--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Say the first word. Set the tone for the…" description: "\"Say the first word. Set the tone for the conversation. Be poised, prepared, and ready to say the first word in any debate or meeting.\" — Gloria Feldt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/gloria-feldt-15640_communication_say-the-first-word-set-the-tone-for-the_999942.jpg" --- # Say the first word. Set the tone for the conversation. Be… ![“Say the first word. Set the tone for the conversation. Be poised, prepared, and ready to say the first word in any debate or meeting.” quote by Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/gloria-feldt-15640_communication_say-the-first-word-set-the-tone-for-the_999942.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/gloria-feldt-15640_communication_say-the-first-word-set-the-tone-for-the_999942.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/gloria-feldt-15640_communication_say-the-first-word-set-the-tone-for-the_999942.jpg) > “Say the first word. Set the tone for the conversation. Be poised, prepared, and ready to say the first word in any debate or meeting.” [Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Initiating conversation sets direction and confidence; being ready to speak first establishes presence and influence. **In simple terms:** Speak first to set tone. Key Takeaway Take initiative in dialogue. Themes communication leadership confidence Mood motivational strategic Type leadership communication When to use this quote - meetings - debates - team briefings - networking events Key Concepts public speaking psychology Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you face when speaking first? - How can you prepare to speak first effectively? A Different Perspective Being first may cause premature statements without preparation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone/) ## Related quotes > [“an' when they git ready... I say, when they git... ever hear tell of a shoggoth? 'Hey, d'ye hear me? I tell ye I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/an-when-they-git-ready-i-say-when-they-git-ever-hear-tell-of-a/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [Anyone who works in the arts knows, if you're writing a novel or a play or anything, you have to be ready for someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/anyone-who-works-in-the-arts-knows-if-you-re-writing-a-novel-or-a/) [Colm Toibin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [I wasn't ready to say, I can't play anymore. And I'm still not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-moyer/i-wasn-t-ready-to-say-i-can-t-play-anymore-and-i-m-still-not/) [Jamie Moyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-moyer/) > [“One day life will say goodbye, be ready to say goodbye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sher-ullah/one-day-life-will-say-goodbye-be-ready-to-say-goodbye/) Sher ullah > [“Say it" "Say what?" I asked "Tell me what you told me earlier" My heart leaped into my throat. I'd told him a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/say-it-say-what-i-asked-tell-me-what-you-told-me-earlier-my-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m not ready to say goodbye to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-harlow/i-m-not-ready-to-say-goodbye-to-you/) [Melanie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-harlow/) > [I was at a point where I was ready to say I am what I am because of what I am and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bancroft/i-was-at-a-point-where-i-was-ready-to-say-i-am-what-i-am-because-of/) [Anne Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bancroft/) > [“He was ready to go but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-blake/he-was-ready-to-go-but-i-wasn-t-ready-to-say-goodbye/) Alex Blake > [“We are ready to despair too soon, we are ready to say, ‘What’s the good of doing anything?’ Hope is the virtue we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/we-are-ready-to-despair-too-soon-we-are-ready-to-say-what-s-the-good/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-ready-to-say-goodbye-to-you-yet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The world isn't ready for what I have to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-david-mitchell/the-world-isn-t-ready-for-what-i-have-to-say/) Brian David Mitchell > [I think by not participating in the current political debate, hopefully I'm sending a signal that will help set a tone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-by-not-participating-in-the-current-political-debate/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [So let's raise the tone of the debate. Too often at the moment we look like schoolchildren squabbling over a toy - our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/so-let-s-raise-the-tone-of-the-debate-too-often-at-the-moment-we-look/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Number one, it is absolutely critical that we tone down the rhetoric when it comes to the immigration debate, because there has been an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/number-one-it-is-absolutely-critical-that-we-tone-down-the-rhetoric/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What I want is the world to remember the problems and the people I photograph. What I want is to create a discussion about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/what-i-want-is-the-world-to-remember-the-problems-and-the-people-i/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) ## More by Gloria Feldt > [If these restrictions were necessary, the FDA would have promulgated them in the first place, ... 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One more partner than you've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-feldt/the-definition-of-promiscuity-one-more-partner-than-you-ve-ever-had/) [Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/) > [Be intentional about your life and what you want to accomplish, but understand there's no choice you make that you can't change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-feldt/be-intentional-about-your-life-and-what-you-want-to-accomplish-but/) [Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/) > [Power unused is power useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-feldt/power-unused-is-power-useless/) [Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/) > [What's your vision of what you think should happen? How can you make it happen? 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