Networking Success: How to Exit a Conversation

Sometimes, Exiting a Conversation Can Be as Difficult as Starting One

If you've ever been to a business networking event, you've probably been told that starting a conversation is the hardest part. This tends to be true for neophyte networkers - walking up to someone new and introducing yourself can be quite challenging. However, when you become an experienced networker, you may sometimes find that exiting a conversation is much more difficult than starting one.

Whether it's a cocktail party, family function or even a business networking event, you probably have run into that person that will not let you go. Maybe they admire you, like to talk a lot, can't take a hint or are just afraid to move on to the next person. In one extreme case, I had someone follow me out of the event and all the way to my car, unable to take the hints that I was done talking with him.

Some people handle this in the worst possible manner: by being rude, shouting or insulting the other person. But most of us try to be polite. We don't want to hurt the other person's feelings or make them feel bad, so we struggle to tell them that we're done conversing. The good news is that there are three easy ways to exit conversations in these situations.

Introduce them to someone else:

The best way to move on in a conversation is introduce the person you're talking with to someone else. Everyone wins as the two people each get to make a new connection and you get to move on. There are two ways to easily do this. First, if you spot someone you know in the room, bring the person you're speaking with over to them and introduce the two parties.

If you don't know anyone else in the room, your other option is to bring someone else into the conversation. The way to do this is to locate someone in the room that isn't talking to anyone and make eye contact with them. They'll walk over to you and try to join in on your conversation. Simply introduce yourself to the new person, ask a couple questions and then excuse yourself. The other two people will gladly carry on their conversation and you can move on.

Excuse yourself: