TLDR: Tim Ferriss went from working 15-hour days on his struggling business to four-hour work weeks making more than enough money to live on. Now, he shares his methods with others about how to “work smarter, not harder” — using effective communication.
So What? Ferriss is the master of the “life hack”: repeatable routines and tools that help you achieve peak performance. From showing genuine curiosity, to active listening, to using vibrant analogies, learn the communication hacks that Ferriss has used to build his global audience.
As a speaker, entrepreneur, and author of the international bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss has communicated the power of working smart, not working hard. (Though, make no mistake, he still works hard.)
His communication style has proven quite powerful. People are drawn to his regular cadence of well-researched books, podcasts, and ideas. Ferris is not a flash in the pan; he has replicated his first bestseller’s success several times, even under trying circumstances that would have discouraged others.
Ferriss uses a specific set of techniques that we can all use to successfully communicate our ideas and experiences.
Have Genuine Curiosity
Ferriss was not born into a wealthy family, but his love of learning grew into a lifelong passion because of his genuine curiosity about different subjects. That curiosity, because it’s genuine, naturally comes across to Ferriss’s audience through what he does and says.
This curiosity is one of the traits that has made Ferriss so successful and one that others can cultivate themselves as they go through life. Curiosity opens up opportunities that would not otherwise be available, and it inspires responses from others. Curiosity is important for communication because it’s a two-way street; you need to both give and receive information to find success.
Listening and Paying Attention
For Ferriss, one way that natural curiosity manifests itself is in giving others his full attention when they’re communicating. Ferriss has a highly successful podcast consisting of interviews with business and life experts. His technique of leaning toward the camera and giving his subjects full attention can be seen in the YouTube version of the podcast.
Along with paying attention, Ferriss also shows he’s a good listener by not interrupting or talking over his interview subjects as so many other thought leaders tend to do. At times, Ferriss appears perfectly still because he’s focused on what the other person is saying, and his responses show he has listened closely.
Asking the Right Questions
Ferriss can get a great deal of information from top industry leaders because he knows how to ask the right questions that get to the hearts of specific matters. This is why Ferriss’ podcast has over 200 million downloads over the last decade; it’s helped to revolutionize a new form of communication.
In his follow-up book Tools of Titans, Ferriss trumpets the value of asking “absurd questions,” on topics that may seem embarrassing or weird. In reality, absurd or embarrassing questions can elicit information most other interviewers will never get if they stick to the same types of questions as everyone else. Ferriss calls asking embarrassing questions a “superpower” that can take you where no one else will go.
Knowing When Not to Speak
As important as it is to know how to ask questions and listen, some of the effectiveness of your communication will be lost if you don’t also know when not to speak. It can be tempting to fill an awkward silence. Most people do it because they become uncomfortable when they don’t get immediate responses to questions or comments.
By staying quiet and allowing experts to truly talk or think for a few seconds about what they want to say next, you’ll often get deeper, more valuable information from them. Combining quiet waiting with follow-up questions will elicit the best data from an expert.
Using Vibrant Analogies
Ferriss grabs the attention of his audiences by using vibrant analogies to make ideas come to life. In Tools of Titans, for example, he highlights the idea of jumping first and building the plane on the way down. This is an analogy for taking risks and doing things that are way outside your comfort zone.
Vibrant analogies are not only attention-getting; they’re also memorable. Using them can sear ideas or concepts into the minds of consumers or audience members so they won’t forget them, even if they try. Vibrant analogies are powerful and unforgettable.
Finding Experts to Adopt Their Ideas
Ferriss realized he couldn’t be an expert on every subject that interested him. So he sought experts that could extend his knowledge and collaborate with him to accomplish tasks he couldn’t do alone.
His achievements now include fitness, cooking, and self-publishing a best-seller, and none of these items would have been possible without expert help or input.
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