Talkaholics and what you can do to balance the conversation better

If a person seems to talk incessantly, it can be extremely tricky to get a word in edgewise. How to handle the exchange so that you get to say something now and again too. Berlin (dpa) – They talk without pause or punctuation. Some people have an obvious urge to talk, which can annoy the person they are talking to. It might be a colleague who gives monologues at meetings, a neighbour who talks non-stop when you meet or a friend who doesn't give you any space to say anything yourself. Such talkaholics are often unaware that their incessant stream of words can annoy others. That's because sometimes the other person is sending the wrong signal, says Michaela Albrecht, a communication trainer in Hohenroda, Hesse. "If someone nods politely to the other person's torrent of words, even though it