Chapter 14. ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGIOUS
I bring enthusiasm on purpose. It's for fluency.
When I'm in conversations, I f*ck with my own emotional state. I bring enthusiasm on purpose. It's for fluency. Enthusiasm is contagious. You can be enthusiastic on a call, and I think it helps with our speech, because being enthusiastic helps with confidence.
Enthusiasm was a big thing to help me start to play with some confidence, because I found that when I was enthusiastic, and it was real, that I was naturally like 5 percent more confident. It was not like super confident, but like I was a little bit more. It wasn't with drinking. There's no drinks. It was just like being enthusiastic. So I really played with that, and I think there's something there. To this day I crank up my enthusiasm. So enthusiasm is not shouting. It's not like to yell.
Say it with enthusiasm.
Craig talking to Don. Craig: So, Don, speak enthusiastically about something, about your girlfriend. Tell me what you like about her. Say it with enthusiasm. Don: Ooh, this is like some theater. She is very mature for her age. Craig: I can't hear the enthusiasm, sir. Don: My girlfriend is very mature for her age. She is very, very kind to others, very sweet, selfless young lady. Craig: How kind. How kind. I want to hear your voice. Don: Some say the kindest in the game. Wow. Some say the kindest. Craig: The way you said "the kindest" the first time, Don, was perfect. Because what I heard was a loud voice, but not an angry voice. A loud, confident voice. It's just the way he said it. I could tell that would have been a hard word for him, but he said it with enthusiasm.
The point I want to make is, if you were teaching the most boring part of your job to a new person, you could deliver the same enthusiasm as if you're talking about what you love about your girlfriend. It can be manufactured. Because what you're doing is changing your emotional state while you speak. Because what you're doing is controlled excitement.
"It's always the safe, passive bet, but it never feels good at the end of the day doing it. It's just cowering out early." That was how the other speaker described his experience. I used 2 inches tall and 10 feet tall to explain the difference in how I could feel. Enthusiasm helped me explore more energy in my voice. A quiet voice can also be comfortable and appropriate; volume alone does not tell me how somebody feels.
You said something that stuck with me once, which was that when you have 2 drinks, you're good. I joked once that you can't go through life, you just have to drink before a client call. That wouldn't be good. "Excuse me, boss, I need these 2 shots real quick." But enthusiasm can help deliver the same feeling.
Learning to be heard in a noisy place
"The one place I still struggle with is a loud restaurant or a loud bar." I understand why that can be hard. Being heard in noise was something I had to work on. I wanted a voice the other person could hear while keeping the conversation comfortable.
For me, speaking up was a skill I had to practice. Sometimes people still said they couldn't hear me. I was learning what enough volume felt like. A noisy room can also be a reason to move closer, find a quieter spot, or take a break.
There were loud places where I raised my voice and people simply talked back. That helped me question how small I thought my voice had to be. There is still such a thing as too loud. Avoid shouting over the noise or pushing through vocal strain. Pain, hoarseness, or effort are reasons to rest your voice; persistent problems deserve professional attention.
When I am out socially, I want the other person to hear me comfortably. That can mean speaking up, moving closer, or choosing a quieter place. The volume should fit the conversation.