One of the most essential ingredients to success in business and life is effective communication. Join Matt Abrahams, best-selling author and Strategic Communication lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he interviews experts to provide actionable insights that help you communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. From handling impromptu questions to crafting compelling messages, Matt explores practical strategies for real-world communication challenges. Whether you’re navigating a high-stakes presentation, perfecting your email tone, or speaking off the cuff, Think Fast, Talk Smart equips you with the tools, techniques, and best practices to express yourself effectively in any situation. Enhance your communication skills to elevate your career and build stronger professional relationships. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes. Subscribe now to unlock your potential as a thoughtful, impactful communicator. Learn more and sign up for our eNewsletter at fastersmarter.io.
323 episodes transcribed“We are now competing in conversation with someone’s feed.”Connecting with others requires more than knowing what to say. The signals we send...
“We’re all salespeople at the end of the day.”Whether you’re pitching a movie, an idea, or yourself, persuasion is about more than the story...
“The tools of communication have changed, the human brain has not.” In a world of endless content and shrinking attention spans, getting your...
“Over time, what works is truly showing up in a way where you actually care, you're actually trying to give value.” In a culture that rewards...
"The first negotiation is actually a negotiation I have with myself about my own story."Before you can have hard conversations with others, y...
"The dumbest thing you can be is a know-it-all."Curiosity isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking better questions. Journalist a...
"You want to make sure you have the energy at the end of your communication as well as at the beginning." Why do some people command a room w...
"Know your stuff, practice, and then just do it and be there."How do you explain complex ideas without losing your audience? The challenge is...
"Meaning is about being mindful of the effect you have on other people."What makes a life meaningful? We often think purpose and meaning are...
"When there's a gap between our intention and our impact, we diminish others and our communication."The best leaders don't succeed because th...
“Managing emotions—yours and your audience's—is hard enough, but it's even harder when you're under pressure to respond."High-pressure commun...
"It's not an accent, it's an identity."The way we speak shapes more than how we're understood—it shapes how we're perceived. Peter Novak beli...
"The assumption of swift trust is really useful."Teams don't always need years to build trust—they need the right conditions to build it quic...
"People aren't inside of our heads, so you have to give them that emotional information as well as the factual information."Humor is more tha...
"If all you're trying to do is inform, you're not going to pull it off. You have to entertain your audience."Great presentations don't just s...
"You want to own the message and your narrative."Strong communication is about more than delivering a message—it’s about building trust over...
"If these masters are still continually trying to improve their own craft, I don't have any excuses."The world's best don't reach the top and...
“Communication is the number one way to remove friction.”If communication is the key to connection, then removing friction is what makes ever...
Celebrating 300 episodes with listener questions from around the world. In this special 300th episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Ab...
How to communicate with impact when the stakes are high.Communication isn't about getting information out. It's about making sure it gets thr...
