I’m sure you know one of the biggest fears stopping people from starting conversations is the fear of running out of things to say.
I’ve given suggestions before of how to keep a conversation going, but sometimes it feels good to have an ACE in your pocket. Something you can fall back on if your social mojo falls flat for a moment. Well, that’s what these Conversation Topics posts are made for. Read on…
In this week’s topics: “Relaxation Brownies”, an 85 year old crosses the Atlantic, and theaters return to the Danger Zone.
Avoid lulls by having something to talk about!
Crazy concept I know…so here are some recent news (and not-so-news) stories I’ve hand-picked as a resource for you. These can make for great conversation. I’ve picked them because they’re the type of topics most people could either get a laugh from or have an opinion on.
Remember, that’s the point. You want to get them talking so you can use their responses to move the conversation forward. Some good things to say after you recount the story could be, “what do you think about that?,” or “have you ever experienced something like that, before?”
How do you bring it up? Just say something like, “Oh did you hear about…” Or, “Oh, guess what I read the other day?” Your enthusiasm will cause them to be curious and want to hear more.
Below, you’ll find the story headline/link and a brief description of ways you might use it in a conversation.
This Week’s Topics
“Relaxation brownie” debuts in Cape Cod store
This story is just one of those funny things. Something you can joke with people about what it “really is.” Depending on the crowd you’re in, this may be too risque of a topic to bring up. But if not, have fun and…pass this one along.
Sailor, 85, crosses Atlantic on raft with friends
To me, this one is just inspirational. But not everyone might see it that way. Some people might think it was insane for a man of his age to attempt this feat. So this is a good “what do you think?” topic. It can also lead to the equivalent of conversational gold – dreams and goals.
Top Gun Returning To Theaters
This one can turn into a great opinion piece. Most people have seen this movie so you can ask afterwards about favorite parts, or if the person would go and see it again in the theaters, etc. Maybe you could even ask if they’ve done anything crazy before like singing You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling to someone in a bar.
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So remember to keep these in mind this weekend or all next week to use in any conversational lulls you might encounter. After all, one secret of conversational “naturals” is to have “stock” material to fall back on.
PLUS, please share your stories of where these topics take your conversations. How did you use them? How did it go? Reply in the comment section below.
