Why is it important to cultivate conversations skills if you want to succeed in life?

We need productive relationships to succeed professionally and have meaningful relationships for a happy, fulfilling life, and conversations are the foundation of all relationships.

Conversations are based on back and forth sharing of our thoughts, opinions, knowledge and feelings that express who we are, our values and what we want. When you have good conversation skills, you will be able to put others at ease which results in people forming better opinions about you. You will be seen as someone who is approachable, trustworthy, and worth listening to.

At last week’s Vancore Toastmasters meeting

Bruce, long-time Vancore member and author, contributes to the conversation…

There are three subjects you should never bring up in polite company: sex, religion and politics. Or so they used to say.

We didn’t *quite* test that adage in this week’s meeting, since only one of ‘em — politics — was on the table. But the early returns say the old adage is wrong.

Not only can you discuss politics, you should when presented with the question in the Table Topics section of the meeting:

“Imagine you had the ear of a federal or provincial leader. And you could appeal for funding for one cause. What would you pick?”

That’s a good question – maybe even one you’ll have to tackle for real some day. Deb, Vanessa and Bruce took an admirable shot at it, with answers ranging from small business to health to mental health.

They were challenged to think on their feet, get creative in their answers and deliver a coherent response. These are valuable skills to develop, whether in a job interview, meeting with colleagues, or for a work presentation.

It’s fun to switch on our imagination and play around with other people’s pretend money for two minutes! Just another of the reasons we practice public speaking, which helps us develop our conversation skills.

Ready to cultivate your confidence in the art of conversation?

Join a Vancore Toastmasters meeting on Wednesday at 3:30 PM for learning, practice and fun.

Sign up on guest list here for weekly updates and notifications.

Prefer in-person? Contact us at info@vancoretoastmasters.com to reserve a limited spot to join us in-person at our downtown Vancouver Toastmasters location when we open for hybrid meetings.