If you’re like many people, you may find small talk awkward or uncomfortable. If so, in this Toastmasters Podcast episode, I offer a plethora of tips to help you make the most of small talk and maximize your chances of progressing to more meaningful conversations.
You’ll even hear how I handled it when my children were small and a cashier asked me if they had the same father!
Tips include how to:
- Use small talk to build rapport and trust
- Exit a conversation gracefully
- Break the ice with the CAAA process (Comment, Ask, Affirm, Add)
- Deal with awkward questions without getting upset
- Leverage LinkedIn & ChatGPT to develop conversation questions
- Research cultural norms before engaging in taboo topics.
- Create a Conversational Resume to avoid awkward silence
Button links to the Podcast Episode Page on the Toastmasters International website (with additional resources, and links to listen on Spotify & Itunes).