Here’s an all new Conversation Topics!
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: Picasso lost and found, a facelift for your voice, and ducklings saved by duct tape.
Avoid awkward silences 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. 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
Picasso Recovered, Suspect in Jail: Cops
Don’t know if you saw this on the news, but yeah, a guy just walked into a museum and stole a Picasso. Then he walked out and caught a cab! The way he got caught is pretty slick too. This is one of those, “Did you hear about…!?” stories that most people will get a kick out of. Just say it with enthusiasm, remember? This topic could lead to discussions of high-art; is it beautiful or too “artsy-fartsy” (that’s the technical term)?
Forget about facelifts and Botox – it’s your voice that really betrays your years, but now there could be an answer
I include this story because it can be a (lightly) controversial topic. What does you conversational partner think about facelifts, Botox and now voice lifts? What about the extreme examples of this like Joan Rivers and such. Do you know any examples of good plastic surgery jobs? Do they? Remember, opinions = more engagement.
Animal lovers use duct tape to rescue ducklings
Can we say irony? That’s one of the reasons this can be a fun and well accepted little topic. It’s also a light and fluffy story (heh heh), so it works well as a universal topic. Plus, I used to watch a lot of MacGuyver, so…
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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.
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