What happens when you turn small talk into a business pitch?

#1. I hate small talk – but I know it matters. What can I do?

It happens that professionals are not exactly fond of small talk. Maybe you are one of them? 

You might think you need to talk about the weather or other topics, which seem a waste of time to you. Besides, they are also superficial in your opinion. 

But you don’t need to talk about the weather. There are plenty of small talk topics that are simply overlooked. Take the topic interests, for example. 

Let’s say you are a software developer and like gaming in your free time. You are at an international IT trade fair where you meet other developers. They might share the same interest as you. And as small talk is a kind of verbal ping pong, you can just move from one topic to the next with your conversation partner until you find a topic of common interest. Let’s say it is gaming. 

And then you can talk about this topic because both of you like it. 

To keep the conversation going, you can ask questions. Maybe you have some time to prepare some questions beforehand.

In other words: You can also make small talk about a topic you like when it fits your interests or hobbies. Just make sure it is a topic which is easy to digest and not related to politics or religion.

👉 If your whole team struggles with this at international events, our Team English Coaching builds these skills together.

#2. Is it professional to talk about personal interests?

This is a very interesting question. 

When you are at international meetings, conferences or trade fairs you might need different communication and personal skills.

One of these skills is to connect with others through empathy and by showing interest in the person you are dealing with. You do that by asking your conversation partner questions and giving them time to jump into the conversation instead of holding monologues about yourself and your business achievements. They are surely interesting but at another time.

Furthermore, you can show that you are an active listener, know how to politely interrupt someone and change the topic, and how to show interest in the conversation and ask questions that make the other person feel comfortable.

Showing these skills, which stand for good business manners, is another purpose of small talk. Because when you are authentic in showing these skills, it means that your business partner can trust you.

A client of mine asked me:

"Would a senior leader really be interested in the fact that I'm a good swimmer?"

My answer is yes, surely. Because it shows the actual human being behind the businessperson. And that’s something you can relate to and connect with instead of a perfect business pitch.

👉 Want to build these connection skills with confidence? Our Business English Coaching for Professionals helps you master both small talk and high-stakes conversations.

#3. How do I introduce myself without giving a mini sales pitch?

For introductions, it might be handy to prepare a short introduction.

To make sure it is not a mini sales pitch, cover the following points:

• personal details
• your work
• your company 
• hobbies and interests

You see that it is a mixture of personal information and business information. 

It already provides some topics to deep dive into a small talk conversation, which can lead to a longer exchange.

Here is an example:

I am Petra Navel and work as a Business English Coach for English2Business.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, Zumba dancing, walking my dog and travelling.

#4. What makes people memorable in professional conversations?

Maybe you think the perfect sales pitch and impressive achievements make you memorable in a professional conversation. But how many of these perfect sales pitches and impressive achievements have you heard and do you remember? And if you remember some of them, do you remember the pitch or the person who told you?

Either way, I guess when you have heard 50 of them during a day at a conference, you might find them rather similar. And if you are honest, you don’t know who told you which pitch.

Instead, an interesting hobby, interest, etc., wrapped in a good story is something that sticks. Besides, our brain loves stories. And when you can tell how you enjoy going swimming in a nice lake before work and take in the surrounding nature and first rays of sun on your skin, it creates a picture in your conversation partner’s brain. And a picture is much more likely to be memorized than an abstract sales pitch.

Even if you don’t manage to create a picture, you can still try to tell a little story of something that happened to you while you went swimming in the morning. It is something that makes you human. 

Takeaway

The idea of small talk might be dreadful, but only if you see it as a duty you need to fulfill. If you think of its purpose to build trust and connect people in combination with talking about topics you enjoy, it becomes much more relevant.

You can talk about your interests and hobbies, for example, and wrap them in a good story so that you make sure people will remember you. Want to feel more confident in these conversations?

 🧭 Explore Business English Coaching or Get in touch.