Small Talk

62 . the fine art of small talk
• A diploma on the wall gives you an opening:
What made you choose the University of Michigan for
your graduate work?
• Virtually any object or photograph on display is a
conversation starter: You must love golf—tell me
about this trophy.
• What an interesting piece of art. Tell me about it.
• Tell me about this picture. Who is that with you?
Location, location, location and occasion, occasion,
occasion. The location and occasion of an event offer a
wide variety of free information. At a wedding: I was the
bride’s college roommate. How do you know the couple? At a
seminar or convention, simply asking What brought you to
this event? is an easy and unobtrusive way to start a conversation.
As I took leave of a seminar I had taught, I held the
elevator for a man coming down the hall. I usually don’t
small talk on elevators because of the limited time, but
on a whim I used the free information I had, which was