The #1 Small Talk Rule That Makes People Like You (Stanford Communication Professor)

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Have you ever walked away from a conversation with someone and thought: “how are they so magnetic?” Or, have you ever left a meeting and wondered: “why did I say it like that?”

Today, we’re joined by Professor Matt Abrahams – a world-renowned communication expert, Stanford GSB lecturer, host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, and Cherie’s former TEDx coach – to break down the science (and strategy) behind how to talk to anyone.

Tune in for lessons on:

 ✅ How to get out of your head and connect in real time

✅ The #1 mistake killing your communication

✅ Matt’s “What, So What, Now What” framework for confidence on the spot

✅ Tips to get in (and out of!) small talk

✅ The 5 stories everyone should have ready (for networking, interviews, and life)

✅ How to take your networking – and Zoom interviews – to the next level 

Plus, we get tactical with real exercises you can start using this week: from recording yourself, to building your personal “story bank,” to becoming what Matt calls a “communication athlete.”

Consider this your guide to thinking faster, speaking smarter, and connecting better 🤓

📝PS… Tiger Fam: We ran into a few technical difficulties this time and there were a few dips in audio levels, but we worked extremely hard to make it the best episode possible! What did you think? Did you even notice? We’d love your feedback!

Timestamps:

00:44: Episode Intro 

01:35: Introducing Matt Abrahams 

01:54: What actually makes someone easy to talk to? 

03:40: Why Matt records his students in different scenarios 

05:40: 5 fundamental stories everyone should have in their arsenal 

09:34: Matt’s go-to story… about toothpaste 

10:45: How to prepare to be spontaneous 

11:30: Being a “communication athlete” 

13:30: The Pin Drop Principle’s techniques 

14:30: The best way to have successful small talk 

17:38: How to get OUT of small talk 

21:34: How to judge yourself less while talking 

22:45: An improv game to try (“shout the wrong name”)

24:00: Why memorizing is so bad 

30:42: “What, so what, now what” framework to speak on the spot 

34:10: Bad vs. good apologies 

39:20: How to communicate while networking 

41:45: The science and art of “biz rizz” 

42:50: Tips for connecting on virtual meetings and calls 

45:32: Closing thoughts

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