Start a conversation when you don't have anything to talk about

Video: We Don’t Talk About Bruno (From "Encanto")

Content

To step
Method 1 of 3: Start a conversation
Method 2 of 3: Come up with topics of conversation
Method 3 of 3: Stay involved in the conversation
Tips
Warnings

Starting a conversation when you're not sure what to talk about can be quite a challenge, especially with those awkward silences in between. But even if you don't think you have anything to talk about, there are a lot of ways you can have an engaging conversation with someone. Look for common topics to talk about and be an active listener to keep the conversation interesting. You will find that once you feel more comfortable talking to others, you can have a conversation in almost any situation!

To step

Method 1 of 3: Start a conversation

Introduce yourself if you have not met the other person before. If you want to talk to a stranger, come up to him or her, make eye contact, and smile. Greet the other person and say your name, so that your conversation partner feels more comfortable in your company. Shake hands with them to bond and invite them to talk to you. Ask to naturally start a longer conversation after his or her name.
- For example, say, "Hi, I'm Jasper. Nice to meet you!'
- You don't necessarily have to introduce yourself if you just want to have an informal conversation, but it can help to make people want to talk to you sooner.
Say something positive to invite the other person to talk to you. If you start a conversation with a negative comment, the other person may not feel like talking to you. On the other hand, by smilingly mentioning something you like, you increase the chance that the other person will open up and want to talk to you. After you have said what you like, ask him or her what he or she thinks about it, in order to actively involve the other person in the conversation.
- For example, if you are at a party, you can say, "This music is really cool! Do you think this band is so cool? "Or you can ask," Have you tried the food yet? It's really wonderful. "By ending with a question you encourage the other person to answer and continue the conversation.
EXPERT TIP
Compliment the other person to make it easier to talk to each other. If you want to compliment, say something about his or her character or something he or she is wearing. Make sure you give a sincere compliment, otherwise the other person may think that you are just saying something and therefore do not feel like talking to you further. To keep the conversation going, follow up on your compliment with a question, otherwise the other person may not respond further.
- You can say something like, "That dress really suits you. Where did you buy it? "Or say, for example," You have a good sense of style. Where do you get your outfits? "
- Ask as many open questions as possible so that the conversation doesn't end with just "yes" or "no".
- Avoid talking about someone's appearance. A comment about someone's appearance can make the other person feel uncomfortable and therefore less responsive to it.
EXPERT TIP
To start a conversation, say something about your surroundings if you can't think of anything else so quickly. If you can't think of anything to talk about in a conversation, take a look around and comment on something you see. It could be about the weather, the location, other people out there, or the event going on. Stay positive in your conversation so that you come across as inviting and make the other person interested in talking to you.
- For example, you can say, "This is the first time I've been to this cafe. Have you ever tried anything here? "Or you can say," I wish the sun would shine today. I can hardly remember the last time it was not cloudy. "
- Have a conversation with a sense of humor. With humor you involve the other in the conversation earlier and you make it more fun and interesting.

Method 2 of 3: Come up with topics of conversation

Ask the person what he or she does for work or education so you can get a better picture of him or her as a person. Show an interest in the person you want to talk to and talk about work or school. Ask what exactly the work of your conversation partner entails, how long he or she has been doing it, and whether anything interesting has happened recently. If your conversation partner is still in school, ask what he or she is studying and what his or her plans are for the future.
- Make sure that you also answer all questions that the other person asks you about, for example, your work or education.
- Show genuine interest in the work of your conversation partner, even if it does not immediately sound very interesting to you. Use it as an opportunity to learn more about the person and what he or she is doing.
Begin to learn more about the other person about hobbies that you have in common. People always enjoy talking about things they are passionate about. Therefore, ask your conversation partner what he or she likes to do outside of work or school, and pay close attention to what things sound interesting to you. Find out what he or she likes most about that hobby and why exactly. If the other person asks you questions about your hobbies, first list all the hobbies that are similar to those of your conversation partner so that you can have a conversation about them. If you are interested in one of his or her hobbies, ask how you could practice that hobby so that you could give it a try.
- For example, you could say something like, "Oh, I've never done woodworking before. What is the best place to start as a layman? "
- Don't talk through it when your conversation partner is talking, and make sure you're not just talking about your own hobbies. To create a good mutual conversation, ask the other person about the things he or she likes.
Start talking about movies, television shows, or books for a more in-depth conversation about culture. When it comes to books, movies or television, you have at least one starting point with almost everyone, so comment on something you recently saw, read or heard and try to find out what your conversation partner is interested in. Ask what he or she has seen or heard recently, and what was fun or interesting about it. If there's something you've both heard or read, have a conversation there and keep it going by taking turns expressing your opinions.
- For example, you could say, "Have you seen the new Star Wars yet? What did you think of the ending? "Or you can say," What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Is there any group or artist you would recommend to me? "
- Even if you don't agree with the other person's opinion, stay positive and say something like, `` Oh, I had never viewed it that way, but I understand your point of view. '' That way you keep involving the other person in the conversation and not make the other person feel like he or she has said the wrong thing or has insulted you.
- If you don't understand exactly what it is about, ask your conversation partner to explain exactly what he or she means so that you can understand each other better. It's fine to say, "I don't know exactly, to be honest," if he or she is talking about something you're not very familiar with.
Talk if you want to open up to the other person about something from your past or future. If you feel comfortable with the other person, you can ask about his or her past or what he or she would like to do in the future. Ask about funny things he or she has been through, ask questions about his or her family, or about certain goals he or she has. Open up about your own experiences so that you can share them and bond with the other.
- For example, you could ask something like, "Where are you originally from? Did you like it there? "Or ask, for example," What did you want to be in the past? "
- People you have recently met may find it strange if you immediately ask very personal questions. Therefore, only ask more in-depth questions if you both clearly have no problem answering such questions.
- Never try to outsmart the other person or try to impress your conversation partner. If you do, chances are that the other person will feel uncomfortable and want to end the conversation.
Ask your conversation partner for his or her opinion of what is currently in the news in order to involve him or her more actively in the conversation. Keep up to date with current topics in the news and on social media and share them with your conversation partner. Always try to have at least one or two events from the past week on hand so that you can start a conversation about them. Watch your conversation partner react to it and ask what he or she thinks about the subject. Also, be prepared to talk about your opinion if your conversation partner asks you about it.
- For example, you could say something like, "Have you heard about that new music app? I saw it on the news. "
Warning: Avoid bringing up sensitive topics, such as politics or religion. Such topics often ruin the atmosphere, or people would rather not want to talk about them.

Method 3 of 3: Stay involved in the conversation

Actively listen to the other person so that you can respond to what he or she is saying. Put your phone away and focus fully on your conversation partner while he or she is speaking. Make eye contact so the other person knows you are paying attention and actively listening. Ask questions based on what the other person is saying to keep them engaged in the conversation.
- When your conversation partner has finished talking, briefly repeat something he or she has said to show that you have been paying attention. For example, if he or she was talking about buying a new car, you could ask, "So, what kind of car did you end up buying?" Does he drive well? "
- Try not to think about other things while the other person is speaking, otherwise you may not respond naturally when your conversation partner has finished talking.
To move on to a new topic, say something like: "That reminds me of", to keep the conversation flowing. If the other person mentions something that reminds you of something related to it, say something like "That reminds me of ..." to introduce you. That way you can easily and naturally change the subject without interrupting the conversation. Make sure the topics are related in some way so that it is easier for the other person to think along with you.
- For example, if your conversation partner says something about the nice weather, you can say something like, "It reminds me of the beautiful weather in Hawaii when I was there." Have you ever been to Hawaii? "
Tip: You can say, "That reminds me of ...", after a pause in the conversation when you've said something about your environment. For example, if you've already talked to the other person and someone comes up to make music, you can say, "You know, that guitarist over there is really good. He reminds me of ... Then you can let the conversation go about music.
To keep the conversation exciting, say things as soon as they come to your mind. If something suddenly comes to your mind during a brief silence in the conversation, put it spontaneously and ask what the other person thinks. Just don't interrupt the other person if you are thinking about something while he or she is just speaking, because that is rude. Also, make sure it's not a topic that might make the other person uncomfortable or he or she might not want to talk to you any further.
- For example, you could say, "I just remembered a funny story I read on the Internet this morning. Do you want to hear it? "
- If you haven't talked to the person before, he or she may not immediately feel like talking about just any topic.

Tips

If you start a conversation and the other person does not answer or seems uncomfortable, then it is no problem at all to end the conversation and walk away if you think that is best.