216. Wired for Words: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Influence

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Understanding your audience's psychology is the key to crafting communication that resonates.

Persuading others isn't about magic spells or mind-reading tricks. According to Emily Falk, the real secret is simpler: know what your audience finds relevant, and you’ll be able to craft a message that resonates.

Falk is a professor of communication, psychology, and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania, Vice Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication, and director of the Communication Neuroscience Lab. In her book What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice and Change, she reveals that our brains have what she calls a "social relevance system" — our ability to understand what other people are thinking and feeling. "I use social relevance as this kind of catchall for these thoughts about what other people are thinking and feeling, which also helps us predict what they're gonna do and how we might communicate successfully with them," she explains.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Falk and host Matt Abrahams explore how to put this insight into practice, from the power of storytelling to leveraging "neural synchrony" to create shared understanding. Whether you’re motivating a team or influencing a customer, Falk offers science-backed strategies for tapping into your audience’s psychology and communicating with relevance.

Episode Reference Links:

Connect:

Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
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
(02:47) - Neuroscience & Behavior Prediction
(04:05) - Brain Systems in Persuasion
(05:28) - Tailoring Messages for Impact
(08:06) - Psychological Closeness & Relevance
(10:34) - Power of Storytelling
(13:48) - Neural Synchrony & Shared Meaning
(15:33) - Better Conversations Through Sync
(19:37) - Rapid-Fire Q&A with Emily Falk
(24:23) - Conclusion

********
This Episode is brought to you by Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi, Matt here. As we start the second half of 2025, I wanted to take a moment to share some things I am super excited about for the show and our Think Fast Talk Smart community. First, we have some amazing influential guests coming up like Dan Harris, Peter Sagal, and Chenaya Boumecay. Second, we've curated several topic-focused playlists like managing speaking anxiety and spontaneous
0:22.8	speaking, among others. Check them out at faster smarter.io slash playlists. Also, you will notice an
0:30.4	additional ad or two in our episodes. We're in the process of expanding our team and building out
0:35.4	our community hub. This requires additional resources.
0:39.1	We truly appreciate your support and look forward to further helping you deepen and broaden
0:44.0	your communication and career skills. Please do follow us, rate and review the show,
0:49.3	and share us with your friends, family, and colleagues. Thank you for listening and for your support.
0:59.8	Relevance is critical to communication, relevance to yourself and relevance to others. My name is
1:07.2	Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of
1:11.3	Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Hi, Matt here. We spend years developing skills,
1:20.0	gaining experience, and working hard. But when it comes to advancing, making a career change,
1:24.8	or negotiating a better salary, many of us hesitate because we lack a clear
1:29.4	strategy and accountability. And that's where today's sponsor, Strawberry.me, career coaching,
1:35.3	comes in. We know that success isn't just about effort. It's about having the right guidance
1:40.5	and feedback. Strawberry.me matches you with a certified career coach who will help you
1:45.3	clarify your career goals. They'll help develop a results-driven strategy because progress requires
1:51.3	action. And finally, they'll help you stay accountable. Top athletes have coaches, great speakers
1:58.1	have coaches. So why wouldn't you have one for your career? Go to
2:02.3	strawberry.m.m.m.m. Smart and claim your $50 credit. That's strawberry.m.m.m.
2:09.2	Smart. Because great careers don't just happen. They're built with the right coaching.
2:18.3	Today I'm excited to speak with Emily Fault. Emily is a professor of communication, psychology,
2:23.3	and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania and the vice dean of the Annenberg School of Communication,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Think Fast Talk Smart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Think Fast Talk Smart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.