Words have power.

They impact the quality of our friendships, our ability to succeed, and our happiness. Often, we are unaware of how words influence our lives.

Have you ever noticed how some people bring you alive during a conversation, while others leave you feeling drained and depleted?

What are the ingredients of an intriguing conversation? How do we elevate people with our words?

7 Tips to Positively Impact Your Conversations:

1. Relax & Listen

First off, calm down, relax, and don’t worry about whether you have something interesting to say or not. Having a pleasant conversation can be difficult when you are trying to look good, sound smart, or be likable. Practice kicking back, listening, and following the flow of a conversation. Pay attention to your timing and notice that some people like to talk more than others. Pause between sentences and be careful not to overpower others with your words.

2. Be Interested

Be genuinely interested in others. Find out who they are and what they want to express. You don’t have to interrogate people to get to know them. Sometimes being quiet is more powerful. Everyone is brilliant. By giving others your undivided attention, you bring out the best in them.

3. Be Honest

Be authentic and honest in your communication. Don’t make stuff up; don’t pretend to be smarter, wealthier, or more accomplished than others. Be real. People can smell a lie from a mile away. And even if you are able to fool a few, pretending to be someone you are not leaves you deflated.

4. Yield

Yielding is a subtle, yet powerful tool. It’s a way of making others right by accepting their point of view. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with them; you simply accept what they say. Yielding has tremendous power because it takes the argument out of a conversation. It’s one of the reasons German chancellor Angela Merkel is so successful. She gets her way by making others right.

5. Acknowledge

Acknowledgment is another powerful communication tool. Not only do you make people right when you acknowledge them, but you also express what’s great about them. Acknowledgment is saying what works without making things up or being superficial. You honestly acknowledge what someone says or does. For example, “this is a valuable point,” or “the way you explain this issue makes it very easy to understand,” are acknowledgments. People love to be recognized and by using acknowledgment in your conversations, you create harmony and ease.

6. Serve

Be engaged and offer support when talking to others. How can you help? If every conversation is an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, what can you contribute? Maybe you read a book that they might like or know someone they should meet. Mention it. Be of service. You might be surprised how much happiness a simple act of kindness can add to another person’s life.

7. Don’t Have the Final Word

When ending a conversation, let the other person have the final word. Express how much you enjoyed talking to them and allow them to reciprocate. This is a simple way of being generous and making others feel good about themselves.

Now, I’d love to hear from you: do you stay positive when talking to others – and if so, what’s your secret – or do you get pulled into negative rants? Please share your observations in the comments below or write to me. I’d love to hear from you.

As always, thank you for reading.

Karin

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