As we all know, it can be difficult to strike up a conversation with people you don't know. In the past, I've written about how to have confidence at networking events, and one of the keys is most certainly knowing how to start appropriate and interesting small talk with a person for the first time. However, something that we frequently overlook is that we need to know how to gracefully end the conversation, too.

This is a skill that can be applied to other situations outside of networking as well. We've all, at one time or another, been held captive by a coworker at the copy machine who insists on informing us of every detail of his child's digestive/excretory/speaking/sleeping proclivities. Suddenly a 1 minute "hello, how are you today?" has turned into a 15 minute largely one-sided discourse. And at that moment, we've all found ourselves wishing that we knew how to end the conversation without being rude. Right? Here are some tips on how to accomplish just that:

Introduce the person to someone else - An easy way to gracefully exit a conversation is to introduce the person to whom you are speaking to someone else. At a networking event, this is an excellent tactic because you have allowed another connection to happen, while simultaneously allowing yourself to move on. To use this tactic, simply look for an opening in the conversation. For example, if the person you're speaking to mentions how much he likes a new local restaurant: "Oh, I haven't been there yet. But my coworker Joe has and he loved it. Allow me to introduce you to him."

Or, "It's been so nice speaking with you, so I would like to introduce you to so-and-so. I'll leave the two of you to chat."

If you don't know anyone else at the networking event, you can still employ this tactic by looking for someone in the room who is not talking to anyone else and is alone. For example, if the person you're talking to asks you if you have ever used a certain computer program, you can reply, "No, I haven't, but let's see if maybe this gentleman has." Once introductions have been made, you can slip away.

Simply excuse yourself - We are often hesitant to do this, but there is nothing wrong with excusing yourself. If you've been standing at the copy machine with Mr. Talky for 20 minutes, try saying something like, "It's been great talking with you, but I need to finish up some paper work before I leave today. Please excuse me." And walk away.

If you are at a networking event, try, "It's been great talking with you. I see so-and-so over there and I need to speak with him before he leaves. Please excuse me."

Or, "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go refresh my drink."

If you wish to extend the courtesy, you can add, "would you care to join me?" However, you should always pay attention to visual cues with the person whom you're speaking to. If he has started to glance around the room inattentively, fiddle with his apparel and adjust his tie knot, it's time to end the conversation.

A good note to remember here is that it is best to excuse yourself after you have finished speaking rather than after the other person has finished speaking.

Try a bit of flattery combined with excusing yourself - A little teensy white lie won't hurt you here. What I mean by this is, if you have found Mr. Talky's story to be absolutely boring, you don't need to tell him this. Instead try a little bit of flattery such as, "Well it's been lovely hearing about your son, but I don't want to monopolize your time, so I'll be heading back to work now." This same basic technique also works at networking events. For example, 'It's been great talking to you, but I promised myself I would hand my business card out to at least 6 new people today." Then, make sure to actually purposefully walk away from the area. It is awkward to remove yourself from a conversation without physical separation, so don't mill about.

If all else fails, your last resort - "If you'll please excuse me, I am going to find the restroom (also, you can add before I leave, or before the event starts/ends if appropriate)."