Meeting and talking with a stranger might be challenging for many of us. But, acquiring the skill can help us in both our personal and professional life. Besides, no matter how easy it is for many of you to talk to strangers online, starting a conversation with a stranger personally may get you butterflies in your stomach. However, it still can be overcome with some easy tips.

In this article, we will share some unique and simple tips that will help you to know how to talk to strangers.

10 Tips on How to Talk to Strangers

1. Learn to Read People

One of the vital aspects of talking to anyone is to read the person’s body language and mindset. It is easy to understand from one’s body language and facial expression whether the person is interested to talk to people. Some people might be comfortable socializing in a gathering while some may not be interested at all.

Body language like crossed arms gives a signal that the person is not in the mood to talk to anyone. On the other hand, friendly and smiling faces may just welcome others to socialize with them. Besides, it is also important to check whether you are feeling safe and comfortable with an unknown person before starting a conversation.

2. Make Eye Contact and Smile

As mentioned earlier, smiling faces are more welcoming. Maintaining a smile on your face along with locking your eyes can give signals to others that you are approachable. These positive non-verbal signs make people feel comfortable with you.

3. Start with a “Hello”

Once you create a welcoming aura around you with your smile, it is more likely that people will smile back at you. Now it is your turn to start a conversation. Instead of figuring out what to say at first, just start with a simple “hello” along with a small introduction of yourself. If initiating a conversation sounds scary to you, you can ask a friend or colleague to help you out in the beginning.

4. Ask Questions and Encourage People to Talk about Themselves

People generally love to talk about themselves. So, asking questions about themselves will encourage them to talk more and get the conversation going. Asking questions about their occupation, place, education, hobbies, etc. will also help you to know about their background. Moreover, you might get something interesting to talk about once they start opening up.

5. Discuss Common Interests

One of the common challenges in talking with a stranger is figuring out what to talk about. Try sticking to topics related to common interests. The best way to find the topic is when the other person talks about himself or herself. It can be related to sports, entertainment, education, and even fashion choices. For example, starting a conversation about the brand of the cloth he or she is wearing, or a movie or book, etc.

6. Stick to General Topics

Discussing current events or news is also a good way to strike up a conversation. You can discuss a TV show or a recent movie or even a famous book. You need to find the clues in the conversation that can help you to know whether the person will be interested in that topic. In case you find the person is not interested in a topic, you can simply change it.

7. Be Yourself

Many people think that the best way to impress anyone is to be by being someone else so that the other person can like him or her. This should not be the case. You need to be as comfortable being who you are as you are able to present your true self. Giving false information or trying to fit into the other person’s world will eventually make you feel nervous and uncomfortable.

8. Listen with interest

The most important feature of communication is listening. Listening to somebody talking makes the other person feels you are genuinely interested in him or her. Besides, listening to anyone actively makes you excel in your communication skills. So, avoid any distractions that may come while you are engaged in listening to a person.

9. Give Compliments

One of the best tactics to talk to strangers is to start a conversation by giving a compliment. This can help to start a smooth and pleasant conversation. Simple and genuine compliments like,” I like your purse” or “I love the color of your dress” can work like a magic. Do not forget to ask some follow-up questions like where he or she bought it from or what other colors are available, etc. Many of us are already practicing it while talking to strangers online.

10. Know When to Stop

Many people might find talking with a stranger for a long time boring. So, you need to see the signals they are giving while talking to you. So, you must know when to end a conversation with someone. If you find the other person checking their phone or watches or any other signal of restlessness, you can be sure that he or she might not be interested to continue the conversation. Besides, it is always good to end a conversation with a stranger after 5 to 10 minutes.

Talking with a stranger might not be easy but some of our good friends or colleagues were also strangers to us at one point in time. So, you may never know that you may be actually paving the way to a great bonding by starting a conversation with a stranger. With these easy tips mentioned above, you can master the skill over time.