It’s important to be able to talk to people when networking and building strong relationships. If you work in a professional role, you probably need to make small talk sometimes. However, you may don’t know how to make small talk. Don’t worry. 【小题1】

Put your electronic devices away. The first step to making small talk is to put your devices away. This is a small but meaningful gesture in this digitalized world. 【小题2】 Giving your full attention to the person you are speaking to is good manners. Also, it offers a chance for you to build a relationship with him/her.

Listen first. In social situations, one way to show you are offering your full attention is to listen. 【小题3】 When you are listening, show you are paying attention by practising nonverbal cues like nodding and making eye contact. It’s also a good active listening practice to repeat what someone just told you.

Ask open questions. 【小题4】 For example. “How have things been?” is a better question than “Have you been alright?”. The latter requires a “yes or no” response, while the former draws out information in a conversational way.

【小题5】 When someone tells you something in a small talk conversation, give your enthusiastic response. Your positivity not only can show you are paying attention but also might make them feel valued. This is good for building a relationship with someone you don’t know very well.

Many years ago, when I was in high school and working weekends to pay for the extras that my folks couldn’t really afford, I lost my wallet.

My old car needed putting gas in the back. I prepaid and then put my wallet on the bumper(保险杆), and drove off . I hadn’t even had time to miss it when our phone rang and a man asked me if I had lost my wallet. I checked my wallet and to my surprise, I didn’t find it. He asked me to tell him how much money was in it. He then told me where to pick up my wallet.

As I pulled into his driveway, I noticed his handicapped van(残疾人车)and the ramp(斜坡)going up to the house I was thinking that there was no way this man easily got out of his van and got my wallet off the street. He had to pull over, get in his wheelchair, lower the lift, and then pick it up. I was just surprised. I felt grateful.

I knocked on the door and he told me to come in. I thanked him like 10 times for finding my wallet. I was stuck , though. I didn’t want to insult him by offering money, I really felt like offering something. so I asked him if there was anything I could do to repay his kindness, and he said “Just pass it on”. I said I would be certain to do that. I was raised to be honest in any circumstance(状况) and I would have done so, without promising this fellow I would, but I wanted to repay his kindness, so I willingly promised I would.

Speaking with people on the phone is pretty rare these days. Most people use e-mail or messaging apps when they need to communicate with someone. Sometimes, though, making a call is unavoidable. This simple act can actually be a nightmare for some people. Their hearts race and their hands sweat at the very thought. If this sounds familiar to you, you might be one of the millions of people who suffer from telephobia — the fear of speaking over the phone.

Telephobia is a form of social anxiety, although people who feel perfectly comfortable in social situations may also experience telephobia. When speaking face-to-face, we give off lots of facial or bodily cues that help each other follow the conversation. This is not the case over the phone. And the idea of speaking into this void (真空) makes people terrified that they will freeze up, stumble over their words (失言), or lose control of the conversation and look foolish In fact, telephobia is very similar to the fear people feel before putting on a performance in front of a big audience. However, there are things that one suffering from thin condition can do to reduce this fear and make phone calls at least somewhat bearable.

One thing that those with telephobia can do before a call in smile. It may sound silly, but smiling before doing something stressful can help you feel more relaxed. It won't delete the anxiety altogether, but it will take the edge off it.

Similarly, imagining how the call will go before you make it can also help things go more smoothly. Running through a positive conversation in your head will make you feel less nervous and may help you predict any possible problems. There's no need to spend hours on this, just a few minutes thinking up a general idea of what you want to say. You can even write down some brief notes to remind yourself of your talking points. This is particularly useful for dealing with the fear of not being able to express yourself naturally.

And finally, when faced with receiving a call, you don't always have to pick up. There's nothing wrong with calling the person back later when you feel more comfortable.

So the next time your phone starts ringing, remember — speaking on the phone doesn't have to make you sweat. The important thing is to be aware of your fear and take steps to deal with it.