Partner Article

The Death of Small Talk: How Real Conversations Build Better Business

September starts and suddenly your calendar fills up, industry conferences, awards ceremonies, breakfast meetings, and those awkward structured networking sessions. If you’re already feeling exhausted just thinking about it, you’re not alone.

But what if networking didn’t have to feel like a performance?

The Problem with Traditional Networking

You know the drill. Clutch lukewarm coffee, scan name badges, prepare your elevator pitch. Someone approaches “So, what do you do?” Within minutes, you’re both mentally calculating if this conversation is “worth your time.” or if you are aligned in someway. 

It’s transactional. It’s superficial. And it rarely leads to meaningful business relationships.

What Actually Works

At events like TEDxTeesside, conversations start differently. Instead of “What do you do?” people naturally ask “What did you think about that idea?” or “That speaker completely changed how I think about leadership - what topic landed with you?”

The difference? Shared inspiration creates connections that actually last. When you’re in rooms that challenge your thinking, you connect on ideas. (Okay, okay, we might be slightly biased, but the results speak for themselves!)

Last year, two TEDxTeesside attendees bonded over a shared connection to Zimbabwe, their conversation led to a collaborative International Women’s Day event. Two others met during a coffee break and are now co-authoring a book. We’ve seen partnerships that generated six-figure deals, career pivots, and businesses launched.

5 Ways to Network Better This Autumn/Winter:

1. Choose events with substance - Look for conferences, talks, or workshops where you’ll learn something meaningful, not just collect business cards.

2. Ask better questions - Replace “What do you do?” with “What brought you here?” “What’s got you thinking differently?” or “What are you excited about right now?” We promise it will lead to much more interesting, connected conversations.

3. Follow genuine curiosity - The most valuable connections happen when you’re genuinely interested in someone’s perspective, not their potential as a client.

4. Share something real - Vulnerability builds trust faster than credentials. Share a challenge you’re facing or something you’re excited about.

5. Focus on giving, not getting - How can you help this person? What insight, connection, or resource could you offer?

The Long Game

The best business relationships aren’t built in one conversation, they're built when people remember you as someone who made them think differently, feel understood, or see new possibilities.

This networking season, skip the events that feel like human bingo. Choose experiences that challenge your thinking. Ask questions that matter. Share ideas that excite you.

The best business relationships don’t start with “What do you do?” They start with “What do you think?”

Looking for networking that doesn’t feel like networking? TEDxTeesside brings together 350 brilliant minds on 16th October at Digital Life, Teesside University.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by TEDxTeesside .