Many people dread the thought of attending an event where they know no one. In fact, such people often opt to invite a friend or two to accompany them to the function.
Fear of being rejected makes people to avoid starting a conversation with a stranger. Having little knowledge of a specific subject may also make someone to find it difficult to strike a conversation.
My advice would be to use the power of a smile. Most people warm up to a smile. You can then greet the person you are meeting and introduce yourself. For example, you can say, ‘Good Morning, my name is Samantha.’ Most often than not the stranger will respond to your greeting and may also be glad that you broke the ice.
You need to be alert so that you can observe, hear, detect or feel the tone and contents of the information that you gather from the persons you are trying to make conversations with. Some comments you make may seem offensive depending on the body language and verbal answers that you get.
Be very courteous, show respect to any opinions that the strangers share and drop a joke where necessary to ease the tension if any. If it is a business function, carry your business cards and share them as this may be the start of a long term business relationship or friendship.
Practice makes perfect. The more you interact with strangers, the more confident you get and the easier it is for you to make new friends, business partners and acquaintances.
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