Five of The Easiest Conversation Starters To Use Right Now
The brilliant writer/actress Issa Rae built an entire career around the angst of feeling awkward and insecure. We never imagined that most of us would fall into that same dilemma due to a year-long pandemic.
Honestly speaking, we’ve forgotten how to talk to people.
It doesn’t have to be so hard. Here are five no-stress ways to kick-start a convo with anyone.
1. Conversation starter: Ask for a helping hand
“Helping questions are great conversation starters because when a person helps you it forms natural bonds. When you help another person to figure what an item is on the buffet or locate the restroom, it lowers your defenses. For example, if you’re at the grocery store, ask ‘Do you know how to tell if this fruit is ripe?’ It makes you look open to learning more and will help the conversation flow naturally.”
2. Conversation starter: Tell them their celebrity doppelganger
“I tell my clients to think about a celebrity that the person resembles then approach the person and say, ‘Did anyone ever tell you that you look just like Sophia Vergara?’ This approach is always effective because it seems genuine, and the person on the receiving end will blush, lighten-up and say thank you. Because you will now have shifted that person’s energy to one that illuminating and positive, it will act as a great lead-in to the rest of the conversation.”
4. Conversation starter: Plan a dream vacation
“Ask someone ‘If you got a free ticket to anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be?’ This line works for both in-person and online conversations. There isn’t anyone on this planet that wouldn’t take a free ticket and it’s a great way to learn about them. Are they adventurous? Would they rather stay in the country? Follow up with ‘What else is on your bucket list? and share travel stories.”
5. Conversation starter: Scare them (just a little)
“One of my favorite conversation starters is asking ‘What was your high school mascot?’ It immediately takes the person back to their childhood and may lead to them sharing other information about the number of high schools they attended. Then I follow up by joking, ‘You know that you just gave me the answer to one of your online security questions, right?’ People usually laugh because it’s true, often launching into a conversation about other common security questions, online identity theft, mistaken identity or some other all-too-common modern woe.”