35
The Big Deal About Small Talk
“Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.”
–Kin Hubbard
Small talk is usually a prelude to a more serious business conversation later or it supplements the main activity or conversation you are pursuing. It is that shallow, informal and somewhat impersonal conversation which can last anywhere from a few minutes to a very long time. It is a part of the ice-breaking process, setting up the environment to be more conducive to serious business conversation.
Small talk is all around us, like oxygen in the atmosphere (see Snapshot 35.1 for some examples of small talk). Like oxygen, we feed on it and keep going through good days and bad days. ...
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