I find that there’s always opportunities to overcome shyness no matter where you go, or where you are in life and become good at conversation. I hear from a lot of people how hard it is to make small chat with people they don’t know, or they’re not too sure what kind of topic to mention. Sometimes putting that pressure on yourself to have meaningful conversations with everybody can be really tough especially if you’re in the beginning stages of trying to overcome shyness.
Don’t Overwhelm Yourself when Trying to Overcome Shyness
It’s important not to overwhelm yourself…and start off with the basics.
A good social foundation when starting off will lead to mastering great conversation. One of the best ways I’ve found to get good at overcoming conversation shyness is to start talking to people who are in the hospitality industry. These can be people who work at restaurants, baristas, hostesses, airline personnel,cashiers at retail stores, and professionals that focus on customer service. Of course not everyone is going to be friendly, and that’s okay, but the majority of people I’ve found are.
Learning to start small allows you to be comfortable in initiating conversations with people, which is usually people’s biggest fear. Each brick that’s laid, eventually builds an entire house. And the hard part for most people is to get over their fear of starting conversations with strangers.
Instead of waiting for hospitality staff to ask you how your day was, take the time to reverse it and be the first to ask the person how their day was. You’ll be surprised that many people who work in hospitality don’t get asked the question first. But take charge and be assertive.
Keep it Simple to Start
Even simple things such as saying hello, smiling, and making eye contact while making a purchase can go a long way to help build that foundation to being great at chatting with people and being less shy as time goes on.
So as a simple exercise, choose one day of this week to be the first to say, “How are you doing today?” to at least three other people. No matter if you’re traveling, going to the grocery store, or eating out at your finest restaurant, take the first step. Even now I’m still surprised on where conversations can go simply by asking “How’s your day been so far?” Let me know how that goes…
Question for You: What do you believe are some great ways to overcoming shyness and being a social person? I’d love to hear your tips.
Interested in knowing more about conversation, then feel free to try out Art of Conversation: Enhance Your Charisma for Success for 45 days.
Technorati Tags: overcome shyness, small chat, great conversation., talking, conversations with strangers., eye contact
Related posts:
- Overcoming Approach Anxiety | The 3 Minute Rule
- Interesting Conversation Questions | How to Ask Them
- How to Deal with Insults (and Creating Comebacks) when Meeting New People
Do you need help with Conversations, Making Friends or Your Dating Life?
Comments on this entry are closed.