As We Speak

A powerful guide to confident, stress-free public speaking: “Their high-impact strategies have been transformational for me.” —Jon Cowan, founder and president, Third Way
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’re speaking to a large audience or a small 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. This invaluable guide by two of today’s most sought-after communication experts offers 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.
You’ll learn to handle difficult face-to-face conversations with colleagues, friends, and family; make the best use of e-mail, phone, video conference, and other technology; and communicate in a crisis when all eyes are on you and emotions are running high. As We Speak also emphasizes that effective communication is impossible without first becoming aware of your own true goals and personal beliefs, and offers helpful tools and exercises to lead you to greater clarity and self-knowledge.