Mastering Conversation

"People don’t judge you so much for who you are as they judge you for how you communicate yourself."

• Humor: It takes a lot of practice until you can figure out the natural timing and flow of a joke. Practice makes perfect.
• Interest comes from having an interesting life. You can be interesting by telling stories  or by simply being quick to bring up an interesting fact.

Interest is similar to humor whenever people discover something they didn’t expect.

• You need to have an interesting point to make it worthwhile.
• Your most interesting point should be the last thing you say in your story.
• Keep it short.
• Keep it personal. People prefer stories about people they know.
• The more you tell a story the better you get the natural timing and emphasis. 

Conversational rhythm is of critical importance when you are trying to enter a conversation, particularly with strangers. Starting out with a long story isn’t nearly as effective as offering a quip. Once you integrate yourself into a conversation you can start offering longer stories to fill the space.