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- What do you think small talk is?
- When do we use small talk?
- How helpful is it at the workplace?
- Have you ever had a small talk at your meeting with clients?

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Which technique is mentioned? Describe it

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by Fons Trompenaars

What do you think it is about?

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- Which conversation starters are mentioned?
- What do you think of them?

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4 Great Conversation Starters | Small Talk Tips and Tricks

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Look at these statements and decide if you agree:
- Small talk exists for avoiding awkwardness, for politeness, and to fill in the silence.

- Small talk is for people who don't have time or knowledge to talk about truly meaningful important things.

- Small talk helps to build rapport and ease communication.

- You shouldn't talk about your problems during the small talk.

- Small talk is a key business skill.
- Religion is a safe topic when making small talk
- It is rude to interrupt a conversation in order to make small talk

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Neil voiceover
I've been working at the BBC for a long time now. I've met lots of people. And I sometimes bump into them... and make small talk. They call it small talk, but that doesn't mean it's of little importance.

Callum
Hey! Hey Neil, how's it going? Haven't seen you in ages...

Callum
Yeah, yeah. How's the kids? How's the family?

Neil
Yeah, yeah. They're good, they're good. And you... I heard you've got a new job.

Callum
Yes I have, yes. Started a few weeks ago, yeah, yeah...

Neil
So... What's the salary?

Callum
Um... It's OK. I've got to go...

Neil
How much exactly? How much do they pay you?

Callum
Sorry, I've got to run. See ya. Bye bye.

Neil
OK. Nice to see you. Bye. See ya.

Neil voiceover
Let's see what our experts have to say about that.

Sam
They seem to know each other; seem to have a little bit of knowledge of each other.

Kee
Absolutely. He's obviously found out that he's changed jobs.

Sam
Yeah, yeah. And he reacted really nicely to it.

Kee
Yeah, absolutely. Until he decided to ask how much he's earning.

Kee
Why would you not ask that question?

Sam
It's just not a common question. It's considered very rude to talk about money generally...

Sam
But specifically money you make.

Sam/Kee
It's just not done. No, you wouldn't ask that, would you?

Sam
So, what do you think he could have done instead?

Kee
I think the obvious question is, 'How are you finding your new job?'

Kee
Are you enjoying it? You know, like, what are your colleagues like?

Sam
Yeah

Kee
Or even just asking about the job itself. 'What are you doing in your new job?' I think that's a standard thing to do rather than... 'So, what's your salary?'

Kee
And I think most people will want to talk about their new job.

Kee
They'll want to tell the other person about what they enjoy and what they're not enjoying. But not this guy. Money.

Neil voiceover
Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll try harder next time.

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BBC Learning English - Course: The Experiment / Unit 1 / Session 11 / Activity 1

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Neil voiceover I've been working at the BBC for a long time now. I've met lots of people. And I sometimes bump into them... and make small talk. They call it small talk, but that doesn't mean it's of little importance. Callum Hey! Hey Neil, how's it going?

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Introduce yourself and use a ‘tag line’, e.g. Hi, I’m Jules from Munich. This can get the conversation started as your colleague can ask a question about your home town or your trip.

When your colleague introduces himself/herself, try to repeat his/her name when you reply, or use their name later in the conversation.

The weather is probably the number one thing topic. The classic topics that are taboo in light conversation are sex, religion, money, and politics.

Break the ice with a comment about the event you’re at, its location and the weather.

Really listen to your colleague’s reply to ask another question. how to show greater engagement, for example by nodding their heads in conversation, saying something like “Oh, really?” or other encouraging sounds,

Ask open questions (What? Where?/ Why?/Who?) which require more than a one-word answer

Keep the information about you positive, people don’t like colleagues who are negative, depressed or who complain a lot.

Negative comments about another person not involved in the conversation are also not acceptable.

Not wise to continue talking about an issue that the other person does not seem comfortable with or interested in.

Use exit strategy: It was nice talking to you. I will see you later. I will let you go.

Leave a positive final impression with a smile, e.g. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you. I hope we have the chance to talk again soon. It was absolute pleasure meeting you!

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Choose two topics from the box and create a small talk question for each one. Try not to make the questions dull!

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13. Pair up (if possible, with a person you don’t know very well) and ask your partner your questions from the previous exercise. After each answer, ask at least one follow-up question. Try to keep the conversation going for as long as you can.

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13. Pair up (if possible, with a person you don’t know very well) and ask your partner your questions from the previous exercise. After each answer, ask at least one follow-up question. Try to keep the conversation going for as long as you can.

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7 Greatest Conversation Starters That Actually Work

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How To Handle Small Talk As An Introvert

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21. You are going to watch the video on the most common mistakes you might make when small talking. Watch it and discuss the questions below:

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21. You are going to watch the video on the most common mistakes you might make when small talking. Watch it and discuss the questions below:

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What went wrong?

Have you ever been in similar situations?

How would you behave in that kind of situation?

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22. Explain these tips on how to make small talk.

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22. Explain these tips on how to make small talk.