Many people fear starting or joining in a conversation among strangers. While it is common to be apprehensive about talking to someone unfamiliar, making small talk is an important way of building rapport and establishing new contacts, whether in a business or personal context.
The biggest difficulty in small talk is to start talking. We can’t always wait for someone to make the first move.
Pick something general enough that people will feel comfortable with and talk about it. For example, you could comment on the weather, how cosy the venue is, or how good the food tastes.
Most of the time, someone will respond simply because he or she is glad you broke the silence. After some initial comments, you can start exchanging names with the people around you.
After that, it becomes much easier to continue the conversation. You can continue by revealing how you are related to the host or why you chose to attend the event.
You could prompt others to keep the conversation going by asking things like, “And yourself?” and “How about you?” If the people you are having a conversation with start to clam up or say less, they may be uncomfortable with the topic in discussion.
If you sense any awkwardness, once again, you can lead by switching to a less threatening topic. Generally, it is best to avoid religion, politics and anything too personal.
If you find the conversation losing steam because you’re the only one making the effort, it’s time to move on to a differenct group of people. Still, you don’t have to be blunt about it.
A simple, “Excuse me for a moment.” or “It’s been nice talking to you.” will suffice in making your exit.
Source: Edited from the english@work e-newsletter by 938LIVE. Subscribe to the english@work newsletter.
