This book is intended as a handbook for the sometime spokesperson. It is not meant to be another lengthy textbook on the art of interpersonal communication. If you have the time and inclination to pursue a scholarly treatise on the subject, then by all means return to the educational institutions of our nation and set the wheels of formal education in motion. If, however, your public appearance is next week, next month, or even next year, read on.

This book does not contain any magic formulas, slick methods for improving your memory, or silver bullets to develop a new personality. Instead, I present practical, no-nonsense techniques that you can readily grasp and immediately apply with the single goal of helping you be as effective as you can in front of an audience. I have omitted the customary motivational hype, assuming that your purchase of this book indicates sufficient motivation to improve your communication skills, something everyone can do.

The techniques and advice offered in this book are gathered from the real-life experience of thousands of presentations, interviews, and debates given by me and thousands of speakers I have worked with over the past decades. Collectively, we made many errors, scored many victories, and we did our share of pioneering along the way. I’m confident you’ll benefit from this knowledge.