When we were little, we were often told not to interrupt when two people were talking. Nevertheless, even as adults, it often happens that a friend, acquaintance or colleague interrupts our sentence.
This annoying and impolite habit can throw the other person out of focus and make them feel as if what they are saying is not important.
The sentence to stops interruption
People who speak more slowly or ramblingly are often interrupted. Fortunately, there is a three-word sentence that commands authority, which will surely prevent anyone from interrupting.
The sentence it sounds like this: “(The interlocutor’s name), I am talking.”
It is important that you pronounce the person’s name clearly and that you utter this sentence firmly, and yet politely. This will make the other person immediately notice what they did wrong. If you don’t speak up, it’s quite possible that the other person won’t even be aware of their interruption, and they will do the same next time.
In addition to practicing this phrase, try to communicate with authority, firmness, and confidence. This can help a lot in asserting your interests and wishes, be it in your personal life or career. To do this, try to follow the following three tips.
Be prepared
If you want people to really pay attention to you, you have to speak your mind, and have to express your ideas clearly. Always think ahead about what you want to say instead of bombarding people with information and rambling stories.
If you are preparing for a meeting at work, it may be worthwhile to write down in advance what topics you want to cover. It can also help to maintain attention if you tell in advance why you think that what you are telling will be important.
Grab the attention
The essence of public speaking is to adapt to your audience. Your everyday conversational style may work at home, within your comfort zone, but in new situations it is worthwhile to speed up your communication a bit.
Practice intonation, speak consciously, and try to avoid filler words. Always lower your intonation at the end of a sentence, otherwise what you say will sound like a question, and you will seem hesitant.
If you can’t win, change the rules of the game
If none of the above practices work, resort to alternative solutions. Staying with the example at work: at the end of a meeting, go to your boss and suggest that they moderate the conversation so that only one person may speak at a time.
Another solution could be to call on the help of your colleagues and ask them to help you express your opinion more smoothly next time.