Joe Rogan. Whether you disagree or agree with his message, it is hard to fault his messaging.

There are few podcasters who can engage with scientists, philosophers, athletes, investors and even Elon Musks. But Joe is one of few.

In this article, we will break down how Joe Rogan masters small talk with anyone.

Compliment thoughtfully

Compliments can be a double-edged sword.

On one hand, they can come across as forced and insincere, eroding trust in a conversation.

On the other hand, compliments build rapport and make the other person warm to you.

Joe’s masterful control of compliments is both in what he says and how he says it.

1. What he says:

Compliments can be a double-edged sword.

On one hand, they can come across as forced and insincere, eroding trust in a conversation.

On the other hand, compliments build rapport and make the other person warm to you.

Joe’s masterful control of compliments is both in what he says and how he says it.

A: What he says:

Joe will give three kinds of compliments:

1. Compliment work = “I love your work, I’m a really big fan” <- Joe in Action
2. Compliment energy = “I love being around people like you, you’re going for shit all the time and you give off good vibes”
3. Platonic physical compliment = “Congrats on the mustache; that’s a real beard, that’s a man’s beard”

B: How he says it:

He is very casual about the compliment. It comes in the middle of the sentence. He won’t end on the compliment and won’t dwell on the compliment. His tone of voice is very down to earth.

2: Ping for topics of mutual interest

Joe subtly pings for topics of mutual interest. This is because he knows that people warm to others with similar interests. He also then knows that he’ll be competent and energised by the discussion.

Here’s what you might say to ping for mutual interest:

“This Saturday, after watching the football I’m having a poker night with mates before I drive down to the snow on Sunday with my brother”.

If the other person is into (a) football, (b) poker, (c) skiing, he or she can now easily bring it up.

3: Ask why questions

Having a deep curiosity for what motivates someone is a great way to level up any conversation.

One of the best ways to show this curiosity is to ask why questions. This is because it makes the other person think about their values and motivations, making them feel heard as you show that you care.

Here are some examples from the man of the moment, JR:

Joe follows up “where do you live” with “why do you live there?”

After asking “where do you work” he asks “why do you do that?”

4: Laugh and smile easily

Laughing and smiling makes you more likeable.

It’s also been scientifically shown to make you happier, even if it’s fake at first!

You can become better at smiling and laughing by smiling and laughing more often.

5: Be interesting

Don’t be afraid to talk about things that interest you. People like interesting people with interesting ideas.

In conversations, I can bounce from talking about books to opinions on markets to crazy healthtech and blockchain theses to sleep hacking to the latest startup I’ve invested in.

Millions of people across the globe read podcasts and listen to books to learn something new. Save them some time by sharing the coolest things you’ve learnt!

These insights were inspired by this video.