9 questions the most interesting people ask to cut through small talk

Sebastiaan ter Burg/Flickr

• Showing curiosity in someone is the fastest way to establish a connection with them while conversing.
• To skip past the small talk and have a meaningful interaction, asking pointed, unique questions. 
• "What excites you right now?" and "What's the most important thing I should know about you?" are two examples.

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I remember early in my career, one of my biggest fears walking into a networking event to schmooze or meeting someone for a business lunch was boring the other person to tears in conversation.

I didn't want to be the windbag who dragged on forever, so I learned to be brief, to the point, and actually listen to the other person with all my being. I eventually avoided the mistake of talking about polarizing topics like politics or race, and learned to stay neutral, positive, and upbeat.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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