I’m here with you.” Small talk dies the moment I split my attention. But when I’m fully present, I notice the little details — the logo on their shirt, the book in their hand, the way they light up when they mention something. Those details become powerful questions and conversation starters. “It provides a wide canvas for the person to illustrate their dreams and aspirations,” she says. Woo recalls using this question as an icebreaker, and noticing the room became louder and more lively with laughter.

They are great for when you’ve gone past the friendly introductory small talk and feel like you’ve made connection with the person. A conversation starter is a question, comment, or prompt designed to initiate a conversation. Depending on the situation, it helps break the initial silence, create a sense of connection, and encourage meaningful or lighthearted dialogue. These easy, feel-good prompts are perfect for sparking quick connections through personal favorites—from food to memories to pop culture. These professional yet personable starters are great for sparking connections at conferences, mixers, or any event where you’re meeting people in your field. Looking for something light and funny, a little quirky, or just easy and low-pressure?

Unique And Creative Interview Questions To Ask Candidates

At an industry event, talk about the latest news or technology in your industry. Ask how your industry is evolving, and what changes people are most excited about. Wondermind does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health or mental health professional with any questions or concerns about your mental health. This topic usually only works if you both have children.

“Both extroverts and introverts are social beings,” Nightingall says. In another study from Dunn and Sandstrom, a group of students were asked to carry around counters and keep count all social interactions over the course of their day. Having more social interactions led the students to report greater levels of happiness and wellbeing. Here’s what Sandstrom and others want you to know about how to talk to people you don’t know — and why it can actually do you a lot of good. As a general rule, your questions should be a little lighter than the ones you’d use at a conference or speaker event. Happy hours are for mixing work and play, so match your tone accordingly.

You’ll find that most people will have at least some things to say about each of these topics. But hopefully these topics to talk about will help you avoid that situation in the future. You can commit some of them to memory and you’ll always have something to talk about. Some of the richest conversations happen between people of different generations—where stories, wisdom, and curiosity naturally flow. These openers are meant to bridge age gaps, spark meaningful exchanges, and help everyone feel seen and heard, no matter the year they were born. Some of these questions can be more personal, so it’s best to start with more generic small talk questions unless you’re on a date or in a similar situation.

Your Guide To Big Feelings

That being said, if the person you are talking to seems a bit clueless about tech, you might want to switch to another topic. So for example, if you are waiting for something you might ask how long they’ve been waiting. Or if you are at a show or an event you might ask if they’ve seen the performer or speaker before.

• Swedes also value privacy and are not likely to divulge personal information with strangers.
• A good conversation starter can transform an awkward, stilted conversation into an interesting, enjoyable discussion.
• Follow up with thoughtful questions, listen actively, and respond with genuine interest.

People want someone who’s actually interested in them as a human.” Asking great questions—and listening to the answer—can help anyone master the art of conversation, she says. Raele Altano, a communication coach in New York City, likes the “HEFE” approach to conversation-starters. It stands for hobbies, entertainment, food, and environment (meaning the setting you’re in). Those four universal pillars lend themselves to talking points in almost every situation, she says. Asking about favorite restaurants “helps you learn something new and get to know them and their preferences,” she says.

Relationship Questions To Strengthen Your Connection

People discovered they shared common interests—there were even aspiring magicians in the room—and found each other afterward to chat more. Start conversations about where they work, their favorite food and restaurants in the area, or chat about something they learned recently. Fun facts are ideal for networking events or happy hours. These are topics that might seem a little weird to ask someone you just met or to ask someone out of the blue. But they are great topics to talk about for friends or people you’ve gotten to know well. They also work well if a person shows an interest in the topic.

Is a person using a phone, tablet, or electronic device you’re interested in? This one works best if you talk about what they are wearing. https://therondevo.com/ Maybe try complementing a piece of clothing they are wearing that you like and ask where they got it.

This is an easy one because people typically attend networking events for a reason, and everyone is looking for something. The key to standing out is having a response that they aren’t expecting. But what should you say to get more than a one-word answer in response?

If you are traveling somewhere you might ask where the other person is headed. If you are at place that is serving food, talk about the food. We’ve all been in that situation where you are talking to someone, the conversation dies down, and you are both just sitting there as you try to think of a topic to talk about. These openers help break the silence in virtual meetings, lighten the mood on video calls, and give remote interactions a more human tone.

Here are some specifics that you can use with my tips from the previous section. When I was younger, I didn’t understand the importance of questions. Unfortunately, this was why I did not land a job offer during the early stages of my career.

You can discuss the specific event, its location, your industry, the other person’s objectives, what they’ve learned, and more. These can be great “get to know you” topics to talk about, but they can also get very personal. So you might want to save most of these for when you know a person a little bit better.