If you find yourself in a situation when talking to someone turns awkward, especially with long pauses in the conversation, scientific research has discovered what you need to do to keep the conversation flowing. The key is to ask the other person a lot of questions, but to also ask using hand gestures. People tend to respond better when gestures are used. Body language is important. If it doesn’t come natural, you can practice and become an expert at small talk.
Key Takeaways:
- Body language including hand gestures are a nonverbal que that you are ready for the other persons input.
- Do not go overboard on hand gestures. They should be natural and not appear forced.
- Studies have proven that people respond more openly when you ask questions and include hand gestures.
“According to a study led by Judith Holler at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, people respond more quickly to questions if you use hand and head gestures along with your words.”