Hey there! Thanks for dropping by. Welcome to this interesting blog. In this article, I’m going to share all the important details about the techniques to start a healthy conversation. So, stay around to find out more.
Here are the tips you should keep in mind to start a conversation:
- Smile. When people smile, the walls around them collapse. A smile is the best way to start a conversation and knowledge is the bridge that takes it forward.
- If you are in a group, start off with a relevant general comment, which can be humorous depending on the occasion. You can say something about the event “I love the warmth and the feel of this occasion,” or, “So many of us in the waiting queue. Seems like we’re waiting to buy the latest Apple product instead of appearing for an interview,” or talk about the host and what makes him or her so special, or smile and join a conversation where they are discussing the stock market and throw your two bits in.
- If you have not been introduced to the person, you can start off with a closed-ended question, which requires a yes or a no or a maybe as an answer. A closed-ended question can be a great icebreaker and can lead to open-ended questions and a lively conversation.
- Ask an open-ended question. Open-ended questions need a long explanation and the speaker’s point of view (“What do you think of the weather?” “Love your skirt. Where did you buy it?” Where do you think the economy is headed?”). You must place your listening skills at full throttle before posing an open question. People love gabbing about themselves or about their favorite subjects. So ask them questions that pertain to their profession and let them do the talking at first. If you’re still worried about where to start from, use a random question generator that will generate questions for you on various topics.
- Do not start your conversation with a heavy topic. Start off with a light and frothy topic that gets the small talk going before moving on to the heavier and more interesting stuff. Here again, online tools like the random question generator can be very handy if you always fall short of topics to talk about.
- Avoid religion, criticism, cynicism and politics. Stick to light-hearted general topics that are the talk of the town.
- While conversing, say your companion’s name often. People love hearing their name and will warm up to the conversation on hearing it often.
- Your replies must be relevant, meaningful, informative and entertaining. If you nod or shake your head or speak in monosyllables, the conversation will end sooner than you expect.
- Your body language must be friendly. Do not stand with arms folded or in secluded spots gazing at the ceiling.
- Make eye contact with people you are conversing with.
These tips will help you learn how to start a conversation, prepare for it, and keep it going. Finally, remember that keep your conversation positive and maintain the equilibrium. Happy talking.
