Passage 7: Small talk isn’t so “small”
Small talk may not be about serious issues; nevertheless, researchers into the subject have concluded that it’s important. That’s because small talk keeps us connected to one another and can lead to bigger things, such as a job or a new friendship. Yet people who find themselves alone with another person often don’t know what to say. Here are a few tips to help you start a conversation, and to keep the conversational ball rolling:
• Start with the obvious. If you have something in common with another person (your job,hobbies, a person you both know, etc.), begin with that. If you don’t know the person, it’s always acceptable to bring up a neutral topic such as the weather or a recent news event. It isn’t necessary to be clever – all that’s required is to show interest in the other person and to be willing to talk.
• Compliment where appropriate. If the other person has done something you like or is wearing something attractive, it’s always appropriate to compliment. But avoid talking about the specifics of a person’s physical appearance (people can’t usually change how they look) and keep your
compliments short and to the point (“What a great tie!” or “You look great tonight!”) and continue with another topic.
• Talk about yourself – then return to your partner. It’s perfectly OK to talk about your own interests for a while, but keep your conversation from becoming a monolog. It’s only polite, for example, that after talking about your own children, you turn the conversation back to you partner by asking about his or her children.