Gloria Borger: Attention is the most precious commodity we have in the world today. Yet gaining others attention is often not enough to be successful in our communication. We need to be engaging, which I define as sustaining people's attention. How can we use language in particular to hold attention? She says style can make up for content; emotional language does a great job of holding attention.
Words have impact. But when it comes to enchanting audiences and captivating with communication, Jonah Berger, PhD ’07, says some words are more potent than others.
Berger is a Wharton School professor and an internationally bestselling author. His most recent book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, identifies language we can use to communicate more effectively in all sorts of personal and professional contexts. “Subtle shifts in language can have a huge impact on everything from convincing clients and holding attention to connecting with loved ones in our lives,” Berger says.
Magic words allow us to change minds, engage audiences, and drive action. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast, Berger and host Matt Abrahams discuss how we can leverage their power in our own communication.
Connect: