How To Make Small Talk Fun

We tend to think of small talk as a chore that nobody enjoys, the truth is most of our relationships, probably start with small talk and we don’t necessarily realise it.
Making small talk or you could call it chit chat, lets us create connections of all types.

Whether negative or positive, it could open doors that change our lives. If you think of small talk as the opportunity to meet someone new or to learn something new, it can be fun.
If you still dread chatting to strangers, the tips below will take the pain out of the process for you.
  
Practice and Preperation is Key - Take every opportunity to chat with people that you do not know.
Plan to chat with someone in each location you find yourself throughout the day/evening.
Your neighbour, people at the bus stop, cashiers in the shops or anyone you are in line with, your colleagues at work, children and especially teens and older people. Don’t overdue it though. As you could be seen as annoying.
  
Keep up with current issues - You can make small talk about the news, weather, current affairs, sport, or any high profile topical event. Read newspapers and listen to the news on the radio and TV.

At The Moment or Social Event

• Step 1: You try to make the first move.Look for someone standing on their own or look for someone who looks approachable.Introduce yourself and ask them their name.
• Step 2: Find Common ground
  If you are in the same room, you must have at least one thing in common.
  Ask an open ended question or try an observation of the environment you in, followed by a question. You could even give the person a compliment followed by a question - open ended of course. However, beware, don’t continually fire questions, as this could put someone off, as they would feel that you were interrogating them.
• Step 3: Listen for Clues
  If you dread your conversation drying up, take clues from the answers of the other person and follow up with a particular point or phrase they may have made in answer to your question. A study from the Univertity of Buffalo in the USA, segregated that people with a high level of curiosity, find connecting with people very easy.
• Step 4: Listen out Loud
  Whilst listening to the other person, use plenty of verbal listening clues, such as “Wow, that’s amazing” or “Uh-Huh” or “Mmm-Mmm” just to let the other person know that you are listening and not just watching their mouth move.
• Step 5: Share an anecdote of your day
  Share any small incident of your day, that you think they may find interesting or funny.
  however, keep it short and sweet! Be aware of the subject matter, no long yawn invoking stories or even dirty jokes!
• Step 6: Respect personal space 
  Everyone's got different ideas about personal space, but if in doubt keep at least arm's length away from someone you've just met. The same rules apply to touching; you're more likely to encounter someone who doesn't like unsolicited touching from strangers than a touchy-feely person.
• Step 7: Relax
  Enjoy yourself.
• Step 7: Know when to make an exit
  If the conversation feels like it is dragging or has come to its natural conclusion. Move on! Making small talk involves knowing when it's time to move on.