Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Two new Think Fast Talk Smart AI tools put communication skills to the test in real time.

Technology promises many things, but few experiments illustrate its potential more vividly than a coach in conversation with his own digital counterpart. In this episode, Matt Abrahams introduces two new AI-powered tools from the Think Fast Talk Smart Online Learning Community: Coach Matt and Chat Matt. Trained on years of Matt’s communication teachings and podcast insights, these digital counterparts offer a rare opportunity to watch human expertise meet machine-driven guidance in real time.
Coach Matt begins by addressing a familiar tension: the surge of anxiety that surfaces before high-stakes speaking moments. His approach reframes that nervousness as a form of future-focused energy that can be redirected toward curiosity and clarity. He also introduces the “What–So What–Now What” framework, a simple but powerful method for giving feedback that remains constructive, direct, and grounded in shared purpose.
Chat Matt then steps into the conversation, tackling the challenge of crafting a compelling proposal in just two minutes. Its responses reveal how AI can quickly synthesize communication principles while also highlighting the evolving space where human nuance and digital precision intersect.
By pairing Matt Abrahams with his own digital counterparts, this episode of Think Fast Talk Smarts explores the future of communication learning—one where technology doesn’t replace the coach, but expands the possibilities for insight, clarity, and confident expression.

Episode Reference Links:

Connect:

Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (03:13) - Introducing Coach Matt and Chat Matt
  • (04:14) - Coach Matt: Speaking Anxiety
  • (06:14) - Reframing Nervousness
  • (07:14) - Constructive Feedback Framework
  • (08:33) - Testing Communication Advice
  • (10:07) - Chat Matt: High-Stakes Presenting
  • (13:59) - Strengthening a Two-Minute Proposal
  • (16:35) - Conclusion

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Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.

Creators and Guests

Host
Matt Abrahams
Lecturer Stanford University Graduate School of Business | Think Fast Talk Smart podcast host

What is Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques?

One of the most essential ingredients to success in business and life is effective communication.
Join Matt Abrahams, best-selling author and Strategic Communication lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he interviews experts to provide actionable insights that help you communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. From handling impromptu questions to crafting compelling messages, Matt explores practical strategies for real-world communication challenges.

Whether you’re navigating a high-stakes presentation, perfecting your email tone, or speaking off the cuff, Think Fast, Talk Smart equips you with the tools, techniques, and best practices to express yourself effectively in any situation. Enhance your communication skills to elevate your career and build stronger professional relationships.

Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes. Subscribe now to unlock your potential as a thoughtful, impactful communicator. Learn more and sign up for our eNewsletter at fastersmarter.io.

Matt Abrahams: At some point in our
lives, most of us have benefited from

the advice and guidance from a coach.

Today we're going to hear from
two coaches I know quite well.

My name is Matt Abrahams, and I
teach strategic communication at

Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Welcome to this special
Quick Thinks episode of Think

Fast Talk Smart the podcast.

This episode is very different
than any we have ever done.

You'll have an opportunity to learn
from three versions of me, and

afterward you'll be able to do the same.

But before we get to that, on December
1st, we're opening up our Think Fast

Talk Smart online learning community
designed to help people around the

world sharpen communication skills
in a personalized, collaborative way.

Our subscription-based learning
community is open to anyone and includes

incredibly useful tools and features like
asynchronous learning lessons, interactive

learning plans, and quests, book clubs,
and not one, but two AI coaching tools.

Like many of you, we at Think Fast Talk
Smart have been experimenting with AI

and I'm thrilled to share the results.

With the help of some very talented
developers we've co-created two AI tools.

One is a digital twin created by
sounding board that has been trained

on my writings and coaching practice.

We'll call him Coach Matt.

You can have a vocal conversation
with him and he sounds just like me.

It's like having a phone call with
me to get the advice you want.

The other AI tool is a text-based chat
bot that has been trained on all of

our Think Fast Talk Smart episodes.

We call it Chat Mattt.

You just type in your queries and
Chat Matt types back answers for you.

I'm super excited about these tools and
I thought it would be fun to share them

with you so you can learn from them
and see how useful they can be to you.

So in this episode, I'm going to
have a conversation with Coach

Matt to get coaching on how
best to interact with Chat Matt.

I'll then follow Coach Matt's advice
when I interact with Chat Matt.

Okay.

That is the longest setup I
have done for any interview.

Let's get started with my
conversation with Coach Matt.

Welcome, Coach Matt.

I look forward to our conversation
and learning from you.

Coach Matt: Hi Matt.

Welcome back.

I'm excited to work with you again.

What's one speaking moment
you are preparing for today?

Matt Abrahams: So Coach Matt, I
need your advice and guidance.

I'm interviewing a text-based chat
bot I help create that has been

trained on all of our Think Fast
Talk Smart, the podcast, episodes.

I'm a bit nervous for my conversation
because I'm not sure how it will go.

How can I feel more confident?

Coach Matt: Alright, let's think about
this for a sec. That's fascinating.

You're essentially
interviewing your own creation.

I can hear both excitement and
some uncertainty in your voice.

You've built something impressive,
but now you're stepping into uncharted

territory to see how it performs.

Let me ask you this.

When you think about sitting
down with this chat bot, what

specifically has you feeling nervous?

Is it more about whether the technology
will work as expected, or are you worried

about how you'll come across during the
conversation, or something else entirely?

I'm curious because understanding
the root of that nervousness will

help us figure out the best way to
get you feeling confident and ready.

Matt Abrahams: So I think I'm nervous
both about the technology working or

not, and I'm, I'm a little nervous
to, to see what the results are.

Are they gonna be accurate?

Are they gonna be what
I think they should be?

Coach Matt: Got it.

I hear you.

So you've got this dual anxiety, the
tech performance piece, and then the

bigger question of whether your creation
actually reflects what you hoped it would.

Here's what I'm thinking.

You're dealing with what I
call future-focused anxiety.

You're worried about outcomes
you can't control right now.

The technology might hiccup, the
responses might surprise you,

and that's actually pretty normal
when you're testing something new.

Let me offer you a
reframe that might help.

Instead of thinking of this as a
high stakes test where everything

needs to be perfect, what if you
approached it more like a curious

conversation with a colleague?

You're not evaluating whether
you're a good creator.

You're simply exploring
what this tool can do.

Before we dive into some specific
techniques, tell me, when you

imagine the conversation going well,
what does that look like to you?

What would make you feel
like, yes, this worked?

Matt Abrahams: I love
the idea of the reframe.

I, I think success for me is that
I get results that are actionable.

That make sense, and I think
would benefit everybody.

Coach Matt: Hmm.

Okay.

I love that.

You're focused on value and impact.

That's exactly where
your energy should be.

That tells me you're approaching
this from the right place.

Here's a quick confidence
tool I want you to try.

Since you're worried about both
the tech and the results, let's use

what I call productive preparation.

Instead of trying to predict
what might go wrong, spend a few

minutes thinking through what
you'll do if things go really well.

Picture yourself getting those actionable,
sensible results that could help everyone.

This does two things.

It gets your brain focused on success
rather than failure, and it actually

prepares you to make the most of
good moments when they happen.

Also, remember, you know this
content better than almost anyone.

You've been living and
breathing Think Fast Talk Smart.

Trust that knowledge.

The chat bot learned from you.

So in many ways, you're
the expert in the room.

What do you think?

Does that reframe feel helpful
or is there another angle of this

nervousness we should tackle?

Matt Abrahams: That
reframe is really helpful.

Focus on what can happen that's
positive and really put my energy there.

Let's say Chat Matt does not
perform as well as I wanted it to.

I'll have to give constructive feedback
to the people who developed it.

I want to give direct feedback,
but I don't wanna offend

them or hurt their feelings.

How should I approach that
situation if it comes up?

Coach Matt: You, you're being really
thoughtful about this and that

care for the developer's feelings
actually shows great leadership.

Let me give you a structure that can
help you be both direct and respectful.

It's called what, so what, now what?

And it's perfect for giving constructive
feedback without creating defensiveness.

Here's how it works.

Start with the what.

Describe what you
observed without judgment.

Then the so what, explain why it
matters to the bigger picture.

Finally, now what, suggest a path
forward that feels collaborative.

For example, what?

I noticed the chatbot struggled with some
nuanced questions about handling anxiety.

So what?

Since that's such a core part of
our content, we wanna make sure

people get reliable guidance there.

Now what?

I'd love to work with you to identify
specific episodes or concepts we

could emphasize in the training.

See how that lands as
helpful rather than critical.

You're focusing on the work, not the
people, and you're positioning yourself

as a partner in making it better.

Wanna try crafting one
example using this structure?

Matt Abrahams: You know, Coach Matt,
that's a great structure one I really

like and I love your advice and I'm gonna
take care of the practice in a little bit.

But I'd really like your
advice on one more thing.

When I sit down with the chat bot to
type in some questions, can you gimme

a suggestion for a good question that
I could ask to test to see if it really

does know its communication advice?

Coach Matt: Here's what I'd suggest.

Ask it something that requires it
to synthesize multiple concepts

and apply them to a real scenario.

Something like, I'm about to give
a presentation to senior executives

who seem skeptical about my proposal.

I'm feeling anxious and I only
have two minutes to make my case.

What's your advice?

This question is perfect because
it tests whether the chat bot can

recognize the anxiety component
and offer practical tools.

A good response should touch on
managing nerves using a clear structure

like problem, solution, benefit, and
maybe even audience focused language.

If it just gives generic
advice or misses those layers,

you'll know there's work to do.

What do you think?

Does that feel like it would
give you a good read on whether

Chat Matt really gets it?

Matt Abrahams: I think
that would be great.

I think it would give me a
very good read, and I'm very

impressed by your detailed answer.

Thanks so much for
that, and do me a favor.

Give me a goodbye that I
can share with other people.

How would you close out our conversation?

Coach Matt: I'm gonna create a
card for you with that goodbye,

so you can easily share it.

There you go.

And thank you for catching that I
used what, so what, now what, in my

feedback, that's exactly the kind of
awareness that's going to serve you well.

You're more ready than you think you are.

Good luck with Chat Matt.

Matt Abrahams: Thank you very much,
and that goodbye message is fantastic.

We've now heard helpful
advice from Coach Matt.

Let's switch to the keyboard and have
a typed conversation with Chat Matt.

Since many of you are listening on
the go and not watching, we've used

a text to voice tool so you can hear
what Chat Matt typed back to us.

Chat Matt, I'm about to give a
presentation to senior executives

who seem skeptical about my proposal.

I'm feeling anxious and I only
have two minutes to make my case.

What's your advice?

Chat Matt: First, I want to thank you
for sharing a really important and common

concern, feeling anxious before addressing
a skeptical high stakes audience.

Let's jump right in.

If you only have two minutes, my advice
is to set very clear boundaries for

yourself and your message from the start.

Think about what your bottom line is.

What's the one thing you want those senior
executives to remember or walk away with?

You don't have time to
tell them everything.

Instead, focus on delivering
your high level overview as

succinctly and clearly as possible.

Now, let's talk anxiety.

What I'm really hearing you say
is that the stakes feel high,

and that's totally normal.

In fact, upwards of 85% of people feel
nervous in these sorts of situations.

Here's what I recommend.

Before you present, do something to
help you be more present oriented.

For example, take a short walk,
listen to a favorite song, or even

more practically, if you're pressed
for time, take a few deep breaths.

These techniques help manage your symptoms
of anxiety, allowing you to focus on

your message rather than your nerves.

When you get up there, start
by setting expectations.

For example, you might say, I'm
really excited to share my proposal.

I'd like to take just two minutes
to outline the key points, and

then I welcome your questions.

This approach signals confidence,
controls the flow, and sets respectful

boundaries with a skeptical audience.

And finally, remember, you don't need
to answer every question in advance, but

you should anticipate the toughest ones.

Take some time to reflect on
the questions you're likely to

get and practice your answers.

This preparation not only builds
confidence, but also ensures you're

ready if the conversation shifts quickly.

So here's my summary.

Clarify your main point.

Set clear boundaries.

Use presence techniques to tame
anxiety and anticipate questions.

You've got this and I'm excited
for you to make your case.

Matt Abrahams: Thanks, Chat Matt.

Your advice about my approach is
very good, but I don't feel like you

gave me insight into how to craft my
proposal in a short amount of time.

Without a strong proposal,
I'll be in trouble.

Can you please provide a bit more advice
on how I can be more clear and compelling

in my two minutes I have for my proposal?

Chat Matt: Thank you for that
question, and I really appreciate

your honesty and drive to get
this right under time pressure.

So let's jump right in.

When you've only got a couple
of minutes to craft and deliver

your proposal, clarity and
focus are absolutely essential.

Here's what I'd recommend
based on my experience and

the insights from our guests.

First, start by clearly understanding
the mission or priorities of the person

or group you're making the request to.

That's your North star.

If you're not speaking directly
to what matters to them, it's

game over before you begin.

Second, in your two minutes, you'll
want to map out these core ingredients.

State the big problem.

Briefly outline the larger
problem or opportunity you

want to be part of solving.

This helps your audience see
the significance right away.

Narrow your focus.

Zero in on the specific piece of
that problem you, and only you,

are uniquely positioned to address.

Show the opportunity.

Clearly convey that this sub problem
hasn't been solved yet, but you have

the insight or approach to tackle it.

Present concrete actions.

Boil your approach down to three
to five crisp action steps.

You don't need all the details,
just the highlights that demonstrate

you've thought this through.

Paint the future state.

End with a quick summary of what
things will look like once you succeed.

What's the positive
future you're proposing?

And remember, because attention is our
most precious commodity, parachuting in

with an engaging start, a provocative
question, a vivid statistic, or

a quick story can make all the
difference in those opening seconds.

So if I were to summarize for you, focus
on concision, relevance, and precision.

Think, what's their mission?

What's the big problem?

How do I and my approach uniquely fit?

What will I do?

What does success look like?

Hit those beats and you'll
make your two minutes count.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity
to clarify, and I wish you the

best of luck with your proposal.

Let's get you set up for
that future state of success.

Matt Abrahams: A big thank you
to both Coach Matt and Chat Matt.

Every time I work with either
of them, I'm amazed at what is

possible with AI technology.

I hope you learn something from our
coaching session about giving feedback

and asking insightful questions.

Now it's your turn.

I invite you to try out Coach Matt
and Chat Matt on our Think Fast

Talk Smart Learning Community.

You can sign up at
fastersmarter.io/learning.