A conversation is not a business meeting at work or with your family. It is a personal or informal talk that takes place in the restaurant, in a car or walking on the street on your way to work.
It can make or break a relationship. It can make a career successful. It can make new friends. It can just brighten up another person’s life. It can change the world!
Here are some ways to make a conversation bring meaning to you and others.
Before starting a conversation, be clear about what you want to achieve. Knowing your purpose beforehand allows you to keep your conversation to the point and never get lost out of the way.
Start a topic that is very timely and appropriate. The starting point has to be depending on your relationship with the person you are talking to and the situation the person or both of you are going through. Starting the conversation with the right topic sets the tone that brings both sides at ease.
Come up with something that will make both of you interested. This allows the other person to be drawn more to speak up. Discovering common likes and dislikes opens up a bond (纽带) between two people.
Put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Think how the other person feels at that moment. Feeling how the other person feels helps you to be in his position.
One of the most difficult tasks to do in a conversation is really listening. Do not prepare for what to say while the other person is talking. Do not just keep quiet because you want to give the other person a time to talk. The proof that you really listen is to repeat your understanding of what was said in your own words.
After you have spoken, give the other person a time to talk. There are some people who like to talk about themselves. If you are one of them, try to be less selfish. A conversation is not a monologue (独角戏) or an interview.
Managing a conversation shows the kind of person you are. You do not have to wait for the other person to lead the discussion. You can do this. No matter who you are, if you lead a talk, you make a difference.

How to make meaningful conversations
Passage outline	Supporting details
_______ is a conversation?	A conversation is a personal or informal talk taking place in the __________, in a car or walking on the street.
What can a conversation do?	It can change the world by __________ or breaking a relationship, making a career ___________, making new friends or brightening up another person’s life.
How can you make a conversation ________?	Talk with a purpose. Knowing your purpose in ____________ keeps your conversation to the point.
Choose a good ___________. Starting the conversation with the right topic makes both of you feel easy.
Find common interests. Discovering common likes and dislikes opens up a bond between two people, allowing the other person to be drawn more to speak up.
Put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Feeling how the other person feels can _________ you to be in his position.
__________ and repeat. Repeating your understanding of what was said in your own words proves that you are really listening.
Allow your listener to_________. A conversation is not a monologue or an interview.