Page 168 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos

If the thought of talking to strangers is difficult, try
small talk instead. Talking is often serious, structured,
and scary; small talk is short and trivial, and nobody
notices if you mess up.
Small Talk Isn't Meant to be a Struggle
Small talk is just casual chat about nothing in
particular in order to find common ground.
In spite of seeming to have little useful purpose, small
talk is a bonding ritual and a strategy for quickly building
trust, finding common ground, sensing energy levels and
managing interpersonal distance. Small talk helps define
relationships between friends, work colleagues, and new
acquaintances by quickly exploring and defining each
other’s social position. Most importantly it allows people
to signal their mood, sense the mood of the other person
and determine the next move.
Ask questions about what he or she likes to do in
their spare time. Where are you from/going? Family?
Fun? Current affairs: the weather, the news, sports will
do in a pinch. Or your community or a new restaurant
nearby. You can natter about pop culture: ask about
social media, music, or TV shows. Talk about movies
you’ve just seen or music you’ve just heard. Or Martin
Scorsese, or So you think you can dance, or Dog
168