Business Small Talk
A workshop offered by the Bonn Graduate Center
Sometimes the most important thing at a conference is the breaks – at least as far as networking and career development for young scientists are concerned. If you are good at small talk, you can easily get into conversations with strangers in a relaxed way. Small talk is the first step to making new contacts. For all those who do not feel like born small talkers, there is good news: small talk can be learned – and it is even fun.
Online Workshop
Friday, July 4, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Trainer
Alexander Roggenkamp
Language
English
Location
Online
Target Group
Doctoral students
Track(s)
Business and Organizations
Certificate
8 units are applicable within the Doctorate plus certificate

Description
If you are good at small talk, you can easily get into conversations with strangers in a relaxed way. Small talk is the first step to making new contacts. For all those who do not feel like born small talkers, there is good news: small talk can be learned – and it is even fun.
In our workshop we will discuss the following:
- Build up your sociability and approach others openly
- Get into good conversations
- Find interesting topics and create a pleasant atmosphere for conversations
- Make sure that others remember what you do using the elevator pitch
Content
- Develop a positive attitude towards small talk
- Engage in different exercises to build up confidence
- Find appropriate topics for small talk
- Influence the atmosphere of a conversation through conversation style and body language
- Present yourself in an interesting way
Feedback from participants
"The tempo of the course was very well paced, the exercises were done very well and I could train the learned things in the exercises immediately. Also the lecturer is a very nice person, bringing the topic of the course in a fun but still extremely productive way to the audience." (Participant 2023)
Contact
Bonn Graduate Center
Address
Alte Sternwarte
Poppelsdorfer Allee 47
53115 Bonn
More Workshops?
Have a look at further workshops offered in our Doctorate plus program this semester.
Also see
Certificate Doctorate plus
Acquire the Doctorate plus Certificate in one of our three career tracks.
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Qualification Program Doctorate plus
Expand your skills with our qualification program Doctorate plus.
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Links
- https://formulare-ext.verwaltung.uni-bonn.de/lip/action/invoke.do?id=openform&form=EVT¶m1=2388&client=BGZ&lang=en
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/during-your-doctorate/qualification/doctorate-plus/research-all
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/during-your-doctorate/qualification/doctorate-plus/research-management-all
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/during-your-doctorate/qualification/doctorate-plus/business-organizations-all
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/during-your-doctorate/qualification/certificate-doctorate-plus
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/during-your-doctorate/qualification/doctorate-plus-1
- https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/doctoral-students-and-postdocs/events-and-opportunities/newsletter-bonn-doctoral-bulletin-en