Selling Small Talk: It’s a Big Deal

Is small talk a waste of time? You couldn’t be more incorrect. While it may appear to be pointless chitchat, small talk can help you establish relationships, develop connections, and get ready for deeper conversations. Don’t underestimate the power of small talk; there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye!

One of the biggest benefits of small talk is that it can help you get to know someone better. By talking about everyday topics, you learn more about the other person’s interests and personality. This can be really helpful in forming deeper relationships down the road.

The key to cooperation is your social connection to others. Small talk is an important aspect of establishing that social connection. When you create a relationship with someone by having short talks about topics other than the task you’re performing, you strengthen the bond and make goal-oriented conversations and requests more likely to flow freely.

Your chances of being chosen for projects are enhanced if people remember you when they’re forming a group of people to collaborate. In other words, you want to be well-represented in the memories of your coworkers.

Of course, how successful you are at your job will have an impact on whether people remember you and have a good impression of your work. However, individuals also prefer individuals who are both productive and pleasant to deal with. The more skilled you are at having to engage in social talks with others, the more memorable you will be to others and the more likely it is that others will consider you a fascinating person to collaborate with. As a result of small talk, there may be future possibilities for you.

Here are 4 benefits of small talk:

• It allows us to identify areas of agreement and common interest and establish connections.
• It enhances active listening abilities.
• It aids in the development of muscles, allowing us to more readily engage in spontaneous activities.
• It establishes the foundation for progressing to more serious, in-depth subjects that require a greater level of psychological safety.

Human beings have dominated the Earth because of our capacity to collaborate with one another. People are part of a team rather than a set of boxes on an org chart since they believe they are members of a group.

It is your social connection to others that greases the gears of cooperation. Small talk is a significant part of creating that social connection. When you have brief conversations about topics outside of the work that you’re doing, you solidify the bond with another person in a way that makes more goal-directed conversations and requests flow smoothly.

Small talk, on a deeper level, is an “honest” signal that exhibits certain qualities about you in a brief amount of time.

What questions should you ask yourself to figure out how much energy your brand has? Think about who you are and what makes you unique. What qualities do I want my future self to remember about me so that they may be inspired by my life?

It allows you to convey information to your recipient so that they may make a gut response (e.g., are you a threat? Are you a pushy salesperson?)

In sales, small talk isn’t meaningless; the actual aim, however, is not what it appears to be.

It’s what the surface displays and conveys.

The actual words take a back seat to the emotion.

What matters most is your tone, posture, appearance, and position in your business or career.

TALKING POINTS

• At the beginning of a conversation, be natural, don’t force it, let it develop organically.
• Trust your instincts and be ready to pick up on something someone says, however slight it might appear, which you can then develop into a deeper conversation.
• When engaged in small talk, don’t be looking over the person’s shoulder or around the room. They deserve your full attention, however short that time might be.
• Remember, small talk can be enjoyable, and can make your day nicer just by the sense of friendliness it can convey.

In today’s post-pandemic world, we may value these rapid, informal discussions more than ever. But now that we’re back to face-to-face work, small talk isn’t quite so unimportant.

So the next time you’re at a networking event, or even just out to dinner with potential clients, don’t be afraid to put your small talk skills to use. It could be the thing that helps you close the deal and land that new client. With a little practice, you may find that those small talk moments are some of your most valuable selling opportunities.

Content provided by Women Belong member Marie Hale

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