What you are describing is that other people around you are having a conversation, then the moment something you can relate to is talked about, you start talking about yourself . Do you really not see the problem? Seriously, do you think talking to someone is about each person talking about themselves in turn? Sure, people love talking about themselves. But you don't even pretend that a conversation is anything but a…
Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
81–90 of 98 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#82Book: "Power Talk: Using Language to Build Authority and Influence" (2001) https://g.co/kgs/6L8MxNy
- Speaking from the edge, Speaking from the center
"From Comfort Zone to Performance Management" (2009) https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C43&q=%E2... .. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32786594 :
> The ScholarlyArticle also suggests management styles for each stage (Commanding, Cooperative, Motivational, Directive, Collaborative); and suggests that team performance is described by chained power curves of re-progression through these stages
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#83What you are describing is that other people around you are having a conversation, then the moment something you can relate to is talked about, you start talking about yourself . Do you really not see the problem? Seriously, do you think talking to someone is about each person talking about themselves in turn? Sure, people love talking about themselves. But you don't even pretend that a conversation is anything but a…
It seems like you are responding to the worst possible interpretation of what they wrote instead of what they actually wrote.
Notice, that he never mentions asking people questions, initiating conversations or anything besides interjecting himself into a conversation to talk about himself.
All I am assuming is that the things OP writes are his typical behavior and how we would typically behave in conversations.
Seriously, he describes himself interrupting a conversation to talk about himself and immediately there after complains that someone else interrupted him to talk about themselves. I do not know what a benevolent interpretation of that could be. If you have one, please tell me. It definitely can't be ignorance.
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
that only proves my point - stories are a source of either wisdom or entertainment, both of which is a form of personal (and only personal) profit of the specific listener
But that’s not very helpful advice then. Basically you’re saying water is wet.
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#85I used to have a soft voice and would constantly be spoken over, and not really listened to. I also look very young (I am late 30s and I still get IDed when buying alcohol). Some things that helped me: - I grew a beared that accentuated my jawline - When people would begin to interrupt me, I would continue on with my sentence regardless of them speaking, and I would finish my sentence. I would be prepared to let it g…
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#86Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#87Things that have worked for me: modulate voice tone - lots of people tend to strive for a monotone voice for some reason, and it sounds rather boring and drone like; pyramid principle - start with the main thing and fill out details later, building up to something tends to make people drift off; brevity is the soul of wit - don't emphasize things by rephrasing ideas, don't hammer on points that have been made, don't…
Pass the ball if u want the ball. It's a team sport.
Be brief and on point.
Use your emotions.
Listen.
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#88What you are describing is that other people around you are having a conversation, then the moment something you can relate to is talked about, you start talking about yourself . Do you really not see the problem? Seriously, do you think talking to someone is about each person talking about themselves in turn? Sure, people love talking about themselves. But you don't even pretend that a conversation is anything but a…
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#89What you are describing is that other people around you are having a conversation, then the moment something you can relate to is talked about, you start talking about yourself . Do you really not see the problem? Seriously, do you think talking to someone is about each person talking about themselves in turn? Sure, people love talking about themselves. But you don't even pretend that a conversation is anything but a…
Excuse my autism, but what is a conversation exactly then ?
People may debate something, exchange information, talk about common interests or events affecting them, joke around or do many other things.
Re: Ask HN: How can I learn to better command people's attention when speaking?
#90The surefire way to seem boring is to be in your own head all the time. The only time you should be "inside your head" during a conversation is to achieve point #1 above. "Hmm, how can I say this next thought without "I" or "me"? Otherwise, you should be mentally projecting yourself out of your head into their story.
Try to make 90% of the conversation about them. Even if you are boring, you can seem interesting just by telling someone about themselves. To "hype" yourself for conversations, you need to tell yourself "I'm going to talk to this person specifically to envision myself in their story, feeling what they feel."
Lastly, some people tend to be very "tunnel vision" in conversations. It makes people seem really bland, stiff, transactional. It's much more fun to remind yourself before a conversation that "it's cool to see if I can identify small gestures or body language to get "more insight" into the person." Which means to look around, look at the person.
Related to the above, being able to gesture with hands, feet, and body convey a certain "relaxed-ness". If you are back inside your own head, use that as a chance to tell yourself to move your hands, gesture, etc. when talking.