In a previous post we already talked about the reasons why it is important to be able to manage Small Talk situations in business.
Now let’s look at two versions of a sample small talk conversation, and let’s consider some details that make one of them seem more engaging, making the participants sound more interested.
Sample conversation ONE:
A: Did you see the match last night?
B: No, actually I didn’t. Did you?
A: Yeah, I did, it was a great match. We won. Are you into watching sport?
B: Well, not so much now. But I quite liked football when I was younger. I don’t watch much of it today. I guess you like sports, don’t you?
A: Yeah, I do. I actually used to be a basketball coach.
B: A basketball coach?
A: Yeah.
B: Aha, and where did you play or train?
A: Well, I started here in a small Barcelona team and then coached a couple of other teams too.
B: Nice. I don’t know much about basketball. Are there good teams here?
Small Talk_Sport (1)
Sample conversation TWO:
A: Did you see the match last night?
B: No, I didn’t.
A: It was a great match. We won. Are you into watching sport?
B: No. But I liked football when I was younger. I don’t watch much of it today. I guess you like sports.
A: Yes, I do. I used to be a basketball coach.
B: And where did you play or train?
A: I started here in a small Barcelona team and then coached a couple of other teams too.
B: I don’t know much about basketball. Are there good teams here?
Small Talk_Sport (2)
First of all, answer these questions:
- In which conversation does speaker B seem more interested in talking about sport? In conversation ONE or TWO?
- How can you tell from the text?