Skip the small talk; go straight for personal conversation. Share about your views and passions, not necessarily your private information (not just yet).

Small talk is light, informal conversation that doesn’t cover any purposeful topics. This might be conversations about the weather, the ambiance around you, current events (no politics).

While these topics are non-committal, they also don’t really help you get to know the other person.

From the first date, you can begin to share about yourself. Your passion, what made you choose the work you do, what you like about the area in which you live, hobbies, where you have traveled. These are more personal and set you on the path to starting to learn about what makes each other tick.