It is Daniel's first morning at a workshop in London. He doesn't know anyone, so he sits next to Maya and introduces himself. Their conversation starts with names, then moves to places and work. A few minutes later, they are getting coffee together. You don't need to share your whole story when you meet someone. Start with your name and one useful detail: where you are from, where you live or what you do. These can be different things. Daniel is from Madrid, but he is in London for work. Give the other person space to speak. After answering a question, try “What about you?” or “How about you?” This keeps the conversation balanced. If you forget a name, ask, “Sorry, what's your name again?” Before you leave, you can say, “It was nice meeting you.” A first conversation can be short and still help you feel more comfortable with someone new.

You arrive early at a workshop in another city. You know nobody. The person next to you says, “Is this seat free? I'm Maya.” The workshop starts in ten minutes. Apresenta-te sem contares a tua vida toda: escolhe dois detalhes úteis e explica o que te trouxe aqui. A conversa abranda. Faz uma pergunta que a obrigue a dizer mais do que sim ou não, e encontra alguma coisa em comum. No fim, fecha a conversa de forma a poderem voltar a falar no intervalo.

You met Maya at a workshop last week. She writes: “Great to meet you! I've added you here. Remind me what you do — and what you were working on?” You would like to keep the contact, but you do not want to send a CV. Escreve 3 a 6 frases em inglês. Recorda como se conheceram, explica o que fazes em linguagem simples e acrescenta uma coisa tua fora do trabalho. Termina com uma pergunta ou uma sugestão concreta.