Not everyone has the ‘gift of the gab’ or the confidence to start a conversation with new people. This list is a helpful guide to enable you to become a better conversationalist.

  1. Be the first to say hello.
  2. Introduce yourself to others.
  3. Take risks and anticipate success.
  4. Remember your sense of humour.
  5. Practice different ways of starting a conversation
  6. Make an extra effort to remember people’s names.
  7. Ask a person’s name if you’ve forgotten it.
  8. Show curiosity and sincere interest in finding out about others.
  9. Tell others about the important events in your life.
  10. Don’t wait for them to draw it out.
  11. Demonstrate that you are listening by restating their comments in another way.
  12. Communicate enthusiasm and excitement about your subjects and life in general.
  13. Go out of your way to try to meet new people wherever you are.
  14. Accept a person’s right to be an individual with different ideas and beliefs.
  15. Let the natural person in you come out when talking with others.
  16. Be able to succinctly tell others- in a few short sentences–what you do.
  17. Reintroduce yourself to someone who is likely to have forgotten your name.
  18. Be ready to tell others something interesting or challenging about what you do.
  19. Be aware of open and closed body language.
  20. Smile, make eye contact, offer a handshake, and go find the approachable person.
  21. Greet people that you see regularly.
  22. Seek common interests, goals, and experiences with the people you meet.
  23. Make an effort to help people if you can.
  24. Let others play the expert.
  25. Be open to answering common ritualistic questions.
  26. Be enthusiastic about other people’s interests.
  27. See that the time is balanced between giving and receiving information.
  28. Be able to speak about a variety of topics and subjects.
  29. Keep up to date on current events and issues that affect our lives.
  30. Be willing to express your feelings, opinions, and emotions to others.
  31. Use “I” when you speak about your own feelings and personal things, rather than “you”
  32. Visually show others that you are enjoying your conversation with them.
  33. Be ready to issue invitations to others to join you for other events/activities to further the relationship.
  34. Find ways to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances you meet.
  35. Seek out others’ opinions.
  36. Look for the positive in those you meet.
  37. Start and end your conversations with the person’s name and a handshake or warm greeting.
  38. Take the time to be friendly with your neighbours and co-workers.
  39. Let others know that you would like to get to know them better.
  40. Ask others about things that they have told you in previous conversations.
  41. Listen carefully for free information.
  42. Be ready to ask open ended questions to learn
  43. Change the topic of conversation when it has run its course.
  44. Always search for the things that really get another excited.
  45. Compliment others about what they are wearing, doing, or saying.
  46. Encourage others to talk to you by sending out positive signals.
  47. Make an effort to see and talk to people you enjoy.
  48. When you tell a story, present the main point first and then add the supporting details.
  49. Include everyone in the group in conversation whenever possible.
  50. Look for signs of boredom or lack of interest from your listener.

Now you know how to start a conversation! However, you won’t remember all of these, try and use a couple of these three everyday and you’ll soon build up your conversation skills.