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December
12, 2002:
Improving Verbal Communication
Interview
with Meryl Runion, author of Power
Phrases
Mike
Carruthers:
When we communicate with others, it really is not only what you
say, but how you say it.
Meryl
Runion:
An example is, at one of the rental car places, they have
a sign that says, "No reservations, no car." Now,
that's like a brick wall right there! However, if they said
"Reservations are required," it comes across completely
differently.
Meryl Runion,
author of the book Power
Phrases.
One of
my favorite power phrases, it came from a person in Boulder.
It was a customer service situation and someone was venting
at her, and she said to him, "Sir, I care very much about
your problem and when you speak to me in this way, I find it
difficult to focus on a solution."
There are
great power phrases for saying no that are better than just
saying no.
One of
my favorites is, "I'm not comfortable with that."
I have a friend who spent $70 at dinner-all she had was a baked
potato, but they decided to split the bill. And instead of saying,
"I'm not comfortable with that," she went along with
it and then she resented her choice.
And Meryl
believes the greatest power phrase of all is silence.
Most
of us are afraid of silence. Most of us are afraid to let a
moment go by without speaking, and when people are not afraid
of silence, that gives a lot of power. Many times, when you
are silent, the other person will show their hand, so that gives
you tools. That gives you information to work with. Powerful
people are not afraid to be silent.
Tomorrow,
effective power phrases to use with your boss. I'm Mike Carruthers
and that's "Something You Should Know."
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