Best Ways To Start A Great Conversation

One characteristic of good communication skills is the ability to start a conversation. How are you supposed to start a conversation anyway? Starting a conversation is very interesting and it has been coined with so many names. Bachelors call it pick up lines. Salesmen call it pitches. Writers call it an introduction. Come to think of it, how do you even start talking about starting a conversation? Here are some tips that you might want to consider so that you can start a conversation well. 1. Do your homework. If you are going to talk to someone and you know who you are going to be talking to then you should review this person s background. You have to do your homework. If this person is a Nobel Prize winner then you should review this person s works. If this person is a businessman then you might want to learn a little about this person s business and the industry it is in. If you are going to talk to someone and you have been informed about it already then you better do your homework. The best examples of these people are the talk show hosts. Look at David Letterman, Oprah, and Conan O Brien. These talk show hosts know a lot about their guests. 2. Don t come on too strong or too soft. When you meet someone for the first time, you have to strike a perfect balance between aggressiveness and passivity. If you come on to strong then the person you are talking to might think that you are too aggressive. This person might think that you are a harmful and desperate person. On the other hand, if you come on too soft, this person might think that you are simply uninterested in talking to them. You certainly do not want to go to these two extremes. You have to strike a perfect balance and find the right way to talk to this person. 3. Say the first lines clearly. When you talk to someone for the first time, you have to be very clear when you talk. You do not want the first words out of your mouth to be misinterpreted right away. This is certainly the last thing that you want to happen. If you are going to say something then you have to make sure that you get your idea across properly. 4. Use the person s name if you have been introduced. It is good to use the person s name when you talk. This makes the person feel special and unique. If you want to get on the good side of a person then you should use their name often when you talk to them. If you have not been introduced then you should introduce yourself and allow the other person to introduce him or herself to you. Be civilized and act as human beings with each other. Be diplomats in your own right. 5. Avoid sensitive topics like politics, religion, and sexual orientation. If you are going to talk to someone for the first time then you should avoid sensitive topics as much as possible. There are too many issues in sensitive topics like politics, religion, and sexual orientation. It is not advisable to talk about topics like this because you might end up quarreling and debating at the end of the day. You certainly do not want this to happen to you. Starting a great conversation should not be so hard at all. If you want to build rapport with a fellow human being then you have to make it a point to talk properly and communicate your ideas effectively. Be as polite as possible and avoid topics that will do more harm than good. If you want to enjoy conversation with another person then make sure that you hone your communication skills by practicing the tips mentioned. 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