Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Hello, how do you do?


If you are new to India, you might want to interact with people here and make new friends. You might worry about how to start and carry on a conversation with someone. Well, don’t worry. We’re going to provide a few guidelines on how to begin a conversation with someone you meet for the first time. You cannot go wrong with this!

When you meet someone for the first time, you usually shake hands with a person. It is an informal situation, for example speaking with friends or family members it is alright to say ‘Hi’. However, when meeting someone for the first time or at a work place, it is preferable to say ‘Hello’.

After greeting someone, you introduce yourself to the person. “Hello, I’m Rajesh.” Remember to smile and maintain eye contact with the person you are speaking to. You should follow this as a general rule while speaking to someone. People like it when they have your absolute attention and you can give them that by never breaking eye contact. Smile and pay attention to what they say to you.

Once the initial introductions take place, you can to say, “Nice to meet you.” or, “It’s a pleasure meeting you.” These are niceties you make while speaking to someone. Often is the case that once you are introduced to someone, you will be asked about yourself. The most general questions asked are, “Where are you from? Where do you study/work? How do you like India? Have you eaten at so-and-so yet? You must visit so-and-so!”

Similarly, the above mentioned questions are questions you can also ask people when you first meet them. It is advisable not to ask personal questions.

You must keep a few things in mind while speaking to people at all times, though. Always be polite. Smile and maintain eye contact. Ask questions and respond to questions asked to you. And most importantly laugh at the jokes they tell you.

Now, don’t you think making friends in a new place is easy?

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