{"id":9209,"date":"2023-09-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/?p=9209"},"modified":"2023-12-12T13:19:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T18:19:42","slug":"how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you\u2019re trying to meet new people, motivating yourself to attend some kind of social event is half the battle. But once you arrive, the next step\u2014chatting up the people you meet\u2014can be a little intimidating, especially for those who are a bit more introverted and a bit less talkative to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Striking up a conversation with folks you don\u2019t know is a valuable skill both personally and professionally. You can open doors to new friendships and make a good impression on your colleagues. Overall, you\u2019ll feel a more rewarding sense of connection with your fellow human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like any skill, navigating the intricacies of small talk takes practice and patience, but you\u2019ll be surprised how quickly progress comes. With a little effort and a few helpful hints, you\u2019ll be chatting the day away at your next Meetup event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1120\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-1120x630.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-1120x630.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-560x315.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/conversation-over-coffee_how-to-make-conversation-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tips-for-making-conversation-with-people-you-don-t-know-yet\">Tips for making conversation with people you don\u2019t know yet&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you find yourself in a social setting with somebody you just met, the best advice is simply not to panic. It\u2019s perfectly normal to feel a flutter of nerves at first, but going overboard with worry is a surefire way to grind any conversation to a halt. Calm those nerves by keeping in mind that you and the other person already have some common ground by attending this particular Meetup event.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start off by exploring what piqued your interest about this event. For example, if the Meetup group you\u2019re socializing with is a book club, language exchange, film appreciation group, or a community of museum-goers, you have an amazing foundation for conversation built into the event. Your shared passions can be a stepping stone into chat about your background, your work, your hobbies, your creative goals, and so much more. From there, stick to these best practices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask lots of questions \u2014 <\/strong>People want to feel engaged by their conversation partners. In fact, the American Psychological Association has published research indicating that <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2017-18566-001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">people who ask more questions are better liked by their conversation partners than people who ask fewer questions<\/a>. Your questions can be as broad as \u201cWhat career would you have if you could choose anything?\u201d or as specific as \u201cThose are awesome earrings; where did you get them?\u201d Just use common sense to guide your questions. Don\u2019t go too personal too fast.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be an active listener \u2014 <\/strong>Conversations are a two-way street. Nobody wants to feel like the person they\u2019re chatting with is barely listening or just waiting for the chance to talk about themselves again. Remember: it\u2019s not all about you. If the other person has different interests, keep an open mind and put yourself in their shoes. When you\u2019re really listening to what the other person has to say, it\u2019s much easier to respond and keep the conversation flowing.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be yourself \u2014 <\/strong>Don\u2019t let your nerves convince you that you have to put up some kind of false exterior or made-up persona in order to appear interesting to others. Most people have a strong radar for fakery and can tell when someone\u2019s not being genuine with them. Who you are is more than good enough! So go into your conversations with confidence and honesty.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be complimentary \u2014 <\/strong>You\u2019re not the only one feeling a little anxious about making connections with new people. Therefore, it takes more than overcoming your own nerves to help conversation blossom. You can take some of the pressure off your conversation partner and help them feel relaxed by offering a simple compliment. Plus, focusing your attention onto them can help you get out of your own head. A comment as simple as \u201cI like your shoes\u201d can be a gateway into many minutes of chat.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be courageous \u2014 <\/strong>Once in a while, conversation with someone you don\u2019t know comes naturally. It feels like you\u2019ve been friends for years. More often, though, it takes a bit of effort, and there may be fits and starts. Don\u2019t let the fear of a few awkward moments prevent you from forming new connections. Dig deep and discover your bravery. You\u2019ll realize that a bit of turbulence along the way is totally normal, and the destination is so worth it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-strategies-for-different-stages-of-your-social-journey\">More strategies for different stages of your social journey&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe you\u2019ve tried some of these tips, but you\u2019re still having trouble developing past small talk to actual friendship. Maybe all of this sounds like a scary dive off the deep end. Don\u2019t worry! Getting comfortable with chatting is a process, not an on\/off button. There is no test: you\u2019re not failing simply because you\u2019re facing some challenges. If anything, those challenges are helping you gain experience and grow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make things easier, you could bring a friend you already know to your next Meetup event or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-turn-an-online-connection-into-an-irl-friend\/\">turn an online connection into an IRL friend<\/a>. In a social situation where you don\u2019t know most people, one friend can be a safety net. But try to make sure you spend some time apart making new connections before reconvening. Another strategy is to try an online event before meeting in person. This allows you to establish yourself with the group in a low-pressure environment, so you\u2019ll have a little confidence boost when you meet other members IRL.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping in mind that getting better at conversation takes practice, you can commit to working on your small talk skills by making your own Meetup group like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/episode-4-an-introverts-guide-to-friendship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Good<\/a>. He\u2019s a self-described introvert who shared his guide to friendship on the Keep Connected podcast with Meetup CEO David Siegel. You can easily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/lp\/how-to-group-start\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">create your own Meetup group<\/a> like David\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/West-Michigan-Geeks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">West Michigan Geeks<\/a> and invite others to join you on your social journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-excerpt\"><p>Chatting with new people can be intimidating. These tips will help you strengthen your small talk skills and make friends.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":9210,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chatting with new people can be intimidating. These tips will help you strengthen your small talk skills and make friends.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Meetup Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/people-chatting-at-a-party_how-to-make-conversation-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meetup Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Meetup Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meetup Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c0db661585f6f7c458bb56961918a914\"},\"headline\":\"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\"},\"wordCount\":989,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\",\"name\":\"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Meetup Blog\",\"description\":\"Community Matters\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Meetup\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/meetup-logo-swarm.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/meetup-logo-swarm.png\",\"width\":130,\"height\":124,\"caption\":\"Meetup\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c0db661585f6f7c458bb56961918a914\",\"name\":\"Meetup Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9aba46ee9b739a3dabdad003540a60bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9aba46ee9b739a3dabdad003540a60bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Meetup Team\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog","og_description":"Chatting with new people can be intimidating. These tips will help you strengthen your small talk skills and make friends.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/","og_site_name":"Meetup Blog","article_published_time":"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1440,"url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/people-chatting-at-a-party_how-to-make-conversation-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Meetup Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Meetup Team","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/"},"author":{"name":"Meetup Team","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c0db661585f6f7c458bb56961918a914"},"headline":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met","datePublished":"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/"},"wordCount":989,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/","url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/","name":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met - Meetup Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-09-26T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-12T18:19:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-you-just-met\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Just Met"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/","name":"Meetup Blog","description":"Community Matters","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Meetup","url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/meetup-logo-swarm.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/meetup-logo-swarm.png","width":130,"height":124,"caption":"Meetup"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c0db661585f6f7c458bb56961918a914","name":"Meetup Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9aba46ee9b739a3dabdad003540a60bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9aba46ee9b739a3dabdad003540a60bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Meetup Team"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9209"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9209"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18462,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9209\/revisions\/18462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}