How to Politely End a Conversation

Since moving to the burbs and becoming a mom, I’ve found myself in a lot of new social settings.

My biggest realization? It’s better to leave a conversation on a high note, versus waiting for it to fizzle. Silence makes me SO uncomfortable.

Since I find myself in that awkward stage of “should I keep blabbing” OR “just walk away” from time to time, I decided to make a list of ways to tactfully end a conversation.

Some I researched and some I’ve used in the past.

It’s not easy out there is it?!

How To Politely End A Conversation

Say “I’m so glad we met. Before I go say hi to “X”, what did you say your name/last name was again?” This signals you are ending the conversation but showing interest at the same time.
Introduce them to someone you know, then once they are both talking slip away.
Reference something specific you just talked about. “I loved hearing about ‘X'” // “Good luck with ‘Y'” // “Tell ‘Z’ I said hello!” // “I’m sure I’ll see you at “X” … goes a long way.
This excuse always seems a little obvious to me, but if you are in a tight spot, it’s good to have in your back pocket. Ask if they know where the restroom is. Either they will tell you and you can excuse yourself, or if they don’t know, you can say you are going to find it. I feel like “do you want to grab a drink?” falls in this same category.
Tell them you are going to say ‘hello’ to the host and it was great speaking with them.
Distance yourself from the person: point your toes away from them and pivot your body, even your head a bit. These are all social cues that the conversation is ending.
Maybe DON’T. I am one of those people who believes EVERYONE has a story or something interesting to share. Sometimes you just have to do a little digging. Here are some great conversation starters I like to use.
Ask who else you should meet. This technique definitely depends on the situation. But especially great for a networking event/business setting. Tell the person, “I am looking to network with at least ‘X’ number of people, who would you suggest I go talk with?” They will be the ones that actually send you off to end the conversation. But you could also use this in the same way as “I have five year old at XYZ school. Do you know anyone who’s children attend the same place?” “I’m dating right now, so if you know of any single people here, send them my way!”.