By: Allana Akhtar

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.

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 co-founder 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.”