Thank you, Fast Company magazine for including me in another article.
The topic…How to End a Conversation When Someone Won’t Stop Talking
Here are the quotes:
If an individual continues to talk, refer back to the agenda, suggests Jess Todtfeld, president of Success in Media, a communication and media training firm. “It’s okay to say, ‘Sorry to interrupt; I just want to bring up timing so we can keep the meeting on track,” he says. “Then bring up parameters. People work better with structure.”
It’s also a good idea to give a heads-up near the end of the allotted time, adds Todtfeld.
“Give a warning so people know to wrap up soon,” he says.
Check out the full article at this link.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90723801/how-to-end-a-conversation-when-someone-wont-stop-talking
Below I’m adding some more information on this topic. It’s not usually what we teach in our Presentation Training or Media Training programs. But I think you might find it helpful.
Ending a conversation with someone who won’t stop talking can definitely be a challenging task. However, it’s important to be polite and assertive in these situations.
Here are some tips on how to end a conversation gracefully.
- Be polite and make eye contact: Start the conversation by thanking the person for talking with you. Make eye contact to show that you are engaged and interested in what they are saying.
- Offer an excuse: Use a polite excuse like having to meet someone, an appointment, or a prior engagement. Explain that you would love to continue the conversation, but you need to go.
- Give them a signal: Sometimes, people don’t realize they are talking too much and may not understand that you want to end the conversation. Give them a signal like checking the time or looking at your phone.
- Redirect the conversation: If the person is still talking, try to redirect the conversation by asking them a question or bringing up a different topic. This can shift the focus of the conversation and help to end it.
- Be assertive: If the person is still not getting the hint, be assertive and tell them that you need to go. Use a firm but polite tone and make it clear that you have to end the conversation.
- Offer to continue the conversation later: If the person is still talking and you can’t get away, offer to continue the conversation later. This way, you can end the conversation gracefully and avoid offending the person.
Ending a conversation with someone who won’t stop talking can be a delicate task. Use polite and assertive techniques so you can end that conversation gracefully and maintain a positive relationship with the person.
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