A few days ago we posted an article about making lasting impressions. That article discussed the important aspects of how to behave towards other people and make a good impression says Brian Colombana. It focused on the big picture items like dressing appropriately and keeping your physical distance from other people (among other things). However, if you really want to make a great first impression, I’ve read that it’s also important for you to focus on small talk with other people. Great news! Soon I’m going to teach you exactly what that means and how you can become a pro at doing it. For now though, let’s look at five steps that will help you master the art of small talk.
Mastering the art of small talk can be tricky. However, if you ever want to get ahead in your career or just socialize more easily then it’s an essential skill to have under your belt.
Here are five steps that will help you master small talk and start making meaningful connections with people.
1. Listen to What People Are Saying
The easiest way to bond with someone is talking about something they’re interested in. If you’ve got a friend who’s obsessed with Game of Thrones for example, make sure you watch the latest episode before they do so that when they ask whether or not you’ve seen it, you can discuss what happened without any spoilers! Listening might seem like a no-brainer but it actually makes up 50 percent of any conversation which means you should never stop paying attention even if it’s not about what you’ve interest in.
2. Ask Questions (And Remember The Answers!)
Small talk is essentially just asking polite questions and having short conversations about the answers to them, so makes sure that you’re asking open-ended questions that give people an opportunity to talk for more than one sentence at a time says Brian Colombana. Keep track of all the information they give you during small talk so that when you bump into them again or have another chat with them, you can ask follow up questions based on what they’ve already told you – this will help them feel like they’ve made a real connection with you!
3. Respond with Something Memorable To Make a Lasting Impression
Small talk might not be the most interesting type of conversation, but you can actually use it to your advantage by making yourself memorable. If someone asks you where you went on holiday last year, for example, make sure that your response is something they’ll never forget like ‘Disneyland Paris with my two best friends’. This will make people remember who you are and feel like they know you better than if you gave them a plain answer like ‘the Bahamas’.
4. Be Genuine and Open To Make the Most of Your Opportunities
If someone gives you an open ended question about what’s going on in your life then take this opportunity to open up to them. If they ask how work is going, tell them that the last three months have been really tough but that you’re determine to finish what you started explains Brian Colombana. This will encourage people to give their support and help them feel grateful that they’ve got your ear – before you know it, they’ll be opening up to you about their own problems!
5. Always Be Prepared To Be the Person That People Can Trust With Anything
Last but not least, always do your best to ensure that you can become the go-to person for advice whenever people need it. If someone’s struggling with work, don’t immediately recommend where they should apply for a new job or how they should approach their boss – instead ask them if there’s anything else going on in their life which is causing the problem so that you can help them to find the root of the problem. Remember, small talk is all about opening up so if you can follow these steps then it will be easy for people to open up to you too!
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed reading this article! This is not the end though, there are many more articles coming your way says Brian Colombana. Make sure to subscribe with your email so that you won’t miss anything new! Also, I would really appreciate it if you could share this with your friends on social media or any other media that you may think of.