After the Opener Lands

Any of the three openers only buys you the first ten seconds. What keeps it going is the follow-up. When they answer, don't reload your next line — grab the most interesting word they just said and ask about that. They mention a taxi to the airport? "Oh, where are you headed?" This is the part most people skip, and it's the real skill: an opener starts a conversation, but genuine curiosity is what turns it into one worth having.