Netflix
- Making meaningful small talk on a first date can get tricky and awkward.
- Relationship experts told Business Insider their favorite questions to ask on a first date.
- Many of them stressed that to have the conversation flow organically, you should be present in the moment by asking good follow-up questions.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Making small talk can be awkward - especially on a first date.
Simply asking "So, what do you do?" isn't going to lead to the meaningful conversations you want to have on a first date to ensure there'll be another one.
Read more: 13 simple ways to get better at small talk
To help break the ice with a stranger on a first date, Business Insider asked seven relationship experts from across the country to reveal their favorite questions to ask on a first date.
While many of them had a few pre-determined questions at hand, they said the most important thing to keep in mind is just to be a good listener, and to be yourself.
"Meaningful small talk is virtually anything that helps you connect with the other person in a genuine way," Shira Teichman, a dating coach and cofounder of the dating app Forj, told Business Insider. "Ask what feels natural in the moment, without calculating what you think you're supposed to say."
For those who need a little extra guidance, here are the best questions to ask on a first date, according to relationship experts: