Starting an online conversation with a stranger sometimes may come off as strange and difficult. It’s only after the conversation has kickstarted that you can begin to get comfortable and can easily navigate the conversation.
Livebeam team noticed various chatting barriers and begun to look for solutions. When you meet strangers online, it’s usually fun and exciting once you are able to strike up a conversation. Whatever the reason might be, business partnership, relationship, or friendship, it is important to note that your safety comes first, and there is a certain note-worthy chatting etiquette that makes your overall communication experience smooth and worthwhile.
Apart from the chatting rules that are important for any kind of conversation, it is also necessary that you choose a reliable and recognized chatting platform like Livebeam. Livebeam has different mechanisms to provide user privacy and security. Once you’ve registered on Livebeam, you can begin genuine conversations.
To do this, you can follow these Dos and Don’ts of chatting with someone you meet online for the first time curated for you by Livebeam:
Dos:
- Make a background check
Doing a bit of background check on some of the information you’ve gathered or observed about that online stranger that is fast becoming your friend isn’t a bad idea after all. Livebeam or any of your other frequently used chatting services can only help reduce the risk of meeting a person that could potentially pose a threat to your life. You are left with the duty of doing thorough research on whoever you are having a conversation with.
Note: this doesn’t mean stalking. Stalking could make you come off as a threat rather than an acquaintance looking to know more. Just a safety check on whatever information you can get or might have gotten during your conversations with this person, especially if you’re somehow suspicious of them.
- Make the conversation as genuine as possible
For every conversation, it is important to be yourself. It’s only when you can confidently project your true self that you can bring out the best and most genuine part of your conversation with others. The best friendship bonds are based on honesty and trust; however, you are not under any obligation to share what you’re not comfortable sharing. Create a safe space for the person you’re conversing with. Try not to bombard them with questions or start the conversation with controversial topics like politics.
Start the conversations by talking about a similarity you noticed or a hobby of theirs that caught your attention. On Livebeam, you can find friends with similar interests using a simple filter feature; if this feature was used in your search, then you already have some topics that will set the ball rolling.
The reason for Livebeam’s clever inclusion of such a feature is that it is easier to start a conversation based on a similar interest and let it flow naturally from there. It also takes off the pressure of finding other ways to uniquely start a conversation other than the conventional “Hey, My name is …”.
- Use emoticons and throw in some humor
Emoticons commonly referred to as emojis are a great way of being very expressive while having a conversation. It has a variety of options to pick from that help convey how you feel at a particular point during a conversation and can also be the best way to re-emphasize a statement. Emojis are used for different purposes and to express different emotions. Even when you watch live videos on Livebeam, you can decide to show your support by throwing in a few emojis or stickers to encourage the content creator. It should come naturally in a way that still conveys your message. There are also fun and interactive stickers to beautify the chats on Livebeam.
For example, “I am so happy for you” is quite different from “I am so happy for you☺️”. The former is plain and isn’t expressive enough while the latter with emojis not only shows excitement and fun in the conversation but also adds color and brings life to it. It shows how important it is to pair your statements with appropriate emojis in a non-excessive, controlled way.
- Listen
Active listening is an important communication skill that everybody should possess. It is not just a way of listening but also responding appropriately and accurately to whatever has been said. Active listening also portrays emotional intelligence and gives the person you’re conversing with a good impression of you.
You don’t need to rush to respond. You can take your time, read carefully, and give calculated responses in a way that doesn’t come off as rude or uninterested. We can’t speak for other platforms, but Livebeam has a community always patient and willing to listen and engage in what you have to say. Part of listening is also asking follow-up questions about whatever has been said by the other person. In no time, you’d be having a lot of meaningful conversations and making long-lasting friendships with your online friends, if you practice the act of active listening.
Don’t:
- ❌Share your personal information
This is one of the most important precautions to take when you’re having an online conversation with strangers. Be sure that you are not oversharing and that you’re patient enough to observe the kind of person you’re chatting with. It’s almost impossible to accurately know people’s intentions through an online conversation but you can never be too cautious. Once you suspect that the person might be directly or indirectly luring you to give out sensitive information like your banking details or social security number, please refrain from sharing such information. You can take a step further by ignoring the messages or completely cutting off communication with such a person.
Another way of identifying online threats through your online conversation would be if the person doesn’t share as much information as you have or you can’t see a display picture that can serve as a form of identification for the person. Livebeam has a nice profile display that allows individuals to add several public and private images. With this, you can easily identify people. This is one of the ways in which Livebeam ensures user safety.
- ❌Be rude
You’ve often heard the saying “Manners maketh man” simply put, politeness and your behavior toward other people will ultimately determine how people perceive you. Courtesy demands that when you’re chatting with a stranger online either for business purposes or for the fun of it, you should be polite. Ways you can be polite include introducing yourself and telling the person the reason for chatting with them especially if you’re chatting for a business or official purpose. It is rude to say “Hi” without following up with the reason for the conversation.
Make it a habit of responding to chats on time and if you’re inevitably going to respond very late, give an explanation as to why. When you find yourself in a difficult situation that has made you emotional and you feel you’re unstable, it is perfectly okay not to respond and to cautiously mind your tone if you decide to reply which is better than responding rudely. It might seem insignificant however, these are the acts that make up a person’s notion about you and would navigate how the conversations would go from then on.
- ❌Abuse the use of abbreviations
Take a pause on the excessive use of abbreviations. Make efforts to chat in full sentences because it contributes to how the conversation will flow. It is a turnoff for most people and does not project that you take the conversation seriously. Some people don’t even understand abbreviations except for widely known abbreviations like “Lol, Brb, Ttyl” etc and so when you introduce new abbreviations, it might make the conversation difficult for the person and could become a source of communication gap between you and the person.
To ensure effective communication, communicate in grammatically correct, error-free sentences.
Conclusion
You can become a great conversationalist online and offline by practicing these simple do’s and don’ts. Livebeam is a good place to practice these etiquettes and master the art of communication. Once you become good at it, all conversations will be a breeze.