From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Small Talk
By Kim Welcome
Apr 7, 2011 - 11:49:07 AM
If you absolutely hate being in situations
that require you to ease awkwardness with insincere chit chat, you are
not alone. Online polling company Amplicate recently found 78% of their
participants feel the same way. Some see
Small Talk as meaningless
conversation with people they could care less about and have little
in common. However, in social/business settings
Small Talk is
how we build relationships, make valuable connections and let people
know what we have to offer. Like it or not the better you are at making
good conversation the more doors open up to you. The good news, you
can acquire this skill.
I had a client whose promotion came
with the responsibility to socialize with prospects, clients and senior
executives from other regions. She dreaded having to piece together
conversations at social events to kill the sound of silence.
My first goal was to help her change her mind set. Instead of viewing
this as a task, she needed to see this as an opportunity. You can learn
something from anyone. Ask meaningful open ended
questions that
allow the other person to share their perspective……..and then really
listen. My client began to realize that most people are interesting
in some way and there is commonality in being human.
In his book,
How to Win Friends
and Influence People, Dale Carnegie cites being a good conversationalist
doesn’t mean you have to do most of the talking. People like
to talk about their jobs, share their opinions and advice; but it’s
not often that we can find someone to listen with appreciation. If you
can ask the right questions and become a sincere listener, people will
not only want to talk to you, they’ll find you likable and engaging.
Kim Welcome is CEO of Influential
Voice, a Communication Trainer and Coach; she assists businesses and
individuals to achieve their goals through helping them to develop deliberate,
skillful, polished communication skills. For more info www.influentialvoice.com
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