How To Make Small Talk Feel Big

How To!

Slate Magazine

Business, Education, How To, Self-improvement

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2024

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Small talk has a bad reputation. It’s boring, shallow, and awkward. Who really wants to talk about the weather, again? But, when done right, it can be a cornerstone of connection. In this episode, Carvell Wallace is joined by Susan McPherson, the author of The Lost Art of Connecting. Susan is going to help our listener, Bee, navigate the uncomfortable small talk that she endures everyday at school pickup. Along the way, we’ll learn what questions to have in our back pocket, how to turn small talk into big talk, and even how to extract ourselves from conversations that are going on too long. If you liked this episode, check out: How To Talk to Strangers and How To Make Humor Your Superpower Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Is your bank at home in three markets or 53?
0:05.0	With on-the-ground specialists in over 50 markets,
0:09.0	HSBC UK has been voted the leading bank for trade for the last seven years so let us help
0:14.5	you navigate international business like a local search H.S.C. International
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0:24.5	Voted the UK's Best Trade Finance Bank for seven consecutive years by Euromoney UK Trade Finance
0:29.1	Survey 2023.
0:30.1	How do I tell them?
0:32.1	How do I tell them? How do I tell them? How do I pay the bills? How do I pay the bills?
0:37.0	I know what goes through your head when you're living with cancer.
0:41.0	The questions, the fears, the need to know. How do I know? Because I'm
0:47.2	living with cancer too. That's why I joined the Macmillan online community and we can help people like you
0:55.2	whatever you need to ask. To join us search Macmillan online community.
1:01.5	When I walk in a room, no one can see me.
1:03.0	I mean, my license says I'm five foot, but we'll just leave it at that.
1:08.0	So, and I just because I'm so tiny, I feel very insecure.
1:12.0	But what I've learned over the years is everyone is
1:16.3	insecure and if we go with that attitude and you walk up chances are people are
1:22.0	going to be relieved because they're not going to be alone and as
1:26.5	long as you don't talk about the weather which will get you nowhere you can actually have some
1:32.4	you know interesting meaningful conversations with people.
1:37.0	Welcome to how to I'm Carvel Wallace.
	...

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