You’ve prepared really well for the interview and feel that this job is either get-it or go-home affair. Or you’re carrying a well-prepared business plan in your briefcase and hoping to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase your ideas to your potential business partner or investor. In either case, building personal rapport before you delve into the business side of the conversation will only serve you good.
There’s nothing that divides our society today more than religion, sorry to say. While you have every right to show off your ‘firehood’ and ‘spiritualness’ wherever you want, the interview or business discussion may not be one of the places to fly your own kite, unless you’re interviewing for the position of the associate deaconess of the local church.
In the past I discussed several nuances that come into play in establishing successful business connections. One of the best ways to build this personal rapport is to set off a conversation in an unrelated subject area prior to being ushered into the business of the day. This strategically helps you adapt to the persons voice and style of communication and gets you maintain control of the interaction right from the beginning which ultimately makes you feel secured.
Your goal is to use the initial small talk as a warm up or prelude to the impending discussion. Use it to your advantage. In fact it’s the icebreaker. Be tactful and grab any appropriate opportunities to initiate your side talk.
What You Should be Wary About
Not all topics are appropriate during the side talk session; in fact, some topic are automatic red card stimulants. It’s important to be careful and circumspect about cultural, religious and political leanings.
Religion:
There’s nothing that divides our society today more than religion, sorry to say. While you have every right to show off your ‘firehood’ and ‘spiritualness’ wherever you want, the interview or business discussion may not be one of the places to show that, unless you’re interviewing for the position of the associate deaconess of the local church. In fact, in the US, it’s illegal for somebody to ask about your religion during an interview but if it ever comes out during any conversation, it’s okay to simply say you’re a Christian or a Muslim without a 30-minute exposition on whether alcohol consumption is sinful. Be careful. Avoid discussions of issues like homosexuality, abortion and other controversial issues. These may not be controversial in your church but on the global stage, they are. They stir emotions and can be explosive. You’re here to get a job or make business contacts, not to win souls (Of course, that’s my guess; I apologize if I got it wrong)
Politics
Like religion, politics can be destructive to any relationship, even within families. If you’ll talk about politics, let your responses be as neutral as possible. Don’t giggle about the latest gaffe from Sarah Palin because your interviewer could be a big fan of Sarah.
Personal Issues:
It’s up to you but topics that are overly personal should be left at home. Get what I mean? Your finance and recent problems with current coworkers and your neighbor’s dog? Come on! Actually it was this new hot chick you found on Facebook who referred you to this job posting. Who cares, man?
There’s a Lot to Talk About
While I won’t go into detail, the safe topic are many and so there’s no reason to jeopardize your career and business prospect by talking about gay marriage, the annoyance of the Tea Party and Blue/Red State.
There are topics that could be safe for all occasions:
« A book you just spotted on the shelf: may be you’ve read it or heard about the author
« The weather: it’s a little colder than you were expecting. a good point to start a conversation
« Transportation: Did you miss your flight? Luggage delayed? A unique observation you made at the airport or train station? Start with these.
« Sports: Do see Arsenal’s poster in your host’s office? Why not ask what he thinks about the frequent Van Persie injuries and the recent departure of Fabregas to Barcelona? Who wouldn’t love to talk about these?
Remember that it’s not just what you say; there’s more beyond the words. Some call it body language. I’ll talk about this another time.
Finally, please note that even though I referred to it as the side talk, it could be what opens the door for your next title. Don’t treat it as a side thing at all.
