How to Talk to Strangers and Hold Better Conversations
Initiating a conversation with a complete stranger can be tough, but still so incumbent to developing your social skills, building confidence, and creating lasting impressions with people that can severely impact your life.
This ability isn’t just for the mature or those looking to network either. It’s actually for anyone. It’s for the child entering a new classroom, it’s for the college student moving into a dormitory, it’s for the employee starting a new position, and finally, it’s for you. Wherever you find yourself in life, you will discover being able to open and establish meaningful conversations will remain useful.
With that being said, here are three strategies to help you get started:
1. Smile and Say Hi. Smiles are contagious, warm and inviting. Smile, open your mouth and just say hello. More than likely, whoever you speak to will respond. If you’re one that’s overly anxious or nervous about these things, breathe and try not to anticipate the conversation. Instead, let it flow and happen organically.
2. Ask an Open-ended Question. Don’t stop with hello. You opened the conversation, so here’s your chance to throw a question into the chat to keep it going. Stick with open-ended questions, because they warrant more than a yes or no response. When starting conversations dodge invasive, controversial or overly sensitive topics. You can ask a general question like how are you, but I suggest you get a bit more imaginative to receive a more meaningful response. Ask something like this for example, “It’s warm outside today, what’s your favorite season?”
3. Probe into Their Response. When they answer your question dig into what they say. If you want to quickly build rapport it’s best to listen and talk around what they’ve shared. To keep the conversation flowing avoid disagreeing or adding too much of your opinion at first. Look at it this way, you invited this person into the conversation so you want to be a good conversation host. Do this by building points of connection through what you all agree on and don’t attempt to one-up everything they say.
So, don’t wait, use these three strategies to open your next conversation! In the event, no one bites your bait, do not take it personally (1) and immediately try again (2). If you don’t quickly overcome the rejection you just experienced, that emotion, along with the fear of rejection could stop you from trying again.
Featured Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
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