Book review of Think Faster Talk Smarter By Matt Abrahams

I bet most of us have faced situations where we tried hard to convey a message—whether to our parents, clients, spouses, or children—only to be met with a blank stare. Of course, we know some of these stares, especially from spouses, might be intentional, as they pretend not to understand. But for the sake of productive discussion, let's move on! :D I used to reflect on these interactions often, wondering if there was some kind of repository—formats or structures—that could help me communicate with clarity, ensuring that the audience not only understands but appreciates the message.

I picked up this book " Think Faster and Talk Smarter" by Matt Abrahams, because it promised to equip readers with tools for handling spontaneous discussions, and I must say, it delivers on that promise.

Professor Matt Abrahams is an expert in communication and teaches organizational behaviour at Stanford University. He also runs a famous business podcast "Think Fast Talk Smart", which is quite insightful! 

We can't agree more that communication is the lifeline of any relationship- be it personal or professional. Interestingly, while our educational system prepares us for communication in a formal setting - such as delivering a presentation, writing clear emails, rehearsed conversations etc., it doesn’t coach us for speaking in an informal setting. If we think about it, informal impromptu conversations, in fact, dominate the major part of our life. This is where Matt’s book is extremely helpful, in laying out before the readers how to turn these informal speaking opportunities into successful and meaningful interactions. This book stays true to its tagline “How to speak successfully when you’re put on the spot”.

Matt talks about the six-principles that one could employ to deftly handle the situations where one is required to speak on the spot - such as in business meet ups, toasts, appreciation meetings, etc. These six principles are the core areas around which the book is written. Some of them are obvious to those who are already working on improving their communication skills, namely, staying calm by managing the anxiety, listening well, focusing and curating the message to meet the audience requirements. However, for all these principles, Matt provides us with a workable solutions, by explaining these methods and approaches in the light of real-life situations where we could employ these techniques. 

One principle that blew me away and that which I found so helpful was “Structuring your Spontaneity”. Matt provides us with useful structures and frameworks, which will equip us with the skill to communicate our message effectively, without deviating too much, and in  a way the recipient will also understand. For instance, he talks about “what-so what-now what” technique which offers a simple yet logical framework that the speaker could use when put in any situation. “What” is to articulate the idea or the context, “so what” will help the recipient understand why the idea/context is being talked about to him/her, and “now what” will convey the expected action or reaction from the audience. If you reflect upon it, it is just sheer ‘Communication 101’ where someone would always want to understand these three elements in any conversation, and conveying your message in this structure brings thorough clarity for the recipient. 

Matt lavishly introduces many such useful frameworks and structures and sprinkles them across the chapters, which can be adopted by a wide category of people. I liked another interesting framework “Problem-Solution-Benefit” which a sales person or an entrepreneur could instantly employ to their advantage. Most of them know the points to discuss for all these 3 elements, namely Problem,Solution and Benefit. But when it is actually thought through and one structures the message to be conveyed using this framework, convincing the buyer or an investor becomes a cake walk. 

The author also offers various tips for impromptu conversations throughout the book, including making the small talk or a discussion center around the other person and not about self. Some of them are also contrarian, such as letting some imperfections in the conversation stay, so that it offers room for the listener to contribute to the conversation. The author, being a big fan of structured communication himself, has laid out the chapters by introducing core principles first followed by practical applications of those principles in various settings, making it easier for the reader to understand the application of the concepts in real-life. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book as I am someone who is actively working to improve upon my communication skills and would highly recommend it to those who are looking for a book on communication, loaded with practical solutions. At times, the content feels repetitive but I look at it more as a reinforcement of the concepts, which I felt is helpful. At the end of the day, all of us strive hard to share our thoughts and opinions to our fellow persons- it could be to our colleagues, our spouse, parents, friends, children etc. and we also expect them to understand and follow through our words and intent clearly. This book, with its well-researched, relatable and easy-to-implement tips, will empower you in communicating your thoughts with clarity. Matt, humbly so, accepts that he himself is working upon some of the skills and not everything can be achieved on day one. Nevertheless, he vouches from his vast experience, that if practised well and diligently, these techniques can make you a great conversationalist.