What comes after hello?
Whenever I run my workshop on Strategic Networking, this question comes up all the time: “How do I do small talk?”
Small talk is a bit like entering the ocean on a warm day. It’s unwise to run screaming into the water, and even more foolish to dive in when you don’t know what is below.
Think of small talk as dabbling your feet at the water’s edge so you can acclimatise yourself. You know you need to wade in, but you don’t want to launch yourself from a great height and scare people away.
My favourite opening line
Here’s the opener I use whenever I attend a networking function by myself:
“Hi, I don’t know anyone here, so I thought I would come up and say hello.”
I’ve yet to have someone say, “No, nick off, I don’t want to talk to you.” It may well happen, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Easy conversation starters
Ask what they thought of:
- The food
- The speaker
- The venue
Go a little deeper
Try questions like:
- What has been a highlight of this event for you so far?
- What has been keeping you busy this week?
- What made you want to come to this event?
Finally, talk work without judgment
My final question is: “What line of work are you in?”
I find “So, what is it you do?” a little judgmental. Asking about someone’s line of work enables them to provide a more detailed answer than just their job description.
Small talk is a skill
You may not think it, but small talk is a skill and like any skill, it can be learned and mastered.
Your turn: What’s your favourite small talk question?
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