1. Be Approachable
Don t be a Negative Nancy! If someone approaches you and strikes up a conversation, actively listen and engage with them, rather than giving short and curt replies. Or, if someone asks to join you and your group of friends at your table, say yes that is, if you re comfortable to do so, of course.
2. Stick to Light Topics
When meeting people for the first time, try to stick with light and neutral topics, like their vacation itinerary or the sights that they ve seen so far. Do your best to find common interests and don t be afraid to share stories about yourself, such as that nice local restaurant you ate at the night before or the interesting performance you watched that afternoon. Stay away from heavy subjects especially, politics! After all, nobody likes a debate while they re enjoying a nice, cold beer.
3. Pay Attention to Your Body Language
The way we look and how we carry ourselves says a lot about how open we are to meeting new people. If your arms are crossed, and there s a frown on your face, then everyone will know to stay away from you. If you re glued to your cellphone or refusing to make eye contact with people, then you probably won t leave the bar with any new friends either. But if you re grinning from ear to ear and actively conversing with those around you, then you might find yourself with a new friend or two by the end of the night.
4. Join a Game
Meeting new people is definitely easy in a bar, thanks to the multitude of games and activities found inside, Chances are, the bar that you re at has a couple of pool tables, a dartboard, or an old-fashioned arcade game. Don t be afraid to join in the fun! A little friendly competition goes a long way when making friends out of complete strangers.
5. Put Effort into the Friendship
Striking a conversation and making a new friend at a bar is easy it s keeping them that s the hard part! We often lose out on great friendships because we re afraid of looking like a loser if we text them first, but how else are you going to strengthen and maintain your connection with them? The next time you meet someone cool at a bar, take a leap of faith and continue talking with them the following day. Or if you re both on vacation in Las Vegas, then why not plan to see a few sights together? The possibilities are endless, as long as you grab at the opportunity.
