How To End A Conversation
Some people have questions about good ways to end to a conversation. In my experience this is a pretty straightforward topic, and once someone has an idea of what to do, it's easy for them to successfully put the concepts into practice. This article may also have the side effect of illustrating various ways that someone might to be trying to end a conversation with you, so you'll know if it's time to politely let them go.
There are a couple of main reasons someone may want to finish a conversation:
They have to get back to what they were doing - working, running errands, mingling with other guests, etc.
The conversation is starting to wind down and they want to neatly wrap it up.
They're just not in a chatty mood, and want to keep things short.
The person they're talking to isn't doing it for them and they want an exit strategy.
The way someone may need to finish the conversation also depends a bit on the context:
Running into someone in the supply room at work
Chatting with someone at a party or networking event
Talking to someone on the phone
Bumping into someone on the street or at the grocery store
Sitting with someone on the bus or subway
And how they end the conversation may depend on the context and the people's relationship to each other.
If you already know the person a quick, "I gotta run. I'll catch you later" will be fine in most situations.
If you've just met the person in a more social setting, something like, "It was good meeting you" will do the trick. If you hit if off you may also want to take the time to exchange contact info, or add each other to Facebook on your smart phones.
If you've just met someone in a more work or networking-oriented environment you may want to exchange business cards, or figure out other things, like if you plan on following up with them about a business opportunity.
It's okay to end a conversation quickly and cleanly
Sometimes people feel that they have to give a big formal goodbye every time they stop talking to someone. Most of the time this isn't called for, and you can finish the conversation a lot more quickly and casually. Dragging things out too much can actually make things more awkward.
Below are several different ways someone could end a conversation. From here on out this article has a lot of examples in it, I'll refer you to the site's quick disclaimer on them.
Just wrap things up without any window dressing
It's often fine to just say you've got to go without any explanation, especially if you know the person already. They'll understand you've got things you need to do and won't be offended.
"I gotta run, good talking to you."
(Talking on the phone) "Well I'm gonna go. I'll talk to you later."
"Alright" (To agree with what they just said) "Anyway, take it easy man." (As you're heading off)
"Anyway, I'll let you get back to it..."
You can end the conversation this way if you've been talking to someone who was in the middle of something.
"Anyway, it was good seeing you. I'll let you get back to your shopping."
"Anyway, I'll talk to you more later. I'll let you get back to your work."
You can also make up something for the other person to get back to. Like if you're talking to someone on the phone on a Sunday evening, and need to get going you could say, "Well I'll let you get back to getting ready for work tomorrow" or, "I'm sure you want to relax a bit before you go to sleep. I'll let you go."
Use a reason for why you have to leave the conversation
People often use this one at parties, bars, or networking events, where there are a ton of built-in reasons for having to go do something else. Ending a conversation this way doesn't have to be an excuse either. You may actually have something else you have to attend to:
Day to day
"It was good running into you. I gotta finish this shopping before I pick up my kids."
"Sorry I can't talk longer. I'm actually on my way to meet my friend for coffee."
"Let's talk more at lunch. I gotta finish up this presentation before 11:00."
At parties / bars / networking events
"I've got to go find my friends."
"I'm going to go grab another drink."
"If you'll excuse me, I just saw someone I've been meaning to catch up with."
"I just have to head to the bathroom. I'll run into you later maybe."
"I just got here. I'm going to look around a bit more."