Talk Less, Say More

Talk Less, Say More is a revolutionary guide to 21st century communication skills to help you be more influential and make things happen in our distracted, attention-deficit world. It's loaded with specific tips and takeaways to ensure that you're fully heard, clearly understood, and trigger positive responses in any business or social situation.

It's the first book to deliver a proven method to master the core leadership skill of influence. Talk Less, Say More lays out a powerful 3-step method called Connect, Convey, Convince (R) and guides you in how to use these habits to be more influential. This succinct book solves your modern communication issues in today's demanding, distracted world at a time when interaction skills are plummeting.

Communication is the single greatest challenge in business today. It takes just 3 habits to conquer it. Talk Less, Say More will help you achieve more with less. Less wordiness. Less tune-out. Less frustration. You'll gain more time. More positive outcomes. More rewarding relationships.

Introduction Connect-Convey-Convince 1

1 CONNECT Managing Attention 5

10 Signs You May Be a Weak Connector 7

Chapter One Why Connect? 11

Chapter Two Stay in Their Moment 17

Chapter Three Frontload 29

Chapter Four Goldilocks Candor 43

Connect Review and Action Plan 54

2 CONVEY Managing Information 59

10 Signs You May Be a Weak Conveyor 61

Chapter Five Why Convey? 65

Chapter Six The Eyes Trump the Ears 71

Chapter Seven Talk in Triplets 83

Chapter Eight Tell Stories 91

Convey Review and Action Plan 99

3 CONVINCE Managing Action 103

10 Signs You May Be a Weak Convincer 105

Chapter Nine Why Convince? 109

Chapter Ten Sound Decisive 115

Chapter Eleven Transfer Ownership 127

Chapter Twelve Adjust Your Energy 137

Convince Review and Action Plan 150

Putting It All Together 155

About the Author 159

Acknowledgments 161

Index 165

"Talk Less, Say More has become an integral part of our sales training program. In today's manufacturing environment, our sales engineers must be able to quickly gain mind share of our customers, deliver the appropriate messages, and win new business. Talk Less, Say More provides the communication tools critical for success."
—Dana Fritz, Manager, Global Sales Training Rockwell Automation

"Talk Less, Say More is the answer to become an effective communicator. Connie's principles can be employed immediately to improve both your personal and business interactions."
—Terry Bauer, Corporate Director of Sales Execution Reinhart FoodService

Connie Dieken is the country's foremost Fortune 500 leadership communication coach, an Emmy® Award–winning former television news anchor, and an inductee of the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame. She is the founder and President of onPoint Communication, where she has guided thousands of leaders from organizations like Apple, Olympus, and McDonald's to be more influential and achieve positive results. Talk Less, Say More is a revolutionary guide to 21st-century communication skills to help you be more influential and make things happen in our distracted, attention-deficit affected world. It's full of specific tips and take-aways to ensure that you're fully heard, clearly understood, and will ignite positive action in any business or social situation.

You'll achieve more with less. Less wordiness. Less tune-out. Less frustration. You'll gain more time. More positive outcomes. More rewarding relationships.

Whether you're a business leader, emerging leader, or salesperson, you need to persuade others to succeed. This book will get you there. It will help you cut through distractions, demands, and information overload to get real results.

Author Connie Dieken coaches leaders to communicate with purpose. She'll help you instantly gain more power and influence while spending less time being tuned out.

With this book's fast-paced, no-nonsense style, you'll discover Connie's Connect-Convey-Convince® methodology. These three powerfully simple habits will help you:

• CONNECT with anyone to instantly capture their undivided attention

• CONVEY and nail information without overloading or confusing

• CONVINCE anyone to take the action you want and feel good about it

Communication is the single greatest challenge in business today. Talk Less, Say More will help you reach your A-game in interpersonal communication, giving you more power to change minds and inspire remarkable results—while talking less.

"Talk Less, Say More is packed with powerful advice to get your points across and make things happen in today's time-pressed world. Connie's forward-thinking, actionable communication shortcuts can elevate anyone's game."
—Bruce Carbonari

Chairman & CEO, Fortune Brands

"Connie Dieken's three-step strategy is a smart, practical guide for business leaders and others who want to create a high-performance culture. It's an important, powerful book on how to master communication in the 21st century."
—Tom Swidarski

President & CEO, Diebold

"Thanks to Connie's communication expertise, she makes it easy for anyone to transform from a good communicator into an excellent one. Her three simple principles are based on real-world experiences and demonstrate the power of a strong communicator."
—David Lingafelter

President, Moen Incorporated

"Connie Dieken is a true communication virtuoso and a genuine phenomenon. She is on a mission to elevate our ability to communicate. Talk Less, Say More should be required reading for all leaders and emerging leaders. It can instantly transform the way people respond to you, giving you the power to deliver brief, clear messages that influence the world."
—Robert Johnson

Managing Counsel, McDonald's Corporation