You’ll do more business, and better business, if you make small talk and connect with your clients, colleagues, higher-ups, and prospects — and it’s easy if you embrace a technique that I call respond and return. Before we look at how, though, let’s clear up a matter of protocol: How Do You Know Whether or Not to Make Small Read More
Small Talk
Public Speaking Tip 72: Small Talk? It’s Not Hard to Master When You Understand It
If you feel awkward when you’re making small talk, or try your best to avoid making it, you’re not alone. Many people find the idea of small talk daunting. But small talk gets easier when you understand what it’s really for, and how simple it is to do. The Secret of Small Talk (Hint: It’s Read More
Public Speaking Tip 62: Talk About Inconsequential Things When You Make Small Talk
I’ve written about the value of talking about inconsequential things when you practice Instant Speeches or when you speak up in meetings, and that same value attaches to small talk. Hopefully, this will make participating in it easier and less daunting. And yes, I know that some of you already find small talk easy and non-daunting, but the rest of Read More