Have you ever been to a dinner party where someone drones on and on about every subject possible to show off his or her in-depth knowledge? Or have you heard someone using complex jargon to try to build rapport as an insider? How about the person who shows a lack of sensitivity about appropriate topics on significant occasions?

Or maybe you've been that person! You find yourself struggling for what to say when standing with a group of colleagues. Or you bring up a topic or make a statement, and see blank stares that communicate "Who cares?"

Do you ever walk away from an important interaction with a boss or a potential client, feeling as though you came across as flat as pita bread?

In this book, executive communications expert Dianna Booher gives you straight talk about how to be the conversationalist that engages rather than enrages family, friends, and coworkers.

You'll learn how to discuss what matters to people personally—and even crucial conversations of critical importance at work. As a result of these conversation skills, you'll be able to:

More specifically, in this conversation skills and small talk book, you'll pick up concrete tactics and tips like these:

So if your goal is to improve conversation skills, master these techniques before your next industry conference, cocktail party, job interview, or family get-together.

Author and speaker Dianna Booher shares the same in-depth insights on business and personal communication that she offers to her Fortune 500 clients during keynotes and workshops. As founder and CEO of Booher Research, she's an internationally recognized leadership communication and executive presence expert. She's the author of 49 books, published in 62 foreign-language editions (Penguin Random House/Perigee, HarperCollins, Warner, McGraw-Hill, and Thomas Nelson).