33 Best Small Talk Topics And What To Avoid In Conversation

Small talk questions for work are perfect for office situations, meetings, or networking events. A lot of the time, starting a conversation can feel incredibly awkward. But using good small talk questions can make it way easier. These are perfect for opening a chat with www.thewingtalks.com/ someone new or reconnecting with someone you haven’t seen in a while. They’re much more interesting than the usual “Where are you from? ” Instead, these small talk questions to ask encourage the other person to share something they enjoy or feel proud of.

  • Other common small talk topics include the weather, sports, and celebrity gossip.
  • It’s also interesting to learn more about a career field you haven’t pursued or experienced before.
  • This helps create a connection and gives the other person a chance to ask you questions too.
  • Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to start a conversation.

You may be able to guess the answer to this question just by speaking with this person for a few minutes. However, many introverts have extraverted qualities for short periods of time. What a fun question to ask to get to know someone’s values and interests. Choosing one person out of millions of possibilities forces the speaker to zero in on someone who might be an inspiration, mentor, celebrity, or historic figure. While people don’t often proudly announce their guilty pleasures, once they are voiced, other people usually follow suit. This is a great way to connect to new people, and with such an open-ended question, they have the room to take it wherever they want.

best small talk questions

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The setting you’re in can be a cheat sheet for starting a conversation with the people around you. Look around and comment on something you’re both experiencing. Some folks find it exciting to walk into a room of people they don’t know.

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If they have no idea, you can always ask what their favorite podcasts are, which can result in an equally fun and stimulating conversation. This one is always good for a laugh (and a mutual reality check when it comes to screen time). Whether it’s TikTok, Zillow, or the deep threads of Reddit, it sparks surprisingly fun convos about habits and guilty pleasures. This one brings out all the weird trivia, obscure podcast episodes, or fun facts people are quietly hoarding for moments just like this.

You’re not obligated to keep things going just for the sake of it. A kind, simple exit line like, “It was so nice chatting. I’m gonna grab another drink/find my colleague,” allows you to slip away gracefully. Don’t forget to just relax and let the conversation happen when the moment’s right.

To them, it’s just a chance to make a bunch of new friends. But for other people, walking into a sea of strangers can be super intimidating, partly because of how unnatural small talk can feel. Remember, most of us are going to feel socially anxious at one point or another during our lives.