Exit Strategies

Your toolkit for ending conversations gracefully:

• The time check: "I have to run, but this was great" — simple and honest
• The handoff: introduce them to someone else so they are not left alone
• The compliment close: "Best conversation I've had all night" — ends on a genuine high note
• The group fade: in a group, simply step back and let the talk continue without you

Leave while the conversation is still good, not after it runs out of steam.