Use technology to gauge if you talk too much

Technology reveals the art of conversation

The give and take in a conversation is often seen subjectively by each participant and some people do not realize when they dominate a conversation while others don’t realize how many awkward silences they leave, making the other person do all of the talking.

In steps the Talk-o-meter iPhone app can be used either directly with all users knowing or passively, but either way, it does not record or store the conversation. The app first calibrates both voices, then recognizes each speaker, keeping track of the talk time of each.

The results of each person’s talk time is displayed as colored percent bars set up in one, two or five minute intervals. The developer note it does not measure sound levels and works best in a low noise environment (we’re suspecting it functions best in a private office rather than a coffee house).

Using Talk-o-Meter in business

Do you find yourself talking too much in client meetings or maybe struggling to speak at all? Consumers are receptive to both, and it is wise to test given that most dominant and submissive speakers (rather than fair, middle of the road speakers) don’t usually recognize their speaking personality. We don’t know if this would work well over the phone but it would be interesting to test out perhaps with a speaker phone on a land line.

Consider this- if you aren’t aware that you are a submissive speaker and don’t speak enough, you could leave consumers doubting your knowledge or your ability to negotiate. If you aren’t aware that you are a dominant speaker and that you don’t leave room for people to speak, they may feel that their input is unimportant. Either is a bad position for any business professional to be in.

Now, instead of guessing, iPhone users can download the app and find out for sure. We suspect that all speaker personalities will leave room for others to speak (or will speak up) if they know they are being monitored, even if it is just a simple chart at the end of a conversation. What a great exercise for a real estate office or training new agents. What uses can you see for the app?