As we get closer to the holiday season more and more of us will be finding ourselves at holiday parties and other events.

For many these gatherings bring with them awkward moments when meeting new people. It's helpful to have a handful of openers to get some sort of conversation started so you can get past this initial discomfort.

Here are a few of my favorites that work in a variety of situations:
 

• How do you know the host/hostess?
• Are you a member of this organization?
• How long have you been involved with/worked for XYZ organization/company?
• What brought you to Austin?

The Austin question is a classic. Some variation of what brought you here, how long have you been here, etc. will almost always get you some type of story. Austin has an almost unnatural love affair with itself and we all LOVE to talk about it. It's a great door to open, and from there you can almost always find some type of connection.

The key is to just get the other person talking. If you can get them to tell some type of story you're well on your way. From there, just be interested and ask good questions and you'll do great!

Happy Networking!

-Scott Ingram
Network In Austin

Unfortunately we don't have comments available on the blogs yet. If you have your own questions you'd like to add to this list, please feel free to e-mail me: scott {at} networkinaustin [dot] com. Thanks!