There are many situations in life where having some conversation starter questions are helpful. They break the ice and provide for a comfortable social environment. Just about everyone has experienced the awkward silent moment, but it can be avoided by asking questions that encourage conversation.

Conversation starter questions are great to have at the ready for first dates. Some good talking points are: How was your day? Where did you grow up? What do you do? What do you like to do when youre not working? Do you have any pets? Whos your favorite performer? Do you like to travel? Whats your ideal vacation spot?

Conversation starter questions prepare you for any encounter and give you the confidence to meet people. Open ended questions about a topic that doesnt pry into personal lives or conflict with personal beliefs are best.

Think about something that you have in common, when you are in a situation where you need to make conversation with a stranger. If you are at a party, for example, talk about the party, location, its hosts etc. and you will put others at ease.

There are a number of neutral questions that you can use when you want to get to know another person better. For example — what do you do in your free time? If you could change anything in your life, what would it be? Ask them about their hobbies, and be engaged by following up with a question like — what do you enjoy about it?

Many people have trouble interacting with people because they might be shy or an introvert. When out on dates, in particular, people tend to get nervous because they are afraid they might say the wrong thing and start the date off badly. But if you treat a date like any other encounter with a friend, it will be less stressful, and words and thoughts will flow much easier. Stick to safe topics like movies, music, travel, books and leisure activities when asking get to know you questions.

When you want to learn more about a person, some conversation starter questions might be: Tell me about your family? What were your best and worst jobs? Tell me about your best friend? What would you consider your life changing moments? Who inspires you? Tell me about your first kiss? Whats the dumbest thing youve done? Whats your favorite food? Of course, as you get more involved with a person, its time to ask the serious questions, like: Have you ever done drugs? Have you ever been arrested? Do you want children? Do you save money? How many times have you been in love? Whats the weirdest thing about you? Whats your idea of a romantic date?

Play to people’s strengths when composing conversation starter questions, and show interest in them. For example, you might want to know where they got a shirt which you quite like, and this can lead to a conversation about the store, the shopping mall, or an experience whilst shopping. Keep the conversation flowing, by asking open-ended questions that can lead to other topics.