Small Talk

let’s give ’em something to talk about . 57
tions that require only a one- or two-word answer. Here
are some new ways to ask old favorites:
Instead of asking:
Try this:
Are you married?
What do you do for a
living?
Do you have kids?
What’s your favorite hobby?
How was your weekend?
Tell me about your
family.
Tell me about your
business/work.
Tell me about your
family.
Tell me about your
favorite hobby.
What was the best
part of your weekend?
What went on for you
this weekend?
When you need to mingle at an industry function or
take a client to lunch, prepare yourself for the event by
selecting some business-related questions to ask. See
pages 60 and 61 for some that work every time. Of course,