Chapter 11
Small talk leads to BIG talk
‘Get on your toes, keep your wits about you, say goodnight politely when it’s over, go home and enjoy your dinner.’
Terry Wogan
What is it about the term ‘small talk’? There’s nothing ‘small’ about it. It can lead to big things. The amazing thing about it is that it can take unexpected twists and turns if you let it.
I hear comments like these time and time again: ‘I’m not very good at making small talk’; ‘I really find it difficult to strike up a conversation with strangers’; ‘I don’t want to be intrusive so I don’t say anything’; and ‘I never know how to begin’.
Of course, it’s understandable that there can be unease during the initial silence when you meet somebody new. What seems to concern most people ...
Get Talkability now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
