Small talk in English: the five minutes that win the deal.
The first five minutes of a meeting, the coffee break at a conference and the client dinner often matter more than the agenda. Many professionals find this the hardest part of working in English. We make it easy with simple patterns and plenty of practice.
“Start a conversation with a client at a conference coffee break.”
Example drill from the Spoken appCommon slips, fixed
How are you? Fine, and you?How’s your week going so far?
Where are you from?What brings you to Lisbon?
I go nowI’ll let you go. Great to chat.
Very nice to meet you too alsoLovely to meet you.
Ask, add, ask
- AskOpen with an easy, open question.
- AddShare something about yourself in one or two sentences.
- Ask againFollow up on their answer to keep it going.
Phrases to have ready
- Have you been to Lisbon before?
- How did you get into this field?
- That sounds like a busy week.
- Any plans for the weekend?
- Let’s stay in touch. Are you on LinkedIn?
Questions
Is small talk really worth training?
Yes. Rapport drives trust, and trust drives deals. It is also where many confident professionals feel least comfortable.
Can this be part of a team workshop?
Yes. A half-day networking workshop is popular before conferences and client events.
Practise before your next event.
A free 15-minute call with the founder. Ask anything, no commitment.
Carla BarrosoYou’ll speak with the founder