If there’s one thing those closest to me will tell you about me, it’s that I like conversation.
I like to talk.
There, I said it. I don’t like walking by people and not making eye contact or saying, “Hey.”
If I stand by someone for more than a second or two, I like to try to at least speak.
If I’m in a car with someone, I ask questions to start the conversation.
Sometimes, though, it’s hard to be friendly. You know what I mean? Like, you don’t want to be creepy, just friendly. You want people to feel welcome in your store, business or church, but you don’t want them to feel awkward.
In my experience, many people over stretch and create awkwardness rather than friendliness.
Here’s a tip for how to be friendly without being awkward…
Find a way to serve them. Find a job.
Service is a gateway for conversation.
What I mean is, if you can find something to do that they’ll naturally engage in, it’ll open it up for you to talk. It could be that you’re in a spot to…
Open a door.
- Serve food or drink.
- Hand something out.
- Give something away.
- Give directions.
All of those things are things that force you to engage them and them engage with you. They are the buffer between awkwardness, rudeness, and friendliness.
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