Whether it\u2019s someone at a party<\/a> who wants to tell you all about their trip to Switzerland<\/a> or a coworker in a meeting who gives 45-minute answers to simple questions, everyone has to deal with a chatterbox from time to time. The good news is that Jessica Chen<\/a> is here to show us how to confidently (and politely) interrupt someone who won\u2019t stop talking and redirect the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chen is a global communications expert, keynote speaker, former Emmy-award-winning TV journalist, and author of Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople who are extremely loud and dominant in a conversation, it\u2019s because they love the sound of their own voice, and they feel like what they have to say is so darn important,\u201d she said in a TikTok video. \u201cDoesn\u2019t mean that you sit back and you just kind of, like, let it be. You still gotta be top of mind. And it\u2019s finding that split-second moment to insert yourself in the conversation, but acknowledging what they said.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chen believes that if you pop in when they take a breath and acknowledge what they said, they won\u2019t be upset when cut off, because they got what they needed from the interaction. In a recent CNBC article<\/a>, she shared a script on how to interrupt a chatterbox and redirect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo say the person\u2019s name firmly and politely. This combination showcases both confidence and presence without coming across as confrontational,\u201d she wrote. \u201cNext, reroute the conversation to what you want to talk about. Be strategic by showing that you\u2019re collaborative and trying to expand on their thoughts. People love to feel like their ideas were acknowledged, and it also creates a seamless conversational flow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn, your thoughts on how to address the billing situation remind me of a similar problem we had last year\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlison, that\u2019s wonderful. I never knew that about vacationing in Paris. Last year, I took a trip to the Bay Area\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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