SMALL TALK IN BUSINESS

PRESENTED BY:
Group 2

Agnes panjaitan
Wansah zai
 What's Small Talk?

The first step to understanding how to make small talk

is to understand the definition of small talk. Basically, small
talk is a short, friendly conversation about a common topic.
Small talk can take place among friends, co-workers, or
strangers. One reason why the ability to make small talk in
business settings is so important is because small talk allows
people to be friendly at work without getting too personal.
Many companies and business organizations have rules for
employees about which types of behavior and conversations
are acceptable. When small talk is used correctly, it can help
people communicate well without breaking company
guidelines or social rules.
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 Here are some occasions when small talk
might be expected:
• while waiting at the photocopier
• just before a meeting is to start
• during a meeting, when the coffee and biscuits are
brought in
• while waiting to say goodbye
• when meeting someone unexpectedly in a corridor
• while waiting in someone’s office for someone else to
arrive
• during a guided tour of a company’s offices, or factory, or
retail outlets
• socializing with a client
 MAKING SMALL TALK

When you have an opportunity to engage in small talk with other people, it's
important to choose a good topic. Some of the most common small talk
topics include:
1. Sports/athletes
2. Music/movies/books
3. Weather
4. Travel/tourism
5. Hobbies
6. Food/restaurants
7. Technology
These topics are considered safe because even though people will have
different opinions about them, the differences are unlikely to cause problems.
For example, if you like Italian restaurants and your co-worker likes Mexican
restaurants, this is just a matter of personal choice and not a major issue.
 SMALL TALK MISTAKES
When you make small talk, try to avoid topics that are personally sensitive, or
that may cause someone to become upset. Some topics to avoid include:
•Religion and politics: These topics can be very personal and quickly lead to
arguments if people disagree, so it's best to avoid them in a business setting.
•Family/relationship status: It's okay to ask about someone's family, but only if
you already know them. If someone's relative just died or he or she just got a
divorce, this topic can create bad feelings between you and the other person.
•Money: Telling others how much money you make or asking them how much
money they make is very inappropriate and should be avoided. You should also
avoid gossiping about the financial situations of co-workers or managers.
•Jokes: Some jokes may be okay if they're clean and inoffensive. However,
don't tell potentially offensive jokes that involve racism, sexism, violence, and
other inappropriate workplace topics.
People can sometimes have strong feelings about these topics. If the
conversation goes badly, you may have an awkward relationship with that co-
worker, manager, or client in the future.
 SMALL TALK TIPS
The following ten tips will help you master the art of small talk:
1. Have approachable body language
2. Take the initiative and be the first to say hello
3. Begin with statements or questions about the immediate
environment, situation, weather, how the person arrived at your
location, et cetera.
4. Be well-informed and prepared.
5. Focus on the other person and less on yourself.
6. Do listen.
7. Keep the tone light and positive until you find a topic in which you
are both interested.
8. Discuss general-interest subjects
9. Think before you speak.
10. Always close a conversation before walking away from the other
person by using a graceful exit line; don’t simply melt from
conversations.
There are several phrases you can use to begin and keep a
small talk conversation going. For instance:
•Do you like _____?
•Have you seen/heard _____?
•What did you think of _____?
•I really enjoyed _____.
•I've heard good things about _____.
•Have you ever been to _____.
•I though that _____ was _____.
•Who/what is your favorite _____?
Remember, when you make small talk, you want to listen
more than you speak; if you talk too much, the other person
may become bored. One of the best ways to keep
conversations going is to ask questions and listen carefully to
the other person's answers.