Many of us are afraid of so-called “small talk” that typically defines the conversation at this stage. But we don’t need to be. Small talk is merely talk that’s in this interests layer of conversation. It sounds superficial, but it functions as a safe area for conversation that won’t lead to disagreements or conflict. And if we are good at listening and earn enough trust while talking about interests, eventually we’ll be ready to move the conversation to the next layer.
