In general, Americans are fairly open, friendly, direct and not overly formal. At first meeting in a business setting the standard topics of conversation that are acceptable in Canada would apply in the US—likewise for social first encounters. If it is evident that someone has a spouse and/or children, these are safe (and often welcome!) topics of inquiry and discussion. Sports are generally a safe and popular topic of conversation and there are strong regional variations. Glancing through a local newspaper is an effective way to pick up on regional preferences. In university towns, there is usually a very strong following of the school’s sporting teams. Football in particular is a sport that is followed from the high-school level through university and into the professional leagues—this is particularly true in the Southern part of the United States, where players are prospected before they even get into high school (under the age of 14).

In the top 10 big cities in the US, there are usually 2-5 professional sporting teams covering the "big sports": baseball, basketball, football and hockey. Golf is also a popular topic of conversation—playing the sport as much as following its stars. In the top 10 US cities there are also extensive "arts and entertainment" topics of conversation, from opera to theatre to museums.

Discussion around politics is fine too—as long as it is not too specific or provocative around issues or specifics.

Topics to avoid during initial meetings: generally topics that are inflammatory, controversial, or bi- polar in nature: the death penalty, gay rights, abortion, civil rights, etc. If you are in the south, discussion about the civil war can be very interesting, as long as it is historical and based on curiosity—rendering an opinion about the "principles" and causes of the war is not a safe place to go during initial meetings.

There are some general observations about differences in "hospitality" between the North and the South that are fairly reasonable, and similar to Europe. In general, the people in the south appear more friendly, warm and gracious in their welcome than northerners, especially in the "deep south" of Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama etc. Florida and Texas are a bit different, and not traditionally thought of as "old South", but would follow the generalization of offering a warm and gracious welcome. Americans always enjoy a good laugh, so tasteful humour is appreciated and well received.