7 Simple Ways To Be Interesting To People You Meet

In the world of food, it's said that they first bite is with the eyes. Well, when it comes to meeting new people, a first impression is a lasting impression, and it's important you make a good one. After that, you have to work at holding their interest. Let's look at some steps you can take to ensure you do just that. 1. First impressions count When you meet someone new, they're going to size you up before you even open your mouth. So, be sure to bathe, shave (whether it be your face or legs - depending on your gender), apply some aftershave and anti-perspirant and maybe some cologne or perfume. Pick out a nice outfit; something appropriate for the situation you're going to be meeting people in, and that is in style. After all, going to a business forum in a suit twenty years out of date is not going to impress people. As to the situation; if you're going to a beach volleyball party, long pants, a shirt and a tie is a tad too fancy. So, dress appropriately. 2. Body language Nothing says "I don't want to talk to anyone" like sitting off in a corner, your shoulders hunched over, and your arms crossed. To get people interested in talking to you, you need to be out among the crowd and make your body language open to others. 3. Your face This goes along with body language. If your eyes are cast down to the floor, if your expression is blank and without emotion, that does not signal friendliness to others. So, paint a small smile on your face, and hold eye contact. Don't go overboard! A huge ear to ear smile might be seen as forced and downright creepy. Also, holding eye contact too much can be seen as you trying to intimidate anyone you talk to. 4. Be friendly Speak in a steady, even tone. Don't whisper, and don't raise your voice - at least not without reason. After all, if you start telling an interesting story, you'll want to give inflection to your voice to make it a really entertaining tale. But, with new people who don't know you, you don't want to chance scaring them by going overboard. 5. Ask questions There's nothing in the world people like more than talking about themselves. So, ask people about them; and then pay attention to what they say. If you ask good follow-up questions, it shows that you're paying attention; people like that. 6. Be prepared to participate Yes, people like to talk about themselves, but eventually they're going to want to hear from you. So, do a bit of prep work. Study current events like politics, movies, pop culture and be ready to talk about them. Do you have some amusing stories to tell? Have you just returned from a vacation, and can talk about where you went and what you did? People always enjoy a good story. 7. Don't monopolize the conversatio You may have a ton of jokes and funny stories to tell, but come up for air once in a while. Let other people talk. Along those same lines, don't talk about just one thing; that can get dull. If the other person brings up another subject, don't feel the need to steer the conversation back to what you were talking about before; be flexible. Holding the interest of others can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Pay attention to your appearance, your body language, and how you converse with them. Do all these things, and you have a good chance of being a success at interacting with new people.