You cannot reach perfection in communication. No matter how great the document is, how great the speech is, you still could always make it just a little bit better.

Whenever I work with a new client, no matter who they are or what their topic is, the first question I always ask is, who is your audience and what do

they care about most?

When someone asks you a question or someone pushes back on your idea, you've now got an

opening to extend the conversation.

Don't throw that away.

Our fear of being seen as unoriginal is one of the most inhibiting fears that we carry.

Nobody wakes up and writes the script of the day and everyone else goes along with that script.

We're actually experts at improvising.

It's just when we get put on the spot.

I always define a reputation as the echo that precedes you into a room and the echo that remains after you leave.

Hi there, my name is Matt Abrahams, and I'm a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business,

where I teach strategic communication. I invite you to tune in to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the Podcast,

where I'll be speaking with my colleagues at the GSP and experts across the

Stanford campus to talk about best practices you can use to become a more confident, authentic,

and engaging communicator. In each episode, we'll look at topics like managing public speaking

anxiety, handling questions, managing your reputation, and speaking spontaneously.

Together, I look forward to learning ways to think fast and talk smart.

Subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.