So now I don’t usually post about other people’s blogs… but this is one that you guys should definitely check out. His name is Alex Coulson’s and he has one of the FEW quality blogs on dating tips for men.

I’ve been reading some of his posts, and his style is along the lines of AskMen & Maxim with a little more substance. One of the articles I really enjoyed from him is the one on how to start a conversation with a woman.

Conversation isn’t a guy thing. We do well to grunt in the same language as women. Why use words when a few well placed moves and a couple of meaningful looks will do? When it comes to talking and the art of having a conversation almost everyone knows this is the domain of women.

Update! It appears his site is dead! Never mind!

The basic rules of how to start a conversation with a girl you’ve never met are simple: keep it simple, keep it fun. When you talk to a woman for the first time, remember that she doesn’t know you and anything too intense will push her away. Instead, use these conversation starters to get her more interested.

1. Situational Conversation Starter
Make a comment about something around both of you at the time.

If you’re at the library, mention something about the librarian at the door or even about the funny security guard at the entrance. An environmental opener can be used anywhere, but it does take a bit of quick thinking depending on where you are.

2. Direct Conversation Starter
Just say “hi”

Sometimes just saying hi is enough to get a decent conversation started. This works especially well in boring situations such as waiting in line. If there’s nothing special happening and you are both bored, then saying hi will just come off as being social.

3. Starting a conversation with an opinion
Some men feel more comfortable jumping right into a topic with an opinion on a certain situation.

The advantages of this is that it automatically leads to a full fledged dialog about whichever topic you introduced. The disadvantage however, is that if you randomly ask for someone’s opinion, they might think you’re polling a survey or something. They might be on the defensive right away since people automatically avoid salesmen on a daily basis. The one context where an opinion opener will be acceptable is in a social environment in which everyone is already talking, ie: party or a bar.

4. Beginning a chat with a comment about her
Now this is risky but can lead to a quick and successful conversation if done right.

By noticing something unique about her, she will be likely to want to engage in a conversation to talk about her favorite subject, herself. For example, if a girl is wearing a huge hat, she’s doing it for a reason: she wants to be noticed and for people to talk to her. So just pick up on these subtle (and sometimes obvious) cues.

These are the most efficient methods on how to start a conversation. Once it’s started, you will need to have something to say to continue chatting with her! One of the best resources to read so you never run out of things to say is the book Double Your Dating by David Deangelo. The words printed on the pages of his book have a way of sticking in your brain and will make you a better conversationalist than you ever thought possible.