Big business, small talk

As a business journalist, I know that people approachan etw. herangehenapproach small talk differently, depending on where they’re from. A Danish designer once asked me so many questions, I wondered who was interviewing whom. I met a Norwegian businessman who enjoyed minute-long pauses in conversation. And I laughed out loud when the CEO (chief executive offcer)Konzernchef(in)CEO of McDonald’s shared a joke while shaking my hand (“What do French fries (US)Pommes fritesFrench fries do when they meet after a long time? — They ketchupAnspielung auf “catch up”; hier: sich austauschenketchup!”).

Small talk ease sth.etw. erleichterneases the transition into more serious discussion, shapes perceptionAuffassung, Wahrnehmungperceptions and strengthens relationships. It’s defined in the dictionary as “polite conversation about things that are not important…” The topicThematopics may not be important, but small talk can influence the success of business interactions.

One study by the Harvard Business Review found that spontaneous conversations between coworkers improve collaboration, productivity and innovation, and that those who engage in sth.sich an etw. beteiligenengage in small talk before negotiationVerhandlungnegotiations achieve better results. Melissa Hahn, a lecturerDozent(in)lecturer in intercultural communication at American University, in Washington, D.C., told Business Spotlight that small talk “humanizes any business transaction, making it more personal and, in many cases, forming a longer-lasting bondBindungbond.”

Cultural differences

“Moving to the U.S. was a cultural adjustmentAnpassungadjustment,” says Victor Bergonzoli, the Swiss CEO of Miami-based SportsEdTV. “I was used to get straight to the pointsofort zum Wesentlichen kommengetting straight to the point. So, I was frustrated with the amount of time spent on small talk. Now, I appreciate sth.etw. zu schätzen wissenappreciate small talk’s role in establishing and strengthening tieVerbindungties with others. I wish we could do more of it in some European countries.”

After observing others, Bergonzoli tried it himself but stress sth.etw. betonenstresses that not all topics are safe — politics and religion, for example, can cause tensionSpannungtension. He’s developed his own list of questions for small talk at business meetings. (His favorites include: “What’s the best restaurant in town?”; “Where did you grow up?”; “What’s your favorite outdoor activity?”)

What’s the key to learning such conversational skills? “frame sth.hier: etw. ausgestaltenFrame your task as get acquainted with sb.jmdn. kennenlernengetting acquainted with people,” says Hahn. Her tips: focus on similarities, share something about yourself and ask open questions, which elicit sth.etw. entlocken; hier: ermutigenelicit longer responses.

“I appreciate small talk’s role in establishing and strengthening ties

Small talk from country to country

There’s no hard and fast (US)verbindlichhard-and-fast rule, but understanding a bit about different cultures can help you be a more effective communicator and relationship-builder in international business.

United States

Americans use informal small talk as a way to break the ice, with a focus on friendliness and openness. It often includes relatively personal information, such as weekend plans, hobbies or recent trips. For instance, arriving at a business meeting, someone might comment: “Are all taxi drivers here so entertaining? My ride in from the airport was a blast (US ifml.)Riesenspaßblast!” The American approach uses humor. A funny, light-heartedheiterlight-hearted personal anecdote helps establish a friendly atmosphere.

United Kingdom

Business meetings with Brits may start off a bit formal but will quickly become more relaxed. However, when Brits engage in small talk, they’re often more reserved and less personal than Americans. For business travelers from abroad, it can be a challenge to interpret the nuanceFeinheitnuances of British humor, often characterized by irony and self-deprecationSelbstironieself-deprecation. reliablehier: sicherReliable topics include travel, terrible traffic and, of course, the weather: “Typical, isn’t it? One minute, it’s sunny; the next, it’s pourschüttenpouring. That’s Britain for you!”

Canada

What do you get when you mix American and British styles of small talk? Canada. Canadians may sound a lot like Americans when they speak, but their polite but somewhat reserved style probably has more in common with that of the Brits. Small talk might start with a comment about the local environment (“What a beautiful day!”) or a question about sports (hockey, for example): “Are you following the playoffsEndspieleplayoffs? It’s been an exciting season!” This reflects their friendly nature without overwhelmüberfordernoverwhelming with excessive informality.

Australia

Australians like a direct, upfrontoffen, geradeherausupfront style of small talk, a lot like the American approach. The Australian lifestyle includes a lot of outdoor activities, including surfing, bush walking and even barbecuegrillenbarbecuing, which offer opportunities for small talk. Another richhier: ergiebigrich area is sports — bewareAchtungbeware that “football” in Australia can refer to various sports, ranging from soccerFußballsoccer to Australian rules football (AFL).

China

Chinese people value guanxi (“network of relationships”) very highly, especially in business. So, it’s worth taking the time to learn a little bit about your counterpartGegenübercounterpart, even in advanceim Vorausin advance. Small talk during meals is particularly important, when business is usually not discussed. Remember that surnameNachnamesurnames come first in Chinese, so a man called “Lo Wenhao” would be “Mr. Lo.” Meetings tend to be formal and include full titles in introductions. Stay away from politics, but Chinese people usually aren’t shyschüchtern; hier: zurückhaltendshy about discussing personal topics, such as where they live and what their hobbies are.

Japan

Don’t mention business right away. Present your business cardVisitenkartebusiness card (with a bowVerbeugungbow and using both hands), then be prepared for a potentially lengthyausführlichlengthy phase of small talk. Japanese businesspeople like to get to know those they do business with. Positive topics that your business partners have knowledge of, such as local food,  will help get the conversation flowing.

United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, a few minutes of small talk at the start of a meeting or conference will go a long wayviel bewirkengo a long way in business dealings, but topics such as religion, politics or age are taboo. Politeness and hospitalityGastfreundschafthospitality are highly valued. An acceptable question might be to ask about the best-kept travel secrets of the UAE.

DEBORAH STEINBORN is an American journalist, editor-in-chiefChefredakteur(in)editor-in-chief of ZEIT Germany and a member of Forbes magazine’s World billionaireMilliardär(in)Billionaires reporting team. She lives in Hamburg