On this episode of the Become More Compelling Podcast, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Dan Chang (@friendformula), founder of The Friend Formula.
A former self-described shy guy, nine years ago Dan decided to start learning about social skills so that he could perform at a high level in his career.
He's gone from someone who was too shy to speak up in meetings to giving presentations to executives. (Dan's small talk tips are great!)
Dan has been featured on INC, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Lifehacker, Introvert Spring, and many others.
In this conversation, we discuss how to become better at small talk than 99% of people.
I love Dan's advice because it's so easy to implement.
If you've ever fiddled with your phone instead of striking up a conversation with someone you've wanted to meet, this podcast is for you.
In this episode you'll learn:
13:55 - How to make yourself comfortable before you even open your mouth.
15:50 - A simple tip that Dan's boss gave him: You don't have to have a great idea to say something.
30:50 - Dan's 3 step framework for mastering small talk.
Listening Options:
• Click Here to listen via Apple Podcasts.
• Click Here to listen via Spotify.
Show Notes & Links:
03:57 - Dan's story: from shy guy to starting conversations on the train.
10:30 - Mindsets about small talk that will set you up for success.
11:55 - Talking about nothing helps us bond with other people.
13:55 - How to make yourself comfortable before you even open your mouth.
15:50 - A simple tip that Dan's boss gave him: You don't have to have a great idea to say something.
18:45 - Dan talks about the dangers of too much prep before conversations.
24:20 - Why you should avoid too much self-focus during conversations.
30:00 - Sam Harris' Meditation for dealing with negative emotions.
30:50 - Dan's 3 step framework for mastering small talk.
38:40 - Why affirming what other people say sets you apart from 99% of people.
41:00 - How Jeff started 89,400 conversations over 10 years.
45:50 - If Dan woke up tomorrow with no connections and no friends, this is what he would do first.
49:50 - Dan's free resource for Become More Compelling listeners: 3-video mini course on mastering small talk.
3 ways I can help you level up your communication skills:
1. Private Coaching: I’m the secret weapon top Performers at Google, Netflix, and the US Army trust for people skills coaching. Imagine what I can do for you.
2. Social Accelerator: Social Accelerator is my proven self-paced + group coaching system for turning social awkwardness into confidence, overthinking into action, and hesitation into meaningful connections.
3. My group convos audio guide. Join over 5,000 overthinkers who have supercharged their group conversation skills using tested strategies in my 56-minute audio training.
I'm Jeff Callahan
I make it nearly impossible for overthinkers to fail at improving their people skills. (I've helped hundreds of people over the last 10 years)
Want to never run out of things to say in conversation again so you connect with more people and make new friends?
Want to speak up more in important meetings at work so you get promoted faster and have an awesome career?
Want to develop unshakeable social confidence and competence so you can walk into any room and feel like you belong there?
As your coach, I'll help you move forward faster.
