Testing. Testing. 1-2-3.

“Hey!”

“How’s it going?”

“What do you do?”

“Where are you from?”
“How was your day?”

Raise your hand if phrases like this at the beginning of a call or a meeting freak you out? Give you a panic attack? Cause your palms to sweat? All of the above.

Yeah, me too. Conversations can be hard for introverts. There are so many times I would rather just sit quietly on the phone until everyone joins the meeting. Especially if I’m not friends with the person on the call. Seriously. Small talk is the literal worst. But it’s unavoidable, so I’ve pulled together three resources for you.

Why Introverts Hate Small Talk

For the extroverts in your life: Introvert Dear has pulled together not only reasons why introverts dislike small talk, but how to steer it into the direction of meaningful conversation. Seriously. Read it. Understand it. Relate to it. Share it with your friends. From the lack of meaningful information it provides to the tips, this is the validation you needed. Seriously. Solutions: get someone to tell a story, ask why, share details, and be honest. Introverts – basically be your usual selves.

An Introvert’s Guide to Small Talk

Obviously small talk isn’t going away. Pleasantries will be exchanged. People will ask you things (yes virtual meetings and networking efforts do that). Contributor Christina Park provided 8 tips to help introverts master small talk. Tips include reducing anxiety, being purposeful, channeling curiosity, asking questions, adding juicy tidbits, recognizing cues, and being kind to yourself (we’ll add others too).

Conversation Starters for Introverts

Conversations are a major part of the human experience. Whether leading a meeting or getting coffee with someone new for the first time they are going to happen. So in case you need a little help, The Power of Positivity, has created 15 conversation starters for introverts. Ideas range from asking about someone’s job/family/life, discussing travel, food or music, talking about movies and books, sharing pictures of pets (foolproof way to start a convo trust me), tell a joke, or even share a quote.

I know icebreakers aren’t the greatest, but you need to do anything to get someone talking. And if you can transition to something you’re passionate about, that’s even better. What are your favorite ways to start conversations as an introvert?