Are you too loud?
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By Annetta Wilson
| Published March 2008
Have you ever seen two people arguing?
It’s hard to pick out the rational one, isn’t it?
Why is that?
Maybe it’s because when voices are
raised, no one is listening, nothing gets
resolved and you’re providing great entertainment
for anyone who happens to be in
the vicinity.
Want to get the edge in any argument?
Take some advice from this Lebanese
proverb: “Lower your voice and strengthen
your argument.”
It’s extremely difficult to argue with someone
who doesn’t argue back.
So much of communication is about
managing energy, not words. Control the
energy and you control the conversation.
Tip: The next time you’re in a heated
exchange, lower the volume of your voice.
It will immediately catch the other person off
guard.
More often than not, it will give you just
enough time to reduce the temperature of a
heated exchange and bring some rationality
back into the situation.
No one can accuse you of being irrational
when you’re calm!
Granted, there are some people who
start arguments just to control you and/or
the situation. No matter what you say or do,
their volume is stuck on ‘high’.
There are probably some other issues
going on there.
But, when you’re sure of your position,
can state it clearly and know that the other
person can be rational and will eventually
listen, stay calm and cool things down before
they get out of hand.
What we want in any exchange is for the
other person to hear us. It’s hard to do that
when everyone is yelling and no one is listening. It becomes hard to remember what you
were disagreeing about in the first place.
As the saying goes: Never argue with a
fool. People who are watching won’t know
who’s who!
©2007 Annetta Wilson Media Training and
Success Coaching. All rights reserved.
Annetta Wilson iis a business strategist
specializing in media training, presentation
and communication skills coaching. A
talent coach for CNN, she has coached for
CBS and Walt Disney World. She makes
it easier for individuals and teams to communicate
more powerfully and effectively.
Annetta is an award-winning journalist
with more than 30 years experience in the broadcast industry, a
Certified Trainer and a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst.
Visit her Web site at www.YourCoachForSuccess.com for your
free report, “Three of the Biggest Mistakes People Make in Public
Speaking!” |
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