Knowing the best conversation starters can make social interactions so much easier. You can start conversations with anyone in any situation with some simple tips, and some of the best conversation starters can lead to making new friends or relationships.
In the art of communication, it may be considered that the most difficult thing to do is to start a communication with someone. Starting a conversation with someone that you don’t know very well may be equivalent to speaking in front of a crowd.
There are a few things that a person can do to help them start a conversation with anybody and these are: skipping the small talk, meaning you go directly to the point of why you want to have the conversation, but make sure that you do it in a respectful approach. You can ask for someone’s opinion to get an informative conversation. You can also try asking for advice or recommendations, and this one works well because it encourages the person you want to speak with as it gives them the feeling that their opinions are valuable. You can ask them a question, but make sure to stick to open-ended questions (questions that cannot just be simply answered by yes or no). You can ask for updates on certain things as well.
Another example of the best conversation starters is to ask things on a personal level to let the other person know that you are trying to relate to him or to her like past experiences, childhood memories, current experiences and the like. This encourages the other person to share stories about their past or their current life. However, you have to be very careful on the questions that you ask because you don’t want to seem like someone who’s onto someone else’s own private life.
If you still are having trouble trying to engage the other person into a conversation, you can look for a way to offer a remark on the place where you are or on the occasion you’re in. This is the time where you can try combining those open ended questions and general remarks. You can start a conversation that goes, “The food that they serve is excellent! Which one of those did you like the best?” Open ended questions and general remarks will make the person feel that they need to respond because you asked the person which of the food did he like the most, and you are asking without making the other person feel awkward as you have established some common ground by remarking on the great food.
Casually asking about hobbies may also be a good way of starting a conversation. Some of the best conversation starters come from asking such questions. You can ask someone about their favorite music, or favorite books, then go from there. You can also ask about their pets, if you happen to be in a public place and the other person you want to get to know has a pet with him or her.
Another thing you can try is to talk about current events. You can even try sharing a celebrity gossip casually, just to keep the conversation going. Remember that people like to immerse in conversations that seem informative to them, whether it be about flash news, a celebrity gossip, or a new trend.
The key thing about starting a conversation is ask questions that are easy to answer. If you are having trouble picking the right conversation starter for a person you want to approach, and then observe the situation you’re in, and then go from there. For example, if you’re in a coffee shop, you can approach someone and ask them about their opinion on that new coffee blend because you’re thinking of ordering it. I’m sure you’ll get at least a one or two liner answer. Then you can start the conversation from there. Just don’t seem like a creepy person. Act natural and just use a friendly approach.
Hopefully, these tips on how to start a conversation have given you great tips on how to strike a conversation with absolutely anyone.