Also, drop the idea that (akward) silences are bad per se. The silence may just signify that a particular subject was exhausted (for now at least). It can also be an opportunity to move a conversation from small talk to, say, the I-like-you-do-you-like-me level. Or maybe you just needed to take a moment to stare at the beautiful (wo)man you're conversing with...
Point is, all conversations eb and flow. The good ones do anyway
Jim.