Alisa Cohn - How to go from small talk to real talk

A few weeks ago, I did a talk called Beyond Small Talk, and I wanna share some insights for you to help you go beyond small talk into real talk. Number 1, start with small talk. Weren't expecting that one, were you? The truth is that small talk helps us find common ground with people. It's like the warmup. It's like doing your scales when you're playing the piano. It helps you really kind of set the tone with somebody. Number 2, ask a whimsical question. Rather than just ask, where are you from, or why are you here today, ask, what are you most excited about these days? Or what have you been reading which has really sparked your interest? That helps them have a good conversation themselves in their mind, which is gonna help the two of you have a good conversation there and then. And number 3, share something a little bit personal, a little bit vulnerable. You can even say, "Oh, I'm kind of nervous to be at this event." Or you can say, "I had a little bit of an uncomfortable day because this uncomfortable thing happened." That's okay. Actually, it really helped them connect to you more. When you showcase a little bit of humanity, they will do the same. And that will all set you up to go from beyond small talk into real talk.