The Art of Conversation: How to Communicate Effectively by Refining Your Social Skills

If shyness is impacting your life in a negative way and you're ready to break free from social awkwardness and fear, then you've found the right book.We're not born knowing how to handle social situations. Manners are taught, we make friends by learning how not to, and as we grow we begin to conform to the expected standards. But sometimes, it's not so easy to know what to say or how to act. Social skills are critical for success in life, but they can also be hard to come by. If you're struggling to communicate effectively and overcome your fear, you need a guide to help you along the way. You need this book.Step by step, chapter by chapter, you'll learn how to let others know you're interested in what they have to say, keep them interested in you, and achieve open and eloquent conversation. Along the way, you'll also discover:

• How to keep a conversation going and avoid awkward lulls
• The importance of eye contact
• How to read a room or a person's mood and evaluate the best way to communicate
• Why laughter is essential, especially in social situations
• How to build relationships through respect and trust
• Why appearance matters, even when you're just conversing
• How to end a conversation without making the other person feel unwelcome

And much, much more Don't let your shyness keep you from experiencing the richness of life. Social skills can be learned, they can be refined, and they can change your life.About the AuthorStephen Haunts has been a professional software and application developer since 1996 and as a hobby since he was 10. Stephen has worked across many different industries including computer games, online banking, retail finance, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, and insurance. Stephen started programming in BASIC on machines such as the Dragon 32, Vic 20 and the Amiga and moved onto C and C++ on the IBM PC. Stephen has been developing software in C# and the .NET framework since first being introduced to it in 2003. As well as being an accomplished software developer, Stephen is also an experienced development leader and has led, mentored and coached teams to deliver many high-value, high-impact solutions in finance and healthcare. Outside of Stephen's day job, he is also an experienced tech blogger who runs a popular blog called Coding in the Trenches at http: //www.stephenhaunts.com/, and he is also a training course author for the popular online training company Pluralsight.