Have this ever happened to you before, let's say you find yourself at a party or conference or maybe just walking along the streets, then you find someone you really want to talk to, maybe a big investor in your company, or even someone you've been admiring for long from far, but you stumble upon words to say to the person, that will get a conversation rolling, but can't find one.
And before you could come up with anything the person already moved on or gotten involved in another conversation, with another person.
If you've experienced this before, it shouldn't happen to you again. Starting a conversation with absolutely anybody, anytime and anywhere, is very possible. There's only on little secret to it. Say something the person will be happy to hear : Cheers, you can thank me later for the secret, just read on.
Don't say anything that could be seen as offensive, neither should you start with a complaint. And gossip which may sound as a nice topic also is off the table.
Rather, walk up to the person, speak pleasantly with one of the conversation starters below. There a great probability you both will be chatting in no time. And you're like to get personal informations you can use later on.
1. Point Out To Something Pleasant.
"This food is delicious!" "did you hear the main point? I thought it was great " "Nice turn up for this event! ", This is always something positive to say in almost every situation, just find it and point to it.
Don't say something boring, as it can be too risky. E.g "I think the speaker was boring", can backfire if the listener turns out to be the speaker's daughter.
2. Ask For Information.
"Excuse me, do you know when the next conference holds?" Even if you know the answer already, asking questions can be a great way to get someone start talking with you. Because everyone loves to feel helpful.
3. Offer Assistance.
I don't know if this happens to me alone or to everyone else. But what I notice is that, you won't often find the situation where you can be of aid to the person you're dying to talk to, but if you happen to be lucky, grab the opportunity. "Can I assist you in carrying that big bag? "Can I get you a seat? Actually there's one free one here" this will help the listener like and trust you, because you've helped out.
But try not to over do it. "I heard your credit card was rejected, can you make use of mine?" This is actually going to do more harm than good, as your now being intrusive.
4. Compliment The Listeners Dress Or Accessories.
"That wristwatch is really unique, where did you get it? "That necklace is a perfect color on you" Most persons love it when someone compliments their taste, so they are likely to engage in a conversation with you.
Be cautious when complimenting your listener, try your best not to compliment their physical appearance -- having a near stranger tell you that you have sexy hips can be more creepy can't be less embarrassing than anything else.
But the hair is an exception though. If the listener changed haircut recently, or recently had an haircut, it OK to compliment that (but if someone started spraying hair, to cover the grays in the hair, it's best to reserve that comments to yourself.)
5. Simply Introduce Yourself.
This don't work in many cases though, but in case you find yourself in a setting where you can't really think of a good conversational starter. You can try the direct approach.
Just walk up to the person, pull out your hand and say "Hi, I'm (your-name), I just wanted to introduce myself." This will make the listener feel important, because of the fact that you went out of your way to meet with them. And will probably want to make the person talk to you as well.
