Social Skills?

Question

I feel that I'm a very social person and know all the right things to say when I know a person very well, but I lack when I don't know the other person. To be honest, when I don't really know a person, I don't really care to have a conversation (I hate the way that sounds) but Id like to know how I can improve at least pretending to be interested without being fake. Has anyone ever experienced this before or if you have suggestions on how to improve?

Answer 1

try to find one thing about that person you like, there, t-shirt,jewelery ect. hope that helps

Answer 2

We are always meeting people throughout life that we don't know and are put into social situations through work or whatever that put us in front of strangers. You have to be able to develop good enough conversational skills to have the ability to interact if only for a moment or short time. Learn how to ask questions about the person or persons you are meeting. If it is business, this is easy, you talk about the business. If it is a casual social setting, you ask where they live, what do they do, do they have children etc and find a common ground through questions that you might find a similar interest. You could love playing tennis and find out they do do. Bam, you have an instant common ground. It's not about being fake. It's about finding out about each other. That is what conversation is about really, asking enough of the right questions to find out if you can continue to chat. If not, you excuse yourself and move on to someone else. It's not that difficult really. It just takes practice. Some settings do require you to put on a smile, listen, and nod at the appropriate times. You will find yourself having to take part in a social situation where you are there for your spouse and you will have to find some way to communicate with people you normally will not be socializing with. It's part of the deal. So relax, ask questions (people love to talk about themselves) and find some common ground if you can. A good conversationlist is a good listener that knows when to ask the right questions.

Answer 3

Pretending to be interested is fake, which is why you feel fake. Try to take some genuine interest in the person that you are meeting and do not pressure yourself to hit it off right away with the person.

Answer 4

I'm a salesperson. I have to do that all the time: making the other person believe that she/he is the most important person in the world at a given moment. Fact is, such a person is of extreme importance: my income depends on whether he/she believe that I care about them.

Answer 5

I usually ask about their line of work or how long they've lived in the area. If you tell yourself beforehand that you could learn something you, that will motivate you.