Small Talk in Business Settings Topics & Examples | What is Small Talk? | Study.com

Making Small Talk in Business Settings

Small talk plays a significant role in business settings as it is the first step in the development of long-term business relationships. Small talk can help to not only identify similarities, but can also lead to continued communication necessary for developing deeper and more authentic relationships. In a business setting, these relationships can lead to professional opportunities, including partnerships, sales, and promotions.

Effective small talk is not only speaking, but listening, too. Engaging the other person in the conversation keeps them from getting bored and makes the conversation a true dialogue with both people contributing. Asking open-ended questions is one way to engage the other person. It is important to avoid interrupting the other person when they are talking. Maintaining eye contact, leaning forward slightly, and smiling (if/when appropriate) are strategies for providing positive nonverbal feedback that communicates interest.

Good Small Talk Topics

There are certain subjects that make for good small talk topics. These are topics that are likely to be of at least some interest to everybody but without controversy. These topics should not require any real expertise, nor should they cause embarrassment if one is not informed. The following list includes topics that are likely to serve well with small talk:

• weather forecast
• sports (local and/or national)
• tasty food/good restaurants
• popular books, shows, or movies
• travel/destinations

Small Talk Mistakes

While there are some subjects that make for better small topics, there are also some subjects that should be considered off-limits for small talk. These are subjects rich with controversy and likely to be divisive. These are topics that will make people uncomfortable at best and may embarrass or upset people at worst. The following list includes topics that should be avoided during small talk:

• politics
• religion
• finances
• sex
• jokes/humor
• ill health

Small Talk Ideas & Tips

While engaging in small talk can be intimidating, it is important to remember that it is a communication skill—and people get better with practice. The more somebody engages in small talk, the better they will get at it. Keeping in mind some ideas and tips will also help one to be more effective with using small talk. As already mentioned, it is important to choose the right topics for small talk. Being prepared will help; staying informed on current events (and all of the topics bulleted in the Good Small Talk Topics section) is one way to get prepared. During the conversation, it is important to intentionally engage the other person in the conversation and to encourage their active participation. Asking questions and providing affirming responses (verbal as well as nonverbal) can help with this.

Small talk includes speaking and listening. When listening, one should maintain eye contact and smile if appropriate.

Some specific prompts that may help to engage the other person include:

• What do you think about…
• What do you know about…
• What do you like about…
• What do you think will happen with…

Finally, identifying and observing somebody who is skilled with small talk may help one to improve their own skills.

Small Talk Examples

The following is an example involving Kale and Icer. Both are new employees at the same organization and both are attending an orientation session with human resources. Kale and Icer arrived a few minutes before the start of the orientation, so they are sitting in the training room and waiting for the trainer to arrive. They engage in the following small talk:

Kale: Hi, you must be new, too?

Icer: Yeah. I’m pretty excited—this seems like a great place to work.

Kale: Yeah, I’ve got a friend who works here, and he’s said only good things about the company.

Icer: Oh, that’s good to hear. What kinds of things has he told you?

Kale: Well, he said the people who work here are nice and a lot of fun. He also said the company caters lunch for all of the employees on Fridays!

Icer: Seriously? They provide lunch every Friday?

Kale: Yeah, they have food brought in from that little diner down the street.

Icer: I love that place! They have the best sandwiches. Have you ever eaten there?

Kale: My partner and I go there at least once a month. If you haven’t had their apple pie, you have to try it sometime.

Icer: Oh, if you like pie, you have to go to the bakery on the other side of town. They have the best pies—and the best carrot cake!

The previous example shows how two strangers can quickly and easily connect through small talk. Neither person was made to feel uncomfortable through this friendly conversation; they were able to identify some common interests (relating to food) and have a foundation for future communication.

The next example comes from looking at Jesse and Kim, two coeds enjoying a break between classes.

One purpose of small talk is to identify similarities. Finding commonalities can bring psychological closeness and builds a foundation for future communication.

Jesse: Hi, I noticed that you’re in my biology class. You sit in the row in front of me.

Kim: That’s my favorite class. I like to sit near the front because I don’t want to miss anything.

Jesse: You know, I think I think I saw you at the basketball game last night. You were sitting in front of me there, too!

Kim: You were at the game last night?

Jesse: Yeah, that was a great game!

Kim: I know! I can’t believe we won at the last second. I was so nervous!

Jesse: Me too! Do you go to a lot of basketball games?

Kim: I’ve been to every home game this year. How about you?

Jesse: Yes, except for one. I had to miss one game because I needed to study more for our first biology test. That first test was hard!

The previous example shows how two people can engage in friendly conversation through common interests. Each person asks the other a question so as to keep the conversation going; both contribute and are engaged.

Lesson Summary

Small talk is a short, friendly conversation about a common topic and plays an important role in building interpersonal relationships. Small talk helps people to identify similarities that facilitate future interactions. Topics appropriate for small talk are those that lack controversy and may include the weather, sports, and food. Topics to avoid include politics (because it tends to divide people) and family situations (because a person may be dealing with difficult and private family dynamics). Small talk involves both speaking and listening. In fact, one might spend more time listening as compared to speaking in an effort to prevent the other person from becoming bored. It is important to engage the other person as a speaker during small talk, and this can be achieved through asking questions and providing affirming verbal/nonverbal responses.