Title: Better Business Speech
Published by: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Release Date: October 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1538102053
Buy the Book : Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Overview
In a business world where we are told that time is money, the real currency is communicating clearly at a poised and measured pace. Better Business Speech: Techniques, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Public Speaking at Work by Paul Geiger focuses on the challenges of being a strong communicator in a range of business settings. It begins with the basic premise that all speaking for business is public speaking. Therefore, these are the communication scenarios where any lack of confidence in speech ability will be magnified. The obstacles that stand in the way of successful meetings, presentations, networking events, job interviews, and sales calls are all clearly described. Seasoned speech coach Paul Geiger offers tricks, techniques, and shortcuts that all seem shockingly simplistic; but it is the retraining of the mind and body that is the hard part. He details practical daily exercises that lead to better speech habits and addresses the causes of ineffective speech pattern in both personal and business settings. The physical and mental aspects of speech are explored in the context of forming a strong speech technique foundation that never loses sight of the importance of always sounding authentic. By offering action steps and helpful online tutorials, Geiger provides readers with the tools necessary to make lasting changes that will enhance speaking skills in all facets of business life.
Better Business Speech – The Book
“For someone who’s about to speak at a conference or make a presentation and is already starting to sweat, Better Business Speech is a lifesaver of a book. Filled with an insider’s wisdom and empathetic perspective, it will help you gain courage as you step into the spotlight.”
“Paul Geiger has assembled an essential rule book, and tool book, for anyone wishing to improve their communication skills. He writes with clarity, directness, and authority. Exactly the way this book can help you learn to speak.”
“Paul Geiger’s Better Business Speech might just be more valuable than your MBA! This book should make it from every college dorm room nightstand, to every interviewees’ purse, to the personal bookshelf of every CEO’s top floor office.”
“This renown NYC vocal coach, Paul Geiger, in Better Business Speech offers practical methods for increasing vocal effectiveness. The practice materials when mastered will help speakers sound like they know what they are talking about.”
“Better Business Speech will take your speech at work from serviceable to extraordinary. Paul Geiger is one of the few coaches whose knowledge of vocal anatomy is on par with his understanding of office politics. This book covers everything you need to know!”
BACKSTORY
Business professionals dedicate an enormous amount of time to emailing and writing their innovative and genuine ideas, only to realize that the real payoff in business comes when you know how to speak those ideas. When I start explaining the step by step process to increasing their comfort and confidence in speaking, the usual response is, “Why didn’t anybody take the time to teach us this?” The reality is that this year millions of graduates will flood the job marketplace. Ask any graduate about speech training and they will tell you the sad truth. Something that requires such precision and generates such admiration is given almost no attention in school. How is that even possible? Well, the madness ends now!
EXCERPT
Better Business Speech
Tricks, Techniques and Shortcuts for
Public Speaking at Work
“The Shortest Distance” Introduction
Authenticity trumps intelligence! There, I said it, or rather, I wrote it. Trust me, I have said it many times, most often to my speech clients looking for the fastest way to promote themselves in business. Don’t get me wrong. Intelligence is a wonderful thing to have. But if you can’t communicate your ideas with a sense of confidence and authenticity, no one will believe in them. But how do you become an authentic speaker when you can’t seem to get past the discomfort and anxiety of public speaking?
The perception of being an authentic speaker is generated by just two things: owning your breathing and bumper stickers. The first thing seems pretty simple. We all breathe constantly; we ought to be pretty good at it. But most people don’t breathe very efficiently and they certainly don’t know how to access the true power of their breath for speech. Breathing and breath support are the keys to the projection and enhancement of your voice. Remarkably, they can be both your physical relaxation and your forward momentum, all at once.
Bumper Stickers is the term I use to describe concise messages. A bumper sticker always includes your understanding and perspective, and it is short enough to fit on the back of a car bumper. It isn’t an elevator pitch; they’re much too long. The discipline of finding and using bumper stickers leads to clarity of thought and the increased confidence many refer to as Executive Presence.
You gain confidence when you gain control of your speech technique. Knowing there are steps you can take begins the process of empowering each individual to become more expressive and more persuasive in a truthful and authentic way. The approach is both physical and mental – breathing and bumper stickers!
There are many books on speech, the voice and public speaking out there – many boring books. Through my years of teaching I have learned to distill the massive amounts of speech and phonetics information into usable concepts with actionable steps and exercises. Even my eyes glaze over when I see someone trying to “cover it all” – and I’m a voice geek! What most people want is a guide that shows them how to use speech coaching in a practical way. My very simple approach is: relaxation leads to comfort which leads to confidence. Of course, there is a certain amount of trust involved too. You have to trust your impulses; you have to trust your perspective and you have to trust this approach enough to be willing to change for the better.
