How to Meet New People
Meeting new people doesn’t be awkward or a chore. In fact, meeting new people means a lot of things for different people: New friends, network contacts, acquaintances, new perspectives and who knows, even romance! Learn how to meet new people and how to make the most of it for both of you here.
Where to Meet New People
While it’s definitely fun to meet people online or thru text, there’s something infinitely more rewarding by putting yourself out there. The question is, where? Here are some suggestions
Gyms or health clubs
Educational classes
Sporting events
Museums or gallery openings
Parties
Weddings
Hobby or crafts clubs
Book clubs
Doing sports
Meeting other pet owners
Acting workshops
Travel
Seminars
Exercise classes
Volunteer group or charity work
Singles groups
Religious groups
Talking to New People
Going to places where to meet new people is half the battle. After you’ve made sure you’re cleaned up and presentable (first impressions always last), here are the things you should know when meeting new people.
meeting new people
Don’t be a creeper. Don’t creep up behind people or sneakily come up from nowhere. Simply go to a group of people having a conversation, listen politely, and if you have anything worthwhile saying (don’t be too rude or aggressive), speak up. Don’t be daunted if you don’t get a reaction at first. Just stay there for a while and if the group is not receptive to you, take it in stride and move on to another group.
Respect boundaries. Don’t stare, and don’t ask personal questions. Also, try to avoid talking about religion, salaries, politics and sex. Remember, you don’t know them yet so better steer clear from topics that may cause many violent reactions and an overall bad impression.
Going to an event or to a place where people have common interests can make things easier for you. Why? Because you already have something in common with all the new people you’re going to meet! Prepare small talk questions and remarks such as, “Did Tim invite you too?” “How do you know Tim?” “I met Tim back in…” “I’m glad he put together this club. I’m a big fan of…” It doesn’t have to be a deeply profound conversation, just light talk to other people will do.
If you want to talk to someone, forget about the sleazy pickup lines. Simply going up and saying, “Hi, my name is Sam,” is good enough for anyone. You can also try “accidentally” bumping into people, just make sure you don’t spill anything on them or hurt them! After apologizing, you can introduce yourself.
Don’t be afraid of awkward silences. Have some standard questions in your back pocket, to keep the small talk going.
Have your business cards ready with you. It’s not as awkward as having to scribble your number on a piece of tissue paper. Business cards are appropriate for networking purposes. If you are personally interested in the new person you’ve met, having a business card will put no pressure on him or her calling, although you should give the card with a little personal remark such as, “I really look forward to your call.” Ask for their business card in return.
If the person doesn’t seem interested later on, simply say, “It’s nice meeting you!” and move on.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Meeting new people should be done lightheartedly. When you do it without any pressure on yourself, other people will feel it too and be more comfortable in interacting with you.