Small Talk

8
Conversational Clout
Ido not suggest that you use aggressive conversation
tactics; however, I do propose that you use assertive,
rather than passive, language. Allow your conversation
methods to convey your core strength. How many
times do we hear words come out of our mouths that
sound meek, apologetic, and hesitant? When you offer
to try to get back to you by tomorrow, you are admitting
that a firm expectation does not exist. The words we select
for conversation can convey messages we do not intend
to deliver. Has a member of the wait staff at a
restaurant ever said to you We can’t make substitutions, or a
customer service representative responded to your inquiry
with If I can find out...? As you will discover in
this chapter, certain expressions and statements, as well