In our life most of the impression on us comes from
making small talk to others. Being good at making small talk is a crucial life
skill, and is key for making a positive impression. Some tips to help you with
this include:
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/933642
1. Go prepared when you’re meeting new people, or when
you have to attend a social event. Think about some topics you can talk about
with others (and that will depend on the people you are meeting). Prepare some
general questions to get others talking (For example, what are they doing for
the holidays; or what good movies have they seen recently?) Also, if you’ve met
some of the people at a previous event, try to remember a few things about them
(such as what are their main interests, or where do they work?)
2. Most people
feel uncomfortable when meeting someone new so be the first person to say
“hello.” If you’re not sure if the person will remember you, help put them at
their ease by saying who you are.
3. Don’t rush introductions. Focus hard on remembering
the names of those you meet, and use them often to fix them in your mind.
4. Help the other person talk by opening up the
conversation with open-ended questions that asks for more details. For example,
“Isn’t this a great party! How do you know (the host)?”
5. Pay careful attention to what the person’s saying;
don’t allow your mind to drift or to start to wander off. Eye contact should be
steady – so don’t glance to the side.
6. Make sure you listen more than you talk to someone
new.
7. Work on having something relevant and interesting to
say. Know what’s going on and making headlines in the news. These can help to
open up a conversation. (For example, you can lead with a comment like “What do
you think about…?” Have you heard…?” What is your take on…?”
8. Avoid controversial and negative topics; also, refrain
from boring stories that have too many details. It’s meant to be a casual,
light and easy conversation.
9. Pay attention to your body language. If you act as if
you’re comfortable and confident, that will put the people around you at ease,
too. However, if you look shy, awkward and uncomfortable, that will rub off on
the people you are socialising with.
10. Before you join a conversation that’s already in
progress, first stand on the sidelines and listen carefully. Don’t squeeze your
way in with a badly-timed remark.
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/933642
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