How many times have you tried approaching a Stranger but came back disappointed because the Conversation didn’t turned out as you wanted it to be? The situation is a regular affair if you are the kind of person who is hesitant or feels shy while trying to strike conversation with a stranger. Many people aren’t so good at approaching strangers. In fact there are people who even hesitate to ask for directions when at a new place.

But the good thing is that you can change this and can transform yourself into that conversation wizard from the TV show. You can even make friends wherever you go. All you need is to just follow these simple tips.

1. Ditch the fear

Most people do not approach a stranger simply because of their fear for rejection. The first step towards approaching a stranger is to ditch that fear. Do not be scared to start a conversation just because the other person may not respond or might brush you off.  Even if you do not succeed, you have nothing to lose anyway.

2. Start with a smile and a simple ‘Hi’

Once you’ve overcome the fear of rejection, approach the person with a smile.  There is no person in the world who hates seeing a smiling person. It is a simple yet effective tool. Follow it up with a ‘Hi’ and things will start to fall in place.

3. Confidence is the key

Being confident is the most important key that creates trust in other person’s mind. If you’re not confident enough and your body language isn’t right, then the person may not want to interact with you.  Simply by having confidence in yourself and you can easily increase the chances of striking a good conversation.

4. Humor always works

Crack up a joke and make the other person laugh. Humor creates an instant connection among two people. Most people like to interact with a person who has a good sense of humor and one who can make them laugh.  Just make sure the jokes are in good taste and do not hurt anyone’s sentiments. Don’t start sharing dirty jokes with a stranger just because you found it funny.

5. A mutual talking point never fails

Use the situation to create a talking point which will surely get the other person to respond. For instance, if you’re in a bus and it is moving too slowly, you can just speak about it and the other person sure will agree and jump into the conversation as you both are experiencing that particular situation. 

6. Ask questions

Start asking questions to get to know about the other person like his/her place of origin, where he/she works, their interests and so on. Also remember to tell them about yourself.

7. Try to keep it simple

Once you’ve started speaking to each other, do not to stick to a single topic and go deep into it. This might make the other person feel bored. Keep the conversation simple and interesting.  Try to exchange opinions about different subjects.

8. Don’t be too formal

Being too formal will not help as you’re not in a boardroom meeting.  If want to strike an interesting conversation, stop being too formal and try to be more casual and polite.  

9. Treat them like you’d treat a friend

Once you feel comfortable and you think the conversation is going smooth, treat the person as you would treat your friend thereby making them feel comfortable and special. You may invite for a cup of coffee or offer to drop them where they want to go or just take a walk.

10. Mirror the other person

During a conversation, try to mirror the other person i.e., if the person is speaking softly then you can also speak softly and try to match their tone and body language. This will create an impression in the person’s brain that you’re similar to him/her which helps in establishing a connection.

11. Practice, practice and practice

You need to keep in mind that you’ll only get better in becoming the conversational wizard if you practice and try to improve the way you approach people. The more friends you make, the easier it will become to make new friends

Do you now feel you can go approach a stranger and hit it off well? There you go. Along with these tips, a little patience should make it a cake walk for you to strike a great conversation with anyone you just bumped into.