“I don’t know what to say.”
“It feels fake.”
“Isn’t it a waste of time?”

These are what my clients tell me about chatting before meetings.

But here’s the truth: In international business, small talk isn’t just chit-chat. It’s a trust signal.

You don’t need to be funny or fluent. Just human.

A friendly moment at the start shows people as warm and safe to work with. And that builds trust faster than perfect grammar ever could.

Try one of these:

• “Did you have a busy week?”
• “I heard it’s snowing in your area – true?”
• “What’s keeping you busy these days?”

You’re not trying to impress.
You’re trying to connect.

Small talk isn’t about saying something brilliant.
It’s about saying something human.

Next time you hesitate, ask yourself:

“What would I say in my native language to break the ice?”

Then say that in English – even if it’s not perfect.

Because trust doesn’t come from flawless English.
It comes from showing you care.

I remember the moment I gave up on French in college. I had struggled with it for years, feeling like the sounds just wouldn’t stick.

It was frustrating, and I began to think I wasn’t meant to speak it.

But then, something surprising happened: I started learning German, and it felt… easier.

As an English speaker, I noticed the similarities, and for the first time, learning a foreign language didn’t seem like an impossible mountain to climb.

What truly surprised me was how quickly I picked up the accent. It felt natural, almost like a hidden part of me had been waiting for this.

I fell in love with German—the sounds, the rhythm, the way it flowed.

But even now, after living in Germany for decades, there’s still one thing that trips me up: the gender of nouns. “Der,” “die,” or “das.”

In English, we don’t have this complexity. It’s small, but it often makes me pause.

And when I think about the challenges my German-speaking clients face learning English, I can’t help but empathise.

The tenses. The endless rules. It’s something they wrestle with daily, just like I wrestle with the genders in German.

Every language has its hurdles. But the joy of speaking, of connecting through words, makes it all worth it.

What do you find particularly difficult?

Ever write an email and then feel unsure – even though the English is fine?

Sometimes what we write isn’t just about words.

It’s about confidence.

Ask yourself:

👉 Am I writing like this because I’m unsure of my message?
👉 Would I say it differently if I felt 100% confident?

Confidence changes your sentence – before grammar ever does.

A client once said that to me—in a serious meeting.

He meant “beat around the bush.”
But the horse? It trotted right into the conversation.

He turned red. Apologised. Laughed nervously.

And I said, “That was brilliant. Honestly—nobody will forget what you just said.”

Because here’s the truth: idioms are tricky. They’re not always logical. And in global conversations, they can create more confusion than connection.

Sure, some people love using idioms. Others worry about messing them up. Many just avoid them altogether—and that’s okay.

You don’t need idioms to sound professional or confident.

You just need to be clear, real and ready to connect.

💬 What’s one idiom you love—or secretly hate?

I still remember the first time I had to speak German in a business meeting.

It was years ago. I was in Hamburg, sitting in a room full of people in suits, and my heart was doing somersaults in my chest.

I’d prepared my notes carefully, practised my sentences over and over, and still—I could feel the panic rising.

I knew the grammar.
I knew the words.
But I didn’t feel ready.

And I kept thinking: What if I say something wrong? What if they laugh? What if they think I’m unprofessional?

That was the moment. The one where I could either stay silent or speak up.

So I spoke.
It wasn’t perfect.

I mixed up my sentence order, forgot a word halfway through, and definitely said something that made one of the colleagues raise an eyebrow.

But you know what? I survived.

More than that, people responded. They didn’t laugh. They listened. They helped. They understood me.

That was the moment everything changed.

Because that’s when I learned. Confidence doesn’t come first. Speaking does.
Confidence follows.

It’s like jumping into a cold lake. You never feel 100% ready, but the moment you’re in, your body adjusts. Your mind catches up. And suddenly, what once felt terrifying feels… possible.

So if you’re waiting to feel ready before you speak English (or any other language), I want to say this:

Don’t wait.
Speak now.
Full stop.

Because the only way to get confident… is to start.