Publisher's Synopsis
Improving your "small talk" skills is something many people never even consider. That can be a big mistake, especially if you want to get the most out of your interactions with others in your day-to-day life. The truth is that the great majority of all discussion consists of minor chitchat and cordialities. Think of it as the necessary framework supporting all meaningful exchanges.
Small talk is therefore a subtle yet critical part of effective verbal communication, and plays a major role in the impressions you leave upon people. Without proper attention to it, you could end up sabotaging yourself on the more important matters as a result.
This book will help you perfect the art of chitchat until it becomes second-nature. For many communication students, this is the final piece of the puzzle needed to turn one into a master conversationalist. At the very least, becoming confident in your ability to engage in small talk will make conversation more enjoyable and increase fulfillment in your social life. But the potential rewards are so much more far-reaching, both professionally and personally, that it is well worth the relatively small effort to attain.
In How to Master Small Talk you will learn:
- Ways to naturally introduce yourself without being awkward
- Several easy-to-remember methods for starting conversations
- Reliable ice-breakers for both business networking and personal chats
- The 4 key elements of casual dialogue
- Always-safe topics vs topics to avoid
- Effortless ways of keeping conversations alive
- How to ask questions to control a discussion
- Ways to captivate a listener
- The proper role of emotion in making a personal connection
- Listening skills
- How to get people to like you without really trying
- Nonverbal communication
...and much more.
Once you digest this material you just might discover yourself able to direct conversations as a maestro conducting a symphony, artfully moving between small talk and weightier topics in a way that puts people at ease and leaves all participants with a sense of gratification. It is a talent that will grow with you, and pay lifelong dividends in ways you have yet to imagine.
