Small Talk

Finding Things to Talk About

1

Remark on the location or occasion. Look around and see if there is anything worth pointing out. Examples of location or occasion comments: "This is a gorgeous room!", "Such incredible catering!", "I love this view!", or "Great dog!"

2

Ask an open-ended question. Most people love to talk about themselves; it's your place as the conversation starter to get them going. An open question requires an explanation for an answer rather than just a simple yes or no. Open questions tend to begin with who, when, what, why, where, and how, whereas closed questions tend to start with do, have, and is/am/are.

• Closed questions: "Do you like books?", "Have you ever been to this university?", "Is spring your favorite season?", "Am I intruding?", and "Do you come here often?"
• Open questions: "What sort of books do you like?", "What did you study here at this university?", "Which is your favorite season? Why?", "What are you doing right now?"

3

Know how to combine general remarks with open-ended questions. Since either one of these might be awkward or out-of-place on its own, combine them for maximum effect. For example:

• "That's a nice handbag, where did you get it?" This lets the handbag owner talk about the day that they went shopping and all this funny stuff happened, as opposed to: "I like your handbag!" "Thank you." (The end.)
• "What an amazing buffet! Which is your favorite dish?" Asking an opinion is especially useful, as it can be followed up with the classic open-ended question: “Why?”
• "Fantastic turnout! Which of the lecturers is your favorite?"
• "I love your costume. What are your favorite sci-fi movies?"

4

Ask them about their pets. Animals are often common ground with people you have nothing else in common with. If you like animals in general, it's easy to relate to other animal lovers whether they prefer dogs, horses, birds, cats or wildlife. While talking about your own pet might be annoying to some people, asking them about their pets is a great way to get people to open up and start having fun.

5

Brush up on current events. Chances are they'll know about it too and if they don't then that's a good thing to talk about! Read or watch the news and when you're ready to start a conversation with someone, say something like, "Hey, did you hear about that helicopter crash? That was pretty crazy."

6

Draw on previous discussions. If you know the person, review a mental list of topics you’ve discussed previously and continue on one of them.  For example, their kid’s milestone, one of their projects, or some bad news that they shared with you. This not only gives you something to talk about, but it also shows that you pay attention when you talk to them and you care about their problems and experiences enough to think about and remember them.

7

Ask questions that are easy to answer. Some questions are a little harder to answer than others.  Has someone ever asked you your weekend plans and you thought, "I don't want to think about my weekend plans... do I really have to answer that?"  Most people prefer easy questions, like "what are you up to today," or "is school killing you these days?" This should make conversations flow better and feel more comfortable.

8

Be sensitive to their feelings. Keep your questions non-invasive. Be sure you're not asking them questions about topics they'd rather not discuss. For example, some people might be very uncomfortable discussing issues that they feel touch on them personally, such as weight, lack of having a degree or qualifications, lack of having a steady date, etc. Try to be as thoughtful as possible even though you don't really know them yet.

Full text HERE - WikiHow

Topics for Small Talk Conversation for all occasions

1. Hello/Hi: A simple hello is good way to start any small talk; a basic greeting of mutual acknowledgement.

2. Introduction: If meeting for the first time, make sure to introduce yourself. It shows your interest in the meeting, and put a name to the face.

3. Situation and surroundings: Talk about the surroundings or the venue: ‘Nice place, huh!’ or ‘I like this cafe!’

4. Weather talk: This is all time classic, may be a bit too much used. However, a talk about weather always gets the conversation started.

5. How was your day? : If the meeting is in the late day or in the evening, talk about how your day was, there is always something to share: ‘how is your day going so far?’

6. So what are you up to today/tonight? : Ask about short term plans for the day, or the night or the next day. This is always good way to keep the chit-chat alive.

7. Talk about traffic: ‘How was the traffic on your way over?’ or ‘how did you get here?’

8. Give compliments: ‘Nice dress’ or Nice car’ or ‘ a nice house’…say something nice. It makes the other side feel at ease and warms up the talk.

9. How is school/work: The school or work topics are always good; people love to complain about work or school. 

10, Sports: It is not only guys’ things anymore, women enjoy the sports equally. The trick is to find out -‘So, what kind of sports do you watch/play?’

11. Current news: Talk about current topics in the news – sports, headlines or any other current topics that your company may be interested in.

12. Family talk: If appropriate, e.g. among family friends, talk about your parents, kids, family vacation etc. Family friends can always have tons to chit-chat about.

13. Mutual friends: Talk about mutual friends, or friends of friends. Be positive, saying bad stuff behind someone’s back reflects poorly on you.

14. Drinks and Food: If you are invited over for a party, or if meeting someone over a drink or a meal, you can always talk about the food or the menu or the drinks being served,

15. Music, TV, movies comments: ‘Have you watched any movie lately?’ Or ‘Did you watch the Late Night Show last night?’ and so on…

16. Discuss hobbies: Talk about your hobbies, find out what your company likes to do in the free time. Exchange ideas on any common interests you share.

17. Talk about environment: It is the new fashion – a new trend, to be environment friendly. You can always talk about new initiatives or ideas about saving environment.

18. Travel talk: Talk about travel or vacation or a trip. ‘Any plans to go out-of-town this year?’

19. Share a funny anecdote or a joke: If appropriate for the occasion and if you feel comfortable, share some funny story or a joke to lighten up the mood.

20. Tech Stuff or new Gadgets:Talk about new toys – new cell phones, iPods, iPhones, new computers, new applications, Face-book, .All of us have some new gadgets or computer applications that we like and love to talk about.