Secrets of Successful Speakers: How You Can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade

You've seen them in action, and chances are you've admired them. They're professional speakers who grab the interest and attention of an audience with their very first words ... who put magic and motivation into every talk they give - no matter what the subject ... who command five-figure speaking fees. Now you can learn the secrets of their persuasive and motivational presentations in just 11 easy steps - with the help of this exciting new book! Lilly Walters, executive director of the world-renowned Walters International Speakers Bureau, has combined her expertise with more than 60 of the top speakers in the world - Masters of the Spoken Word - to teach you the same techniques that are used by many of today's most sought-after professional and celebrity speakers. These techniques can usually be learned - if at all - only in expensive courses costing thousands of dollars. Utilizing many highly interactive exercises that are designed to teach specific skills and build confidence, Secrets of Successful Speakers takes you step by step through every facet of successful public speaking. You'll learn to find "the seed" in every speech that's guaranteed to motivate, captivate, and persuade the audience; conquer stage fright with the help of tips and anecdotes from the pros (who once suffered from it, too!); customize different talks for different audiences by analyzing their needs, desires, and listening modes; make your presentation memorable by developing a theme, organizing your material succinctly, and keeping your message simple; project a professional "platform image" through personality, voice, and clothes; motivate audiences to change their actions and attitudes; involve listeners byusing everything from humor to eye contact and from empathy to audience participation exercises; and deal smoothly with problems and pitfalls ranging from hecklers ... to faulty audiovisual equipment ... to poor staging. Filled with hundreds of helpful hints and amusing anecdotes