Making Small Talk

New acquaintances, a new friend, new dates, a new job, a new apartment… Well, a good first impression is everything, and it is impossible to get it without fundamental skills. Small talk is one of them. It is not only a key to making new friends and being popular at the parties, but also a contribution to your personal and professional growth.

Find some useful tips to improve your small talk capacity:

1. Remember names.

Yes, it is also a tremendous challenge for me, but there is an awesome exercise to fight it: just be attentive when a person introduces his or her name, and then repeat the name back to a new acquaintance (i.e., “Nice to meet you, Bill”).

2. Give a long response.

Do not neglect details. For instance, when a person asks what you do for a living, don’t respond briefly “I’m a manager,” but provide important details, such as a company you work, specific details of your direction, and other meaningful aspects. Nonetheless, God forbid you start rambling. Two or three solid sentences will be enough for a start. Now, you have more topics for further conversation and a higher level of credit. It is a good first impression you provide, and a background for further relations. Along with such, ask open questions that predetermine a longer response, be actually interested in a person.

3. Give more.

Ask more than an answer, give compliments, use open questions, locate common points and always keep in mind that people remember a person who makes them feel special, interesting, and awesome.

4. Be positive.

Be positive, smile and never complain, especially to a stranger. Just stop complaining! It is a question of association, and you scarcely want to be associated with negativity and a spoiled evening. Even if the predominant aspects of your response are negative, start with positive ones and focus on them; in case the whole story is not a happy-end one, try to spice it with some humor so as not to be a pessimist.

5. Be smart and stop sharing in time.

It is one of the most difficult skills to develop and use while talking. Yes, I encourage you to talk, but you should definitely avoid rambling, excessive details, and too personal information. Build a constructive dialogue, and do not make a person exhausted by long stories and things that have no relation to your partner in conversation. Monologues are no good!

I wish you luck, be smart, polite and positive!

Published: September 14, 2016