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The ONE Thing

High-Stakes Communication: How to Negotiate Confidently, Ask Smarter Questions, and Build Influence with Phil Jones

The ONE Thing

NOVA Media

Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship

4.81.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2026

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wishing you could go back and say it differently? According to Phil Jones, that doesn’t mean you have a communication problem. You may have a moment problem. Phil, author of the bestselling book Exactly What to Say, joins Jay to talk about the word choices, principles, and preparation that help people show up better in high-stakes conversations. He shares how a simple body of work grew into a global brand, why so many people give up on their greatest hit too early, and how boredom can become a path to deeper mastery. Jay and Phil also unpack the four cornerstones of conversational excellence, including why the worst time to think about what you’re going to say is while you’re saying it. The real challenge is learning to identify your critical conversations, those small moments that have an outsized impact on your results. Challenge of the Week: Identify one critical conversation in your personal life, one as a leader, and one that affects your income. Pick a hyper-specific moment inside each conversation and add more intention to how you show up. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] How Phil Jones Built a Career Around Knowing Exactly What to Say [05:02] How Repeated Questions Revealed Phil’s ONE Thing [08:01] Why People Give Up on Their Greatest Hit Too Early [13:45] Why the People You Serve Keep You Committed [19:14] The Four Cornerstones of Conversational Excellence [30:48] The ONE Thing Challenge  Links & Tools from This Episode: Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones Magic Words by Phil Jones Phil Jones’s Website Free Resources Produced by NOVA

Transcript

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0:00.0

Picture this. You're walking out of one of the most important meetings of the year.

0:04.2

Maybe it was a sales pitch with a huge client, an interview for your dream job.

0:08.2

You close the door or shut your laptop and immediately think,

0:11.9

I really wish I could go back and say that differently.

0:15.3

If that just triggered a vivid memory or maybe a trauma response,

0:18.9

then this episode is for you.

0:20.1

My guest today is Phil Jones,

0:21.8

the author of the bestselling book, Exactly What to Say. Phil has spent his career,

0:26.8

teaching millions of people how to excel in communication, and to always know, well, exactly what to say.

0:33.4

In this master class, Phil breaks down some of the most common mistakes we subconsciously make in high-pressure conversations,

0:40.3

as well as the four principles that can turn anyone into a great communicator.

0:44.3

Here's a big takeaway.

0:46.3

The worst time to think about the thing that you're going to say is at the exact moment you're saying it.

0:51.3

If you've ever walked away from a conversation wishing you'd handled it

0:54.3

differently or felt maybe that your mind went blank when the stakes were high, you don't have a

0:59.1

communication problem, you might have a moment problem. I'm Jay Papazan, and this is The One Thing, your weekly guide to the simple steps that lead to extraordinary results.

1:23.2

Phil, welcome to the show.

1:24.8

Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

1:26.1

I know. We've known each other for quite a while. I've admired your work. I've gotten to see you speak and share your message.

1:31.9

And now we get to share you with the one thing audience. I'm super excited. Well, let's see if we

1:35.3

can make this conversation count, hey? Oh, I know. I know. We will. I know we will. So,

1:39.2

like, your brand is exactly what to say. And I listened to your book. I remember someone recommended it.

...

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