319 Conversation Techniques For Good Communication [Complete Guide]

Are you looking for the best and finest (professional) conversation techniques? And how can you apply them? For example in childcare, healthcare, sales, assistance, coaching,  medicine, education or relationships? In this article you will learn all important conversation techniques. Read on…

You can click on every conversation technique for more information

The following sections cover all the examples of different conversation techniques and different types of conversation forms, including cases and examples . Among other things, paraphrasing, motivational conversation techniques, the well-known ‘listening summarizing and asking questions’ and much more are discussed.

Here you will find both basic conversation techniques and advanced conversation techniques. You will also find exercises in the different sections. They can be applied to everyone. For example also in conversations with children and students.

Always click through each paragraph to access the explanation of the relevant conversation technique. Let’s start quickly improving our conversation skills …

Tip 1 to 13 – Use these 13 techniques to communicate clearly and clearly

The best conversation techniques ensure that your message becomes as clear and clear as possible. Because you know, we are judged harshly for wordiness. Do not be woolly and long, but learn the conversation techniques with which you communicate clearly and clearly. Here you will find 14 techniques to communicate clearly.

Tip 14 to 52 – Use these 39 ways to become more sociable and friendly in your conversations

Conversation skills are almost the same as social skills. If you are a social person, your conversation techniques will automatically be at a higher level. It is therefore crucial to master these 42 social skills.

Tips 53 to 64 – This way you can easily start a conversation with anyone

Every conversation has to start somewhere , but how do you start such a conversation – for example with a stranger? Do you want to be able to connect with everyone? Then these 12 tips are important. It starts with small talk, and you have to master that too.

Tip 65 – Keep asking … and you do that with these questions!

Questioning is a well-known conversation technique. There is also a reason for this: it provides depth and new insights in a conversation. See this article with coaching questions and scroll to the section on questioning.

In fact, asking further is very simple: ask how something went , what it was like, what was difficult , what was fun . So listen, ask a question and express your appreciation for telling me: “How nice that you told me this.”

There are a number of times when it is actually mandatory to keep asking. Be constantly sharp and recognize these moments:

• When you broach a new topic, for example via an open question that you ask your conversation partner. Don’t stick to that one question – and then secretly talk about yourself again – but at least ask one follow-up question. Quite a few people make the mistake of not asking questions. They ask a nice question at the beginning, receive an interesting or not-so-interesting answer … and then there is silence. Don’t let that happen. If you have a question, please also ask a follow-up question.

If you have asked an open question to show interest, then keep asking! So that is definitely not the time to drop silence so that the other person bounces back the same question … so that you can secretly talk about yourself.

• When your conversation partner broaches a new topic by naming something. One rarely just broaches a new topic. Usually one then has a need for attention. Your conversation partner expects – and needs – that you go into it more deeply.

Perhaps your conversation partner mentions that he / she has returned from the hospital and that everything went well. Even though everything went well, there is usually a reason that your conversation partner raises this topic: to get extra attention because you keep asking questions. Just inform … Just ask how things went in the hospital … Just say that you are glad it was nothing serious.

• When your conversation partner broaches a new topic by asking you a question. When someone asks you a question, there is always something behind it. Ask the same question back!

Perhaps an acquaintance of yours asked a week ago how you were affected by the crisis that has been raging for six months now. You have an extensive conversation about it. A week later you see him again and he immediately asks you again: “Have you been hit extra this week?” Now a bell has to ring for you: it cannot be otherwise than that this has just happened to the other person, so make sure you ask this question back.

Finally, it is important to know that of course you do not always have to be so attentive and thoughtful to keep asking questions in this social and caring way. If you are too tired for it, feel bad or not in the mood, tell your conversation partner that you have heard him / her and that you are currently unable to continue asking questions and respond thoughtfully .

Tip 66 – Empathy is an essential conversation technique! This is how you apply it …

Empathy is always explained vaguely. Terms such as ‘compassion’ and ‘understanding the other’ are thrown around, but how exactly do you do that? That is why here you will find 73 concrete tips and example sentences for showing empathy.

The best thing you can do to have an empathetic – and therefore good – conversation, is to talk about emotions . “And now you feel tired / satisfied / disappointed / scared / jealous / happy / angry?”

Tip 67 to 87 – Improve your listening skills with these 21 tips

You already knew that listening skills are important. Now is the time to actually start listening more in your conversations. These 21 tips are going to take your listening skills to the next level.

Tip 88 to 128 – Use the rapport technique

You could learn dozens of conversation techniques, but in the end it all boils down to ‘rapport’. This is a kind of familiar feeling that you can have with someone, and through that feeling messages can be communicated very easily.

With these 41 tips you immediately have a complete manual around report! This is essential for your conversation techniques, because rapport ensures that you and your conversation partner automatically know what you want to talk about and because the rapport technique contains a number of concrete conversation techniques. Here you will find them.

Tip 129 – Motivational conversation techniques? Ask questions! Use these coaching questions …

Usually you don’t just have a conversation. You want to help a situation through your conversation. That is why motivational interviewing is very useful. These 164+ coaching questions are very suitable for motivational conversation techniques !

Tip 130 to 163 – Apply the virtues to make your conversations stylish

Virtues and core qualities can take your conversations to a gigantic high level. Consider, for example, tactful communication, friendliness and respectful communication. Here you will find a whole list of core qualities that you can apply in your conversations.

Tip 164 to 190 – There is a world of difference between charismatic and un-charismatic conversation partners …

You can still use so many good conversation techniques, but if you apply them without charisma, your communication will have little effect. Here you will learn 27 tips to easily boost your charisma.

Tip 191 to 200 – Use these techniques for dealing with difficult people

Dealing with difficult people seems difficult, but with the ‘rapport’ technique you can deal with anyone. Check out all 10 tips in this article about difficult people.

Tip 201 to 205 – Use these smart conversation techniques for dealing with know-it-alls

Know-it-alls are annoying. Fortunately, they are easy to influence with a number of simple techniques. You can read how to do that here.

Tip 206 to 239 – Apply humor: this is positive for any conversation

Humor is an underestimated conversation technique. However, it works wonders. Here you will find 34 humor techniques.

Tip 240 to 293 – Learn these influencing and persuasion techniques

Influence and convince? There are very specific techniques for this. Here you will find the 53+ best tips to influence effectively.

294 Tip – Make sure you always have a topicstarter

The power of silence is of course number 1, but it is useful to know how to always broach a topic of conversation. Here you will find tools to always find a topic to talk about.

Tip 295 – Engage in provocative conversations

Sometimes you have to break all the rules and act crazy and provocative. This is an extremely effective conversation technique for stiff and stuck people. Here you will find 69+ examples and techniques for provocative coaching.

Tip 296 to 301 – Do not fill in for the other person and do not interpret … but observe!

Ever  heard of NFIFO? Never Fill In For Others. Filling in for the other creates impurities in communication. Nice for humor and to tease, but for pure information it is disastrous.

Tip 302 – Simply ask deeper questions

A good conversation technique is to keep asking deeper questions.

• The Dilts Logical Levels Model is an excellent tool for this.
• You can also simply ask a deep question. Click here for 198+ examples.

Tip 302 – Be very concrete … and sometimes be abstract

How can you communicate effectively? By using the metamodel. And make sure that you can easily speak more abstractly, which is the opposite of the meta model. Use the chunking model to learn this. Basically you can chunken in two directions:

• Chunken down, so get more specific: “Interesting! What’s a nice example of this?”
• Chunking up, so getting more abstract: “Interesting! What’s the purpose of this? What does it give you?”
• Lateral chunken: “What is this like? What are other ways to achieve this?”

Tip 304 – Use these techniques to become fascinating to others

There are a number of specific techniques you can use to make others completely fascinated – and even fall in love – with you. Here you will find 19 tips to achieve this .

Tip 305 to 317 – One of the best conversation techniques is using reflection questions!

Having conversations and reflecting go together very well. Here you will find 14+ reflection methods.

Tip 318 & 319 – Be connecting through vulnerability

There are two conversation techniques that are essential if you want to connect with someone.

• Use the power of vulnerability in your conversations.
• And use non-violent communication  if you want to be vulnerable and also want to have concrete tools for the continuation and intention of the conversation.

Tip 320 – The ultimate conversation technique? Be present and alert to the other person and yourself

Do you want a conversation technique that makes all other techniques almost superfluous? Then be present and alert to the other person and to your own feelings, because then the quality of your conversation will increase enormously.

Communication is about connection, presence and alertness. How do you do that? By being in the here and now.  How do you get ‘better’ at that? Use this mindfulness exercise for better communication  and this variation for your relationship.

Want to read further? View the top 10 communication books

Finally, click here for the top 10 communication books.

To your success!