Do you know someone who can strike up a conversation with everybody they meet? Their conversations look effortless, they often get free drinks at the bar, and they make best friends any time they go out.
How do these people do it? Are they some type of social mutants? Or are they just “naturals” when it comes to talking to people?
They may be gifted, but they don’t have some coveted secret. Instead, they’ve just mastered the art of small talk.
Small talk is the base of a conversation.
Never forget conversation is a ladder and you can't just leap-frog up the conversation. You need small talk to climb the ladder and warm people up with it.
A few examples how to transform closed-ended questions to open-ended:
Would you like vanilla ice cream?
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream and why?
When is your birthday?
When is your birthday and how do you like to celebrate?
Where did you go to college?
What do you feel was most beneficial about your college experience?
