As We Speak
How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick
By Peter Meyers; Shann Nix
(Atria Books, Hardcover, 9781439153055, 288pp.)
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
Other Editions of This Title: Google eBook, Paperback
Categories: Motivational, Personal Growth - Self-Esteem, Public Speaking
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The world is full of brilliant people whose ideas are never heard. This book is designed to make sure that you’re not one of them.
Even for the most self-confident among us, public speaking can be a nerve-racking ordeal. Whether we are speaking to a large audience, within a group, or in a one-on-one conversation, the way in which we communicate ideas, as much as the ideas themselves, can determine success or failure. In this invaluable guide by two of today’s most sought-after communication experts, Peter Meyers and Shann Nix offer a comprehensive approach for tackling the underlying obstacles that almost all of us experience when faced with speaking in public. In As We Speak, you’ll learn to master the three building blocks at the core of their approach:
Content: Organize the information you want to convey and construct a clear and lucid architecture of ideas that will lead your listener through a memorable emotional experience.
Delivery: Use your body, voice, eyes, and hands in ways that engage your audience and naturally support your message.
State: Bring yourself into peak performance condition. Your state is the way you feel when you perform, and it is both the most powerful and most frequently overlooked component of communication.
Meyers and Nix show how to apply these principles in a wide variety of situations. You’ll learn how to handle difficult face-to-face conversations with colleagues, friends, and family; how to make the best use of e-mail, phone, video conference, and other technology; and how to communicate in a crisis, when all eyes are on you and emotions are running high. Meyers and Nix also emphasize that effective communication is impossible without first becoming aware of your own true goals and personal beliefs, and they offer helpful tools and exercises that will lead you to greater clarity and self-knowledge.
Accessible, inspiring, and laden with useful tips, As We Speak will help you discover your authentic voice and learn to convey your ideas in the most powerful and memorable way possible.
Peter Meyers is the founder of Stand & Deliver Consulting Group. An acclaimed actor and theater director, he currently teaches performance and leadership skills at Stanford University, Esalen Institute, and IMD-International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is based in San Francisco.
Shann Nix is an award-winning journalist, novelist, playwright, and radio talk show host. She lives in Wales.
“Whether you are a seasoned speaker or a novice, the advice here will carry you to the next level, helping you make authentic audience connections, deliver relevant messages, and become a better communicator overall. This book truly helps one master the moment in all kinds of speaking situations.”
—Governor Jack A. Markell
“This book is a how-to guide for creating a connection with one person or a thousand. Peter and Shann helped shift my interactions from talking to communicating. Their advice can help you transform your message so it will be received and appreciated.”
—Mike Latham, Global Head of iShares
“This career-changing book will enable you to overcome your fears and limitations, making you a far more effective speaker and inspiring leader of your team, your company, or your country. Their high-impact strategies have been transformational for me. Simply put, it’s the single best guide to public speaking you’ll ever read.”
—Jon Cowan, president, Third Way, and former chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
“The key to being a good coach is good communication. For coaches, leaders, teachers, or parents—this book will help motivate people to be the best they can be.”
—Ronnie Lott, NFL Hall of Famer and sports announcer
“Effective communication is critical to success in virtually everything we do. As We Speak provides a fresh look and unique perspective that will prove valuable to anyone who needs to improve their communications skills, which is to say, basically . . . all of us!”
—Thomas Rowe, CEO, California State Fund Insurance
“This is a must-read book for every leader who wants to communicate with deep impact. It can be used as a guide for self-coaching in all situations where leaders need to stand and deliver.”
—George A. Kohlrieser, professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, IMD Business School, and author of Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others, and Raise Performance
“This book engages the reader not only with the written word, but also with suggested exercises, master tips, feedback forms, and many other tools. Anyone seeking the power to engage need look no further.”
—Magnus Bocker, chief executive officer, Singapore Exchange
“Drawing from hundreds of years of cumulative knowledge, ranging from great Russian acting teachers to Fortune 500 CEOs and radio show personalities, As We Speak is as strikingly modern as it is practical and insightful. There’s not a person I know who wouldn’t benefit from a close study of Peter and Shann’s profound ideas.”
—Jack Conte, composer
“I wish I’d had this book twenty years ago when I was first starting out. It is an important work, not just about communication, but about the most effective ways to bring people together. This book has inspired me to become a better leader.”
—Doreen Ida, VP, Marketing, NestlÉ USA
“In the new global world, your success is defined by your ability to work across multiple cultures, time zones, and boundaries. This book gives you one crystal- clear universal strategy to do the most important thing of all—create trust.”
—Yvon LeRoux, vice president, Cisco Systems
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