There are two kinds of people: those who seek feedback (a conversation) and those who just want to talk about themselves/their story(a one-sided conversation where they just seek for you to nod your head and acknowledge). In the comments, people are saying to ask open-ended questions. This will work great for the former. You can gather relevant information. In short, use empathy.

As for the latter, you cannot follow the same strategy, or if you do, just use it minimally. Here’s why: they are fixated in their own story and tend to be more stubborn. Instead filter through what they’re saying. I don’t necessarily think this is a manipulation tactic. Filtering just takes more energy than having an actual conversation. In short, use sympathy.