Working the room : how to move people to action through audience-centered speaking / Nick Morgan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Morgan, Nick.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public speaking.

Physical Description:

x, 230 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Harvard Business School Press, [2003]

Summary:

There are several universal truths about public speaking. Most people hate doing it, and most don't do it well. And not surprisingly, most audiences retain just a fraction of a typical speech's content. Given these obstacles, why -- in an age of telecommunications tools such as videoconferencing and e-mail -- do we continue with "live" presentations at all? Communications expert Nick Morgan says we do so because speeches remain the most powerful way of connecting with audiences since ancient Greek times. But as television has ushered us toward a more informal, conversational mode of public speaking, we have forgotten much of what the Greeks taught us about the importance of form and structure in speech giving. Even more crucial, we've lost the physical connection with an audience that does more than grab attention; it impels action.

Morgan says this "kinesthetic connection" comes from listening to your audience with your whole body, through everything from eye contact to facial expressions to gestures. In Working the Room, he draws from nearly twenty years of experience as a speech coach and consultant to offer a new, audience-centered approach to public speaking that combines the best of ancient Greek oratory with modern communications research. Through entertaining and insightful examples, Morgan illustrates a practical, three-part process -- focusing on content development, rehearsal, and delivery -- geared toward engaging an audience on every level: emotional, intellectual, and physical. Whether speaking to a handful of employees or a keynote audience of hundreds, anyone can use these principles to give speeches that challenge minds, impassion hearts, and empower audiences to change the world, one idea at a time.

Contents:

The only reason to give a speech is to change the world

pt. 1. History and overview. How did we get ; What to do? : the audience-centered presentation process

pt. 2. Preparing the content. Understand the audience ; Craft the elevator speech ; Pick the level of need ; Find the story ; Structure the content ; Make the journey ; Involve the audience

pt. 3. Rehearsing the presentation. Search for the truth ; Choreograph the kinesthetics ; Pay attention to what your audience needs ; Conquer your fear ; Get technical

pt. 4. Stand and deliver. The audience-centered speech ; Listen to your audience ; Audience-centered speaking for all occasions ; The secret of charisma.

ISBN:

1578518199

OCLC:

51210635