Although Americans are well known for getting down to business, Indians working in overseas teams, MNCs, and BPOs should know the importance of small talk. While Indians have a true interest in talking to Americans and getting to know them, they also hesitate to do so for some reasons. Americans engage in less personal small talk than Indians. And the topics and questions used in English vary widely based on language differences and cultural differences. Here are three things to keep in mind while you are trying to make small talk with your American clients and colleagues. Amencans love to ask about, and then complain about the weather. They may talk about how the weather prevented them from having fun or how the weather supported their outdoor events. You can talk about the weather with them to begin a conversation. While talking, they always try to follow up on their answer by asking another open-ended question or make a statement, such as "Wow, that sounds like fun ! " or "You went to St. Louis. In which state is that?" Be creative in your questions. Feel free to ask one or two, but not very personal ones about relations. Stick to the facts or events that were already referred to. Sometimes, some words used in India will totally confuse an American. For example, Americans use the word "weekend" instead of "holiday"  for Saturdays and Sundays ( non-working days) , and use the word " vacation"  or " days off"  instead of " out-of-station" . Always be interested, optimistic and happy. Talk with a smile! Vary the sound of your voice. Do not sound like a computer. If you are unsure how you sound, a good tip is to record yourself and listen to it later.  Doing this helps you know how your voice sounds, and if you don't sound as you want to be heard, it may be time to work on _ your voice. For Indians, having small talk with American colleagues is  _  .
boring useless important interesting