When we try to be funny, it just invokes so much stress. So I like your reframing of, Hey, this is just light banter. And that takes pressure off. By taking pressure off, I think it frees us up to actually be funnier and more connecting. "I find that the mirror habit can deflate conversational energy or make it feel choppy," she says.
Whether you’re trying to build a romantic or professional connection, Rachel Greenwald’s advice is exactly the same. “Focus on how you make someone feel more than you focus on the words that you're saying,” she says.
As a professional coach, Greenwald helps people develop better communication skills, from executives in the business world to singles in the dating world. Building deep connections may at times be challenging, but as Greenwald says, it’s ultimately not complicated. “You're demonstrating that you're interested in someone and that you like them,” she says.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Greenwald and host Matt Abrahams discuss relationship-building tactics like small talk, active listening, communication blindspots, and more.
Connect: