Spark conversations!

✤ Make ’em laugh with the rule of three!

The universal icebreaker that makes others like you instantly? Humor! And tapping your inner Tina Fey is as easy as one, two, three, promises Van Edwards. Think of it as one: normal, two: normal, three: funny. So the first two things you say should be pretty normal to establish a clear picture in the listener’s mind—then the third thing you say should be a surprise, usually resulting in laughter! For example, if someone asks you what you want for Christmas, you could say, “slippers, a scarf . . . and the winning lottery numbers!”

✤ Go deeper with “big talk”!

Good conversation is like a Disney ride, according to Van Edwards. “Most of the time, we chitchat on the kiddie ride, and our energy level during small talk is pretty flat,” she says. “But ‘ big talk’ is like Space Mountain: You roll through the conversation easily, hitting highs as it gets better and better.” Big talk’s keys? “Instead of just asking, ‘What do you do?’ or ‘Where are you from?’ take the question one step further to spark a deeper conversation, such as ‘What was the highlight of your day?’ or ‘Anything exciting coming up in your life?’ When we use conversational sparks, we’re more likely to enjoy our interactions and have a great time!”