How to Talk to People When You Have Nothing to Say

There’s nothing more awkward than a conversation getting stuck on strange silence. If you are an introvert, you can definitely define that silent moment when talking to strangers. Extroverts are not immune to this either because it often happens that all of a sudden you run out of things to discuss about. So what could be the best way to keep the conversation going on an interesting level? How to not let the conversation end before you find a common ground to understand each other better?

6. BEING INTERESTING SHOULDN’T BE YOUR GOAL:

Don’t go overboard trying to be interesting. It’s more important to be yourself when talking to strangers. In trying to be interesting you might over do things and the other person might get uncomfortable. Just be yourself and have a meaningful conversation. You don’t have to dwell on your words being interesting enough to say them. Don’t overthink and just say it.

5. ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT THEMSELVES:

Everyone likes to talk about themselves a bit because it’s generally easier to talk about self rather than things that one might not be aware off. You can never go wrong talking about yourself. So when you are talking to strangers and that awkward silence comes up, just ask them something general about themselves but don’t let it be a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ thing, ask something that might keep the conversation going on. This would ease them up and make themselves comfortable talking to you.

4. TALK ABOUT FOOD:

You can never go wrong with conversation about food. When talking to strangers, food is something everyone is familiar with so it can keep the conversation going. It would be even better if that conversation takes place while you are eating with a stranger. You can simply start with commenting on the food and things will get smoother from there onwards.

3. REPHRASE THEIR WORDS:

The biggest reason for awkward silence is finding a common ground when talking to strangers and it can be hard when you are not very knowledgeable about the topic they are speaking on. What’s best to do in this situation is rephrase their words and ask them to tell more about it. This will show them that you are interested in conversation and you’ll get to know a thing or two about the topic in general.

2. TALK A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF:

If you are an introvert, this might seem like a difficult task but sharing even the smallest things about yourself can create an easy conversation as it will show the person that you are getting more comfortable and it will open them up to. When talking to strangers, they are more likely to remember the awkward silence instead of the conversation so if you want them to remember you, open up a little.

1. KNOWING IT ALL IS ‘NOT’ THE KEY:

Being a know it all makes one more dominant in a conversation and it is not necessary that the other person can relate to the topic you are going on about. It will make them uncomfortable and you’ll never be able to find a common ground. When talking to strangers, avoid dominating the conversation, your task is to create a flow so that the other person can connect to you easily.