How To Start A Conversation To Impress

It can be difficult to start conversations, especially if you have a fear of speaking to others. What should you say? What are some good conversation starters? These questions haunt both the young and old, but there is truly no need to stress.

With a little planning, you can have a much more comfortable time engaging with others. However, before we begin, let us ask you one question: why do you want to start a conversation in the first place? Is it because you are looking to make new friends? Because you’re at a party and are too shy to mingle by yourself? Or perhaps you’re just not good at reading social cues.

Whatever your reasoning may be, do not feel bad about it! You will be fine. Once the basics are established, we can swiftly move on to how exactly you are going to start that conversation. Here are some things that might help:

Importance of How You Start a Conversation

When you talk to a person for the first time, your conversation starter sets an impression in the mind of the listener about your personality. Depending on what kind of a starter it is, good or bad, you begin to make an impression in the other persons mind.

If your conversation starter is interesting and makes the other person feel comfortable with you then it is a good conversation starter. On the other hand, if it fails to attract and impress the listener, then it's a really bad conversation starter. Creating a positive impact makes you stand out in other people’s memory and they will remember you.

Conversation starters are vital for anyone who wants to navigate and spark interesting chats with new people, especially the shy or introverted types. This info-graphic shows you how to start a conversation in several different social situations and gives you an insight into what kind of mindset you need for each scenario.

Ways to start a conversation

Whether you are new to a school, started a new job at a new office or are trying to make friends from a different social circle, you need to decide on the topics that are appropriate for the environment.

Ways to start a conversation with colleagues or professional contacts is completely different from those you will do when trying to make new friends or acquaintances. The first impression you make with how you start a conversation could help you build valuable relationships in the long run so choose wisely.

Here are some of the best conversation starters for work:

1. Ask for help or information.

2. Pay a compliment.

3. Comment on something pleasant.

4. Introduce yourself.

5. Offer help.

6. Mention a shared experience.

7. Ask for an opinion.

8. Praise the person.

9. Show genuine interest.

10. Ask about them.

11. Make an observation.

12. Comment on the weather.

Here are some of the best conversation starters for School or Social Circle:

1. Pay a compliment.

2. Comment on something pleasant.

3. Introduce yourself.

4. Offer help.

5. Mention a shared experience you enjoyed.

6. Ask for an opinion on something personal like style, fashion, hobbies, politics etc.

7. Show genuine interest in the person’s interest.

1. Ask for information

This is a natural way to build a relationship with someone quickly. Even if you already know the answer to your question, it is still a great way to approach someone.

For example:

If you are attending an office event and see a colleague you have not talked to yet, you can ask them about it.

“Do you know if the Regional Director will speak after the opening session?”

“Can I help you file away some of those binders?”

“Do you need a seat?”

From there, you can lead into conversation related to the event such as your interest and involvement.

2. Pay a compliment

This is a positive way to make someone feel good about themselves. It could be something good you heard about them from the office, how they look etc.

Example:

a) “I really like your hair colour. The colour suits you.”

There are several follow-up questions you can ask to keep the conversation going, such as where they go to get their hair coloured, how they chose the style and how long it took to get that look.

3. Comment on something pleasant

You can usually find something positive to say about an event or situation.

Example:

a) “Did you watch the Grammy Awards last night? I think there was a more equal balance of genders in the winning category this year.”

From there, the conversation can go deeper in the Awards, or a tangential subject, such as a different Artists.

4. Introduce yourself

This is a straightforward way of showing you are interested in meeting someone and may not be suitable for every situation.

Example:

a) “Hi, I’m Lisa. I’m new to the team and wanted to introduce myself.”

You can then ask follow-up questions about their position or how long they have been with the company.

5. Ask for help

Asking for help can help you start a friendly conversation and it open doors for others to express their good side so instantly a relationship has started.

Example:

a) “Could you tell me where this meeting room is located?”

b) “Could I please borrow a pen from you?”

6. Mention a shared experience

Your shared experiences make getting along easier, and that aids the flow of the conversation and building of the relationship. It is a great way to connect with people.

Example:

a) “When was the last time you saw Nina?”

b) “How do you like working in the KL office?”

7. Ask an opinion

When you ask for other people’s opinions, it shows you want and value what they have to say. When asking an opinion, choose topics relevant to the moment so that it is fresh in their thoughts and mind.

Example:

a) “How do you like the coffee from the new cafe?”

b) “Are those shoes from Prada? Are they comfortable?”

8. Praise the person

Meeting a prominent person can be intimidating but even more reason for you to build rapport with. One of the best ways is to praise their work showing you have studied them and how it had affected you.

Example:

a) “I heard the speech you gave at the conference last night. You made some really good points. I came home and have many thoughts on it and I’d like to discuss them with you.”

b) Follow up the praise with questions such as “How did you build the courage to bring up such a current issue that is not spoken of as often as it should be?”

9. Show genuine interest

This requires for the conversation to be friendly, positive and light. Usually there will come about a new project where you’ll need a team to execute. You can pick from each team member their strengths and interests and have them give some significant input to said project.

Example:

a) “I see your t-shirt says I LOVE MATHS. Can you use this to run the costs of this project?”

b) “I saw on the welcome email that you just moved here from Barbados. Can you use your experience travelling to give the project a new look and angle?”

10. Ask about them

People like to be heard and seen. Try finding a topic that will allow the person to speak about themselves as it also shows you genuinely care and are interested in them.

Example:

a) ”That’s a great wedding photo of you and your husband, how long have you been married for?”

b) ”I heard that you recently took some vacation time to visit Dubai, how was it there? Was it really hot that time of the year?”

11. Make an observation

Commenting on the environment and surroundings is an easy and solid way to start a conversation. You can comment on the building, temperature or ambience to get a person talking with you.

Example:

a) ”They did a great job decorating this office.”

b) ”The view from this office is breath taking.”

12. Comment on the weather

This is probably the safest and simplest way to start a conversation. Weather affects everyone whether it is the visuals it brings or the feeling it comes with.

Example:

a) “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?"

b) “Can you believe how cold it is? 1 coat is not enough!”