“Don’t talk to strangers!” Were you told that as a child?
The problem with that is that in life you must talk to people that you don’t yet know.
Some people are easy to talk to. Some are not. Either way, they could become a good friend. They could become a coworker. And that is why we need to learn how to talk to people that we don’t yet know – even when it may not be easy to do.
Try not having a fall-back. When you go into a situation where you don’t know people, our inclination is to have a person that we can fall back on. We want to make sure that we can go back to a comfortable place, but that can keep you from actually dealing with the fear of talking to a stranger. Be willing to be brave. You will be glad you did.
Try not expecting others to make the first move. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have heard people say, “No one talked to me.” And when I ask if they talked to others, the answer is always, “No.” Talking to strangers is not easy for most people, and someone has to make the first move. Let that be you. You will be glad you did.
Try working on your conversation skills. Ask questions. Discover things about the other person. Be ready to talk about yourself (but not too much). Make your time together fun and interesting. You will be glad you did.
Try being friendly. Since talking to strangers can be scary, be careful to not come across as too aggressive. Be friendly and learn when that means backing off. You will be glad you did.
Try being you. No one likes a fake person. Everyone likes a real person. Be that person. You may find honesty a scary thing, but it also is a good thing. You will be glad you did.
Try a way out when needed. Every conversation has an ending point; many conversations become uncomfortable. When that happens, be ready to find a way out in a gentle way. You can excuse yourself to go to the restroom or to catch another person before they leave. Let the person know that you enjoyed meeting them and then move on. And if you really did enjoy meeting them, get their information, so you can follow up.
The world is full of strangers. But many of those strangers can become your friend. Go ahead and start talking to them. You will be glad you did.
And to get more thoughts on this, check out the following resource (by clicking on the picture)…
