NFIB

Start the Chatter
09/ 27/ 2005
by Emily McMackin

Marilyn Turner dreaded that meeting. A difficult client summoned Turner, who owns two temporary accounting firms in Denver, Colo., and her employees for a tense discussion.

Walking into the angry client’s office, the group noticed snapshots of children and dogs on the client’s desk and asked her about the pictures. The woman got so excited talking about her pets and nieces and nephews that her icy demeanor cracked. “After that, we were her buddies, and we were able to sort out a difficult situation we were having,” Turner says.

Small talk salvaged a client that day, and Turner has used it ever since to build business contacts and keep clients happy.

“Anytime you’re selling or marketing, you need to know how to break the ice with clients and how to handle difficult people,” says Turner, who has turned small-talk advice from conversation coach, Debra Fine, into opportunity.

Fine’s recently published book, "The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Networking Skills––and Leave a Positive Impression", offers practical tips to help business owners connect with colleagues, clients and customers without selling or schmoozing.

“As pointless as small talk might sound, you can’t take away the fact that it’s the appetizer for relationships,” Fine says. “For business owners, it’s a critical ingredient in their packaging for success.”

People do business with those who not only solve their problems, but also make them feel good, an advantage small businesses easily have over larger companies full of bureaucracy, Fine says.

Fine, a former engineer and wallflower, built much of her business about small talk--from small talk. She makes a point to meet three new people every week, a strategy that gives her visibility as well as friendships. “Every conversation is an opportunity for success,” she says.

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