Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques · 2026-06-29 · 25 min · 4,506 words

301. Trust at First Sight: Create More Meaningful Connections

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The most effective communication is the communication that removes friction. My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today I look forward to chatting with Vanessa Van Edwards.

Vanessa is the lead investigator at Science of People. She specializes in helping professionals master their people skills, increase likability, and confidently navigate both digital and in-person interactions. Vanessa has written two bestselling books, Captivate, The Science of Succeeding with People, and Cues, Master the Secret Language of Charismatic communication. I got to know Vanessa when she joined me in teaching parts of my Strategic Communication Masterclass Certificates course.

Well, welcome Vanessa. I have been looking forward to this conversation for quite a while. Thanks for being here. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

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