Socializing

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Socializing and Small Talk
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Socializing

• by
• Ingrid Betz, Julia Janssen, Lena Nüs, Maren Otte,
  Marina Wübbeke und Stephan Scheuner

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Introduction

• There is no business without SMALL TALK!
• There are three levels of small talk

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a)    Small talk without a purpose

• ?Enjoy the moment and the company
• ?Encourage others to participate and engage in
  satisfying contact with people

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b)    Small talk with a purpose

• ?Exchange information and ideas
• ?Explore a new business opportunity

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c)     Small talk for networking

• ?Establish and expand a network as a bridge to
  professional success

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How to do SMALL TALK

• Create a friendly atmosphere
• Make your name memorable
• Build a bridge, meet people on common ground
• Take a stand to show your personality
• Shine but dont boast

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How to make a good impression

• Integrity means being honest and truthful with
  business partners
• Manners means never being selfish, rude or
  undisciplined
• Personality communicate your own values and
  opinions

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How to make a good impression

• Appearance wear suitable clothes, stand and sit
  in a good posture
• Consideration see yourself from the other
  persons standpoint
• Tact think before you speak, avoid religion, sex
  and politics

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How not to do SMALL TALK

• Dont
• bore people with too many details
• interrupt them when they talk about their
  problems
• boast of your own achievements
• over-question people in a negative way
• try to be better than another

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How not to do SMALL TALK

• Dont
• try to seek free advice at the expense of another
• refuse to adapt to anothers mood
• be insensitive to your partners problems
• evaluate or look down on the lives of others
• be a bigot in any matter or meeting or you will
  never succeed in SMALL TALK

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Exercise 1 -gt Answers

• The Mistakes
• 2.
• Man Oh, you must make more money than I do then.
  Im in Sales.
• Correction Oh, that must be why I havent seen
  you around. Im in Sales.
• It is not appropriate to discuss how much people
  make in an office during small talk.

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Exercise 1 gt Answers

• 7.
• Man The Chiefs! Do you think theyre going to
  make it to the finals this year?
• Correction The man should not continue with this
  subject because the woman is obviously not in it.
• 8.
• Man Speaking of desks, what do you think of the
  new furniture?
• Correction The man did not take the cue that the
  woman wants to end the conversation.

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Exercise 1 gt Answers

• 9.
• Woman Its nice, but I would rather get paid for
  my overtime hours than have new furniture.
• Correction Giving your opinion about a
  controversial subject is not appropriate when
  making small talk with someone you dont know or
  trust.
• 11.
• Woman Me neither! My divorce will finally come
  through by then!
• Correction Private information about ones
  personal life is not acceptable.

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Exercise 2 -gt Situation

• Your company has sold a major product to a
  customer in Canada. The customer arrives at
  Frankfurt Airport. You have to meet him and
  entertain him for 2 hours. Build up the dialogue.

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Exercise 2 -gt Topics

• Introduce yourself
• Break the ice
• Make him feel comfortable

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Helpful material

• http//spot.pcc.edu/rjacobs/career/effective_comm
  unication_skills.htmgt  find help in analysing
  your communication style
• www.likemom.com/aricles/37.htmlwww.usheroff.com/a
  rticles_financialpost.htmlgt  read interesting
  articles on communication skills
• www.englishclub.com
• Bosewitz, Kleinschroth Small Talk for Big
  Business, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH, 1998

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Thank you

• for not snoring! )