The Art Of Small Talk

Do you detest small talk? Find yourself in the corner feeling awkward and tongue-tied at a conference, reception, or vernissage? Small talk can lead to big talk, so developing these skills is necessary for professional networking situations. For some, conversational intelligence comes naturally. For others, it takes study and practice to develop. Here are some tips.

From The Wall Street Journal, How to Be a Better Conversationalist covers research-backed strategies for being well-spoken and keeping the conversation balanced. Another good one from the WSJ that builds on this - It’s True: You Talk Too Much, on how to achieve the optimal 50-50 conversation flow, a key ingredient to successful small talk. Fast Company’s article Hate Small Talk? These 5 Questions Will Help You Work Any Room is a quick and practical guide that gives sample questions, explains how to match the depth of your dialogue to the surrounding social environment, and how leave a ‘feel-good’ impression on people. Your words may be forgotten, but how you make people feel will be remembered.

One MBA candidate writing for The Muse found herself in uncomfortable conversations time and time again, and was in desperate need of new icebreakers. Here is her post: 7 Conversation Starters Better Than "What Do You Do?"—and 7 That Are Even Worse. For more, check out 30 Brilliant Networking Conversation Starters, also from The Muse.

7 Ways To Make Small Talk Work For You from Psychology Today draws on two studies that link well-being with small talk, concluding that in social situations, small talk may be preferable to silence, but when it comes to predicting overall happiness with conversations, people seem to prefer “big talk.” But in a small-talk situation, this article provides 7 pointers that will help you navigate your way to the best middle ground.

The general consensus of making small talk? Don’t talk too much, don’t talk about yourself too much, and focus on the other person. Smooth sailing from there.