Resist Oversharing. Instead, Start A Dialogue.

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Hey there!

A comment came up in a recent Pro Connect Live monthly accountability and support session with my lovely VO Pros, where one of them recently landed an agent via a cold submission, and mentioned that the agent appreciated the fact that the Pro did not give the agent her entire life story in that initial email.

She nailed the meeting…and landed the agent.

And that’s a lesson I’ve had to learn over and over and over: resist the urge to shower new contacts with exhaustive information. Here’s what to do instead.

Hope this helps!

David

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  1. Yeah, this one seriously resonates with me. It’s only later in life that I’ve come to see how over-verbalizing isn’t helpful. In fact, it just produces a glassy look in most people. It’s really, I think, a matter of knowing your audience. A minority of people will follow you, and find the information interesting, and possibly valuable. But most hear the first little bit and start thinking about their response long before you’ve finished your long info-dump. Use their facial expression as your feedback loop!

  2. Great lesson. I am working on this too. My hubby, on the other hand, is a master of communication. He is truly amazing at it. Of course, it does help that he has a degree in psychology. I’ve learned so much about first interactions and building relationships by watching how he does it. He gets people to open up with just one question and is able to discern their patterns and decide if this will be a good thing to pursue. I normally don’t do that and give it all up in the first meeting which doesn’t work out well in the long term. He takes his time, gets to know the other person first, what they want, need, desire. He also sets fantastic boundaries in the first meeting. He does it with grace so the person doesn’t feel hurt or insulted. He just sticks with his truth and moves from there. In business, this has been a fantastic tool. He is able to see problems before they start and not continue to down that path. I’m still learning these techniques but I’ve already have seen how helpful it is to move slowly and let the “other person talk” as he always tells me. Get to know them and their patterns so you can be a valuable long term commodity not just give it all up in the first few minutes of meeting.

  3. “over share” encapsulates the all to familiar situation I’ve often placed myself in. Great reminder David! Thanx.

  4. David, in my acting classes, I require that my students create a brief Personal Commercial. Been doing this for nearly thirty years after a producer once told me he tuned out after twenty seconds. My students have exact points to hit, which change according to their experience,

    My specialty as a coach is helping shy people come out of their shells so they can easily connect with their chosen community and get the respect they deserve. And should I move back to Los Angeles, I plan to teach my method there, too. It works. 🙂