Small Talk

Question 1

Basic conversation recipe

Answer 1

Ask simple questions. Try to genuinely get to know more about the person I’m talking to by asking follow-up questions. Throughout the conversation, share similar bits and pieces about myself, related to what the person is saying.

Question 2

Six basic questions to start a conversation where it is expected to socialize

Answer 2

Hi, I’m ____ how are you doing? How do you know people here? Where are you from? Do you work/study?Is it a super busy job or will you have any time off this summer/winter for a vacation? What’s your favorite way to spend your vacation/time off/weekends

Question 3

Avoiding awkward Silence

Answer 3

Conversational threading. They do not need to be linear questions. You can go back to a previous topic.

Question 4

Where are you from?

Answer 4

If the person is from the same town as me, I ask them what area they live in and how they like it there (present). If they are from somewhere else, you can follow up ont hat by asking how they liked it there, why they moved (past) and if they plan on movign back (future).

Question 5

Do you work/study?

Answer 5

Often easy for people to tak about this because they are familiar, but we do not want to get stuck in job talk so we can change the topic to something else. (Present)

Question 6

What’s your favorite way to spend your vacation/time off/weekends?

Answer 6

Here we can discover favorite interest, hobbies (present), or places they want to go (future). I am personally adding this but you can ask about what got them interested or when they started with the hobby (past).IF you find any common ground you can work from there.

Question 7

4 most common mistakes when starting a conversation

Answer 7

Being too linear in teh conversation. Asking too few or too many questions in relation to how much you share about yourself. NOt being genuine when asking something.
Trying to follow the rules of conversation adn being afraid to do something wrong.

Question 8

OFC

Answer 8

O means ok, it is ok to be nervous just let it roll. F is for focus, focus on the person you are talking to not on how you are coming off. C is being curious, be curious in what the other person is doing.