Whether you'd like to be less shy or you want to make meaningful connections for the sake of your business, there are a number of reasons why people may want to become better conversationalists. Here are a few smart (and sincere) ways to become better at making conversation.

1. Do some research beforehand. This may seem like a bit too much if you’re on a first date, but if you’re speaking to someone for the sake of business, it always pays off to know a few things about him or her before meeting.
2. Really listen. Instead of thinking of the next point that you want to make—which is often very apparent to the other person—really listen to what he or she has to say. The person you’re talking to won’t mind waiting for your thoughts to catch up if it seems like you’re really engaged.
3. Ask questions. You might even want to encourage the other person to keep talking by asking thoughtful questions. This shows that you’re interested enough that you want to know more.
4. Keep things short. You don’t have to talk for hours to seem like a good conversationalist; in fact, both parties will likely feel relieved to leave when the conversation naturally dies down.

13 Simple Ways You Can Have More Meaningful Conversations [Forbes]
5 Secrets That Will Help You Master Conversation Skills [TIME]
Making Conversation: A Skill, Not an Art [Psych Central]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr seanmcgrath