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Step 1
Be assertive. A motormouth will latch on to someone who seems like they will not interject. Being assertive when meeting someone helps to ensure they will not monopolize the entire conversation. After all, conversation is a two-way street. Instead of a simple greeting, give your name and some details about yourself, and keep the ball rolling from the start.
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Step 2
Appeal to social protocols and a sense of reason. Be bold enough to interrupt a monologue (if someone goes over a minute or so, it's a pretty good bet they're monopolizing, in fact 30 seconds is long). Test the person you're talking to in order to see if they are responsive to verbal cues.
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Step 3
For overtalkers, try a good-natured "Whoah, Whoah. let me see if I got this right." Even a motormouth should stop briefly to address your confusion.
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Step 4
Give the motormouth cues in body language. Sit down with the individual. Assuming a different posture sometimes helps a motormouth to adjust. In extreme cases, you may have to wave a hand in front of them to get them to stop talking.
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Step 5
Consider walking away. Do you need to talk to this person? Is this a necessary business/social transaction? If not, you might want to just let it go.
