Shanli Liu shares three ways to fill awkward silence: use "I imagine" to prompt longer answers, ask questions that draw out stories instead of yes-or-no responses, and know when to gracefully exit with a line like "I've got to get going, it's been great talking with you."
How to avoid awkward silence. Number 1: Use the phrase "I imagine." Rather than letting the conversation drift off into awkward silence, use the phrase "I imagine." For example, "I imagine that's a lot of fun." "I imagine that's pretty difficult." "I imagine you've learned a lot." Number 2: Favor stories over statements, meaning find ways to draw out a story rather than just a 1- to 2-word response. And you do that by talking about what has led them up to the present moment. For example, "How did you come across that?" When did you get into this? Where did you learn it? And number 3, if the awkward silence continues to hang there, just end the conversation. Often it happens because the scene is over, but just nobody knows how to exit the stage. So quickly just say, I got to get going. It's been great talking with you. So try that and follow me.
