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Episode Summary
If trust is the foundation of success in financial advice, then a close second is communication skills.
Your success in this profession and the quality of your relationships are directly correlated with your communication skills.
That’s because “Communication is all about connection.”
Think about the communication you have with clients and prospects. Almost all of your communication is what’s called “spontaneous communication.”
It’s not planned, prepared or scripted. It’s a conversation that can go in any direction and you have to be prepared to respond when put on the spot.
For example, you’re at a community event and a stranger asks, “What do you do?”
Or, you’re meeting with a prospective client and they remark, “These fees seem high.”
Or, you’re sitting with a client who asks, “Should I look at moving some money out of the market for a few months?”
These weren’t questions you put on an agenda or expected to answer. But, here you are needing to think on your feet and respond in the moment.
And, how you respond in these spontaneous situations will oftentimes dictate the entire outcome of the interaction.
Fortunately, learning how to master spontaneous communication is a skill that can be developed and honed. And, Matt Abrahams is the foremost authority on how to do it.
In this episode, he shares his methodology and the secrets to communicating with confidence in any situation.
Things You’ll Learn
- Why small talk is important and the mistakes to avoid
- Why you (ironically) have to prepare to be spontaneous
- The most effective ways to manage anxiety in the moment
- Two ways to buy yourself time on the spot before responding
- The “Pace, Space, and Grace” framework to be a better listener
- How mindset, music and meditation lead to better communication
- How structure allows you to package your message and respond on the spot
- The “What-So What-Now What” structure you can use in almost any situation
- The obvious (and not-so-obvious) benefits of improving communication skills
- Why he recommends a “maximize mediocrity” mindset to improve communication
- Why he believes listening is the one skill that would most improve his communication
About Matt Abrahams
Matt Abrahams is a leading expert in communication as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. He teaches popular classes in strategic communication and effective virtual presenting at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
He’s a sought-after keynote speaker, communication consultant and host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Podcast. And, he’s the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How To Speak Successfully When Put On The Spot and Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques Fro Confident and Compelling Presenting.
Other Episodes You’ll Like On Improving Communication Skills:
- Leveraging The Superpower of Questions To Create Connection and Clarity with Meghaan Lurtz
- Emotionally-Compelling Conversations To Fast-Track Trust and Likability with Deirdre Van Nest
- 3 Proven Techniques To Enhance Your Questions And Elevate Your Conversations
Resources
Think Faster Talk Smarter: How To Speak Successfully When You’re Put On The Spot by Matt Abrahams
Speaking Up Without Freaking Out by Matt Abrahams
Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you take your relationships and your practice to the next level:
- Human Side of Advice Masterclass: Build a human-first planning process to convert prospects into life-long clients
- The Ultimate Intro Meeting: Learn how to qualify and convert prospects in 30 minutes without being salesy
- HSOA “Core”: Exclusive content, courses and conversations to master the human side of advice with like-minded advisors
If you want more information on any of these, let me know here.