Find out Larry King's success secrets in this post

“I didn't learn anything while I was talking.” 

― Larry King

Lawrence Harvey Zeiger, (widely known as Larry King) host of the very popular and highly successful talk show, Larry King Live, the first international TV call-in show, is a good case study in the art of communication. The show was the highest-rated talk show on air, with many celebrities wanting to be on it. He ran the show for 25 years before quitting, so he can be regarded as an authority in the field of broadcasting and when he talks about communication everyone must listen. 

In his book, How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication, King shared some secrets that anyone involved in any kind of communication should put to use. He also shared in the book, secrets to his own success as a broadcaster. I believe all of us, no matter what we do, are involved in the business of communication. In one way or the other, we are selling something to another person. And one key tool in the art of selling is communication. So I believe Larry King’s insight will be of benefit to everybody and not just those involved in broadcasting or public speaking.

Here are some of the insights King shared in his book:

Show interest in people and respect them

Mr. King asserts that one cannot talk successfully to others if they think one has no interest in what they have to say or if the think one has no respect for them. One’s body language and attitude should show one is interested in the other party. Your communication partner(s) can tell whether you respect them or not. If they sense that you respect them, they will show more interest in the conversation but if they sense that you don’t respect them nothing you try will get their interest.

Make eye contact

Larry King advises that one should make eye contact throughout a conversational exchange because it helps one to listen closely to the other person. Maintaining eye contact conveys a message to the other person that you are listening with attention but you should avoid staring into the other person’s eyes or stare into space.

Demonstrate openness 

Your listener(s)/audience relate to your openness. So find a common ground with your fellow speaker or listener(s). Tell stories about yourself. Talk about your background, tastes and preferences. Be honest about yourself. You should also learn to put others at ease. Let them talk about themselves, especially about fond memories.

Listen sincerely 

Mr. King says to be a good talker, you must be a good listener. Listening sincerely helps you to learn a lot. It helps you to learn more about the other person and also come up with appropriate follow-up questions. When you listen sincerely to the other person, you show them you are interested in them and you can respond appropriately to them.

Stay informed: Make effort to be conversant with the goings-on around you. Try to know what people are talking about. This will help you to strike conversations easily and sustain conversations.

Use the word ‘why’ a lot 

This is the surest way of keeping a conversation flowing. Mr. King confesses in the book that he used the word ‘why’ more than any other word on his TV show.

Show Enthusiasm 

It was Larry King’s enthusiasm that got him his first job as a broadcaster and kept him in the job all through. Enthusiasm will help you survive difficult periods.

I sincerely hope you found the pieces of advice useful. And I hope you will put them to use. Even if you had known about them before now, I believe this post was a great reminder for you and you will continue to follow the advice of someone who is a master of communication and whom some have called America's best-known master of conversation.

Shalom!