Initiating conversations is an important life skill for personal relationships and business, with entire books and seminars dedicated to the topic. To start a conversation, be natural and relaxed, have something to talk about, and pay attention to the other person. Examples of conversation starters include the current situation or something about the person you’re approaching. Improvise to match the circumstances and gracefully end the conversation if needed.
Not everyone is born with the gift of the gab. But being able to strike up a conversation is a very important life skill. It matters in terms of personal relationships. Every friendship and romance has to start with a first conversation. In terms of business, being able to open up a conversation is also quite important, especially for people involved in sales. In fact, being able to start conversations is so important, that entire books and seminars are devoted to this very topic.
The most important thing about initiating a conversation is to be as natural and relaxed as possible. If you seem nervous or uncomfortable, chances are you’ll make the other person feel the same way and the conversation will feel flat or awkward. So before you approach someone to strike up a conversation, take a deep breath and make sure you have something to talk about. The two best topics to start a conversation with are the current situation and something about the person you’re approaching.
Here are some examples of conversation starters that relate to the situation:
Academic conversation starter: “I really like the books we’re reading, but I can’t help but notice the professor picking his nose throughout the class. Did you notice it too?”
Conversation starter in a professional setting: “I saw you were at your quarterly meeting last week. What do you think of George’s remark about what is happening in Singapore?”
Start a conversation at a bar, party, or other entertainment venue: “What do you think of this music?”
Conversation starter in an academic or professional setting: “Your presentation was really great. Where did you get this idea from?”
Initiating a conversation at a bar, party, or other entertainment venue: “I noticed you were carrying the latest issue of The New Yorker with you. Have you reached David Sedaris’ essay yet?”
To open up a conversation, you’ll need to improvise so your starter matches the circumstances. All of the above conversation starters have been imagined for application in a specific environment. During the conversation, remember to pay attention to what the other person is saying and to respond in kind. Also, if it turns out that the person is simply not in the mood to chat for some reason, end the conversation gracefully.
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