Small talk is a good skill to have and it can strengthen connections with colleagues. If you feel lost trying to make small talk, try this simple but effective phrase.

“Tell me more.”

Speaking expert Matt Abrahams recommends “tell me more” as a way to create a connection with the other person in a small-talk conversation. Abrahams grew up in a family that did more talking than listening, but he learned “tell me more” from his mother-in-law, who had excellent manners and interpersonal skills. She formed great connections with people by frequently using those three simple words.

Other ways of responding along the same lines are, “Wow, what happened next?” “What excited you about that?” or “How did you feel when that happened?”

“Tell me more” is a response that supports what the other person is saying. It involves active listening and shows empathy.

The opposite is a “shift” response, which shifts the conversation back to you. For example, imagine a co-worker is complaining about the long hours she is putting into a project, and you respond by remembering the time you had to work weekends to finish your own big assignment. A support response, on the other hand, might involve you asking for more details about your co-worker’s project.

It is okay to sometimes use shift responses—they open ourselves up to other people, so they can learn more about us. But too many people do this all the time, using someone’s story as an opening to talk about themselves, and they miss an opportunity to learn more about their conversation partner.

So, if it fits into the conversation, try “tell me more” next time you find yourself making small talk. By taking this step to become an active listener, you’ll create more give-and-take in the conversation and make a good impression on the other person.

For more advice, read “The No. 1 Phrase People Who Are Good at Small Talk Always Use, Says Stanford Public-Speaking Expert.”