Conversation Openers

Often shy or reserved people find themselves tongue-tied in social or corporate situations. They can't think of ways to start a conversation or make small talk. This happens when you are in a room full of strangers or hardly acquainted persons. New entrants to a college or an organization face the same problem. No one wants to be seen as a unsocial, gawky person.

How does one start talking to the person nearest to one? Do we comment on the weather, or talk politics or sports? I feel the best way to break ice is to get the other person talking about him/herself. People love to talk about themselves, their personalities, activities, nature, constitution et al. How often we ourselves go on and on about our dreams, aspirations, plans or uniqueness in our conversations with friends or colleagues? The same rule applies to others too!

So if you want to start a conversation, show genuine interest in the other person, his/her likes, hobbies and areas of interest. Not only does this get the ball rolling, you also get to know new things which could be of use later. One word of caution though. Too many people do not know when to stop, so gently veer the topic when it gets too much!