Small Talk

[Erudite]

I've never been great at small talk. My friends are friends because we've moved beyond small talk. But you still gotta do it with people you don't know well. Do you have a tried and true method for small talk? What questions do you ask? How do you keep it moving forward without dominating the conversation?

[natickgirl]

I find that conversations flow pretty easily if I can get the other people talking about themselves. Start with questions such as how old their children are, what city they live in & what they like/dislike about it, where they went to school & what they studied, whether they work or have hobbies, if they've seen any good movies or read any good books lately, etc.. Then, share your information with them as the conversation allows & find common ground.

I've learned that some people like to chat, some don't. Some are shy, some are not in the mood to talk, and some are suspicious or just rude (as I encountered frequently in Massachusetts). If someone doesn't respond well, don't take it personally. There are so many people to be friends with--if the friendship is one-sided or requires too much effort, it's OK to let it go.

My DH isn't one for small talk, either. He feels if it's not important, it's not worth talking about. Most of the time that's OK, but there are instances where making small talk (sometimes with people you don't particularly care for) is necessary.