3 Exercises to Make Meeting People Easy

Do you consider yourself shy? Do you want to be more courageous? Have you been in situations where you wanted to talk to someone but just couldn’t muster the courage? I know you have – and I have too. Meeting new people is usually intimidating. Approach anxiety is always present, no matter how confident you are. The trick is to get over the approach anxiety – and I’m here to suggest a few exercises that can help you with that!

1) “100 Challenge” – This is really easy to do and can be a great confidence booster, but is not for the faint of heart. Also, the actual number does not have to be 100, but the larger the better. What you do is go to a public place (colleges are great for this, but only if you are a student or look like one) like a park, and ask out as many people as possible -but be sure not to run from person to person. Make it look spontaneous and natural. However, you must not use any lines, or indulge in conversation. Introduce yourself and then ask for a number. After that you can chat if you want, but the idea is to do this with as many people as possible. I guarantee that you will get more numbers than you expect.

2) Smile. This is the easiest exercise possible. All you have to do is make eye contact with someone and smile. If you’re feeling really brave, throw in a wink!

3) Cold opening. This comes in three flavors. In the first, you comment on something at hand. For example, “That’s such a cute dog! What kind is he?” In the second, something recent like the Super Bowl, election, or news is best. Start with “What do you think about…” The third flavor is the most difficult, but ultimately the most rewarding. It’s a question about anything, but usually something random. Try to ask something unexpected, and while the other person is thrown off for a second start up the conversation. It takes some practice, but being able to talk about anything is a powerful skill.

These are all actually quite easy to do. Start off with anyone around you, and soon you’ll build the confidence you need to talk to anyone! I’ve had a few people ask about topics for conversation. I remember when this was a problem. Really, any kind of topic is good. The point is that you are (or at least act) excited about what you are saying. If you’re enthusiastic, you create an exciting world which is appealing and attractive to others. They will want to be part of the world you create. The key is just enthusiasm and confidence. Do the exercises above and you will be well on your way towards being able to meet and talk to anyone!