if you’ve never met the person before. If you want to talk to a stranger, approach them, make eye contact, and smile. Say hello and tell them your name so they feel comfortable around you. Offer a handshake so the other person feels connected to you and more willing to talk. Ask them for their name so you have a natural lead-in to a longer conversation.  For example, you may say, “Hi, my name is John. It’s nice to meet you.” You don’t need to introduce yourself if you just want to have a casual conversation, but it will help make people more receptive to you. Mentioning something negative at the start of your conversation may make others unwilling to open up and talk with you. Bring up something around you that you really enjoy and smile while you’re talking to the other person is more likely to open up and talk with you. After you mention what you enjoy, you ask them how they feel about it to get them involved. For example, if you’re at a party, you may say, “This music is really cool! Do you like it?” or, “Have you tried the food yet? It’s really delicious.” Ending with a question encourages the other person to respond and start a conversation. Talk about the person’s personality or something they’re wearing when you give a compliment. Be genuine with your compliment or else the person may feel like you aren’t being truthful and deter them from talking to you. Follow up with a question to keep the conversation going, or else they may not respond.  You may say something like, “That dress looks really nice. Where did you get it?” or, “You have a good sense of style. How do you find outfits to wear?” Use open-ended questions as much as you can so the conversation doesn’t end with “yes” or “no.” Avoid bringing up someone’s appearance since it could make them uncomfortable and they may not respond well to it. If you’re unable to think of a way to transition into a conversation, look around where you and make an observation about something you see. It can be about the weather, a venue, other people, or an event taking place. Stay positive in your conversation so you seem inviting to the other person and you make them more interested in talking to you.  For example, you may say, “This is my first time at this cafe. Have you tried anything here?” or, “I wish the sun would come out today. When’s the last time it wasn’t cloudy.” Have a sense of humor when you’re having your conversation. It will make others feel engaged and make your chat more enjoyable.
Introduce yourself Say something positive to invite others to join the conversation. Give a compliment to the person to ease into talking with each other. Mention your surroundings to start a conversation if you can’t think of anything else.