Starting a communication could be difficult for a beginner. Even if we talk about such a friendly place like Placetochat. It requires bravery and a sense of a word to start chatting successfully. Or, maybe, it is just a matter of several tips you need to know to start chatting with almost every person in the chat? Let’s find out what icebreakers could be used for friendly communication!
- Do not use banal phrases. How do you think, how many people start chatting using phrases kinda ‘How are u?’ or ‘Hi people!’. In the chat, you can try something more extravagant to attract attention and prove you are an interesting person who can make chatting real fun. Even an emoji can be a greater idea to start your talk on Placetochat!
- News is what unites us all. Take advantage of this! You can always start a chat conversation by posting some sensational news. For example, it is always a good idea to address the interlocutor or interlocutors in the general chat with a phrase like ‘Did you hear that …’. But here it is important to remember some features. So, it is better not to take the news of politics to start a conversation, unless, of course, you want to arrange a massive skirmish. People of different political views, or even from different countries, to whom your local news about politicians will be uninteresting and incomprehensible, can sit in the chat. Likewise, remember the relevance of news. Starting a conversation about high fashion news in a chat room where mostly male car enthusiasts hang out would be a strange idea. While it might work, it doesn’t work the way you want it to.
- Admitting you are a newcomer and you don’t know the rules of the chat, is one more icebreaker that can come in handy when you just start chatting on Placetochat. This is where psychology comes into play. People love it when someone admits their weakness or ignorance of the rules. This makes them morally taller and stronger. And, of course, in this case, with a high degree of probability, they will be happy to tell you about the rules of the chat room. And this is the beginning of the conversation. So feel free to admit that you don’t know how to start a conversation yet.
- If you just entered the chat, and there is already a heated discussion of a topic, no one bothers you to join it. But only if you really have something to say. It would be inappropriate and stupid to just insert cues that are devoid of meaning. But if you want to share your opinion, you can always write something like ‘I just joined the conversation, but it seems to me …’. It will look respectful, and your line will definitely be noticed and then answered. Bingo, the conversation started.
- Everyone has their own opinion! And people love to be asked about it. Isn’t this a great icebreaker worth taking on board? For those you don’t know well, start with light subjects like food, music, atmosphere, and so on. “Something like ‘Do you like Margarita with or without salt?’ or ‘Do you watch horror movies?’ will work great. It’s probably best to stay away from really sensitive topics like politics if you don’t know the person well enough yet. Remember that on Placetochat, we try to keep a friendly atmosphere and keep away from controversial topics.
- Asking questions is a great icebreaker itself. Yet to make you involved in the conversation, it is worth asking something simple. Something that your future interlocutors will easily answer. There is a good example of a question like that. Just ask what are people discussing now on Placetochat or ask whether this chat is good for communication. And in case you are trying to start a conversation with a certain person, you can inspect his or her profile to know a bit more in advance. Then when you know or recognize that a person has experience in a certain area you can ask him something simple. For example, if you are talking to an IT professional, you can ask him if he is in the hardware field or specializes in software. Just avoid asking anyone to explain anything overly complicated or involved; if that’s what the conversation leads to, great, but asking a really tough question right off the bat can make you seem overly demanding.
- Be a little provocative. In some cases, a surprise effect will be a great start for a conversation. This doesn’t mean you should be rude or impolite. It means choosing a topic yourself and making the first phrase sound like a real bombshell. Let it be a sudden compliment or just news you texted in the chat room. If it resonates with others, they will gladly start chatting with you.
- Admit you have troubles with communication if you really have them. This may sound weird but people love to help someone who has troubles and it will work for you if choosing such a scenario as an icebreaker on Placetochat.
- Start with jokes. We do not recommend starting with a banal joke or posting a memetic picture everyone has already seen. But when meeting new people, a little humor can help relieve tension and start a pleasant conversation.
- Add creativity. For example, challenge the other person to a conversation with the phrase ‘I’m working on an article about the best and worst ways to strike up a conversation. Did you hear anything successful today, or vice versa?’ It is likely that this will be a good start.
And most importantly, remember that even if you didn’t manage to become a communication star in Placetochat the first time, you shouldn’t give up. Every day, a lot of new people gather on the service, with whom you can fully hone your skills of successful communication. And keep our icebreakers close at hand, it is likely that with them you will quickly establish a circle of friends on Placetochat.
