observed.

23. Summarizing
• Summarizing is the best form of expressing
comprehension.
• To summarize is to pick out the central
thought – the main theme or the essential
idea – at the core of the whole argument.
• The speaker should summarize the content of
talk at the end and ask feedback from the
audience.

24. Applications of Conversation Control
• Meetings
• The Agenda as a Control
• Chairperson
• Being assertive without being aggressive
• Controlled response to conversational attacks
• Negotiating through conversational control