3/36 — Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Absolutely! I follow the reverse 30-second rule! The original one states that after an important meeting or conversation, one should take thirty seconds to write down all the key points. It should be done without looking at any of the notes and kept to thirty seconds. The goal is to (train and) trust your instinct to identify what was important, making it easier to remember by performing this recalling exercise right after the event.
Pro-tip: Anything your partner says qualifies as key. It should be kept in writing, especially if it relates to potential gifts for said partner’s birthday.
The legend goes that the individual at the origin of this rule is a very successful one (albeit utterly unknown). This person is hired regularly as a consultant by any Fortune 500 companies and Time 100 most influential people you can think of (no name required, marketers leave this to your imagination). You might think this legend is used solely as a manipulative trick to make you more interested in the 30-second rule. I used to think that way, till I tried it and found it incredibly efficient. I was so impressed that I discussed the matter with my grandmother (may she be blessed).
I’ll always remember her words: «Stipushi! I know this rule; of course! Don’t they teach you anything at school nowadays? Have you heard of the reverse 30 as well?». I hadn’t, of course, and so she explained it to me. You can guess the concept from the name. Before any important meeting or conversation, take 30 seconds to visualize your goal and to review the main points you want to discuss. For higher performance, write them down.
My grandmother found this technique never failed her, except with her therapist: «You see Stipushi, every week I rehearse leaving her, and when the time comes, at the end of my perfectly delivered speech, she unfailingly says: ‘Good session, talk to you next week’, to which I inevitably reply: ‘Thank you, see you next week’.»
See you next post then!
It was question number 3 in the «36 questions that lead to love» series. An alternate question is: «During a conference call, do you ever listen to what other people are saying? Why?»
Go there for the complete list.
