First and foremost, small talk is an act of politeness, but it is also something much bigger within a relationship.

Everybody makes small talk, whether with people we don’t know very well, or when we first meet. It’s the easygoing and informal chat that takes place between friends and colleagues. We all need to indulge in a little small talk about unimportant things.

At first, it may seem insignificant, but small talk plays a vital role in creating connections with other people and it helps with other interactions, such as business deals. In short, Small Talk means Big Relationships.

Most commonly, people who are meeting for the first time, or those who do not know each other very well, use small talk to interact with each other. You might find yourself chatting to a complete stranger in the supermarket as you wait at the checkout, or with a waitress in a restaurant over lunch. Parents chat with each other at the school gates and office employees chat over a cup of coffee.