Lecturer in Information and Communication Technology devises a new system called the “quick pic” system used to start conversations.

Conversation starters

It was found that conversation starters can help any person build bridges with other people. To throw in a quote forces the issue and makes it almost impossible not to have that conversation! Obviously the quotes must be uncomplicated to be remembered and used with great effect. Quotes from real life are more interesting to people and easier to use. Quotes can be made easier to remember if they are categorized. The key to good conversation starters is the relevance to real life so that everybody can associate with it. Using pictures to illustrate the quotes make them easier to remember and thus forms real good conversation starters. It is much better to throw a quote into the conversation than to criticize or blame someone and have to backpedal because of making a faux pas. Lots of times it is difficult to think what to do to get a higher level of conversation going and a quote is just the thing. In really tough situations maybe some "story starters" are needed, but then the quote gets too long.

Using a quote as a starter, it will later be easier to move the conversation over to 'what about this company' or 'current events'. Quotes certainly serve better as a conversation piece than they ever did hidden away in some dusty book. In the home usually, quotes can be more than conversation starters, engaging families in a more realistic discussion of what happens in the house.

How it worked

The author got quotes from all over, from journals, from books, from friends, from anywhere really, it just takes some observation. The author said “When I started lecturing I always found it difficult to get going, because, I really wasn’t in to speaking in public. I started to write these quotes down in a little notebook of interesting quotes I like to keep. Then I did a little experiment: I began dropping quotes in any kind of conversation, and it worked. People always agree or disagree, and that makes a great starting point to get the conversation going.”

A Book

Some people use a few quotes all the time to start talking to unfamiliar people. With a whole quote book it can take the concept to a whole new dimension. Following is an extract of a few quotes from such a book:
I always prefer to believe the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble. - Rudyard Kipling

If you are not being criticized, you may not be doing much. - Donald Rumsfeld

Women's lib claims equal rights; so how come diamonds are a girl's best friend—but a man's best friend is his dog? - Earl Wilson

While researching the subject the author found that to help to remember the quote better, it is best to categorize the quotes, and even easier to remember when it is accompanied by an illustration. That leaded the creation of just such a book. This little book is a pastiche of pieces from books, witty quotes and curious illustrations, with bias toward the funny. All short enough to remember easily. Great fun to read and great conversation starters.
More information at "ConversationStarters.wizent.com"