Conversation Starters that Get People Talking
While most starters up to this point have been your first few words, the following are good sticks to stir a conversational fire. Think of them as “conversation starters that keep the conversation going”.
If any seem awkward, it is a matter of bridging them with a relevant topic. Preface the following statements or questions with something related to avoid looking like you have ADD:
- “What’s hot in your life at the moment?” Hear about the big event in the person’s life.
- “What hobbies are taking up your time?” Much more interesting than talking about work again.
- “What do you do for fun?”
- “What have you been doing in your time off recently?”
- “What’s the first thing you notice about a person?” “In your opinion, what makes a good first impression?” “Jill has such a great personality. I wonder why.” Talk about what relates to building friends and influencing people. Ask interesting questions most people never hear.
- “What countries have you been to?” People love to travel. If they haven’t been overseas, ask, “Where would you like to go?”
- “If you wrote a book, what would it be about?” “What would you do if [he/the US President/Angelina Jolie/a known person] showed up right now?” “I wonder what your DJ name would be?” Make up an endless array of hypothetical scenarios.
- “Have you ever [been to Australia/seen a monkey acting human/something unusually interesting]?” One off experiences start a good conversation.
- “What’s the last thing you purchased online?” Online purchases aren’t a social experience so they can make an interesting conversation.
Conversation Starters that Get People Talking
While most starters up to this point have been your first few words, the following are good sticks to stir a conversational fire. Think of them as “conversation starters that keep the conversation going”.
If any seem awkward, it is a matter of bridging them with a relevant topic. Preface the following statements or questions with something related to avoid looking like you have ADD:
- “What’s hot in your life at the moment?” Hear about the big event in the person’s life.
- “What hobbies are taking up your time?” Much more interesting than talking about work again.
- “What do you do for fun?”
- “What have you been doing in your time off recently?”
- “What’s the first thing you notice about a person?” “In your opinion, what makes a good first impression?” “Jill has such a great personality. I wonder why.” Talk about what relates to building friends and influencing people. Ask interesting questions most people never hear.
- “What countries have you been to?” People love to travel. If they haven’t been overseas, ask, “Where would you like to go?”
- “If you wrote a book, what would it be about?” “What would you do if [he/the US President/Angelina Jolie/a known person] showed up right now?” “I wonder what your DJ name would be?” Make up an endless array of hypothetical scenarios.
- “Have you ever [been to Australia/seen a monkey acting human/something unusually interesting]?” One off experiences start a good conversation.
- “What’s the last thing you purchased online?” Online purchases aren’t a social experience so they can make an interesting conversation.
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