Small talk in English: topics, questions and faux pas

Why is small talk in English so important in business?

In German-speaking working life, small talk is often seen as a pleasant extra that can be skipped if necessary. In British and many international settings, by contrast, it is an established part of professional communication. It builds trust before the numbers come up, and it signals: I am interested in you as a person.

There is also a language hurdle. Small talk requires spontaneous speaking and quick listening comprehension, exactly the skills that many people find harder than reading. We see this often in our courses.

On the plus side, small talk follows surprisingly fixed patterns. With a handful of topics, questions and responses, you can get through most situations, whether in the office kitchen, at a trade fair or before a video call. We practise these patterns in realistic role plays in our Business English courses.

Good small talk topics in English

Good small talk topics in English are the journey (How was your journey?), the place, the weather, the weekend, the event, general questions about work, food and travel. They concern both people, are uncontroversial and invite a personal but not private answer. With British conversation partners, the weather is a particularly reliable opener.

The weather: more than a cliché

The weather as a topic may sound like a cliché, but it works reliably, especially with British conversation partners. The tone matters: a remark about the weather is not a request for information but an invitation to talk. If someone says “Bit chilly today, isn’t it?”, do not reply with the temperature; agree and add a little something: “It is. I hear it’s supposed to warm up at the weekend, though.”

Small talk questions in English: starting a conversation and keeping it going

Good small talk questions are open: they start with how, what or where and cannot be answered with yes or no, for example How was your flight? instead of Was the flight OK? You keep the conversation going with short responses such as Really? That sounds interesting. and the “answer plus question” technique: a short answer, then a question back.

Open questions instead of yes/no questions

Active listening: small responses, big effect

A conversation thrives on showing interest. English-speaking conversation partners expect short, audible responses. Listening in silence is quickly interpreted as a lack of interest.

• Really? That sounds interesting.
• Oh, I didn’t know that.
• That must have been …
• How did that come about?
• Same here. / Me too.

The simplest technique is called “answer plus question”: answer briefly and ask a question back. “Yes, I live in Fürth, just outside Nuremberg. How about you, are you based in London?”

Answering “What do you do?” with confidence

This question comes up in almost every business conversation. Many people answer with their job title and then fall silent. A short, vivid description in two or three sentences that offers a hook for the next question works better.

Watch two details: say “I work as an engineer” or “I’m an engineer”, never “I work as engineer” without the article. And a “chef” in English is a cook; your line manager is “my manager” or “my boss”. German-speaking colleagues often mix this up, because Chef means boss in German.

Which topics should you avoid in English small talk?

In English small talk, avoid salary and the price of personal possessions, politics and religion, age, weight and appearance, and questions about family planning. Criticism of the host country, even as a joke, and moving on to shop talk too early rarely go down well either. Some things that are unproblematic among colleagues in Germany come across as too personal or too confrontational here.

• Salary and the price of personal possessions: “How much do you earn?” or “How much did your house cost?” are off limits.
• Politics and religion: only if the other person raises the topic, and then with restraint.
• Age, weight, appearance: comments such as “You look tired” come across as intrusive.
• Family planning: “Do you have children?” is fine; “Why don’t you have children?” is not.
• Criticism of the host country: even jokey criticism of British food or American politics rarely goes down well.
• Shop talk too early: if you start discussing the project after ten seconds, you skip the part that builds trust.

Humour with care

British humour thrives on irony and self-deprecation. If the other person makes a joke at their own expense, you may smile, but do not pile on. Using irony yourself in a foreign language is risky. Friendly, genuine interest always works.

Answering “How are you?” correctly: understanding set phrases

Hardly any question causes as much confusion as this one. “How are you?” is usually not a genuine question about your wellbeing but a greeting. A detailed answer about back pain or project stress is therefore out of place. Reply briefly and positively, then ask the same question back.

Do not forget the question back: a curt “Fine.” without “And you?” sounds dismissive. If you really are not feeling great, a light “Not too bad, thanks. A busy week.” is enough.

Small talk in business situations: trade fairs, video calls, business meals

Small talk follows its own rules in each business situation: at a trade fair you ask about impressions (Are you enjoying the fair?), before a video call you use the first minute or two until everyone has joined, and at a business meal, business usually only comes up over coffee, or not at all.

At a trade fair

A: Hi, I’m Julia from Weber Logistics. Are you enjoying the fair?

B: Yes, it’s been really busy. It’s my first time here, actually.

A: Oh, really? What have you seen so far that stood out?

B: The robotics hall was impressive. What about you?

Before a video call

Online, there is no walk to the meeting room, so the natural opportunity for small talk disappears. Use the first minute or two until everyone has joined: “How’s the weather in Manchester today?”, “Busy week so far?” or “Did you have a nice break?”. How to structure the actual meeting afterwards is explained in our guide to leading meetings in English.

At a business meal

• Is there anything you’d recommend?
• This is a local speciality. Would you like to try it?
• How do you usually spend your weekends?

At a business meal in particular, business usually comes up only over coffee, or not at all. If you want to raise it earlier, use a transition: “While we’re here, could I just mention …?” For the negotiation that may follow, we recommend our article on negotiating in English.

Ending small talk in English politely

End small talk politely with a friendly remark and a reason, for example Well, it was really nice talking to you. I’d better let you get on. At trade fairs, it is also worth agreeing a concrete next step, such as exchanging business cards or promising an email the following week.

Ending a conversation without seeming rude is at least as important as starting one. An abrupt “OK, bye” leaves a poor impression. Signal the end in a friendly way and give a reason.

• Well, it was really nice talking to you.
• I’d better let you get on.
• I must just catch my colleague before she leaves.
• Shall we exchange cards?
• Let’s stay in touch.
• Enjoy the rest of the conference.

At trade fairs, a concrete next step pays off: “I’ll drop you an email next week with the details.” How to word that email is shown in our guide to writing emails in English.

Common small talk mistakes and how to practise

Common small talk mistakes are answering only with yes or no, using How do you do? to ask how someone is, saying I am here since Monday instead of I’ve been here since Monday, and jumping straight to the project. You can practise with three opening questions per situation and a prepared answer to What do you do?.

How to practise small talk in a targeted way

• Prepare three opening questions for each situation (trade fair, meeting, meal).
• Practise your answer to “What do you do?” in two or three sentences.
• Listen to British podcasts or series and notice responses such as “Oh, really?” or “Fair enough.”
• Use every brief encounter in your international team as a chance to practise.

If you generally feel inhibited when speaking freely, you will find strategies in our article on overcoming the fear of speaking English. Confidence grows fastest, though, in conversation with a teacher who challenges you. In our English courses for work, we start with a needs analysis and then practise the situations you will actually face. Teams book this training through our language courses for companies, individuals through our language courses for individuals. We are happy to answer questions via our contact page.

Sources

1. ef.de: germany
2. ef.edu: ef english proficiency index 2025 launched

Frequently asked questions