Matt Abrahams

He looked around and said, you're right, everybody's wearing blue. Started a great conversation. We've now become friends. When I travel to where he lives, I visit him all the time. It started simply with an observation. The last thing I'll say is the thing that challenges many people in small talk is getting out of it. How do you end it?

Rachel Greenwald, who I mentioned earlier, taught me this technique. She calls it the white flag, not for surrender, but in auto racing, the white flag is what you wave right before you end the race. So when you want to end small talk, most of us just rely on biology. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom. It's awkward. Instead, you wave the white flag.

Rachel Greenwald, who I mentioned earlier, taught me this technique. She calls it the white flag, not for surrender, but in auto racing, the white flag is what you wave right before you end the race. So when you want to end small talk, most of us just rely on biology. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom. It's awkward. Instead, you wave the white flag.

Rachel Greenwald, who I mentioned earlier, taught me this technique. She calls it the white flag, not for surrender, but in auto racing, the white flag is what you wave right before you end the race. So when you want to end small talk, most of us just rely on biology. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom. It's awkward. Instead, you wave the white flag.

Rachel Greenwald, who I mentioned earlier, taught me this technique. She calls it the white flag, not for surrender, but in auto racing, the white flag is what you wave right before you end the race. So when you want to end small talk, most of us just rely on biology. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom. It's awkward. Instead, you wave the white flag.

Rachel Greenwald, who I mentioned earlier, taught me this technique. She calls it the white flag, not for surrender, but in auto racing, the white flag is what you wave right before you end the race. So when you want to end small talk, most of us just rely on biology. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom. It's awkward. Instead, you wave the white flag.

This is Deborah Schifrin you're talking about. Deborah is also a colleague at Stanford. And before I tell you the question, her goal is to give people an opportunity to say more. So a lot of us in our dialogue, we ask a question, they respond, we ask a question. But if you actually pause for a moment and you ask people and you just give them an opportunity to say more.

This is Deborah Schifrin you're talking about. Deborah is also a colleague at Stanford. And before I tell you the question, her goal is to give people an opportunity to say more. So a lot of us in our dialogue, we ask a question, they respond, we ask a question. But if you actually pause for a moment and you ask people and you just give them an opportunity to say more.

This is Deborah Schifrin you're talking about. Deborah is also a colleague at Stanford. And before I tell you the question, her goal is to give people an opportunity to say more. So a lot of us in our dialogue, we ask a question, they respond, we ask a question. But if you actually pause for a moment and you ask people and you just give them an opportunity to say more.

This is Deborah Schifrin you're talking about. Deborah is also a colleague at Stanford. And before I tell you the question, her goal is to give people an opportunity to say more. So a lot of us in our dialogue, we ask a question, they respond, we ask a question. But if you actually pause for a moment and you ask people and you just give them an opportunity to say more.

This is Deborah Schifrin you're talking about. Deborah is also a colleague at Stanford. And before I tell you the question, her goal is to give people an opportunity to say more. So a lot of us in our dialogue, we ask a question, they respond, we ask a question. But if you actually pause for a moment and you ask people and you just give them an opportunity to say more.

You signal you're going to leave in a little bit. So if you and I were talking, I might say, I've really enjoyed this conversation. In a few minutes, I'm going to go over there and talk to people. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question about something you did on a recent podcast. So do you see what I've done there?

You signal you're going to leave in a little bit. So if you and I were talking, I might say, I've really enjoyed this conversation. In a few minutes, I'm going to go over there and talk to people. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question about something you did on a recent podcast. So do you see what I've done there?

You signal you're going to leave in a little bit. So if you and I were talking, I might say, I've really enjoyed this conversation. In a few minutes, I'm going to go over there and talk to people. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question about something you did on a recent podcast. So do you see what I've done there?

You signal you're going to leave in a little bit. So if you and I were talking, I might say, I've really enjoyed this conversation. In a few minutes, I'm going to go over there and talk to people. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question about something you did on a recent podcast. So do you see what I've done there?

You signal you're going to leave in a little bit. So if you and I were talking, I might say, I've really enjoyed this conversation. In a few minutes, I'm going to go over there and talk to people. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question about something you did on a recent podcast. So do you see what I've done there?

I've signaled that I'm going to leave soon so you can prepare yourself. It's not a surprise. But I dive in for just a little bit more information. So Before you start, you do your stockpiling in your themes and you now know a way to end. It makes networking and small talk so much easier.

I've signaled that I'm going to leave soon so you can prepare yourself. It's not a surprise. But I dive in for just a little bit more information. So Before you start, you do your stockpiling in your themes and you now know a way to end. It makes networking and small talk so much easier.

I've signaled that I'm going to leave soon so you can prepare yourself. It's not a surprise. But I dive in for just a little bit more information. So Before you start, you do your stockpiling in your themes and you now know a way to end. It makes networking and small talk so much easier.

I've signaled that I'm going to leave soon so you can prepare yourself. It's not a surprise. But I dive in for just a little bit more information. So Before you start, you do your stockpiling in your themes and you now know a way to end. It makes networking and small talk so much easier.