Why do some speakers succeed while many bore their audiences and lose their listeners? Speaking coach Joan Detz has worked with top clients for more than 15 years and has the answers. In this useful and lively book she presents strategies and tips for speeches, sales presentations, brief remarks, job interviews, Q&A sessions, panels, and more -- every situation that requires something to say. Topics include: organizing your message * finding terrific research * using storytelling techniques * preparing the room * handling technical glitches * working with other speakers * measuring your effectiveness * making the most of your voice * mastering humor * using body language * conquering nervousness * building audience rapport * tapping the power of persuasion. Filled with checklists, tip sheets, self-evaluations, and practical advice on every page, this thorough and invaluable guide takes the mystery out of our most dreaded experience. This book will help you say it better-whether you're talking to one or one thousand.

A revised and updated edition of the detailed, down-to-earth guide to speaking your mind effectively—includes useful exercises. The best, most direct way to convey your intelligence, expertise, professionalism, and personality to other people is through talking to them. But most people have no idea what they sound like. And even if they do, they don’t think they can change it. It’s the Way You Say It is a thorough, nuts-and-bolts guide to becoming aware and taking control of how you communicate with others. Dr. Carol Fleming provides detailed advice and scores of exercises for Understanding how others hear you Dealing with specific speech problems Varying your vocal patterns to make your speech more dynamic Using grammar and vocabulary to increase your clarity and impact Reinforcing your message with nonverbal cues Conquering stage fright An entire section of the book focuses on communication issues in the workplace—interviews, presentations, voice mail, and more. In addition, Dr. Fleming puts a human face on her advice through vivid before-and-after stories of forty men and women who came to her for help. “No other skills will position you ahead of your competition as much as good speaking and presentation skills. No book approaches the depth and breadth of Dr. Carol Fleming’s It’s the Way You Say It.” —Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, keynote speaker, executive speech coach, and president of Fripp & Associates

"It's HOW You Say It"(TM) How true. Words are powerful tools. Do you wonder why, at times, someone takes offense at something you've said and you have no idea why? Maybe it's just the opposite and you have been misunderstood. The way you say something can be more important and have a greater impact than the words you use. This is much more extensive than verbal communication skills alone though. The intent behind the words we try to convey may be in opposition to the messages being perceived. They are often not in sync at all. Why? What skills are considered to be good communication skills? What are the components of effective communication, the kind of conversations that build relationships, streamline collaboration and help diminish friction between leadership, management, work teams... and loved ones? To find the answers to these, we have to go a little deeper. This book will take a lighthearted look at the background and mishaps in communication and deliver a no-nonsense approach to determining a lasting solution. What are the characteristics of a true leader? Can leadership be taught? Whether you are in executive leadership, in management, or an individual contributor you'll find the answers to these and other communication questions. Author, keynote speaker, corporate trainer and coach, Barbara Teicher, will help you to unlock the secrets of the messages you're really sending, learn the 6-Step "It's HOW You Say It"(TM) Principle for effective communication, discover what the characteristics of true leadership are (they may surprise you!), learn how to make a V.A.S.T. difference in your business, as well as personal, relationships and unveil the mystery of how to change perceptions because, it's not just what you say, "It's HOW You Say It."(TM)

The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The Ten Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century," he examines how choosing the right words is essential. Nobody is in a better position to explain than Frank Luntz: He has used his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. Hell tell us why Rupert Murdoch's six-billion-dollar decision to buy DirectTV was smart because satellite was more cutting edge than "digital cable," and why pharmaceutical companies transitioned their message from "treatment" to "prevention" and "wellness." If you ever wanted to learn how to talk your way out of a traffic ticket or talk your way into a raise, this book's for you.

No matter what the speaking challenge is, this inspirational, cleverly illustrated book will help readers perform with passion, power and persuasion—at the top of their game. Whether chasing a job, planning a pitch, giving a speech at a wedding, presenting to one or one thousand people, readers of It's Not What You Say will discover how to: • Use the rule of three to win any audience over • Prepare so you can be yourself – but better • Embrace the unknown and conquer any fear Capturing a life time’s work in the art of persuasive communication, this powerful book reveals the principles, tools and tricks to help you become a courageous, memorable, stand-out speaker.

An indispensable management guide to making sure that the long-term strategies and day-to-day goals a company sets are successfully executed, written by the coauthor of the national bestseller It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small . . . It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow. Good managers at every level recognize the importance of strategic planning and setting concrete goals for their employees. But even the best among them often fail to implement and support the crucial processes that turn well-laid plans into visible successes. Studies show that over the last fifty years, a whopping 83 percent of corporate slowdowns were attributable not to outside economic forces but to the lack of vigilant follow-through within the company itself. In IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY...IT'S WHAT YOU DO, Laurence Haughton identifies the missteps that allow initiatives to fall through the cracks and explains how to close the gap between what a company sets out to do and what actually happens. Drawing on interviews with top-level executives from such companies as IKEA, the Wall Street Journal, Charles Schwab, Time Warner, Watson Wyatt, Pella Corp., and scores of others both large and small, he presents the essential strategies for ensuring the success of innovations and change, including: • Get more “buy-in” from employees on new initiatives• Balance control with coordination to make your team more effective• Make sure that expectations are crystal clear• Maintain a sense of urgency and momentum on a daily basisFilled with real-life examples of how effective follow-through stems the waste of resources, improves productivity, and prevents costly mistakes, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY...IT'S WHAT YOU DO gives managers up and down the corporation or company the tools they need to eliminate failure resulting from lack of follow-through and achieve their goals.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.