海关认证企业标准文件:How to Come Up with Good Conversation Topics:...

Conversation Starters

1. 1Offer a genuine compliment. Try to make it a compliment that involves something they did rather than something they are. This will allow you to carry the conversation forward by asking them about that skill. If you tell someone they have beautiful eyes, they will thank you and the conversation will likely end there.

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   • I loved your piano performance...how long have you been playing for?
   • You seemed really confident during your speech...how did you learn to put together such great presentations?
2. 2Find out about their interests and hobbies. This is where it starts to get more personal. It's up to you to carry the conversation beyond these questions in an appropriate way.
   • What do you do in your spare time?
   • What kind of music do you listen to?
   • What kinds of movies do you like to watch?
   • What are your favorite TV shows?
   • What's your favorite board game or card game?
3. 3Bring up family. Your safest bet here is siblings and general background information (i.e. where the grew up). Parents can be a touchy subject for people who had troubled upbringings, have estranged parents or whose parents have recently passed away. The topic of children can be uncomfortable for couples who are having fertility issues or disagreements about whether to have children, or for a person who wants to have kids but hasn't found the right person or situation.
   • Do you have any siblings? How many?
   • What are their names?
   • How old are they?
   • What do your siblings do? (Modify the question based on how old they are. Do they go to school/college or have a job?)
   • Do you look alike?
   • Do you all have similar personalities?
   • Where did you grow up?
4. 4Ask about their travels. Ask the person where they've been. Even if they have never left their home town, they will likely be happy to talk about where they would want to go.
   • If you had a chance to move to any other country, which one would it be and why?
   • Of all the cities in the world you've visited, which one was your favorite?
   • Where did you go on your last vacation? How did you like it?
   • What was the best/worst vacation or trip you've ever been on?
5. 5Inquire about food and drink. Food is a little better to talk about because there's always the chance of bumping into someone who has had issues with alcohol abuse or doesn't drink. Be careful that the conversation doesn't stray into someone going on about their diet or how they're trying to lose weight. That can take the conversation in a negative direction.
   
   
   • Ask "If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
   • Where do you like to go when you eat out?
   • Do you like to cook?
   • What's your favorite kind of candy?
   • What's the worst restaurant experience you've ever had?
6. 6Ask about work. This one is especially tricky because the conversation could end up sounding like a job interview. Still, if you can handle it carefully and keep it short and sweet, then here are some starters:
   
   
   • What was your first job ever?
   • Who was your favorite boss in the past?
   • When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
   • What do you like best about your job?
   • If money was no object, but you still had to work, what would be your dream job?

Extending A Conversation

Now that you're engaged in a conversation, here are some ways to make it extend beyond a brief exchange.

1. 1Keep the focus more on the other person. Most people like talking about themselves. This also provides you the chance to think about other things to talk about while they are speaking.
2. 2Share common interests. If you find that you both like running, for example, spend more time talking about this. However, you will eventually have to move on from the topic at a certain point. A 45 minute conversation about running would be awkward for most people.
3. 3Keep the conversation light and fun. You can't expect miracles to take place in the initial interactions with someone. All you can hope for is an initial rapport to be created. Your best chance at this is to stick to topics that are interesting and fun to talk about. Do not talk about problems in your life or other negative situations.
4. 4Listen to the silence. Silence doesn't have to be awkward. Silence allows you to gather an opinion on the other person and think of conversation topics they would enjoy