Confessions of a Public Speaker

by Scott Berkun

Overview

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes.

With lively lessons and surprising confessions, you'll get new insights into the art of persuasion -- as well as teaching, learning, and performance -- directly from a master of the trade.

Highlights include:

• Berkun's hard-won and simple philosophy, culled from years of lectures, teaching courses, and hours of appearances on NPR, MSNBC, and CNBC
  
• Practical advice, including how to work a tough room, the science of not boring people, how to survive the attack of the butterflies, and what to do when things go wrong
  
• The inside scoop on who earns $30,000 for a one-hour lecture and why
  
• The worst -- and funniest -- disaster stories you've ever heard (plus countermoves you can use)
  

Filled with humorous and illuminating stories of thrilling performances and real-life disasters, Confessions of a Public Speaker is inspirational, devastatingly honest, and a blast to read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449388706
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/20/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	610,170
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Scott Berkun is the bestselling author of The Myths of Innovation,
and Making Things Happen. His work as a writer and public speaker have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and other media. He has taught creative thinking at the Universityof Washington and has been a regular commentator on CNBC, MSNBC and National Public Radio. His many popular essays and entertaining lectures can be found for free on his blog at www.scottberkun.com.

Table of Contents

Disclaimer;
Chapter 1: I can’t see you naked;
Chapter 2: The attack of the butterflies;
2.1 What to do before you speak;
Chapter 3: $30,000 an hour;
Chapter 4: How to work a tough room;
Chapter 5: Do not eat the microphone;
5.1 Photos you don’t expect to see;
Chapter 6: The science of not boring people;
6.1 Set the pace;
6.2 Direct the attention (“What am I looking at and why?”);
6.3 Play the part: you’re the star;
6.4 Know what happens next;
6.5 Tension and release;
6.6 Get the audience involved;
6.7 You are judge, jury, and executioner;
6.8 Always end early;
Chapter 7: Lessons from my 15 minutes of fame;
7.1 We perform all the time;
7.2 Teleprompters (and memorization) are evil;
Chapter 8: The things people say;
8.1 The sneaky lessons of Dr. Fox;
8.2 Why most speaker evaluations are useless;
8.3 The speaker must match the audience;
8.4 Expert feedback you can get right now;
Chapter 9: The clutch is your friend;
9.1 Why teaching is almost impossible;
9.2 How to teach anyone anything;
Chapter 10: Confessions;
10.1 Backstage notes;
The little things pros do;
The confidence monitor;
The countdown timer;
The remote control;
Give stuff away to fill the front row;
Hide your microphone (and wear a collar);
We don’t need no stinking badges;
Lectern vs. podium;
Work the camera;
How to make a point;
Being silent makes your points;
What to do if your talk sucks;
Why your talk might suck;
Medium list of little things;
What to do when things go wrong;
You’re being heckled;
Everyone is staring at their laptops;
Your time slot gets cut from 45 minutes to 10;
Everyone in the room hates you;
One guy won’t stop asking questions;
There is a rambling question that makes no sense and takes three minutes to ask;
You are asked an impossible question;
The microphone breaks;
Your laptop explodes;
There is a typo on your slide (nooooo!);
You’re late for your own talk;
You feel sick;
You’re running out of time;
You left your slide deck at home;
Your hosts are control freaks;
You have a wardrobe malfunction;
There are only five people in the audience;
What to do if your situation is not here;
You can’t do worse than this;
Does anyone speak Georgian?;
What to do when the SWAT team comes;
A funny thing happened on my way to the stage;
Death by lecture;
CEO demo gone wrong;
Do not set anything on fire;
No one likes surprise porn;
I see sleeping people;
At worst we will shoot you;
Don’t blame the trains;
You work where?;
Watch your slides;
Why you don’t want to be up against Bono;
You will never speak of this to anyone;
Watch where you sit;
Please make a new talk and give it five minutes from now;
Check your mirror;
Waterproofing cannot save you;
Why you should not lecture in bars;
Research and recommendations;
Annotated bibliography;
Studying comedians;
Ranked bibliography;
Other research sources;
How to help this book: a request;
Acknowledgments;
Photo credits;
;
Colophon;

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Part confessional, part "how-to," this entertaining book is a godsend for anyone who would rather have an appendectomy without anesthetic than address a group in public.

— Virginia Backaitis,

Editorial Reviews

For those that are contemplating public speaking, or want to improve their current aptitude, it is impossible that after reading the book, that they won't be a better speaker. For those that simply want to know what goes into, and what makes a really good presentation, Confessions of a Public Speaker is also a worthwhile book to read.

— Ben Rothke,

Ben Rothke

Your next talk will be ten times better if you read this book first.

— Gina Trapani, founding editor of Lifehacker.com

Gina Trapani

With tips on how to combat pre-speech butterflies, battling the "tough room" and how not to bore people silly, this book will ensure your next Powerpoint will be a success.

— John Baichtal,

John Baichtal

Even if you prepare well and avoid disaster, of course, you may not charm everyone in the audience. But you can at least—with Mr. Berkun's help—avoid being cripplingly nervous before that brown-bag presentation and wishing it were tomorrow.

— Philip Delves Broughton,

Philip Delves Broughton

I've seen Scott speak a few times before, and he knows his stuff. Add to this his sense of humor, plus the fact that pretty much everyone can stand to learn some new ideas about speaking, and this book is a MUST for your collection.

— Chris Brogan,

Chris Brogan

Part confessional, part "how-to," this entertaining book is a godsend for anyone who would rather have an appendectomy without anesthetic than address a group in public.

— Virginia Backaitis,

Virginia Backaitis

Loved it! This is a very informative and entertaining look at the important art of public speaking. Anyone who speaks for a living— including teachers — will greatly benefit from this book.

— Garr Reynolds, Author of Presentation Zen

Garr Reynolds

Smart, funny, and provocative, Scott Berkun's Confessions puts an very modern and wholly relevant spin on the fine art of public speaking.

— Suzy Welch, best-selling author and public speaker

Suzy Welch

Scott Berkun tells it like it is. Whether you're speaking to 10 people or 1000 people, you will gain insights to take your presentation skills to the next level. It's a rare book that will make you think AND laugh.

— Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

Tony Hsieh

Part confessional, part "how-to," this entertaining book is a godsend for anyone who would rather have an appendectomy without anesthetic than address a group in public.

— Virginia Backaitis,

From the Publisher