5 Ways to Master Small Talk
Most people have not properly tapped into their ability to connect with others. Some will even go a lifetime being intimidated and anxiety stricken by social events and gatherings. This does not need to be the case. Since small talk is the cornerstone of networking events, it’s important to understand how to utilize this type of speaking for maximum results.
Here are 5 ideas to help you master small talk:
- Use the person’s name in conversation. More than likely, you will get someone’s name very early in a conversation. Realize that there is something magical about a person’s name. Knowing this, you should use their name during your conversation. By doing this, you will start to build a stronger connection with the person and work toward building trust.
- Smile. In Dale Carnegie’s masterful work, How to Win Friends and Influence People, he devotes an entire chapter to smiling. Though I would encourage anyone to read this book, I can quickly summarize the chapter by saying, smiling is important. :-) By smiling, you will appear more inviting and less intimidating. Plus, it will also boost your confidence and the person that you’re talking with might mirror you by smiling back. Once this happens, you will continue to build a positive rapport.
- Put your phone down. I can not even begin to tell you how many people I see on their phones at networking events. Why are you there? Is your goal to meet people or to check football scores? If it’s the latter, you should have stayed home. Constantly checking your phone at a social gathering not only comes across as rude, but you could be killing any chance you had of connecting with someone.
- Curiosity killed the cat, but not the conversation. Want to be a master conversationalist? Go into every conversation with a ton of curiosity. Direct all of your thoughts away from yourself and on to the other person. Decide right off the bat, that you’re going to learn as much from the other person as you can. Now don’t be pushy with your questions; this isn’t a congressional hearing, but utilize good interview techniques to get the other person talking.
- Steer the conversation to something interesting. Talking about the weather and the price of gas is not a winning strategy to connect with people. These are topics that last for about a second until someone gets bored. Most people relish the opportunity to be involved in an interesting conversation, so give it to them. Find ways to direct the conversation in to interesting territory.
Want to master this skill? Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Since networking is such an important aspect of business, this is a crucial skill to adopt. Master small talk and you’ll put yourself in a position to expand your social capabilities and ultimately your career.
Experienced Marketing/e-Commerce Manager and Executive Communications Coordinator
5 年Great points. Genuine engagement is key.
Career Development Professional | Curriculum Development | Career Education | Employability Skills | Digital Literacy | Experienced people manager trained in and committed to building effective teams
5 年I especially like your fifth point. I would add "Ask questions you are genuinely curious about." It's obvious when people ask questions and they don't care to hear the answer. It's also the reason why many people don't enjoy socializing at networking events.
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5 年All excellent points, Matt Zaun! The one thing I would add concerns a person's name.? My name is Susan. SUSAN. It is not Sue. It is not Susie. It is not Suzanne. And yes. I realize that others are not intending to insult or harm me when they call me Sue, but neither are they honoring what they heard me say.? If someone introduces himself as Matthew, he is not Matt, at least not automatically. It's funny how attached we can be to our name -- and the way we choose to use it, right?? All of your points should be on everyone's mind if they attend a networking event; they all make sense and they all work. Kudos!?
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5 年This is a brief master class on how to utilize the small talks a must read for those who struggle to keep up the talk
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5 年These are good tips. If you dread social gatherings, definitely check them out. They're helpful even if you don't. I remember back when I dreaded social gatherings. I had to get a few tips and now I enjoy such events. One thing I would add - focus on learning about and enjoying the people you meet.