5 Great Questions to Start a Conversation with Anyone You Meet
34425
Finance
Jun 26, 2007
peter1510
5 Great Questions to Start a Conversation with Anyone You Meet
Starting a conversation with someone you don't know well can seem like a scary business. You probably stand and watch the room full of strangers, hoping desperately that someone will talk first - anyone but you. You don't know if you'll be ignored or what reception your words will get. That's why using questions to start a conversation is a good idea. A question lets the person you're talking to know exactly what you want to get back from them. Because that makes it easy for them to respond, they're likely to answer you and then you're in business; you've got the conversation started. What's so scary about breaking the ice? A. You're scared of being rejected. If I say hello, they won't say hello back to me. Hello doesn't take much effort - but it can also be responded to by a simple smile or a nod. That's not much good if you're hoping to start a conversation. B. "I haven't anything good to say! Who said you had to start a conversation with something fascinating and exciting? That's too much pressure to put on yourself, so get that idea out of your head right now. For both of these reasons questions are a good way to start a conversation. The questions don't have to be anything too clever or intellectual. Your questions should be open-ended so that they invite the person you're asking to give more of a response than a simple 'yes' or 'no'. That's not going to start a very long conversation - is it! Let's have a look at five good questions to start conversations: 1. "How was your day?" is always a nice conversation opener. It's easy to answer and the person you ask is bound to have some opinion on it. Giving the other person a chance to talk about him or herself and focusing on them shows that you are polite and caring. Also, it gives you an opportunity to learn more about the other person. You'll hear what they did with their day and that might also give you clues about any family, work or hobbies that have. You can then pick up on any of these things to develop your conversation with them. 2. "What do you do in your spare time?" is a great question to start conversations with. It helps both of you see how much you have in common - and that gives you a whole raft of ideas to continue the conversation. You can both talk about why you love the hobby and how long you've been doing it. 3. "What do you do for a living?" will give you fertile ground for finding out about the other person and asking more questions. 4. "Have you been on holiday this year" will give you plenty to talk about. Most people have either recently been on a vacation or they're planning one. Good or bad, they'll love to share their vacation stories with you. 5. "Do you have any family?" is a gentle, sensitive way of opening up a potentially easy subject for conversation. Phrasing the question like that also avoids potential embarrassment over divorce, sexuality or childlessness. The 'trick' if there is any, with asking questions to start conversations is to ask an open-ended question on a normal, everyday topic that the person you're talking to will find it easy to answer on. You're trying to get to know them, not interrogate them. A conversation needs to be a two-way process and asking an easy question is the perfect way to draw in the other person and make it a conversation. As soon as you can get a response from the other person that goes somewhere and gives you an idea for something else to say, you've got the conversation going. That's why using questions to start conversations is a great idea.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available only at: conversation starters
send email to peter1510
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Social etiquette in conversation is about simple good manners. What's most important is that you put the person you're talking to at ease and that they feel as though they had chance to say what they wanted to say and that you listened to them and respond
Category:
Engaging into conversations with people happen everyday and with the right communication skills, you can pretty much talk about anything under the sun. If you want to become a great communicator then you have to think about great ideas for conversation.
Category:
Good conversation starters put people at ease immediately. That is how all good conversations start - when people feel comfortable and relaxed. To start a conversation like that is a skill - and you can learn it.
Category:
Once you have been asking questions for a while, you will realize just how great questions are for starting conversations, helping them flow and for getting to know someone better. Now it is time to have some fun with it!
Category:
Using questions to start a conversation is a good idea. A question lets the person you're talking to know exactly what you want to get back from them. Because that makes it easy for them to respond, they're likely to answer you and then you're in business
Category:
Whatever reason you have for wanting to improve your speaking or listening skills, you can pick up some useful tips from interpersonal communication articles. Reading about the techniques and tips lets you digest the information when you're not under pres
Category:
The knack of good conversation relies on you being able to ask the right questions to stimulate discussion and keep people talking. You can learn this knack, though. Good conversation questions aren't difficult. They have to be things people can talk abou
Category:
There is a great tactic anyone can use that guarantees great conversation regardless of who you are talking to. The top movers in the world of business and even those charming people who light up any social event know this secret and you can use it too.
Category:
Communication in the workplace is very important but with so many people involved, all with different personalities and varying levels of understanding communication can be difficult and misunderstandings can arise.
Category:
Good communication skill means the ability to be understood but it also means more than that. Have you ever noticed how good conversationalists have the ability to light up a conversation and inspire others to join in? You can learn to be like that too.
Category:
Questions can be used at all stages of a conversation and for various reasons, but their aim should be to bring the other person into the conversation and help them to contribute fully towards fulfilling the aim of the conversation.
Category:
Interpersonal communication has a lot to do with non-verbal cues as well as what you say. People unconsciously detect a lot of meaning - and sometimes misinterpret it - from body language.
Category:
Developing great people skills is a question of strategy - play to your strengths and be yourself. This is the key to making a great impression whenever you meet new people and a sure fire way to form lasting friendships that enrich your life. Then, with
Category:
Conversations need to be a two-way process. Pick topics that everyone involved in the conversation is interested in. That way, everyone can feel comfortable and involved and the conversation should flow freely.
Category:
Effective interpersonal communication creates a feeling of community and intimacy where everyone's contributions are valued. It leads to proper understanding, sometimes on a deep level, depending upon the circumstances of the communication.
Category:
To be able to communicate verbally, even if that verbal is with sign language for people who are hearing impaired, is vitally important. Without good verbal communication skill, getting by in life would be virtually impossible. Every day, in so many ways,
Category:
It is very difficult to manage your nerves when you meet people but with effective communication skills, you will be able to manage these nerves properly even under pressure. Being nervous when you meet people is certainly normal.
Category:
Every day, in many ways, we communicate with other people. Sometimes it is verbally, other times it is through the written word, and we even do it non-verbally through what we call body language. For that matter, we can use images to communicate, and even
Category:
So many people worry about how to start a conversation. It makes them feel anxious and afraid. Are you one of those people who keep your fingers crossed that someone will come up to you and speak because you would never make the first move in a conversati
Category:
People who have great communication skills can communicate well despite being under pressure. Notice the great public relations officers out there. Despite being bombarded with controversial issues, they are still able to remain graceful under such pressu
Category:
Other links at Finance
Everyone dreams of finding that perfect investment opportunity the one that will make them a millionaire overnight. Unfortunately, with few exceptions in history, those perfect opportunities often turn out to be just that dreams.
Category:
At any given moment, you are either in the competitive mindset or the creative mindset. It's always one or the other, but never both. A creative mindset attracts success; a competitive mindset repels it.
Category:
There are certain pointers which should be kept in mind if you want to be a success with those you meet. Here are a good selection.
Category:
The secret of using the power of your subconscious is by deliberate preparation and by conscious predetermination of the outcome. Beyond that, you do nothing; you can do nothing to cause its power to be a major factor in your life.
Category:
Some people seem to have it all - good looks, smarts, and to top it off they are well versed in the secrets of great oral communication. Maybe you want what they have - well, your looks can be changed with medical help, and you can become smarter with the
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68285
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
