How to end a conversation

Course Complete

When the conversation is over...

It’s also handy to have a pre-planned exit. If the conversation is stalling -- or it’s simply finished and you need a non-awkward way to walk away -- use this line to gracefully wrap things up.

Here are seven potential exit lines:

“This has been great -- thanks for telling me about X. Do you have a card?”
“Can’t wait to hear how [initiative, project, personal decision] goes! Let’s catch up at the next [work party, conference, meeting, get-together].”
“I’m going to go grab [some food, a drink]. Great to [meet you, catch up].”
“I see my [friend, coworker, client] over there and should probably go say hi. Want to exchange contact info?”
“The next session is starting soon, so I’m going to go find my room. It was nice meeting you!”
“Excuse me, I’m going to use the restroom. Enjoy the rest of the [event, party, conference].”
“Well, glad we got the chance to connect over [topic]. I don’t want to dominate your [morning, afternoon, night] -- I’m going to [check out the snacks, say hello to someone, take a walk around the venue, etc.]”

The Art of Small Talk