The #1 Small Talk Rule That Makes People Like You (Stanford Communication Professor)

Thank you to Shopify for sponsoring this video. Start now at https://shopify.com/tigersisters Thank you SoFi for sponsoring this video. Sign up here: https://www.sofi.com/TigerPlus Sign up for our newsletter here and be the first to access our upcoming LIVE EVENT: https://cherieluo.substack.com/subscribe Have you ever walked away from a conversation with someone and thought: “how are they so magnetic?” Or, have you ever left a meeting and wondered: “why did I say it like that?” Today, we’re joined by Professor Matt Abrahams – a world-renowned communication expert, Stanford GSB lecturer, host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, and Cherie’s former TEDx coach – to break down the science (and strategy) behind how to talk to anyone. Tune in for lessons on: ✅ How to get out of your head and connect in real time ✅ The #1 mistake killing your communication ✅ Matt’s “What, So What, Now What” framework for confidence on the spot ✅ Tips to get in (and out of!) small talk ✅ The 5 stories everyone should have ready (for networking, interviews, and life) ✅ How to take your networking – and Zoom interviews – to the next level Plus, we get tactical with real exercises you can start using this week: from recording yourself, to building your personal “story bank,” to becoming what Matt calls a “communication athlete.” Consider this your guide to thinking faster, speaking smarter, and connecting better 🤓 📝PS… Tiger Fam: We ran into a few technical difficulties this time and there were a few dips in audio levels, but we worked extremely hard to make it the best episode possible! What did you think? Did you even notice? We’d love your feedback! Timestamps: 00:00: Episode introduction 00:44: Episode Intro 01:35: Introducing Matt Abrahams 01:54: What actually makes someone easy to talk to? 03:40: Why Matt records his students in different scenarios 05:40: 5 fundamental stories everyone should have in their arsenal 09:34: Matt’s go-to story… about toothpaste 10:45: How to prepare to be spontaneous 11:30: Being a “communication athlete” 13:30: The Pin Drop Principle’s techniques 14:30: The best way to have successful small talk 17:38: How to get OUT of small talk 21:34: How to judge yourself less while talking 22:45: An improv game to try (“shout the wrong name”) 24:00: Why memorizing is so bad 30:42: “What, so what, now what” framework to speak on the spot 34:10: Bad vs. good apologies 39:20: How to communicate while networking 41:45: The science and art of “biz rizz” 42:50: Tips for connecting on virtual meetings and calls 45:32: Closing thoughts 🐯👯‍♀️ We’re the Tiger Sisters — your Wall Street & Silicon Valley big sisters Decoding Money • Power • Love ✨ New episodes every Monday | Shorts all week ✨ 💌 Want to partner with us? Sponsorships: partnerships@tigersisters.co Why trust us? ▫️ Cherie Brooke Luo — 100M+ views demystifying tech, finance & MBAs ▫️ Jean Luo — ex-Goldman Sachs, ex-Snapchat exec, 50+ AI patents, startup investor ▫️ Together: 4 Ivy League degrees • built billion-dollar products • two startups — decoded for you What you’ll get (and keep): ▫️ 🚀 Ivy League cheat sheets — no $250K tuition ▫️ Personal finance playbooks (salary, investing, negotiation) ▫️ Networking scripts behind $100M+ deals & job offers ▫️ Real conversations with CEOs, operators & investors ▫️ Mindset resets — clarity without the pricey coach ▫️ Systems for career, money, and long-term growth 💛 LET’S CONNECT ~ CHERIE ~ Instagram — /cherie.brooke TikTok — /cherie.brooke Substack — cherieluo.substack.com LinkedIn — /cherie-luo ~ JEAN ~ Instagram — /jeanluo_ LinkedIn — /jeanluo 👉 Hit Subscribe & tap the 🔔, then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. It takes 10 seconds and makes a massive difference in helping new people discover Tiger Sisters. 🛍️ Items: 🍵 Sisters Matcha — www.sistersmatcha.com 🌀 Everything else — https://amzn.to/3z0dx5b