Instant Alert: Here's exactly what to say to get out of a boring conversation

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Here's exactly what to say to get out of a boring conversation by Ramit Sethi on Jun 1, 2017, 1:32 PM Advertisement So here's the setup: You're at a party where you're meeting new people. Suddenly, you find yourself talking to some guy rambling about his favorite band. Ramblers are the worst. They come up, start talking, and you realize you're not in this conversation — you're merely a prop for him to talk about his weird love of REO Speedwagon or some stupid board game. I used to play a game where I'd see how long they could go without me talking. I lost it after THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. So here's what you do. Graceful exit #1: "Listen, it was a real pleasure to meet you. [Stick out your hand to shake their hand] Have a great night." What's going on here: You're firmly but politely letting the person know that you're leaving now. Shaking someone's hand is a social cue you're leaving — you can also turn your body away to drive the point home. People are intuitively wired to shake your hand back and they know that signals the end of a conversation. 90% of the time, the person will say "great meeting you, too" and you'll both enjoy the rest of your night. But what about the other 10% of the time when instead of saying goodbye, they say, "Oh yeah sure, but real quick…" and launch themselves into another story? In that case, you need to escalate your language. It's a little more forceful, but this second script works 100% of the time. Graceful exit #2: "Oh, it was really great talking to you, but I need to go now. [Stick out your hand] Have a great night." What's going on here: When it gets to this point, usually you'll watch the realization dawn on their face that they were rambling (remember, many ramblers never realize it). They'll shake your hand and say it was great meeting you, too. Notice what's NOT in these scripts. You don't need to give them a reason, like "I'm going to the bar" or "I need to use the restroom." You don't need complex logic arguments, or need to promise to stay in touch. Keep it simple. "It was great talking to you." "Have a good night." Give these a try and let me know how they work for you. SEE ALSO: 16 dining etiquette rules every professional should know   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011