How to Speak So People Really Listen E-Book

Paul McGee

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 208

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Learn how to inspire your audience with best-selling author Paul McGee!


13 things you'll discover when reading this book...

1. The big lesson Steve Jobs learnt when an advertising exec threw something at him... and how it will help how you communicate.

2. Seven ways to manage your nerves (surprisingly, you don’t want to eliminate them).

3. Why our obsession with body language is totally wrong, and what to focus on instead.

4. Why you must think about a beachball before you next speak. Believe me, it’s essential.

5. A question your audience is always thinking, and how to ensure you provide the answer.

6. The most common mistake experienced presenters make that nervous ones never do.

7. Why so many presentations cure insomnia, and how to make sure you’re serving an extra strong double espresso instead.

8. The number one thing most presenters forget to bring when they’re speaking to others.

9. Discover the most underprepared part of your presentation, and how to avoid making the same mistake.

10. What women’s magazines and TV soap operas have to teach us about audience engagement.

11. What I learnt from a guy with one of the most powerful memories on the planet, and how it can transform your communication.

12. Discover Tony Blair’s biggest fear when Prime Minister, and how you can tackle the same issue with confidence.

13. Why you don’t have to be funny to use humour in your presentation, and three easy ways to do it.      

Leseprobe

‘This book is disturbingly good. It simplifies the complex challenge of the Spoken Word into an entertainingly compelling sequence of easy-to-use golden nuggets. McGee is yet again doing his very best to put me out of business.'

Graham Davies – Bestselling Author of The Presentation Coach

‘Paul McGee has the ability to present practical and effective advice in a very accessible and humorous way. Research shows that speaking in public is one of the biggest fears for so many people, yet it is a skill we need to call upon in both our professional and personal lives. Paul's tips will help you not only overcome those nerves, but present your ideas and yourself in the most powerful way possible. Whether you are standing on stage giving a keynote presentation in front of hundreds of people, or aiming to make the best impression one-to-one, this book is an essential read.'

Andy Lopata – International Speaker and Author of three books on Networking and Referrals, including … and Death Came Third!

‘A wonderful book that is both practical and fun to read. The style of writing, use of stories and the fact that it is bursting with tools, tips and techniques will take your ability to communicate and engage with others to a new level.'

Sue Atkins – Speaker, Author and ITV This Morning Parenting Expert

‘Paul writes in a wonderful down-to-earth style, which is punchy, poignant, and packed with brilliance. Delivered in a fun, practical way this book will be invaluable to anyone wanting to speak with greater impact – whatever their experience.'

Geoff Ramm – International Speaker and Author on Celebrity Service and OMG Marketing

‘Paul McGee provides an insightful and practical guide to the world of speaking and communicating with maximum impact. What makes the book unique is the wisdom of over twenty-years' public speaking that Paul brings to life with personal stories and experience. If you are ever required to present, sell, or pitch a deal, or are about to be interviewed for your next big role in life, then you must read this book. Why? Because…

You will learn simple and practical tips that will increase your confidence, your impact, and will motivate your audience to take positive action.'

Steve Head FPAS PSAE FISMM – Professional Speaker, Performance Coach, and Author

‘This book is down-to-earth, gritty and oozes experience. I've been speaking for over twenty years… trust me, I've learnt from this book. Paul McGee is clearly a skilled helper.'

Kriss Akabusi MBE

‘Communication within your organization is critical to your image and success. This book is full of wisdom and sharp one liners that will help you do your job better.'

Molly Harvey – Speaker, Executive Coach, Author

‘Talk is cheap. Being listened to is priceless. And this book tells you how. Brilliantly.'

Andy Cope – Conference Speaker and Bestselling Author of The Art of Being Brilliant

‘This book is riveting – revealing so many home truths. If you are serious about wanting to communicate more effectively, make sure you read it.'

Julie Fadden – Chief Executive South Liverpool Homes, Sunday Times ‘Number One Best Not-for-Profit Company to Work For' for three consecutive years

‘Paul McGee speaks around the world – not because he is famous – but because he is one of the best. I know, I've seen him at work. This book reveals nuggets of wisdom that will help you to communicate in a way that engages your audiences and moves them to action. And he does it in a fun and practical way. I'm proud to recommend this book.'

Lee Jackson – President of the Professional Speaking Association in the UK and Ireland, and Author of PowerPoint Surgery

‘Learning a critical skill -- like how to speak -- from a bad source not only stops you achieving the success you deserve, but sets in bad habits that are then difficult to change. Reading this book will do two things. One, you will be learning from a world class source: a guy who has travelled the globe as an international speaker for decades. Two, you will be taught by a masterful bestselling author who knows how to bring across powerful ideas in an inspirational, motivational, and, most importantly, fun way. This book will change your life.'

David Thomas GMM – International Speaker, Sunday Times #1 Bestselling Author

‘Here's the deal: this book will definitely help you to be a more effective communicator. Warm, waffle-free, practical, and insightful, it's brilliant stuff, an investment that will pay massive dividends. So just buy it.'

Jeff Lucas – International Speaker, Bestselling Author and Broadcaster

‘I have nearly a hundred books on public speaking and this is a refreshingly different take on all of them. You'll read it in hours but the messages will stay with you for years. It's clever, insightful and packed with takeaway tips.'

Jeremy Nicholas – Writer and Broadcaster

How to Speak so People Really Listen

The straight-talking guide to communicating with influence and impact

Paul McGee

This edition first published 2017

© 2017 Paul McGee

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-857-08720-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-0-857-08722-5 (ebk) ISBN 978-0-857-08724-9 (ebk)

Cover design: Wiley

In memory of Vicky Taylor. Well lovely lady,you certainly left a legacy.

Contents

Foreword by Andy Bounds, communication expert

Introduction: Why this stuff really matters

PART 1: THE SEVEN GREAT SINS OF SPEAKING

SIN 1: A failure to make your message sticky or memorable

SIN 2: Drowning people in detail

SIN 3: A failure to consider or understand your audience's needs

SIN 4: Focusing on features rather than selling benefits

SIN 5: Winging it

SIN 6: Showing slides that suck... the life out of your audience

SIN 7: Taking people on a pointless ramble

PART 2: EIGHT GREAT WAYS TO SPEAK SO PEOPLE REALLY LISTEN

WAY 1: Get real

WAY 2: Get your attitude into gear

WAY 3: Start at the end

WAY 4: Sort out your skeletons

WAY 5: Grab ’em by the eyeballs

WAY 6: Become an artist

WAY 7: Learn lessons from JC, Jo, and the Greek guy

WAY 8: Shine at question time

PART 3: I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT...

QUESTION 1: Is it possible to get rid of my nerves before presenting?

Question 2: Is it ever appropriate to use humour in my presentation?

QUESTION 3: How important is body language when communicating with others?

So what's next for you?

So what did you think?

About Paul McGee

Other books by Paul McGee

Want Paul to speak for your organization?

Index

EULA

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Foreword

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Foreword by Andy Bounds, communication expert

You communicate all the time.

So you might as well be brilliant at it.

But it sure is hard to do well, isn’t it? After all, people have different priorities and personalities to you. They might not like what you like. So, for you to be a good communicator, it’s important to adapt your mindset and messages so they resonate.

Paul’s book will help you do this. He’ll challenge your thinking about how you communicate. He’ll then explore loads of strategies to improve how you do it.

In fact, you’re only a few hours away from communicating better than you ever thought possible …

What part of your body will this book impact?

I have a thought for you …

Imagine that, every time someone communicated with you, it turned part of your body bright green – the body part they’d had the biggest impact on.

So, if someone taught you something new, you’d be cleverer than before. So you’d have a bright green head.

Or if someone told you an emotional story that made you feel differently, it’d be a green heart communication.

I find most business books are one of these two – green heads or hearts. You know the sort of thing – you read them, learn stuff, enjoy them …

But this isn’t enough.

After all, what’s the point of us becoming cleverer/happier if we don’t do anything differently as a result?

No – instead, the best books give you green hands. They cause us to do things differently.

Which brings me to this book …

Why this book will help you communicate better

Paul has used all his experience – and that’s a lot – to give you green hands. To improve how you communicate. You won’t just learn stuff. You’ll read one of his tips, then be able to use it immediately.

The whole thing’s written so you can adopt his techniques easily. Even better, each chapter ends with Paul challenging you to focus on the one key action you’ll take after reading it – what he calls ‘My One Thing’. And with twenty chapters, by my maths, you’re about to have twenty new things. How many business books can you say that about?

My advice – as you read it, have three things with you:

A pen to write your actions down

Some paper to write them on

A drink. You’ll lose yourself in this book. So have a drink handy. That way, you won’t need to break off from reading!

I’ve read countless books on communication. I’ve written a few myself. But this one stands out as something that will make you communicate better.

Its sole purpose is to give you green hands.

And it will. Andy Bounds Communication expert, author and award-winning consultant www.andyboundsonline.com

Introduction: Why this stuff really matters

“We can all talk. The challenge? Getting people to listen.”

Imagine the scene. You’re desperate to win a new job. You’ve completed a lengthy application process. You were thrilled to have an initial telephone interview. That went well. You progressed to the next stage. Your excitement increased. You prepared extensively for your face-to-face interview.

And then the letter came.

You’ve made it to the final stage of the process. A second interview at head office which will also include you giving a ten-minute presentation.

You plan for this final interview as if your life depended on it. In some ways, you feel it does. Your years of study and sacrifice look like they will finally pay off.

You’re tantalizingly close.

You’ve never had any training or coaching on giving a presentation before, but you’ve sat through countless presentations.

You know the score.

Polite and formal opening.

A slide showing a list of bullet points outlining your objectives.

Then an overview of your background.

A section that includes an overview of the company and what you’ve learnt about them.

The next section is on the role and what specific skills you can bring to it, followed by a summary and conclusion.

Oh and one more thing. Your final slide.

‘Thank you. Any questions?’

You like making slides. And if the interviewer missed anything, you’ve written down all the details on them, which they can always refer back to.

You’re ready. This is it. The chance of a lifetime.

Fast forward two weeks.

The job went to someone. But it wasn’t you.

The recruitment agency informs you that you were the strongest candidate on paper. You’d made it down to the last three. Your background and experience were just what they were looking for.

You’re gutted.

So what went wrong?

In a nutshell: your presentation.

You bombed. The content on your slides overwhelmed them.

There wasn’t enough engagement with your interviewers.

The panel felt they didn’t get to know the real you. Just a corporate clone that failed to connect with them.

They sensed within 90 seconds of your start that you weren’t the right person. The rest of your presentation did nothing to challenge their initial impression.

You were smart in appearance. Professional, if a little wooden. Polite. Knowledgeable about the company and what the role required. But no thanks. They see dozens of people who are like that.

You didn’t stand out from the crowd. You were, I’m afraid, forgettable.

You needed to stand out.

You needed to grab their attention immediately.

You needed to deliver with energy and authenticity.

You didn’t.

Bye-bye dream job. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

The deal is:

When you’re bland, you blend.

Trust me, the above scenario happens every single day around the globe. The context may be different. So too might the process. But the outcome remains the same. The person with the strengths and experience lost out due to their ineffective communication skills.

The question is: how can you make sure that person isn’t you?

Now I recognize you might not have an important presentation to make for a job interview. Maybe you’re a charity worker hoping to influence people to support your cause. Perhaps you’re a manager seeking ways to engage and motivate your staff, or a teacher or trainer wanting to make a difference to people, whatever their age. Alternatively, you might want to convince your boss to take a new direction in relation to a particular project. Or maybe you’ve been asked to deliver a presentation to your peers at a conference, or your passion for politics means you want to persuade others that your perspective is the best way to make a difference to society.

Whatever the scenario or situation, here’s the sad reality:

You may have the expertise and experience.

The passion and professionalism.

The competence and the contacts.

But you could lack one crucial thing.

The ability to communicate your message in a compelling way that causes your audience to sit up, take notice and listen.

Here’s the deal:

Your ability to influence others, build your career, and achieve your personal goals is dependent on how effectively you communicate and engage with people.

Recently a colleague of mine was asked to sit on a panel that was responsible for awarding a £90,000 research grant spread over three years. All applicants were asked to present their case for why they should be awarded the grant. Ultimately, the £90,000 was given not to the best applicant on paper, but to the person who made the most persuasive presentation. Think about that for a moment.

Ninety thousand pounds.

That’s a lot of money to lose out on because you weren’t effective at communicating your message.

Trust me, this stuff really does matter. And it matters to you and your future success.

So make sure you never forget the following:

“Knowing the words to a song doesn’t make you a great singer. Neither does having expertise in a subject make you a great speaker.”

And here’s both a harsh and sad fact. Some people have values and views many would find offensive. But they get heard. They get noticed. Not simply because of what they believe, but because of how well they communicate their message. Criminals and politicians can manipulate minds because they’ve developed the skills of knowing how to persuade others. Yes, other factors and skills do come into play, but if they’re unable to communicate effectively their influence is weakened. Their voice is less likely to be heard.

So how does this specifically affect you?

Well, potentially you miss out on promotion, or the new job, or fail to secure some new business, and you do so not because the other person is better or more knowledgeable than you.

You lose out because they’ve mastered the ability to communicate more effectively and persuasively than you. They’ve learnt to sell themselves or their services in a better way than you have.

That’s the reality folks.

That’s why I believe developing your skill as a communicator is crucial. Master this skill and it will help get you noticed, get along better with others and get ahead in life. Fact.

You see, the harsh reality is that life isn’t fair. We don’t all start on a level playing field. But there is some good news. Where we finish can be influenced by a range of factors. And one of those factors is simply this:

Here’s the deal:

“Good people with a great message are not guaranteed a captive audience.”

Your ability to communicate effectively with others.

Thousands of people know this. That’s why so many politicians and leaders from all sectors want to develop their skills in this area, and are prepared to invest a considerable amount of time and effort to do so. I guess you’ve decided to do the same.

Getting the best from this book

You’ve been prompted, for whatever reason, to read this book. Great. But make sure this is not a passive perusal through the following pages.

I want you to involve yourself as we explore a whole host of ideas and insights. How? Well, think of specific situations where you want to raise your game as a communicator. Perhaps it’s with a customer, a colleague or even one of your kids. It could be speaking to a large audience, leading a meeting or simply a conversation with one other person. Whatever the context, whatever the size of the audience, look for ideas and insights that will take your communication to a new level, and in doing so increase your influence and impact.

Oh, and here’s something to be aware of. The issue is not whether you’ve come across some of these ideas before. Neither is it a case of labelling what you read as ‘just common sense’. The question is: ‘so what are you doing with it?’ If you’re reading this book simply to acquire more knowledge, fine. I wish you well. People who accumulate lots of knowledge might do well in pub quizzes. They can sound impressive among their friends. But I hope you want to gain so much more. I hope you want to improve as a person, fulfil your potential and look back on your life with a sense of satisfaction and not regret. Trust me, the ideas in this book will help you – yes, even the simple ‘common sense’ ones.

However, here’s a point that’s worth remembering:

Everything is obvious in hindsight. But it will only seem obvious once you’ve read it.

And here’s another thing. Please don’t see this book as aimed purely at stimulating your intellect and helping you stock up on a range of academic theories. If that’s your only aim with reading this book, then trust me, you’ll be disappointed. You see, that’s not my style. Check out the subtitle on the cover.

The straight-talking guide

That’s what this will be. A guide to help you get better as a communicator, however experienced or inexperienced you currently are.

How I know this stuff works

Here’s why I know this stuff works and am confident it will make a difference to you. If you use it, that is.

Let me take you back to April 1989. Yes, I know it’s possible you might not even have been born then.

Me? I was on invalidity benefit (now known as incapacity benefit).

When I could walk I had to use a walking stick. But the majority of the time I was housebound. I’d lost a high-flying graduate job with a large multinational organization. The cause of all this? An illness commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).

At the time, eight out of ten doctors didn’t believe it was a genuine illness. Some still don’t. My own doctor was one of them. His response to my so-called illness? He sent me to see a psychiatrist in Liverpool. If I’m honest, I found it a challenging and humbling experience.

I was ill for nearly three years, but I got to a position where I felt well enough to work part time. However, my next big challenge was this.

No one would hire me.

Why?

I couldn’t pass a medical.

So here’s what I did. I hired myself.

I was awesome at the interview. Stand out candidate, in fact.

I think the technical term to describe my employment status was self-employed. My international headquarters doubled as a bedroom in a small house on the outskirts of Warrington. In my first year of business I earned the princely sum of £2,300. That’s over a whole year. My tax bill was fairly small that year. In fact, it was non-existent.

My accountant dumped me as I was wasting his time.

But despite that rather less than auspicious start, things did gradually improve. My training and development business grew. Over time, my business evolved into speaking at conferences and team events. People started calling me a motivational speaker. (Some also said I had a passing resemblance to Dustin Hoffman – in his younger days, I hope.)