Friendship conversation starters

But the free food and lodging didn't stop there. Over the next six weeks, he moved from house to house, traveling further across the country. According to Cal, it was all thanks to a question he asked the elderly woman about goulash.

Cal learned many valuable lessons during his travels. When it comes to building relationships, it's important to remember the following: Most people will like you if you start showing interest in them. Asking for their opinions, experiences, and interests is a great starting point.

When it comes to networking events (unless you're attending a culinary congress in Budapest, of course), Cal's phrase "How to cook goulash?" is unlikely to play into your hands.
But you will absolutely succeed if you take Cal's approach and see each event as an opportunity to learn more about the people present, and not just try to promote your idea, product, etc. nine0003

Simply put, if you want to get the most out of your networking events, stop focusing on building your business and start focusing on building new friendships.

The following list of "talk starters" has been designed to help you do just that.

2 Bulletproof Ways to Start a Conversation

Most people don't react well if you ask them a question out of the blue. First, there must be some springboard for conversation. For example, variations on the two statements below generate the most interest and encourage people to talk to you:

1. "Hello, sorry to interrupt, but I've been asking a lot of people the same question over the past few weeks..."
2. "Hello my friends and I were arguing about something. Could you act as our arbitrator?”

Both of these preparations are successful: they immediately create intrigue and signal to the person / people with whom you are talking that an interesting conversation is ahead.

They are also clearly better than standard questions like “So what are you doing?” nine0003

A goldmine for all writers and journalists: “Sorry to bother you. I'm writing an article, and over the past few weeks I've been asking everyone about…”

Here are a few more worthy options:

• “If you could go on stage and give a talk, what would you talk about?”
• "Why was your boss the best?"
• "What job would you recommend to someone just starting their career?"
• "What was the most important lesson from one of your mentors?" nine0033
• "What lesson did you learn from your enemies?"
• "If you could choose any new skill to learn, what would it be?"
• "What is your definition of success?"
• "The most important quality of an effective leader?"
• "What's the nicest surprise someone at work has given you?"
• "If you could work anywhere, what would you choose?"
• "Do you think virtual meetings will ever be as effective as face-to-face meetings?" nine0033
• "In addition to being comfortable speaking in public, what other skills do you think create more opportunities?"

You may have noticed that all of the above questions are work-oriented. Below are a few more casual questions that can help start a conversation. Feel free to change the questions a bit so they sound less formal.

• "If you could give up sleep, how would you spend the extra eight hours?" nine0033
• "What superpower would you like to have?"
• “If you could stay the same age forever, what would you choose? Why?"
• "If you could do this over and over again, what would you study?"
• “What book should each person read? Why?"
• "What is your favorite quote?"
• "Do you have a personal slogan or creed by which you live?"
• "How different is your current job from what you dreamed of as a child?" nine0033
• "Most of the authors of personal development are absolutely worthless, right?"
• "What are the best activities to help you switch off after a hard day?"
• "Where should one never rest?"
• "What quality do you value most in other people?"
• "Which productivity secret worked best for you?"

Now, armed with working tools for boosting conversations, you can move on.

• "What skills do you think will be most in demand in the next five years?"
• "Do you think strong communication skills are the key to a successful career?"
• "Just do what you love - terrible advice, right?"
• "Do you agree that working from home is not as effective as working in the office?"
• "Do you think there should be a gap year after leaving school and before entering a university?"
• "Do most startups fail because their founders look at the business through rose-colored glasses?" nine0033
• “A woman should have at least one paid year after giving birth, right? And men, at least half a year, like in most of the Nordic countries?”
• "What role will smartphones play in the next decade?"
• "Audiobooks not as effective as traditional ones?"
• "Do you think people can change?"
• "Do you think universities are doing a good job of helping students find jobs after they graduate?"
nine0032 "Do you think strong relationships with colleagues are the key to happiness at work?"
• "Do you think your network determines your net worth?"
• "What subject is not taught at school, but must be?"

The beauty of these questions is that they get people to talk about their opinions and experiences, which is much more effective than walking up to someone and talking about themselves.

When you ask someone about the qualities of a worthy leader or boss, you can see if his or her values ​​match yours. When you ask someone what kind of speech he or she would like to give or what book to recommend, you will learn about their interests. nine0003

It's also likely that their responses will give you the opportunity to continue the conversation naturally. For example, finding out if someone considers a gap year between school and university to be the best solution will provide an opportunity to ask questions about where he or she studied and what they studied. This allows you to start a conversation in an interesting and memorable way.

Needless to say, the above questions work well in both individual and group conversations.

Guess Talk Starters

Speaking of groups, if you don't feel comfortable being the center of attention and prefer to talk to people individually, try Compliment + Guess.

After the group breaks up or the person you want to get to know is about to leave, approach him/her and say:

• people. Are you in sales too?
• “I really liked the story you told! Are you a motivational speaker? nine0033
• “Are you a coach by any chance? You feel confident and comfortable”

This is very effective, not only because most people love compliments, but also because these types of questions allow you to learn more about what the person is doing in a fun way.

Speaking of guessing, the next time you meet someone and you're tempted to resort to the old question "Where are you from?" or “What are you doing?”, stop yourself and try this instead:

• “Where are you from? No, wait, don't tell me. I'll try to guess!"
• “What are you doing? Wait, don't tell me. Give me a hint and I'll guess!"
• “When I was little, my father and I could guess people's names, and believe it or not, I was very good at it. Once I correctly guessed the names of 497 people in a row. Is your name Sasha?

Then go through their profiles, observing their accent, clothes, mannerisms, etc.

Old but good

When attending the next networking event, you can also use the old but no less effective tricks:

• “If you weren’t here today, what would you be doing on a typical Tuesday evening?”

This question immediately opens the door for people to talk about their hobbies, interests, projects, and families. This allows you to understand whether you share common interests with them.

• "What do you like most about your job?"
nine0032 "What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to when you first started?"
• "What's the best advice you've ever been given?"
• "What do you like to do on the weekends?"
• "If you could start a new business, what would it be?"

Or how about these questions if you're visiting a new city for an event:

• “I've never been to San Diego before. Do you have any recommendations for interesting places? nine0033
• “I'm getting too old to drink all night, but I love going to new restaurants. What is your favorite that few people know about?
• "Do you know any secret to get rid of jet lag?"
• "If you had a day off and $100, what would you do in town to maximize every dollar?"
• “This is my first time at such an event. Is there anything that definitely shouldn't be missed?"
• “This is my first time at such an event. Is there anything you would advise me not to do to be safe?” nine0033

Lastly:

• “I think we have a mutual friend in…”

This one comes with a caveat: you must do your homework before the event. Luckily, social media is a great help with this.

Most networking events are featured on places like Facebook and LinkedIn, making it easy to determine who will attend. Take advantage of this.

Put an end to conversations

How you end a conversation also plays an important role in forming a first impression. nine0021 Don't start a conversation by introducing yourself. There's a good reason for this: most people have a hard time remembering names, especially when they hear them without any context.

So, instead of saying "Hi, my name is Zhenya", it's much better to say your name at the end of the conversation. For example, “It was a pleasure talking to you. By the way, my name is Zhenya. And you?"

By exchanging names at the end of a conversation, you increase the likelihood that both parties will remember them. Moreover, the ending of the conversation, given above, is guaranteed to cause a smile, and will provide an opportunity to request contact details: “What a pleasant conversation came out. Let's connect LinkedIn or Facebook? nine0003

Summary

Networking events can be extremely uncomfortable. And not everyone present feels like a fish in water, believe me.

However, if you adopt Cal Fussman's mindset of networking events as a chance to develop new personal relationships, you will soon be able to truly enjoy them. Moreover, your professional capabilities will also improve.

Arm yourself with conversation starters and use them as needed and appropriate, of course. nine0003

READ ALSO:

• Who are these digital influencers and why are they being created?
• How to plan a successful seminar
• How to recognize the chat bot for the listing hour?

Source: Medium

100+ popular phrases and expressions for every day

The English have such an idiom as "Break the ice". It means "to make contact, start a conversation", and literally - "to break the ice." But how will we break this ice? Of course, with a smile and small talk! nine0003

A rich vocabulary and knowledge of tenses in English is not all that is needed for communication. It is equally important to practice your speaking skills. Do you want to easily communicate and maintain a dialogue on any topic? The necessary conversational phrases are just the thing to start with.

In this article you will find the most common and simple colloquial phrases and expressions in English with translation, which will help you maintain a dialogue with a foreigner and will be useful in everyday communication. nine0003

Greetings

There are many more ways to say "Hi" in English than "Hello" and "Hi". Moreover, greetings differ depending on the situation. Agree, it would be inappropriate to say “What’s up” at a business meeting, as well as to greet an old friend with a cold “Hi”.

> Universal greetings

Suitable for every situation.

Hello! - Hello! / Hey!

Good morning! - Good morning! nine0003

Good afternoon! - Good afternoon!

Good evening! - Good evening!

> Friendly greetings

Usually used when talking to friends or colleagues.

How is it going? — How are things going?

How's life? - What's up?

How are things? - How is it?

Long time no see! - Long time no see!

What are you up to? — What did you think? (has a negative connotation) nine0003

> Slang greetings

Popular words and phrases among young people. It can often be found both in serials and in ordinary speech.

Hi there! - Hey!

Hiya - Hey, you, hello! (A combination of the words "hi" and "you")

Hi, howdy? - Hey there! How are you? (Short for "Hi, how do you do") + can be heard in Southern US dialects

Hey (guys)! - Hi guys)! (Informal greeting, usually addressed to a group of close friends) nine0003

Watcha doin'? - What are you doing? (Short for "What are you doing?")

Wagwan? - What's up? (Short for “What’s going on”. Usually this phrase can be answered with “Nagwan”, or

“Nothing is going on”, but simply “not very”) + can be heard in Jamaica

What's up - How are you? (Usually used among close friends)

> Greetings after a long separation

These phrases will help when meeting with an old acquaintance or colleague. nine0003

Nice to see you

Long time no see - Long time no see / How many years, how many winters

It's been too long

I haven't seen you in a while

How are things? - What's up?

What's new? - What's new?

Where have you been hiding? - Where have you been?

It's been ages (since I saw you)! "I haven't seen you in forever!" nine0003

Introductory words

These are words that make speech more coherent and natural. They help the interlocutor follow the train of thought, and give you time to find the right words for the next phrase.

In short / in brief

In a word

As far as … concerned / as to…

Not to mention

First of all/above all

What's more

By the way

After all after all

Just for the record - by the way; so that you know

And so on and so forth — and so on

If I'm not mistaken - if I'm not mistaken

In other words

On the contrary

The thing is

So as to / so that nine0003

Either way

As a rule

As well as

All the same

On one hand

On the other hand

Such as

As I said before

Believe it or not, but

If I remember it right / If I recall it correctly - if I remember correctly nine0003

Agree / Disagree

In English, as in all other languages, there are many shades between clear yes and no. If we do not want to offend the interlocutor, evade a direct answer to the question, emphasize what has been said, or show our enthusiasm and interest in any business, the following words and phrases come to the rescue:

Perhaps

Of course / Sure

Definitely nine0003

Absolutely

Naturally

Probably

You are right

It can hardly be so

Very well

Most likely

Most unlikely

Not a bit

I believe so / suppose so

I doubt it - I doubt nine0003

No way

Exactly so

Quite so Quite right

I agree with you - I agree with you

I am afraid you are wrong

I'm afraid so

I'm not sure

I don't think so unlikely

In a way / to a certain extent

No doubt

I'm in - I am "for" (in response to an offer to do something)

I think I'll pass - Better without me

Deal! - It's coming!

It's a great idea! - Great idea!

Not a very good idea

Phrases to keep up the conversation

These expressions will help you show interest in what has been said, clarify a question, express your opinion or ask the interlocutor about his last words. They are suitable for both beginners and those who continue to learn English. nine0003

What's the matter? - What's the matter?

What's going on? / What's happening? - What's happening?

What's the trouble? - What is the problem?

What's happened? - What happened?

How was it? - Well, how? (How did everything go?)

Did I get you right? - Did I understand you correctly?

Don't take it to heart

I didn't catch the last word nine0003

Sorry, I wasn't listening

It doesn't matter

It is news to me

Let us hope for the best - Let's hope for the best

May I ask you a question? - Can I ask you a question?

Oh, that. That explains it - That's it, it explains everything

Say it again, please

So that's where the trouble lies! "So that's the point!" nine0003

Things happen

What do you mean? - What do you have in mind?

Where were we? - Where did we leave off?

You were saying something? — Did you say something?

Lucky you! - You are lucky!

Good for you! - So much the better for you! (Often used as sarcasm: "Well, well, I'm glad for you!")

I'm so happy for you! - I'm so happy for you! (Speaks absolutely sincerely)

What do you know! - Who would have thought! nine0003

Polite phrases

Communicating with a polite person is pleasant in any language, so it is worth remembering some phrases that will make you a pleasant conversationalist:

I'm so sorry! - I'm really sorry!

I beg your pardon! - I apologize!

I'm sorry, I can't - I'm sorry, I can't

Sorry, I meant well

It's very kind of you! - It's very kind of you! nine0003

It's my pleasure - With pleasure.

Not at all

Thank you very much! - Many thanks!

Thank you anyway! - In any case, thanks!

Thank you in advance! - Thanks in advance!

You are welcome

Don't mention it! - Do not mention it!

May I help you? - Can I help you?

Could you do me a favor? "Will you do me a favor?" nine0003

No problem / that's ok! - Everything is good!

Don't worry about it! - Don't worry about it!

This way, please! - Here please!

After you! - After you!

Take it easy

Never mind

Don't take it to heart

Farewells and wishes

Everyone knows such a saying as “to leave in English”, that is, without saying goodbye. It is said that the French invented it in revenge on the British in the 18th century. During the war of 1756-1763. French prisoners of war arbitrarily left the location of the unit, and the British called it "to take French leave", which meant "leave in French. " nine0003

In retaliation, the French came up with a similar phrase, only about the British. Later, both expressions were used in relation to people who left a ball or a gala reception without saying goodbye to the hosts. And if in Russian we talk about such behavior “to leave in English”, now the British themselves would say “to leave without saying goodbye” (to leave without saying goodbye to anyone).

After a pleasant conversation, we need to end the conversation and say goodbye to the person. Here are a few phrases that will help you do it easily and naturally: nine0003

Bye-bye! - Bye bye!

See you! - See you!

See you soon! - See you later!

See you later! - See you later!

Till next time! - Until next time!

Good luck! - Good luck!

Take care! - Take care!

Talk to you later! - We'll talk to you later!

I must be off! - It's time for me to leave!

Until we meet again! - See you!

Have a nice day! - Have a good day!

Have a good weekend

Have a safe trip

Farewell! - Good luck!

Say hi to…

Send my love to . .. - Send a big hello ... (for relatives or close people)

Colloquial slang

There are a lot of slang expressions in the English language, which today are increasingly used in conversation, songs, films and even books. Below we will analyze those words that can be found in communication with foreigners, especially with Americans. nine0003

Wanna = want to = want

I wanna stay here for a while

Gonna = going to = going

I'm gonna sleep tonight

Gotta = have got to / have to = must

I gotta go

Shoulda = should have done

This phrase is used when we want to express regret for not having done something in the past or want to criticize someone. nine0003

I shoulda told him the truth

Jim shoulda ask me before taking my book

Woulda = would have done

Used when we are talking about a hypothetical situation in the past:

I think she woulda said "no"

Coulda = could have done nine0003

Used when we are critical of someone who might have done something in the past but didn't.

You could have warned me in advance! “You could have warned me ahead of time!”

Gotcha = got you = got you

Ok, gotcha! - Okay, I got you!

Y'all = you all = all of you

She's got great news for y'all - She has great news for all of you nine0003

Kinda = kind of

I'm kinda busy

Slang helps us communicate in a more informal and friendly way. But remember that using abbreviations and slang in business correspondence, conferences or when communicating with unfamiliar people is a bad form.

How to start a conversation in English

First of all, remember the simple rules that will make you a pleasant conversationalist:

• Do not talk about too personal topics and about money

Agree, it will be unpleasant for you if an unfamiliar person asks about your relationship with your loved one or how much you get at work? It is better not to touch on these topics in a casual conversation.

• Do not talk only about yourself

Ask how your interlocutor is doing. Everyone is pleased when they show attention. The main thing is that it be sincere. nine0003

• Do not interrupt

Listen carefully to what your partner has to say and give your opinion only after he has finished his thought.

• Respect your privacy

Do not stand too close to a person, so as not to cause discomfort. Also, you don’t need to touch him again, slap him on the back, take his hand, and so on.

When communicating, it is better to ask so-called “open questions”, to which the interlocutor can give a detailed answer. Ask the person what he is interested in, what books or films he likes, where he has been, and so on. It is better not to touch on the topics of religion and politics. nine0003

One way to win over someone and start a conversation is to make a compliment or a pertinent remark about the surroundings. For example:

I love this view! - I love this look!

What a lovely dress! - What a wonderful dress!

One safe bet is to ask the person for their opinion on a topic of conversation. This can be done using common phrases:

What do you think? — What do you think? nine0003

What's your opinion? — What is your opinion?

What are your ideas? — What do you think?

Do you have any thoughts on that? - Do you have something in mind about this? How do you feel about that? - What do you think about this?

These phrases are suitable for any event to start a conversation, whether it's a gala reception, a conference, a wedding or just a conversation in a restaurant.

I'm here for the first time, what about you? - This is my first time here, how about you? nine0003

Have you tried the cheesecake? It's delicious! Have you tried the cheesecake yet? He is amazing!

How did you first get interested in …? When did you first become interested in. ..?

And of course, the most neutral conversation, against all prejudice, is the conversation about the weather.

It's a beautiful day, isn't it? - Nice day, huh?

Looks like it's going to rain

Art small talk

When we talk about casual communication in English, we can't help but mention the short conversations that we encounter every day: with colleagues at work, with strangers, while traveling, and so on. This is a conversation on abstract and neutral topics.

Usually this dialogue happens at the first meeting of the day: we exchange “duty phrases” and wish all the best to the interlocutor. Usually they talk about the weather, inquire about health and so on. Usually there is little useful information in such conversations, it is rather just a tribute to politeness and etiquette. nine0003

The British are the best at small talk, so we should also learn a few phrases to help us communicate.

About the weather:

Wonderful day, isn't it? - It's a beautiful day, isn't it?

It looks like it's going to rain

It's hot / cold / sunny / windy / cloudy / rainy today - Today is hot / cold / sunny / windy / cloudy / rainy

What about the weather? Isn't it good? What do you think? — What about the weather? Isn't the weather good? How do you think? nine0003

Did you hear what the weather forecast is? — Have you heard the weather forecast?

At work or an event:

Looking forward to the weekend? - Looking forward to the weekend?

Well, it has been a long week

You look like you could have a cup of coffee

Are you enjoying the party/conference/presentation? — Do you like a party/conference/presentation? nine0003

Pretty nice place, isn't it? - Nice place, isn't it?

So, how do you know.

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