Unable to figure out the best way to strike a conversation with someone nearby? Pickup lines are most likely the approach many people would do. Whether the other party easily detects a struggling initiator or impressed by one’s creativity, leave that for them to decide. What’s important is that you’ve been able to get the ball rolling.

You’ve probably heard all the pickup lines – at least all the bad ones. However, pickup lines and conversation starters don’t have to be ridiculous and completely laughable. After all, somebody has to initiate a conversation. For many people, this is pretty difficult.

So even if that man or women has been checking you out all night, they may not come up to you and talk. Take matters in your own hands and try one of these great conversation starters to get the ball rolling. If your opening line doesn’t work, just abandon it and introduce yourself. At the very least, a good pickup line will likely be enough to keep the conversation rolling – at least for a few minutes.

Men: Where Were You When…

Men are pretty much the ones with a reputation for bad pickup lines.

Instead of going for a tried-and-failed pickup line, try talking a current even, or a historical event. For this one, you’ll need to take a guess about the woman’s age, but even if you choose an event that they were not yet born or familiar with, you’ll probably still succeed in starting a conversation.

strangers_talk_barIf you want to mix in a little bit of corny, try picking an event you know they really don’t know. Where were you when man first walked on the moon? Did you know that have this uncanny ability to run really fast? Corny or not, it just might work and get a laugh at the same time.

For Women: Say Something Unexpected

This approach works best when you consider the person you’re trying to talk to first. If you’re a woman, try talking about something like baseball if you’re approaching a guy wearing a ball cap or jersey.

You don’t have to know anything about baseball – a simple question or statement – especially if there’s a game on TV or the season is in full swing will be enough. Baseball is just an example, but you should try to pick something the guy knows something about. If you’re at a bar and he’s drinking a beer, talk about beer. Ask which beer you should try, pick any beer facts or try guessing it’s his fifth pint of the night by the look on his face. Just get the conversation started and the rest will likely fall into place if there’s a connection.

Men and Women: Have We Met Before?

Telling somebody that they look familiar to you and asking them if you’ve run into them before might seem like a sure way to get an eye roll, but believe it or not, this type of conversation starter usually works for both men and women. Of course, it helps if you have a unique place. That means you shouldn’t ask if you’ve met the person at a grocery store down the street from the place you are. Pick some place interesting – like a person’s party or an out-of-the way location. It might not sound like a lot, but it’s one of the best conversation starters for both men and women.