(English) How to make small talk

This week, our top tips on how to make small talk in English.

You may be able to deliver killer speeches, wonderful presentations and professional talks on topics of your choice. But can you make small talk? There are times in life when you need to make casual conversation. And in business, the social aspect of a business relationship is often as important as the professional one. Here are some top tips for making small talk.

1. Listen

The number-one rule when making small talk is to listen. Make a conscious effort to remember what the other person is saying. Then, you can use this information to generate more conversation.

2. Questions

In order to keep the conversation going, ask lots of open questions with question words such as who, why, what, when and where. For example:

a) What did you think of the conference?
b) Where did you go for your last holidays?
c) Who did you see at the party last week?

3. Interest

While you’re talking to someone, focus exclusively on that person. And use your body language to show that you’re interested: face the person, use eye contact and nod your head at appropriate moments. Also, use conversational fillers such as “ah ha/really?/amazing!” to show that you’re interested in what they’re saying… even if you aren’t!

4. Follow up

Follow up on everything that the person you’re talking to tells you. For example:

a) You’re a lawyer, aren’t you? What motivated you to go into law?
b) So, you like tennis, do you? How often do you get to play?

5. Ego check

Try to avoid always turning the attention of the conversation back on yourself. For example, if someone mentions that they’ve just been to Italy, don’t respond with, “Oh, I’ve been there. We went there last year.” Instead, use this information as an opportunity to ask lots of questions about the other person’s trip: Where did you go? Who did you go with? What was it like? What did you see?

6. Watch out!

Avoid saying anything that could be interpreted as criticism or judgement; and above all, keep away from potentially controversial topics such as religion and politics.

Part 2 coming soon…

(Copyright @ http://www.hotenglishmagazine.com)