Small Talk Networking is one of those essential life skills that everybody needs to learn. There are many different networking strategies and you should learn which ones suit you best, but there is one thing that applies to all of them; they all require small talk. The old-fashioned idea of "if you can talk, you can market" has given way to "if you can talk, you can network". Today, it's more important than ever that you learn the art of small talk.
What are small talk opportunities? These are the topics and subjects that people are willing to talk about in social situations. You can take this as the perfect medium to test the waters of a new relationship or company. The reason why this works so well for networking is because the lines of communication have been opened up naturally.
If you've never been involved in networking before, you may not be quite sure what to expect. Small talk can be a bit nerve wracking at first, as you don't want to look stupid by trying to initiate the conversation in a normal way. Small talk, in fact, can be one of the most powerful ways to build your personal and professional relationships, especially in business networking.
At first, start small talk. You will want to find out what people are talking about and how they are thinking. If there are certain things about your business or your company that interests someone, make note of them and include it in your conversation. It might even be helpful to follow up with these people afterwards. This way, you both get something out of the interaction.
Of course, keep it short and sweet. Don't try to impress anyone by talking for hours about business. This is definitely not the way to go. Even though it may be fun to talk about your products or services, try to keep the conversation light and friendly. Even if you can't necessarily agree on everything, keeping the conversations positive will help you get a lot more done during those few hours.
When you do talk, try to think about the other people you are networking with as well. Don't be afraid to compliment others on their skills and their appearances. At the same time, you should also not shy away from pointing out people who may be better than you or worse than you. Either way, this will be a great addition to your network.
Of course, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't be complimented in return. In fact, it's probably best if you never do give someone a compliment. The best way to put it is that small talk should only take place when there is no pressure or when the other person is not interested in reciprocating. In other words, if you are talking to a group of friends, you shouldn't talk over everyone else, and you should definitely avoid asking someone out unless they have an immediate answer for you.
Now that you understand networking and small talk, it's likely that you have a better idea of what goes into the process. It's important that you stay aware of your actions so that you don't say something offensive or make an unwanted advance. In general, you should never take any business networking seriously if you don't intend to build a long-term relationship. If you do intend to go the networking route, try to pick someone who has a similar level of interest in your own business and that can be a good business contact as well.
