Improving Your Small Talk

If you are not good at small talk, it can lead to big disadvantages in the business world.

Although commenting about the weather or the latest sports scores may seem trivial to you, having the ability to initiate, or at least, participate in trivial conversations can help you navigate networking events, open the door to attracting potential new business and give you something to say to your own boss at corporate affairs.

If you are not good at coming up with trivial topics, don’t fret, we’ll provide you with tips on improving your small talk skills.

Show Interest In The Other Party

The number one secret to making small talk if you are uncomfortable with it is getting the other person to talk.

How do you accomplish this?

By showing interest in them and asking questions.

Rather than awkwardly rambling on about your long commute due to the rain, ask the other party a question to encourage them to speak.

If you know who you will be meeting with in advance, it would be advantageous to do some research on them to see if you can find out any personal interests they have, and then encourage them to discuss those.

Use Open-Ended Questions

When asking questions to show interest in the other party, the trick is not to ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, which would put the pressure back on you to continue the conversation.

Instead of asking, “I heard you like to play polo, is that true?”- say, “I heard you play polo, what made you interested in this sport?”

Prepare

Mostly, small talk centres around the weather, recent events and industry news.

The problem is that it’s hard to make small talk if you are not up-to-date on these happenings.

Before you find yourself at an event with nothing to say, prepare topics to discuss related to these fields.

Read or watch the news to familiarise yourself with recent local and international events to bring up; however, try and stay away from politics.

As it’s hard to predict what political side other people may be on, the last thing you want is to start a controversial debate at a work function.

Staying current on important industry news is also helpful to have something to discuss at business events.

You can accomplish this by signing up for relevant newsletters, following companies on social media, joining industry-related LinkedIn groups, etc.

The more you know about the topic, the more you will have to say.

courtesy - MTP Tips