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​​ What makes a great conversation?

“Many of us dread small talk,” says Harvard Business School professor and author Alison Wood Brooks. Yet she believes these everyday exchanges are the gateway to deeper connection and opportunity. An expert in the science of conversation, Wood Brooks, teaches a popular course titled Talk and has spent years researching what makes a great conversation. "Big things often start with small talk," she notes. "It’s not about avoiding it; it’s about knowing how to use it to uncover something meaningful."
In this LinkedIn Live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Wood Brooks joins host Matt Abrahams to share a practical framework for mastering small talk and making it enjoyable, even for those who loathe it. Drawing from her "topic pyramid" approach, Wood Brooks breaks down how to elevate a conversation from mundane chitchat to something memorable. “Think of it as a treasure hunt,” she suggests. “Small talk is where you start looking for golden nuggets that can lead to deeper engagement.”

Episode Reference Links:

• Alison Wood Brooks
• Alison's Book: Talk
• Ep.73 Listen Up: Why It’s Better to Be Interested than Interesting
• Ep.89 Listen, Listen, Listen: How to Build Deep Connections

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:11) - What Makes a Good Conversation?
• (04:30) - The Topic Pyramid
• (07:11) - Preparation for Small Talk
• (09:27) - Remembering Conversation Details
• (11:05) - Asking Too Many Questions
• (12:58) - Conversation Goals and Contexts
• (16:52) - Virtual vs In-Person Conversations
• (18:41) - The Importance of Listening
• (22:35) - Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• (23:53) - Conclusion

Introducing our new Premium membership, designed to enhance communication and career skills with expanded content and tools. Enjoy early access to live events, AMAs (Ask Matt Anything), EQuips—Essential Quick Insight Playlists—Extended Deep Thinks episodes, and the AI Chat Matt tool.

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Make your message memorable.

“Immediately forgettable” — that’s how Matthew Dicks describes most of the business communication that he encounters. If you want to be remembered, he says, it’s time to tell stories.

A veteran elementary school teacher, storytelling coach, and best-selling author, Dicks knows how the right narrative can transform mundane messages into stories that stick. In his book, Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling, he explores how to capture and hold an audience’s attention, which is particularly critical for business leaders. "When we tell a story about a product or service, the people we work with, our company, we become memorable and interesting and entertaining in a way that doesn't happen very often in business," he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dicks and host Matt Abrahams discuss practical techniques for crafting compelling narratives, from setting a scene to creating suspense. “Don’t build a building. Don’t buy a machine,” he says. Becoming a better storyteller is one of the most effective ways to level up. “It’s a crazy thing for businesses,” he says.

Episode Reference Links:

• Matthew Dicks
• Matthew’s Book: Storyworthy
• Ep.50 Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged
• Ep.47 Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder

Connect:

• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:08) - Why Storytelling Matters in Business
• (03:44) - The Essence of a Good Story
• (05:45) - Become a Better Storyteller
• (07:25) - Using Suspense in Stories
• (09:31) - Suspense in Business Communication
• (11:33) - Structuring Stories Like Scenes
• (13:42) - Relating Stories to Life
• (16:09) - Homework for Life
• (18:49) - Storytelling Delivery
• (19:56) - The Final Three Questions
• (24:01) - Conclusion