How to make friends with strangers?

How to make friends or connections with strangers, being able to connect with people that we have just met can be a great skill to have.

This article goes into some ideas on how you can connect with these strangers which could result in all kinds of benefits. These benefits include and range from simply the passing of time, learning new things, making long term friends and relationships. It could even lead to new ideas in business, and open up job opportunities.

This article will be most useful to those that consider themselves to be shy, introverted, or both. It’s great to have some alone time, and there are times when we just don’t want to talk to others, and that’s fine. However, great opportunities await if we can connect with the right people in both our personal and professional lives. Many of us will pass up these opportunities to connect every single day.

How to make friends or connections with strangers?

Greet People

Say hello or acknowledge people even if it’s just eye contact. This validates people and breaks the ice, making people more likely to open up to you.

Understand most people are worried of how others view them

We are often worried about how we are being perceived and judged by others. So, with this in mind don’t worry so much about how you are being perceived, because the other person is likely thinking the same. Instead focus your energies on the other person.

Appear Approachable

Perhaps the easiest way to get into a conversation with somebody is having them talk to you first. One way to encourage this is to simply be approachable, smiling and looking happy is a great way to make yourself approachable.

Another suggestion is to wear or have something interesting or different. This gives somebody a conversation starter if they wanted to talk to you.

Pay Attention

Most of us love to talk about ourselves, therefore most people love people who listen to them. Give them your full attention, this sends out the signal that they are interesting and worth listening to. Your conversation will not last very long if they sense that you are not listening to them.

Find Commonalities

Finding a common ground, this is always a great way to strike up a conversation. This can range from simply being in the same location, waiting for a train or finding out you both own a pet cat. You can help to find things in common with somebody if you are observant. Noticing things about them or something that they own will give you more insight into them.

The Next Step

Most conversations with strangers will likely be short lived. However, there are ways in which you can extend them. For example, if their line of work is of interest to you, ask for a business card and work to build up a business relationship that can benefit the both of you. Connect on LinkedIn if you have an account, if not you should create one.