Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Improve Your Conversations: Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques
    Improve Your Conversations: Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques
    Improve Your Conversations: Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques
    Ebook169 pages2 hours

    Improve Your Conversations: Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques

    By Patrick King

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    • Improv Comedy

    • Conversation Skills

    • Social Interaction

    • Confidence

    • Emotional Intelligence

    • Fish Out of Water

    • Mentorship

    • Importance of Listening

    • Hero's Journey

    • Self-Discovery

    • Mentor Figure

    • Self-Improvement

    • Journey

    • Chekhov's Gun

    • Power of Positivity

    • Improvisation

    • Communication

    • Storytelling

    • Conversation

    • Spontaneity

    About this ebook

    No more blanking or awkward silences. No more running out of things to say and struggling to keep others engaged.



    (1) Conversation isn’t scripted, (2) it’s 100% unpredictable, and (3) it can be terrifying at times. How do you prepare for such a thing? By learning how to apply improv comedy techniques to roll with any punch and improve your conversations and social interactions.


    Become quicker and more clever in daily conversation.



    Improv(e) Your Conversations teaches the ingenious rules of improv comedy that allow performers to turn boring prompts into memorable interactions worthy of standing ovations. This means there are real frameworks and templates to escape interview mode small talk – and start connecting and building rapport from the moment you say “Hello.” This book goes through over 15 of the most helpful and insightful improv comedy techniques with countless real-life examples to make you a great talker.


    Learn the conversational secrets of the world’s best comedians.



    Patrick King is an internationally bestselling author and social skills coach. His writing draws of a variety of sources, from scientific research, academic experience, coaching, and real life experience.


    Over 15 actionable tips that are actually practical and relateable.



    •The three easy ways to always know what to say, even when your mind goes blank.
    •What Sherlock Holmes has to do with great rapport.
    •How to read people better and what to look for.
    •The one goal you must always keep in mind (that you probably don’t even know).


    Adapt, witty comeback, reply, and charm in record time.



    •What causes awkward silences and how to prevent them.
    •How your conversation should resemble a movie.
    •How to “flip the switch” to be more entertaining.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPublishdrive
    Release dateJan 4, 2021
    ISBN9798590273829
    Improve Your Conversations: Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques

    Read more from Patrick King

    Related to Improve Your Conversations

    Related ebooks

    Psychology For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      How To Be magnetic

      Sep 2, 2020

      How To Be magnetic
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Five Writing Tips from Mark Bowden

      Apr 8, 2019

      The question most in my mind when writing is: What exactly are you trying to say? A clear answer to that question will help you avoid confusion and cliché. The post Five Writing Tips from Mark Bowden appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      All Together Now

      Sep 18, 2019

      All Together Now
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Building Block Of Character: Part Three

      Aug 1, 2024

      In the first parts of our examination of the Building Block of Character, we briefly looked at the fundamental aspects of the Main Character – who they are, what they want and why they are in this particular story. In Part Three, we will broaden our

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Ripple Effect

      Nov 5, 2020

      The Ripple Effect
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      IMPROV Your Life

      Oct 25, 2022

      Tom Young is an improvisor, founding member of The Same Faces improv group, and an organiser of The British Improv Project. british improvproject.com Emma Hackett is a wellbeing coach who works with people who are chronically stressed, drawing on p

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Finding Your Character’s Voice

      Feb 12, 2024

      Character voice is the way our characters speak inwardly to themselves and outwardly to other people. Like with your own voice, it has degrees, modulations, and changes in pitch. How you talk to yourself is different and sometimes maybe even crueler

      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Love

      Apr 2, 2020

      In any long-term relationship there are days when smothering your beloved in their sleep may cross your mind. This, however, is quite extreme and not (usually) recommended. But what the heck happened? How did you get from angels singing every time th

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Desperately Finding Feedback

      Feb 1, 2024

      Desperately Finding Feedback
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Fatal Distraction

      Jun 5, 2022

      Fatal Distraction
      13 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Mae Martin

      Mar 24, 2023

      Mae Martin
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Do You Have The Charm-factor?

      Jun 17, 2021

      Do You Have The Charm-factor?
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Good Chat

      Jun 14, 2024

      Is there a way to ‘probe the deep recesses of another person’s mind’? Yes, there is. ‘The epic activity I am describing is called… having a conversation,’ David says. Most people think a good conversationalist is someone who can keep everyone enterta

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Why Empathy Can Be So Hard

      May 1, 2023

      I RECENTLY SPOKE at a conference for CEOs in North Carolina, and after I gave my presentation, an enthusiastic gentleman came over to speak with me. He told me how great my presentation was and how he worked with “coloured people” back home and how i

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Frank Talk

      May 20, 2019

      Frank Talk
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Q&A

      Sep 1, 2023

      We’ve heard a lot about difficult conversations, but you believe all conversations are difficult. Please explain. In recent years we have heard a lot about so-called difficult conversations from the realm of academic research and in the public discou

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      When Workshop Is Hard

      Aug 16, 2023

      I’VE spent a lot of time thinking about the egos of writers. We live in a culture suffused with therapeutic language that has shifted its meaning with broad usage, and ego is a good example. In its original sense, it was value-neutral, meaning only t

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Offstage

      Mar 25, 2019

      Offstage
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      King Of Hearts

      Jun 7, 2019

      King Of Hearts
      12 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Grace Under Pressure

      Aug 16, 2024

      Grace Under Pressure
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Life-changing Conversations

      Nov 30, 2021

      Life-changing Conversations
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Improve Your Conversations

    4.5/5

    9 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Improve Your Conversations - Patrick King

      Techniques

      Improv(e) Your Conversations:

      Think on Your Feet, Witty Banter, and Always Know What to Say with Improv Comedy Techniques (2nd Edition)

      By Patrick King

      Social Interaction and Conversation Coach at www.PatrickKingConsulting.com

      < < CLICK HERE for your FREE 25-PAGE MINIBOOK: Conversation Tactics, Worksheets, and Exercises. > >

      --9 proven techniques to avoid awkward silence

      --How to be scientifically funnier and more likable

      --How to be wittier and quicker instantly

      --Making a great impression with anyone

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1. Improvisation Implementation 

      Conversation = improv

      Spontaneity and Flow

      Emotional Intelligence

      Play

      Make it Easy

      How to gain confidence

      Chapter 2. Always say Yes, AND… 

      Going with the flow

      It's not about agreement or disagreement—it’s about flow

      Getting to the root of no, but

      Chapter 3. Read and React to Everything 

      Learn to hear between the lines

      Listen for emotion

      Be generous with your attention

      Chapter 4. Be More Specific 

      Go for depth, not breadth

      The best conversations are one of a kind

      A statement can be a question

      Chapter 5. Details, Details, Details 

      Details are conversational handles—something to hold on to

      Find the details, and you find the emotion

      Chapter 6. No No 

      No stops the flow

      Are you shutting things down, or opening them up?

      The art of coming back from an insult

      Chapter 7. Create Motion 

      Good conversations are dynamic

      Moving the conversation along

      Everyone loves a story

      Chapter 8. It’s Entertainment, Not Discussion

      Feelings, not facts

      Don’t take it so seriously

      Move past generic topics

      Chapter 9. Think on Your Feet

      Don’t hold on too tightly

      Learn to make quick connections

      Have a little faith

      Chapter 10. Support Your Teammates

      It’s not about you, it’s about the conversation

      Relax with it

      Pinning the tail on the donkey—a great teamwork technique

      Chapter 11: Remember and Callback 

      An in-joke is worth its weight in gold

      Keep an eye open for links and connections

      A small way to make a big impact

      Chapter 12: Shut Up More 

      Talking is not the same as conversation

      Listening is half the fun

      Get your ego out of the picture

      Chapter 13: Use HPM 

      A secret weapon

      History 

      Philosophy

      Metaphor

      Chapter 14. Improv Potpourri   

      Be Zen about it

      Take a risk

      Flow is better than funny

      It takes time

      Summary Guide

      Introduction

      How many people can you name that can do passable, if not flat-out hilarious, impersonations of Janet Reno, George W. Bush, Alex Trebek, and Robert Goulet?

      There is only one man who possesses the talent to do such a thing: Will Ferrell.

      For those who are unfamiliar with Will Ferrell, he is a stand-up comedian, actor, and improv comic who was one of the primary drivers of Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) revival during the 1990s. He was able to parlay his exposure at SNL into a comedic movie career to rival that of any of the greats. 

      He was also one of the first performers who was an automatic for me. What do I mean by that?

      It means that anything he released, acted in, or was involved in, I would without question automatically watch it. I’d buy it, rent it, or watch it in the theater on opening day because no matter the subject matter, I had faith that he was going to make it bearable at the very worst. 

      Whether he was the second coming of laughter itself, or his mannerisms just resonated with my personal sense of humor, Will Ferrell was one of my early role models and my first man-crush during my impressionable years.

      Years ago, I learned that he got his start in the comedy world through improv comedy, as did many of today’s household names in comedy. If I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my man-crush, then I obviously needed to investigate improv comedy as well! I excitedly signed up for a weekend workshop.

      As a conversation coach now, you would think that I had a good foundation at the time. I sure didn’t think I would have a hard time, but I was sorely mistaken. There were many similarities between improv comedy and what I teach, but the paths were starkly different to reach the similar goal of a great interaction. Where I tended to want to make conversation more predictable and easier for the participants, improv comedy teaches you to deal with, and even embrace, the opposite: total and complete chaos that somehow turns hilarious due to the quick thinking of talented performers. 

      As you might expect, I had somewhat more mixed results than Mr. Ferrell, but the workshop left me with a strong impression of how to consciously ignore all the chatter in the world and focus on the person in front of me. It’s something that sounds so simple in theory, but is nearly impossible to do in practice.

      For me, that meant letting go of my own self-consciousness and any agenda I had coming into the interaction, since there was no guarantee it would ever come up, and I had to work with what the other person gave me. I would have an answer prepared in my head, but the moment I spoke it I realized that it derailed what the entire interaction was building toward because I wasn’t listening properly. 

      Improv comedy is a group dance that ebbs and flows with what each member of the group is doing. The only rule is that the group must always stay and work together. Even if you’re uncomfortable or unfamiliar with what’s happening, you’ll be supported and helped by the other members of the group because you are all collaborating toward one shared goal, and nothing else matters. 

      I always intended to take more improv comedy workshops, but for one reason or another, I never got around to. My bid to become Will Ferrell’s successor was destined to fall short. 

      However, the weekend workshop wasn’t a waste of time; far from it. 

      It occurred to me that even though improv comedy represented a different approach, there was a tremendous amount of elements I could implement to improve normal social interactions. For one, they both have the exact same goal of a great interaction—a conversation for my context, and a performance for the comedy context. Many other elements I taught clients about social interaction, such as conversation, thinking on their feet, and witty banter, were all intimately similar to the lessons I learned in improv comedy. 

      Improv comedy above all else teaches the concept of flow, which bestows the ability to make something out of nothing. A conversation always has a flow; you just have to pay attention to it and catch it before it fades. 

      You have to observe, listen, be present, react, and adapt to find the flow. In finding the flow, you create something that leaves both parties happy and satisfied.

      Not coincidentally, that is the same exact goal for conversations, and it’s what I had in mind when I titled this book Improv(e) Your Conversations. It’s the application of principles integral to improv comedy to conversation, interaction, and connecting deeply with others. 

      Improv comedy principles have been honed and developed over decades to address the exact same issues that trip us up when we speak to strangers on an everyday basis. 

      Do you want to…

      Eliminate awkward silences and make conversation flow smoothly? 

      Listen better, go deeper, and connect effortlessly?

      Verbally banter and spar without having to think about what to say? 

      Ditch self-consciousness and put yourself into unfamiliar situations? 

      Check, check, check, and check.

      I want to take this opportunity to help you discover how and why improv comedy actors never run out of things to say, think supremely quick on their feet, and give the best witty banter in the world. 

      Chapter 1. Improvisation Implementation 

      Great conversations don’t simply appear spontaneously out of thin air. We might get lucky occasionally when we find people that happen to be on the same wavelength as us, or share an obscure set of similarities, but that’s not something you can depend on to carry you through life. 

      That’s like trying to predict when and where lightning will strike, which isn’t exactly known to be possible.

      People who can create flowing conversations with just about everyone they meet are definitely achieving something different and special. What do people who can make something out of nothing have in common?  

      It doesn’t happen consistently without planning and preparation. This isn’t planning and preparation in the conventional sense, where you might jot down ideas of topics to bring up, or dig through the news for the current events of the day. Those are important to some degree, but they can be equally as detrimental. If you have a flowchart for conversations, any slight deviation can spell your doom. 

      The type of preparation you need is to understand the basic anatomy of great conversations. That’s going to be the focus of this first chapter of Improv(e) Your Conversations. What are the elements you should focus on and seek out in your conversations, and what should you try to avoid? Moreover, which of the bad habits are you guilty of, and are you compelling others to want to converse with you, or are you actually repelling them?

      A great conversation greatly resembles an improv comedy performance, and ideally should involve all the rules that I’m going to cover in this book. 

      Conversation = improv

      Let’s spell out the similarities. 

      Both a conversation and an improv comedy

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1