As more and more of us become invested in our mobile phones, the ability to make small talk has become something of a lost art. But for many employers, the ability to converse effectively in both formal and informal settings is a crucial advantage. If you’re heading to a job interview or just need to better your own communication skills with clients, then here are a few tips to help you master the art of small talk.
Find a common interest
Think ahead and try to research the person you are going to be talking too. Social media is an excellent tool, so use it to see if the person shares any common interests with you. Try to then bring up this information in the most natural way. Perhaps when the person asks ‘How are you?’, you can then reply with an engaging response that will hopefully lead to an interesting and memorable conversation.
Show engagement
It is all very well starting a conversation but you must show that you are genuinely engaged with the person. It can help to have a topic in hand already to discuss, perhaps something you are actually interested in discussing. Asking questions will show your attention to the person and the conversation.
Avoid clichés
Whilst the typical weather conversation may seem like a comforting and safe option it is not an impactful, memorable or relevant topic of conversation. Moreover, it does not say anything about you as a person and in fact engaging in this unimaginative type of conversation does not set you apart from anyone else.