The Season of Small Talk

As the leaves continue to fall and the air is glittered with snowflakes, it reminds me that the season will soon be upon us. No, I'm not talking about the holiday season ... not yet anyway. It's the pre-holiday season ... the networking party season ... the season of small talk!

Think of all the parties that happen somewhere between the end of November and the First of January. You know ... the office parties (potentially yours and your partner's), the group parties, the parties for clients, the networking business parties, the social parties with friends, etc. etc. Every time you turn around, you're not only finding something else to wear but also finding something else to talk about with someone new.

A lot of people cringe when it comes to making small talk at business or social events. Perhaps those few moments of awkward dead silence have happened to you on occasion. A tip that I learned from my friend, Deanna Tucci Schmitt, who is quite the exceptional networker, is to always remember the acronym FORM ... which stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Move On. If you can remember this one simple acronym when at a party or business networking event, small talk will be a breeze. People generally like to talk about their family, they find it easy to talk about what they enjoy doing and tend to elaborate on what they do for a living. Don't forget to practice some exit lines as you really should move around a meet a few new people.

Small talk ... it can opens doors ... it can begin relationships ... and it could possibly lead to profitable business opportunities.

What tips do you have to offer someone to enhance their small talk abilities?