I always thought this was a knack people either had or didn’t. I always put my self in the ‘did not have’ group. I seem to do well in some situations, crash and burn in others. I find if I’m comfortable enough with asking the person questions then I’m fine. My outlook is most people like to talk about themselves…so if I ask them questions and they answer I can then add to the conversation with anything I may have in common. I’m getting better at it with age. However, if it’s someone I’m not comfortable around or it’s a new situation…I’m a goner. I just smile helplessly with nothing to contribute. Eye contact is really difficult for me. It’s not easy to overcome.