Small talk.

How to make small talk.

I. Read the article below about small talk to find:

a) what small talk is;

b) three topics that you can make small talk about ;

c) two topics that you can’t make small talk about;

d) two tips for managing small talk.

What is small talk?

Your company sends you to an important international conference in the USA. While you are traveling from the hotel to the conference centre you meet somebody who works for the Spanish division of your company for the first time. The conversation that you have will probably be what we call small talk.

What do people make small talk about?

There are certain safe topics that people usually make small talk about. The weather is probably the number one thing. Sometimes even friends and family members discuss the weather when they meet or start a conversation. Sports news is a common topic, especially if a local team is doing extremely well or badly. If there is something that you and the other people have in common, that may also be acceptable to talk about. For example, if the bus is full and there are no seats

available you might talk about reasons why.

There are also some subjects that are not considered acceptable when making small talk. Personal information such as salaries or divorce are not talked about between people who do not know each other well. Negative comments about another person not involved in the conversation are also not acceptable; when you do not know a person well you cannot be sure who their friends are. It is also not wise to continue talking about an issue that the other person does not seem comfortably with or interested in. Lastly, avoid one word answers and ask questions to show that you want to keep the conversation going.

II Many people say that the worst part of a business meeting is lunch!

When you don’t know your business partner very well, it can be difficult to find “safe” non-business topics.

Look at the topics below and discuss which ones are safe and which might cause offence. You may add other examples of safe topics or topics that might

cause offence.

Personal topics: General interest topics:

Family Films

Marriage or relationships Sport

Hobbies or special interests Travel

Religious beliefs Art and architecture

The other person’s country: Topics people have strong opinions

about:

Climate World affairs

Political situation Social problems

Food/customs Environment

History Money

III. Look at the tips for small talk below. Do you think the tips are useful?

Technique 1. Always wear a Whatzit.

Some people have developed a clever technique that

works well for social or corporate networking purposes.

The technique requires no special skill on your part, only

the courage to wear a Whatzit.

A Whatzit is anything unusual – a unique brooch, an

interesting scarf, a strange tie, a funny hat. A Whatzit

is any object that draws people’s attention so that they

walk over and ask: “Uh, what’s that?”

Technique 2. Whoozat?

What to do when you haven’t got a Whatzit…

Like a politician, go to the host and say, “That

man/woman over there looks interesting. Who

is he/she?“ Then ask for an introduction.

or

Find out about the stranger’s job, interests or

hobbies. The host might say, “Oh, that’s Joe

Smith. I’m not sure what his job is, but I know

he loves to ski.” Aha, you’ve just been given

the icebreaker you need. Now walk over to Joe

Smith and say, ”Hi, you’re Joe Smith, aren’t

you? Susan was just telling me what a great

skier you are. Where do you ski?”

Technique 3.

Boston-based company have designed a conference badge with a

difference: delegates enter information about their jobs and interests.

When they meet another person with similar hobbies, the interactive

Badges introduce the wearers and tell them what they have in common.

The aim is to make networking easier by using the badge to help start conversation.

SPEAKING.

Exercise.1. What information would you put on your badge? Make a badge for

yourself and include information about:

a) your job

b) your interests outside work

c) something interesting or surprising about who you are or what you do.

Use no more than ten words for each topic.

Exercise 2. Do you think a badge is a useful idea to help break ice when starting a conversation?

Imagine you are attending a conference where you don’t know anyone. It is

first coffee break and lots of people are standing around talking. How would

you start a conversation? What techniques can you think of to join in a

conversation with a group of people? Would you use the same techniques

to break the ice with an individual. Write down your ideas below.

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REFRESH YOUR MEMORY

Open and closed questions.

Look at these conversational questions. Which are closed (can be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No”)? Which ones are open (more likely to lead to a longer response)?

1. Are you staying at this hotel?

2. What do you think of the hotel?

3. It’s very informal here, isn’t it?

4. Are you here on your own?

5. What are things like in your country?

6. What kind of business are you in?

7. Do you travel much in your job?

8. What do you like about traveling?

EXERCISE.1. Read six short conversations between people who have just met at a conference and answer the questions:

1. What types of questions do people ask?

2. In which conversations do people ask open questions?

3. In which conversations do people responding sound interested and friendly?

Conversation 1.

A: Which company do you work for?

B: Oh, it’s just a small company. You probably haven’t heard of it.

Conversation 2.

A: Which talk are you going to this afternoon?

B: Oh, I’m going to one called ‘A merger of cultures’. It’s especially

interesting for me because my company’s recently merged with a

US company and we’re finding that there are quite a lot of differences

in the management style.

A: Oh, really? How interesting! What kind of differences have you noticed?

Conversation 3.

A: I see from your badge that you’re on the Planning Committee.

B: Yes, I am.

A: And what does that committee do exactly?

B: Oh, just planning next year’s expenditure really.

Conversation 4.

A: Have you been to this conference before?

B: Oh, yes, several times. I think this one is one of the best, don’t you?

A: Well, actually, it’s my first conference but I’ll definitely be here next year

Conversation 5.

A: The food’s good, isn’t it?

B: Hmm. Yes, it is.

A: Do you know what those things are – the ones that look like little cakes?

B: They are fishcakes. They’re quite hot and spicy. Very nice if you like spicy food!

A: I’m not very keen on spicy food.

Conversation 6.

A: What kind of job are you in?

B: I’m a geologist. I work for a gold-mining company.

A: Gold mining!

B: Yes, I carry out surveys to find out where the best gold deposits are likely to be.

EXERCISE 2. Rendy Hemp from the US is visiting a customer in Taiwan. He is talking to the Production Manager of a manufacturing plant in Taipei. Read the extract of their conversation and answer the question:

“What is wrong with what the production manager says?”

Manager: Is this your first visit here?

Hemp: No, in fact the first time I came was for a trade fair. We

began our East Asian operations here at the 2003 Exhibition.

Manager: Shall we have a look around the plant before lunch?

a) What is wrong with what the production manager says?

(The answer is that it breaks a “rule” of conversation. Generally, if you ask a question you should comment on the answer or ask a supplementary

question. Remember to use open questions and respond with interest.)

(1) question

(2) answer

(3) comment

or

supplementary question

b) Now suggest a better version of the same conversation. (in writing)

c) Compare your version with a model version given below.

Manager: Is this your first visit here?

Hemp: No, in fact the first time I came was for a trade fair. We

began our East Asian operations here at the 2003 Exhibition.

Manager: Ah, yes, I remember the exhibition well. So it was very successful for you, wasn’t it?

Hemp: Well, we made a lot of useful contracts, not least yourselves.

Manager: Of course…. now, shall we have a look round the plant before

lunch?