Conversational Acronym

Check out this corny acronym I just made up. So, you have trouble keeping a friendly conversation going . . . why don’t you try to S.H.A.R.E. it:

S – Story: Tell an anecdote about your life . . . or about mine. Read the newspaper and talk about the stories that are happening in the world.

H – Heart: Listen to the other people talking and look for the emotions behind what they are saying. Try to draw them out. This does not have to be a deep and sappy conversation; say they are talking about their vacation in Florida, ask them if they are still feeling relaxed now.

A – Ask: This is different than Heart, because your are not trying to draw out emotional information. Just focus on asking them about the facts of the event. Vacation in Florida: Did they go to the beach? This will help them share their stories with you.

R – Relate: Connect whatever idea they are talking about to another idea. This can do a couple of things 1) shows you’re listening 2) can effectively change the subject if they are discussing something you don’t want to talk about.

E – Entertain: Tell a joke. I know most of us are not born with the natural ability to make up great jokes on the spot. 90% of my joke stink, but people only remember 10% of what they hear, so go for it!