How To Talk To Anyone

It is crucial to adapt one’s communication style to suit one’s medium. For example, an unnamed Broadway show failed because the actors didn’t adjust their performances for a larger venue; their nuanced expressions were lost on a larger stage. Similarly, during conversations over the phone, nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language are absent, making it important to verbalize these cues. “Talking Gestures” suggest treating phone conversations like a personal radio drama by translating physical gestures into audible expressions. Phrases like “I see” and “That’s great” can be used to replace nods or smiles. To maintain a conversation’s flow, it’s advised to enhance audible expressions by 30 percent.

“Name Shower” suggests using a person’s name more frequently during phone conversations to grab attention. Overusing names can come off as manipulative in physical interactions; however, over the phone, it “commands attention and recreates the familiarity the phone robs from you” (235).

“Oh Wow, It’s You!” advises answering phone calls “warmly, crisply,” and in a “professional” manner and then smiling to oneself to make the other person feel special, as if your “giant warm fuzzy smile is reserved for him or her” (239).