“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.”      ~ Winston S. Churchill

Introvert people often have a hard time making good friends. The root of not being able to interact socially lays hidden deep in the crevices of our heart stuffed with fear and passivity. Going to parties and joining clubs is a great tactic to meet new people, but, if you are unable to kick-start an interesting dialogue, then visiting a bash is of no use!

 The fear of rejection is one of the greatest culprits that create a communication gap in social gatherings.

The body language and tone gives you a lot of info about the mood and interest of the other person as compared to verbal communication. The key to engaging with people is to pick up these non-verbal signs and initiate a meaningful discussion that doesn’t sound phoney!

 It is only up to you to create your own doors and open up to people instead of waiting for someone to break the silence.

The magic word “Hi” is the ultimate ice-breaker in a party or event. On your part, it will involve piling up the courage and introducing yourself to a stranger you have never met before in your life. If the response from the other side is not fruitful, then always remember that there are many other lovely people in the party who would love to begin a conversation with you.

Be in the present. Don’t worry about the outcome. If there is no fear about the future, you will be able to open up more confidently to the person in front of you.

Not all people are same on this planet. While some remain eager to accept invitations, a few lot prefer to keep their emotions bottled up inside. So, treat rejection as just a personality trait of an individual and not as some defect in you! The secret to overcoming fear/rejection is to repeat the same daunting task again and again to make it seem more natural. This will help to let the nervousness subside and build a good rapport between you and the listener.

Smile results into deeper conversations. It creates a sense of harmony between people.

Ask the person concerned about their interests or just start a general discussion about food or weather outside. People just love to talk about them and having a good laugh. So, don’t keep the discussion too serious, take a chill pill and crack a few jokes every now and then amidst the conversation.

Presume that the person you are talking to is already your friend. This will eliminate awkwardness and make you comfortable being around the other person.

Take a test drive of your communication skills today, and, try to talk someone new keeping the above pointers in mind. Being friendly to someone will surely help you gain a friendly response in return.