There are many articles that will tell you how to get a successful conversation started and how to keep a conversation going, but there are very few articles that tell you how to successfully end a conversation.

If your goal is to create a better impression of yourself and to improve the social relationships you have with other people, you should pay as much attention to the endings of your conversations as you pay to the beginnings of conversations.

All conversations have to end sometime. Some of us have developed good methods for ending a conversation that leaves the other person wanting more. We end the conversation in such a way that the other person really looks forward to seeing us again and wants to get to know us better.

However, not all conversations have good conclusions. Here are some of the pitfalls that can happen if you
don't know how to end a conversation successfully:

- You may end conversations much early

- You may conversations much too late

- You can get stuck with someone who is a conversation bore and you don't know how to get away

- You miss out on opportunities to create better social connections with the people you have been talking with.

If you know that you have a problem with being shy, chances are that you often bring your conversations to an end too quickly. Because of your shyness, you feel a lot of anxiety and you just want the conversation to be over with. This is a mistake that many shy people make.

By leaving too early, you can destroy the chance that some of your conversations with people could actually turn into good friendships. By ending most of your conversations too quickly, you increase the chance that you will continue to be lonely.

On the other hand, many of us go on too long when we are in a conversation. We talk and talk, and we ignore the signals that the other person gives us that they want to leave. Then we risk getting a reputation for being a bore, and we risk having other people avoid us altogether.

You have to learn to develop some sensitivity to whether the conversation is truly over, or is it just hitting a temporary silent spot.

To do this, watch the other person's body language. Does their facial expression show animation, showing that they are enjoying the conversation? Or is their facial expression flat? Is their body language showing that they want to pull away from you, even if they only move back a little bit? Are they no longer bothering to ask you any new questions?

If you notice that the other person no longer seems to be interested in perpetuating the conversation, don't take this as a sign of personal rejection. It just means they want to move on to other things at this time.

They will appreciate you more if you let them go, and they will start to resent you if you don't let them make a graceful exit.

If either of you has a pressing appointment elsewhere, or if either has said that they really need to get going, treat this as a sign that it's time for the conversation to end.

When you bring the conversation to an end, you will leave a better impression in the other person's mind if you take this opportunity to tell them how much you really enjoyed chatting with them. Tell them that you look forward to seeing them again soon.

In fact, you may even suggest a firm date for meeting again. For example, you might say, "I've really enjoyed our little chat today. Would it be all right if I phoned you next week so that we could arrange to go out for coffee?"

Very often, the end of the conversation is often what the other person will remember most about your talk. If you end your conversations on a positive note, you increase the chances that your conversations will lead to improved relationships.

This article is by Royane Real, author of the popular book "Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends" Learn more ways to improve your conversation skills. Make more friends. Download it today at http://www.lulu.com/real.