For many people, talking to strangers on the internet can be a daunting and difficult task. You don’t know what to say, how to start the conversation, how to keep the conversation going, and how to make the conversation interesting, and will the other person even care?
There are countless narratives we play in our heads on repeat as we embark on this journey to connect with other strangers online platforms. Therefore, it is hard to start a conversation with a stranger online and keep it going. However, just by being normal and yourself, you can actually start a conversation and hit it off. It isn’t that hard, just don’t go off the limits and you’re pretty much fine.
For anyone who resonates with these questions and is having difficulty initiating a conversation with strangers online, here are some tips you can use when reaching out to a stranger online.
1. Don’t Just Say “Hey” And Expect Miracles to Happen
Reaching out to someone and giving them nothing to work with is like throwing a fishhook in a pond with no bait. Who cares? You gotta work on your opening line and start off with something that makes the other person interested in you or at least interested in replying to your message.
As they say, “First Impression is the last impression”. So, your first impression must be a good one in order to have a chance of getting someone to respond to you, otherwise, forget it.
2. Be present and engaged
Be present and engaged in a conversation. When you act like you are active in a conversation and take an interest in what other person is telling you and you are doing great. You are making the other person feel like you are actually interested in what they have to say and they will most likely continue the conversation and share more about themselves with you.
3. Recognize Patterns
For the sake of saving yours and other people’s time, don’t linger on if the conversation isn’t going somewhere you want it to go. Take note of what you like and what you don’t like. If the other person is not of your type then instead of wasting your time you should probably end the conversation and if you find the other person to be interesting then do whatever you can to make the conversation continue, don’t let it die.
4. Ask Interesting Questions
Asking interesting questions can help you move on with a conversation. Invite people to share things about themselves that get them excited. Remember: people LOVE talking about themselves. If you are reaching out to a stranger, you have to give them a platform they feel confident and eager to deliver upon. Make them feel like they are important to you and you might be having a very good conversation.
5. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself
Sometimes people make a mistake and they ask the other person about everything while telling none about them. Most people don’t like this. This is because you’re asking them everything about them and telling them nothing about yourself, making yourself a kind of mysterious person. Feel free to talk about yourself and tell the other person about yourself but avoid dominating the conversation and making everything about yourself, no one likes.
6. Don’t force it
If you’re trying to force anything then that thing is probably not right for you. The same is for conversations. If the other person is giving you one-word answers or giving dead-end statements despite you trying your best then that person may not be interested to talk to you and you’re better off talking to someone else. If the conversation seems forced then it’s better to end it than trying. It may necessarily be not your fault that the other person is acting weird but you can give them space and don’t pressure them. Just let it go rather than making anyone feel uncomfortable.
To briefly summarize the tips that were just covered, the key is to personalize the messaging experience when reaching out to a stranger. Talk to strangers intentionally, know why you’re doing what you’re doing, make sure to make them feel welcome to share, and always be conscious of timing.