Talking To Strangers — An Introvert’s Guide
The Ping Pong Method
The game of Ping Pong is quite popular and is also known as Table Tennis. It is a fast-paced indoor sport played on a rectangular table divided by a net.
The game involves two players (or four players in doubles), each armed with a small paddle. The objective is to score points by hitting a lightweight ball back and forth over the net.
I came across a technique based on this game that could be used to talk to strangers.
This involves asking a question to the person you want to talk to, listening to their answer, commenting about it, and asking another related question.
A few things to consider:
Stay on the subject.
If the person replies with an answer, stay on the subject of their answer. E.g., if you ask what do you do for work? And if they respond by saying they work as a Bartender and ask about their experiences as a bartender instead of switching the subject by talking about yourself or another topic.
