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Small talk in the East and the West
Dear friends and colleagues,
I would like to go back to the topic of small talk again.
The question of whether such a conversation is an art is, in my opinion, rhetorical. It is an art! After all, the phrase "the art of small talk" does not raise any objections. It means that some people intuitively know how to conduct such a conversation "about nothing" and how to build further communication with the interlocutor. Other people, on the contrary, need training, sometimes profound professional training.
The art of small talk, like any other, is realized through the means that are in its arsenal. In this case, these are the means of language, including verbal, as well as non-verbal, such as body language and gestures. In addition, the arsenal of such means includes habits, "patterns of behavior" and traditions that have developed in this or that society. And these, in their turn, are based on the models and strategies of communication that have been developed over the years (and sometimes centuries) in a certain culture.
Thus, at the heart of the art of small talk is the ability to instantly select the right means, optimally suited to the situation.
Let's try to understand what small talk looks like in the West and in the East.
In the West
The function of small talk is to prepare for the main discussion. It doesn't matter whether it's a business meeting, technical or commercial negotiations.
The purpose of small talk is to melt the "ice", to ensure a more or less natural transition to the discussion of business issues.
The duration varies, with a tendency towards short and rather curtailed conversations.
In the East
The function of small talk is to get to know a business partner and to create a basis for building a business relationship.
The purpose of small talk is to try to understand what kind of person you are dealing with, to see opportunities for rapprochement, and to establish closer contacts.
The duration varies, with a tendency towards a long and detailed conversation.
See my examples in the next post.
1 минута
9 мая 2024