英语书籍:Present Your Way To The Top节选(3)

Business: Present Your Way To The Top(3) ZT

Regardless of where you are on your speaking journey--a neophyte or
a seasoned business executive who is well on the way up the
corporate ladder--I hope to inspire you to do something that right
now may seem unthinkable: to 'embrace every speaking opportunity
that comes your way.' I can hear you protesting, "Say what? I don't
think so!" Just hear me out. You should do this for three reasons.

First, with your words, you have the power to leave a lasting
impression on people. I have seen trembling college students,
aspiring executives, and those who already occupy the C-suite
offices mesmerize listeners with their poignant messages. But that
will not happen if you dodge every opportunity to communicate or if
your speeches are remarkably bad.

Second, when you connect with an audience--when you catch a spark in
the eyes of your listeners, notice their heads nodding in agreement,
or see them sitting spellbound, hanging on your next word--the
feeling is empowering. Nothing else can duplicate that euphoria.

Finally, and perhaps most important, taking advantage of every
speaking opportunity will benefit you enormously in your
professional life. Business executives who can stand and deliver
their messages with power, passion, and persuasion, regardless of
their profession, are invariably more successful in attaining their
objectives: to educate, to inspire, to close a deal, or to sell a
product or service. Dynamic and engaging speakers typically produce
excellent 'results.'

The purpose of this book is simple: to show you how to speak with
utter confidence and conviction. This book contains the best lessons
I have learned after 25 years of working in the speaking arena as a
professional speaker, a speechwriter, a university professor, and an
executive presentation skills consultant, trainer, and coach. I
learned many of these lessons the hard way--'painfully' hard--but by
using this book, you won't have to. It will dramatically accelerate
your learning.

Some of the principles in this book may seem obvious, and some may
surprise you, but all of them are battle tested, and all will
benefit you when you make a presentation. The book contains hundreds
of secrets and insights that will significantly enhance your
communication skills. It will show you how to become a much better
speaker than you are now. Indeed, it will show you how to
communicate in a way that will cause you to truly 'stand out' every
time you speak, a skill that will propel you up the corporate
ladder.

Study this book and practice these principles, and you absolutely
will begin to communicate with unflappable confidence. You will be
far wiser about what it takes to speak persuasively, clearly, and
concisely--to sweep away an audience with your words and attain the
results you seek from your presentations. This transformation will
not happen overnight, but it will happen. And I guarantee this: if
you practice these principles, you will never hear an audience
member say, "Hey, what's up with Jell-O Boy?"


PART ONE
'MASTER THE MENTAL'

So, you want to speak with confidence? Let's start with your noggin
(I promise, there will be no psychological mumbo jumbo). First and
foremost, you have to believe that you can speak with confidence,
and envision yourself doing exactly that. You should visualize every
detail of a successful presentation: a self-assured demeanor, a
compelling message, a receptive audience, a forceful delivery, a
rip-roaring round of applause, and, of course, closing that huge
deal after your amazing presentation.