When docked on stations, NPCs will occasionally start talking and when they do, a speech bubble appears over their head to help us identify them in a crowd.
This is our queue to undertake an optional mini game if we wish. There are quite a few conversational topic permutations from the mundane (chatting about holo dancers) to the serious (concerns about messing with AI). Since they add colour to the game world, they can be interesting.
Unfortunately, the discussions cannot be sped up or skipped and there are a finite number so in the end, it is possible to get frustrated by them. This is where the 'Boarderless Windowed mode' comes in handy as alt+tab to a website cuts the audio but lets you see how things progress if you keep the website clear of the subtitles. That's what I do anyway 
Finding 'smalltalk'
Since the chance of an NPC talking is random and not all NPCs will necessarily be the kind you would like to talk to, it is sensible to find a spot with lots of NPCs to increase the chance of a useful one talking early.
Good places to find groups of NPCs:
- Generally, the bunk rooms tend to hold up to ~6 NPCs so small talk normally starts within 10-20 seconds.
- In De Vries, a handy place is the Engineering platform as groups of NPCs tend to be at the docking platform.
- In Albion a handy spot is the Trade platform since groups can hang around in the first corridor.
- In Fields Of Opportunity, there are normally many Teladi in the main, central docking area.
Potential rewards from success* at a level 1 smalltalk (numbers corresponding with radial menu):
- Ask for: Discount... (a discount for the station unless NPC is a Trader, than you could chose a discount with them instead).
- -not used-
- Ask about: Job applicant** (offers the location and skills of an NPC of a chosen type with the best, unknown skills, on their station's platform).
- Trade Updates (see below as not all NPCS offer it; they unlock continuous, real-time market info for the NPC's station).
- Give: Item... (craftable gift that unlocks level 2 of smalltalk).
- -not used-
Level 2 smalltalk (only available via the "Give: Item" option in level 2)
- Ask for: Discount... (a higher-quality version of the discount available at level 1 above)
- -not used-
- Ask about: Job applicant** (different to level 1 and 3 smalltalks, so perhaps the range setting is station)
- -not used-
- Continue: Smalltalk (hard) (successful completion of a second smalltalk*** unlocks unlocks level 2 of smalltalk)
- -not used-
Level 3 smalltalk (only available via level 2 smalltalk)
- Extended Discount. (lasts a long time; probably the same numerical discount as level 2)
- -not used-
- Best Job Applicant** (offers the location and skills of an NPC of a chosen type with the best, unknown skills, in the zone)
- Ask for: Employee training... (source of Training Manuals - see below)
- -not used-
- -not used-
* A score of 7+ or more across 2 or more minigames that include no critical failures)
** I think these options can only point to NPCs with unknown skills so there could be other NPCs available to hire within range that won't be highlighted if their skills are already known. It makes sense to use these options where there are a lot of NPCs of the type you are interested in (e.g. see sidebar for zone, or station dock menu to check platforms or station population).
*** A score or 4+ on each of 3 minigames.
Trade Updates
These will only be offered by a subset of NPCs.
NPCs that can offer Trade Updates:
Arms Dealer
Inventory item traders (e.g. Food Merchant or Black Marketeer).
License broker
Mechanic
Recruitment Officer
Ship Dealer
Non-hirable station crew, which are working on a station (Defense Officer, Engineer, Manager or Specialists) - typically found on Administration platforms. By "working", I mean generally hanging around in bunk rooms chattering with random passers by
NPCs that never offer Trade Updates:
Architect (even if they are working on plot-rated NPC CVs)
Captain
Marine Officer
Pilot
Station crew if they are available for hire (Defense Officer, Engineer, Manager or Specialist).
Training Manuals
These are only available via the craftable gift option after the first smalltalk and if the second smalltalk was completed with a score of 9 or 10 points. Good completion of the second smalltalk allows us to ask for 'Training Manuals', which are unique to Smalltalk. They are available for various potentially important skills, such as Engineering, Leadership and Morale. A Training Manual can be used to add one star to the related skill of one of your hired NPC's primary, bold-highlighted skills (e.g. only Engineering for Engineers), to a maximum of 5 stars. Exactly which Training Manual you may be offered relates to the primary skills of the NPC in question so it is somewhat random in the sense that it is random as to which NPC may begin a smalltalk.