Small Talk: 6 Easy Conversation Starters

"&lt;p&gt;Being a skilled developer is extremely important, however, you should not be neglecting your communication style during business meetings or even casual ones.&lt;br /&gt; First of all, what is small talk?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h1&gt;Small Talk&lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;Small talk is a type of conversations that is neither too long nor too short, a conversation that is not in-depth meaning so that you will not discussing the wisdom of creation; that is because small talk is the talk you would have with someone you don&amp;#39;t know quite well, or that you have just met.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Imagine you were in a conference, and you were introduced to someone, who might just be a potential client, collaborator, or simply a future friend.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;What would you say to this person?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;I understand that many people, myself included, avoid small talk, for several reasons:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Their personality type: usually, introverts hate small talk&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Shyness&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Low communication skills&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Past experiences (bad ones)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;However, and let me be honest with you, if you would like to be successful in whatever it is that you do, then small talk has to be a skill that you master. I am not telling you to like it, or become fond of it! But, we can not pass over the fact that, in every business meeting, small talk is a must.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;That is why DevBrains is presenting you with these 6 Easy Conversation Starters!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;table border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;width:200px&quot;&gt; &lt;tbody&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; 6 Easy Conversation Starters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Work&quot;&gt;1. Work&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Weather&quot;&gt;2. Weather&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Entertainment&quot;&gt;3. Entertainment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Sports&quot;&gt;4. Sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Food&quot;&gt;5. Food&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Travel&quot;&gt;6. Travel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt; &lt;/table&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Work&quot; name=&quot;Work&quot;&gt;1. Work&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://postimg.cc/06csjVrW&quot; /&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;Work&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/JnW4Tg8L/work.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Talking about work with a person you have just met, especially if they&amp;#39;re in the same industry as you, or a close one, is highly recommended. Knowing the right conversation starters is a must, and so is knowing these&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://devbrains.tn/blog/small-talk-6-ways-to-ruin-a-conversation&quot;&gt;6 Ways to Ruin a Conversation&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;background:#eeeeee; border:1px solid #cccccc; padding:5px 10px&quot;&gt;Scenario 1&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;Let&amp;#39;s say you are a web developer, and you have just met another web developer or someone who hires them so they have quite a good understanding of the industry. What better topic than work could be?!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This can be your chance to show that person how professional you are.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;How long have you been working as a [job]?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What do you enjoy most about [ a new technology in your industry ]?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Such a successful first impression can get you a new job post, or new collaborators!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;background:#eeeeee; border:1px solid #cccccc; padding:5px 10px&quot;&gt;Scenario 2&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;What if this person works in another field?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Let&amp;#39;s say you are a web developer, and he/she is an accountant per example. In this case, you should start by explaining, in simple words, what you do, and show interest in knowing what the other person does.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;How long have you been working as a [job]?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What do you enjoy most about your job?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Always make sure you show the other person that you are actually interested in knowing more about their job.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BE CAREFUL!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Discussing work can be a great conversation starter, however, it can also be a conversation ender.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;When discussing work, make sure you speak positively: avoid, by all means, complaining about your coworkers and especially gossiping about them.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Weather&quot; name=&quot;Weather&quot;&gt;2. Weather&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/SKvwZzpb/weather.jpg&quot; style=&quot;height:354px; width:236px&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Asking about the weather is a common way to start a casual conversation. It is also one of the easiest ways to do so.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Isn&amp;#39;t it a beautiful day?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Is it going to be cold all week?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Will it ever stop raining?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;I love it when it snows!&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Discussing weather is not only easy, but it&amp;#39;s easier to bring up other topics as the conversation progresses.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Let&amp;#39;s say it is raining, that could be a chance to know whether that person loves coffee or tea to warm them up. Or what kind of movies they like to watch in such weather, which brings us to the next &amp;quot;ice-breaker&amp;quot;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Entertainment&quot; name=&quot;Entertainment&quot;&gt;3. Entertainment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/k52qfs8c/entertainment.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Entertainment is considered a &amp;quot;safe topic&amp;quot; since all of us enjoy something, it could be movies, books, music,...&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Are you reading/watching/listening to any great books/movies/songs?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How do you take notes while reading a good book?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What&amp;#39;s the movie that made you laugh non-stop?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Who is your favorite person to follow on Instagram?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Even if you do not have a common interest, try asking questions about what the other person enjoys most, always show that you care, that you are interested in knowing more about them.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Sports&quot; name=&quot;Sports&quot;&gt;4. Sports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/52vhPt2X/sports.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Football, basketball, baseball, golf. If they are not interested in one, they are for sure fond of another!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Before you open this discussion, make sure you have some knowledge about these 4 major sports, so that no matter which one they like, you can speak about it.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;What is your favorite team?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have you seen that game yesterday?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Who is your favorite player?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Needless to say, do not speak about their favorite teams in a bad manner, this can take the conversation somewhere else.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Food&quot; name=&quot;Food&quot;&gt;5. Food&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/NFkc5zqg/food.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Food is indeed a perfect topic for small talk, especially if one of you is a foodie.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;What&amp;#39;s your comfort food?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What is your favorite food? How do you make it?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Or you can ask for recommendations:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;What are the best cheap eats around here?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What are the restaurants you prefer around here?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Needless to say, avoid complaining and speaking about negative topics related to food.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;Travel&quot; name=&quot;Travel&quot;&gt;6. Travel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://i.postimg.cc/zBmZprqz/travel.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Who doesn&amp;#39;t love traveling?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;As Anne Wilson Schaef said, &amp;ldquo;Vacations mean a change of pace, a gentleness with ourselves, a time of rest and renewal, and a time to stretch ourselves and encounter new people, new lands, new ways, and new options.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Not only do people love going on vacations, but they also love hearing about them as well.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can ask questions such as:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have you traveled before?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What is the best country you have ever visited?&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can talk about details of a trip you have taken before, the places you&amp;#39;ve visited, the people you&amp;#39;ve met.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h1&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;No matter what topic you choose to start a small talk, remember to make that first impression, stay positive, and show that you&amp;#39;re really listening and interested.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Which small talk starters would you prefer? Tell us what you think in the comment section.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If you liked this blog, don&amp;#39;t forget to share it with your friends!&lt;/p&gt;"

Small Talk: 6 Easy Conversation Starters

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