First of all, I'm going to tell you I don't know what the proper term for this is. I think these are called leading statements, so we'll go with that.

What is a leading statement?
A leading statement is a statement made that generally elicits a response, whether positive or negative. These should not be confused with negs or compliments, which are generally observations that invoke a much more shallow response. Leading statements are observations that allow you to push a conversation forward without asking an actual question.

Why use leading statements?
Leading statements can be a good thing on many different levels. This appears much more authoritative and observant, where as a question that asks the same thing appears more submissive and seeking of validation. With leading statements, it's the listener that often feels the need to validate themselves.

The point of leading statements is to turn a common question into an outlet for someone to try and validate themselves to you.

NOTE: You don't ALWAYS want to use leading statements over direction questions. However, as a general rule of thumb, leading statements are better than direct questions while you are still in comfort building. After comfort, it makes more logical sense to ask questions more directly for everything but more specialized (often sexual) concerns. Until then, push the conversation with leading statements where possible and appropriate.

Classic Examples
Question: How do you know so much about fashion?
Leading: You seem like you know fashion.

Question: Why are you so good at this?
Leading: You seem good at this.

Question: Where are you from?
Leading: You don't sound like you're from XXX (xxx = here).


The Script's Favorites
*Many of these require setups to make the statements appropriate*

Question: Are you crazy in bed?
Leading: lol, you don't strike me as the crazy type in bed.

Question: Do you like to be spanked?
Leading: lol, you seem like the kind of girl that would call in domestic disturbance if your boyfriend tried to spank you.

Question: Do your friends always come to you for advice?
Leading: haha, you're good at this! You sound like your friends come to you with this kind of stuff all the time.

Question: Can I come to you with more things my friends asked me?
Leading: haha! My friends come to me with this kind of stuff all the time too. You're just like my cheat sheet.

*If there are a lot of good examples I'll make Forum Favorites*

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The best leading statements are those that play to the ego (and indirectly, the insecurities) of a person.

Statements like "You sound like your friends come to you with this kind of stuff all the time" are perfect examples of what a leading statement should be about. If the person has a healthy sized ego, they will respond to you by trying to validate this observation that people need them. If they have a really big ego, they will go deeper into just why that is. If they are insecure, they will often respond with "no not really," or "yeah but it seems like no one is there when I need them!"

This is the kind of catch-22 similar to the "5 Lies Game," where you will almost always win, because the the 4th question will catch them for being helpful, and the 5th will catch them for having an ego, so as a result you're likely to catch them one way or another.

i like a lot of those, but ive heard that you never want to put 'haha' or 'lol' at the END of the sentence, you always put it at the beginning, meaning you're showing that what you're about to say is a joke, but if you put it at the end it shows that you're seeking confirmation that what you have said is funny

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Slept On Rappers
http://hiphoprising.blogspot.com

That's a good point.