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Conferences, communication, знакомства, networking, business connections
How to ease the tension and confidently be the first to start a conversation with someone in person
How to start a conversation at a meeting or conference (even if you’re nervous)
Why is it so hard to start a conversation?
- You’re afraid of being intrusive,
- you don’t know what to say first,
- it feels like everyone already has someone to talk to.
But here’s where statistics come in handy! 90% of people are actually happy when someone approaches them first — especially at business events.
Mini-script: offline introduction at a meeting / conference
Situation: you see one person or a small group and want to join. What do you say?
“Mind if I join you?”
“Hi, we haven’t met yet — I’m [Name].”
“Mind if I listen in? Sounds like an interesting conversation!”
A smile + open body language = half the success.
Step 2. Connect to the context
“Are you part of the speaker’s team?”
“What do you think of today’s program?”
“Are you here for the derivatives session too?” (replace with the hottest topic of the event)
Step 3. About yourself (one sentence!)
Describe yourself in one line (damn, it’s hard—brevity is the soul of wit).
“I work in client service at a large advertising agency—here for new ideas and connections.”
Keep it short and non-salesy. The key is to give a hook people can latch onto.
Focus on the shared situation — it always brings people closer.
When you talk about something you’re both experiencing—like the event program, the coffee break, or a talk—you instantly become “one of us.” It lowers the tension because you’re already in the same boat. There’s no need to invent an artificial reason—just voice a shared impression or ask a simple question: “Were you also waiting for this session?” or “What did you think of the last speaker?” Small, simple things like this help move from awkwardness to a real conversation.
The first step is always the easiest—when you know what to say.
Let’s go—step into the conversation!
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