What to Say When You Meet New People: 9 Great Conversation Openers
Tours TravelOn a normal day, you are going to meet a lot of new people. Some of them may seem worthless to your life: a waitress, a delivery man, etc. However, never underestimate the value of each individual.
Remember, the art of networking can lead you to greatness. With that in mind, let’s look at what you should say and talk about when you first meet someone.
1. Talk without talking. Your physical appearance and behavior will tell people more about who you are and what you think of them than any initial greeting. Therefore, keep your body clean, your appearance neat and dress well.
2. A good first line. Don’t start off with something like, “Hey, what’s up?” Unless you’re talking to a group of excited teenagers at a Britney Spears concert; That’s not how you address someone. A suitable sentence along the lines of: “How are you?” or “It’s nice to meet you” is appropriate.
3. Eyes and hands. You want to connect with someone at once. So, look them straight in the eye and offer them your hand. A firm handshake that is not short, but not too long either; and don’t crush their hand. That’s something a professional wrestler does to intimidate an opponent; It’s not what you do when you want to make a good first impression.
4. After the initial meeting is over, continue to ask for their name and make sure you remember it. Nothing is better to please someone than a person you just met remembering your name.
5. Body language. You want people to feel comfortable when they talk to you. So stand up straight, maintain good eye contact, without being overbearing, and pay close attention to what you’re saying.
4. Be courteous and speak in a clear and courteous tone. If you’re in a job interview, let the interviewer ask the first question. After all, you are looking for a job from them; time is money, and they are busy. So, let them control the situation. Now, at some point, they’re going to ask you if you have any questions. That leads to the next point.
5. Be prepared to participate in the conversation. Again, if you’re in a job interview, check out the company and have a few questions ready to ask. If you’re in a social setting or on a date, be prepared to ask the other person questions about themselves and their life; or being able to talk about you and what you like.
6. Pay attention to what is happening. If your eyes are clouded over and you’re not involved in what’s going on, people won’t want anything to do with you. So, focus on what they are talking about.
7. Pick the right things to say. This is a function of the type of conversation you are involved in: interview, date, dinner, etc. After the initial meeting, you’ll want to talk about something interesting: a story you know about, a movie you’ve seen, etc. or ask the other person some questions.
8. Keep the conversation balanced. For one thing, you don’t want the other person to have to talk all the time; on the other hand, it is impolite for you to monopolize the conversation. So, let the other person(s) do the talking, and then “chip in” with a contribution.
9. Finally, remember the golden rule; Treat people the way you want to be treated. And remember, no one is “below” you. Treating people decently is a true sign of good manners.
First impressions are said to be lasting impressions. So stay focused when meeting new people and speak clearly. By keeping yourself neat, clean, and showing proper respect to others, you will make an excellent impression on them. Keep engaging in a conversation and you will gain new friends and influence people.