Networking

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Starting a conversation

Where do you come from then?

Useful Tips

  • Successful small talk is not about saying brilliant things. It’s about commenting on and asking about ordinary things with conviction, interest, and enthusiasm.
  • Match the mood of your conversation partner. If they are smiling and cheerful, be ready to laugh. If they seem serious, be serious too.
  • Ask where your partner comes from and, when somebody asks you the same thing, be ready to add something interesting about the place.
  • Ask what your partner does and, when you’re asked the same question, don’t only give a title. Add a small piece of interesting or amusing information about the job or responsibility.

Track 01

1
A: That was really interesting what the last speaker said about opening bank accounts in the Cayman Islands.
B: Yes, it was. So, what do you do exactly?
A: I’m an auditor, a forensic auditor.
B: Ah, um, you’re a forensic, um, auditor?
A: Yes, that’s right.
B: Right, oh. I see. Look at the time! I must get to the next presentation…

2
C: Mmm, lovely coffee! I needed that. I just flew in from London very early this morning. How did you get here?
D: I came on the TGV train from Paris.
C: Really? I’ve never been on the TGV. How long did that take?
D: Oh, about 4 hours. But I was able to have breakfast and do some reading.
C: That sounds nice. I must try it sometime. Marseilles’s really beautiful, isn’t it?
D: Yes, it is. Have you been here before? If you haven’t, you must…

3
E: …I’m certainly looking forward to the dinner this evening.
F: I am too. Especially the fish. We don’t have much fish where I live.
E: Really? Where do you come from then?
F: Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It’s in the mountains just near Munich. What about you?
E: I’m from Cork in Ireland. The high street is supposed to have more pubs than any other town in Ireland.
F: Really? I’m going there on a business trip soon to visit the Apple factory. I must see if I can find time to visit some…

4
G: …and then I went jogging early this morning along by the sea. Fantastic sunrise coming up over the sea.
H: Really? Sunrise, you say?
G: Yes, amazing! Do you like jogging? You should try it, you know. It makes you feel really great all day long. Just set the alarm for 5:30, jump out of bed and after you’ve been running for about an hour or so, go back, have a shower and…
H: Sorry, but do you know where I can smoke? I think I want a cigarette before the next presentation. Ah, that way? Thanks.

Talking about jobs

It’s a very challenging profession.

Useful Tips

When telling people about your job:

  • Be brief and precise.
  • Show how your job benefits people or organizations.
  • Make sure that your description is relevant to the person you are talking to.
  • Avoid technical terms or abbreviations unless talking to a fellow expert.
  • Accentuate the positive aspects rather than the negative.

Track 07

Student: Excuse me, are you working on the Foodaid stand?
Jenny: Yes, can I help you?
S: Well, can you tell me what jobs at Foodaid involve?
J: There are lots of jobs at Foodaid which involve doing all sorts of different things. What subject do you study at university?
S: Engineering
J: Very important for Foodaid. My colleague, Hassan Sahin, for example, is a mechanical engineer and he is responsible for helping farmers in countries such as Chad or Pakistan where we work as an NGO to drill water wells.
S: Er… an NGO?
J: Sorry, a Non-Governmental Organization.
S: Right, of course. And what do you do?
J: Well, actually I’m a lawyer. I’m in charge of managing the legal department and we make sure that Foodaid understands any legal issues that might crop up in the work it does.
S: I hope I don’t sound rude, but you look very young to do that.
J: That’s what’s so good about Foodaid! You get important responsibilities very quickly. A friend of mine is working in Somalia and she manages a development budget of about 2 million dollars and she supplies the whole of West Africa with trucks for transporting food and equipment. It’s a very challenging job and she’s only 23!
S: I see. But, as it’s a charity, do you get paid for your work?
J: Yes, of course. You’ll never be rich working for Foodaid, but you get paid. Very often people like you work with us for a few years to gain experience and then they move on to other jobs. Lots of companies like the fact that you’ve worked for a charity.
S: Hmm. So, what makes a job with Foodaid interesting, then?
J: It’s very rewarding. You feel you are doing something useful with your skills, not just making some company shareholders rich. And even if the work is demanding, it’s never boring.
S: It sounds really interesting. Thanks for telling me about it.
J: That’s fine. Here’s some more information about what we do and my card. If you have any more questions, just give me a ring…

Showing interest in other people

Oh, I know what you mean.

Useful Tips

When you are in conversation:

  • Echo the key information to encourage further explanation, for example, I’m allergic to shellfish. To shellfish?
  • Empathize. Use phrases to show that you understand how your partner feels, for example, That’s amazing! or Really?
  • Paraphrase. Reformulate in your own words what has been said to show that you are listening, for example, So what you’re telling me is…

Track 10

Casper: It’s very different way to do business here in Singapore, compared to Germany.
Emily: I know what you mean. Do you find it difficult?
C: No, not at all. It’s interesting.
E: Interesting?
C: Yes. For example, in Singapore you discuss prices much earlier in a negotiation than we do in Germany.
E: Really? So, you mean that you leave price negotiations till the end of a discussion?
C: Oh, yes. In Singapore you start talking about prices for products when in Germany we’re still trying to define exactly what’s wanted.
E: How amazing! I didn’t realize. I suppose we think it’s a waste of time discussing something if the price is always going to be unrealistic.
C: I see.
E: Whereas in Germany you feel you can’t begin to think about price until you know all the details.
C: That’s right.
E: So, do you like Singapore?
C: Oh, yes. Very much, especially the food. But I need to do some sport. I’ve put on 2 kilos already! Back in Berlin I play centre forward for the company football team.
E: Really?
C: Yes, um… anyway, um…
E: Do you notice any other differences between business life here and in Germany?
C: Well, another difference is the flexibility that a manager has here.
D: Flexibility?
C: Yes. In Germany it’s very difficult to be a manager because every time you want to introduce a change in the organization or in communication processes, you have to ask the Workers’ Council for permission. This makes innovation very slow, which isn’t good for the employees at all.
E: So, what you’re saying is that the Workers’ Council in Germany makes things more difficult for employees, not easier.
C: Sometimes, yes.
E: That’s terrible!

Exchanging information

I heard it on the grapevine.

Useful Tips

Here are 3 ways to get the information you want within your organization:

  • First offer appropriate information yourself. If you want to find out about a particular area, offer information of your own first to show you can be trusted. Think carefully about what information is appropriate to pass on to others.
  • Ask questions indirectly. If you want to ask about somebody or something, use statements with question tags rather than direct questions, for example, You know John, don’t you? rather than Do you know John? A direct question may frighten someone into remaining silent but a statement that sounds more like speculation will often be confirmed or corrected by somebody with better information.
  • Create intimacy. If you don’t know somebody very well, but want to exchange information with that person, you can use these techniques: Drop their name into conversation more than usual and use we, us and our as often as possible, for example, I think we’re going to see a lot of changes in our department soon, Peter.

Track 18

Candy: I really want to thank you, Michael, for taking me with you to the meeting. I just can’t get used to driving on the left!
Michael: No problem.
C: You used to work for our new chief legal officer, Christine Bender, didn’t you?
M: Yes, that’s right. She and I started together in the legal department 5 years ago. Then I changed over to IT.
C: Christine is so successful. She did an amazing job for us dealing with that whole corruption scandal last year, don’t you think?
M: Yes, she did. But, between you and me, Christine could never have managed that without her team.
C: That’s so true, Michael. She always picks good people to work with her. By the way, I heard on the grapevine that she’s going to move to our New York office next.
M: Yes, I heard that too. I wonder how her husband feels about it. He’s journalist, I think.
C: Well, according to Christine’s assistant, Mrs Weber, that’s not a problem. He’s going to write articles about New York nightlife. Although I can’t imagine who’s going to look after the children then.
M: Apparently, they’re going to have a nanny. I overheard Christine talking to the boss about it this morning. It must be very expensive, but they’ll have enough money.
C: I suppose they might appoint somebody from Christine’s team to carry on her work.
M: Ah, no! It seems that Christine didn’t want to recommend any of them to the boss, so Gabriele from the commercial department will take over. Christine’s team was really angry!