Just got back from the salt mines. Asking broad questions like that falls under the umbrella of small talk or an ice breaker. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's a nice gesture to start a conversation with a little human touch before getting to the real subject matter. I think you should have had at least one previous conversation before weaving such stuff into a conversation. For a cold contact, I'd keep it factual for starters. Trying to make small talk at this stage might come across as fake. This also gives you an opportunity to feel out the person on the other end. Some people are more at home on the factual level, some more on the emotional level and you can then lead the conversation to where they are most comfortable. Asking a very specific question like the one you mentioned above without a readily apparent reason will probably come across as weird. When I'm talking to the guy running operations for our company in northern Africa, I sometimes ask about the weather because I know they have colder winters than what they're used to and usually no heating. But that's a guy I've talked to often before. The average German business person, I think, is not worlds apart from someone you might encounter in the US. From my (little) experience talking to Americans on the phone, I feel they're usually more laid back than some strictly business Germans. Stuff to consider: Reason for the call. Do you want something from this person or do they want something you can provide (and they want)? Cold/unannounced calls/contacts. Take into consideration that you might be calling at the worst, most stressful time for the person at the other end. Hope that helps.