You don't need social skills for it. It's a good way to get them.
Here's a simple experiment to start with: make a point of every time you have a 'captive audience' such as a bus driver or cashier:
1) look them in the eye (take your cash out in advance etc.). This instantly sets you apart.
2) Say 'hi, how are you?' and smile, and actually pause for an answer.
You'll be surprised at the result. So many people in service jobs are so used to being treated as objects that they'll often jump as chances to have real human interactions and just a little eye contact and a pause that suggests you actually care about an answer makes a huge difference.
I've had cashiers literally run over to open a lane when they saw me coming after a couple of brief conversation, and people starting to tell me all kinds of personal details.
You don't need to have social skills at all other than that initial question, and trying to remember a detail or two and ask them about it another day. Enough people will talk enough about themselves to get you started.
And the bonus is you can often tell it makes people cheer up.
I don't really get much out of social conversations with people, and it's a big effort for me, but the things above are simple enough, and big enough impact to be worthwhile.
Here's a simple experiment to start with: make a point of every time you have a 'captive audience' such as a bus driver or cashier:
1) look them in the eye (take your cash out in advance etc.). This instantly sets you apart.
2) Say 'hi, how are you?' and smile, and actually pause for an answer.
You'll be surprised at the result. So many people in service jobs are so used to being treated as objects that they'll often jump as chances to have real human interactions and just a little eye contact and a pause that suggests you actually care about an answer makes a huge difference.
I've had cashiers literally run over to open a lane when they saw me coming after a couple of brief conversation, and people starting to tell me all kinds of personal details.
You don't need to have social skills at all other than that initial question, and trying to remember a detail or two and ask them about it another day. Enough people will talk enough about themselves to get you started.
And the bonus is you can often tell it makes people cheer up.
I don't really get much out of social conversations with people, and it's a big effort for me, but the things above are simple enough, and big enough impact to be worthwhile.