Communicating with a variety of different people and dealing with different personalities can be one of the chief challenges for a home-based business entrepreneur. Small businesses can me made and broke with communication, after all. One of the communication “issues” that I have a hard time with is people who talk over the top of me, finish my sentences or just start talking while I am talking. I have had to learn some coping techniques in order to be able to both tolerate and communicate with those colleagues and clients who talk at the same time that I am trying to talk.
There are a couple approaches you can take—you can just keep talking regardless of whether they start up over the top of you, or you can stop and let them finish out what they are saying. You can also try to say something like, “Excuse me, please let me finish.” This might sound a bit aggressive but I have to tell you, I have had pretty good luck very kindly and firmly using this phrase. It lets people know that they are interrupting, while you can continue getting said what you need to say.
Stopping works decently as well. I have found that those people who tend to cut off the sentences of others or step in and start talking over the top will “fizzle out” if I stop talking altogether. It seems that they really are into talking when other people are talking and lose interest when there isn’t anyone to compete with or talk over.
With all this said, try to stay calm and patient and don’t take it personally. I know that I have been known to interrupt people myself—usually when I think it is my turn and they have taken a break, but they keep talking, but nonetheless, conversation can be challenging for many of us. You can learn to cope and communicate with someone who talks over the talk of you when you are dealing with customer relations—it just might take some creativity and practice.
Also: Do You Talk Too Much?
You Never Know Who You’re Talking To