2. What surprised you most about writing the book?

I was surprised just how many public speaking tips there are when I really thought about it. It reminded me how many things make a difference to the result when planning and presenting a talk. It was like the idea of ‘marginal gains’ in sport,  where even small things an athlete does can make a huge difference to their performance. This presented a challenge as to what to include in my book. I tried to include all techniques that have the most impact  and give the speaker the very best chance of performing well.

3. What will the reader learn?

The reader will learn numerous secrets of giving great talks. The techniques can be applied to any kind of talk such as in business, education, or social occasions.  Tips include mental preparation, how to prepare a talk in six steps,  rules to create memorable slides, how to grab attention in the first 30 seconds, how to use humour, how to add sparkle and drama, how to rehearse,  how to convey authority and confidence, how to get an idea across with a sketch and much more.

4. What does this look like in practice? 

The book is in three parts: 1. Preparing 2. Practising and 3. Performing. The book can be read from start to finish, or the reader can dip in and out. Each of the 60 secrets has the same format to make it easy to follow. There is a cartoon picture in each secret which makes it easy to remember. Each secret has a ‘What to do’ list and a  ‘Your turn’ activity to help the reader apply the tips. ‘Resources for further learning’ are listed for each secret,  pointing the reader to TED talks, other videos, books, and articles. 

5. How did you come to the view you describe in the book?

This book is the result of many years in the field of professional speaking and speaker coaching. I have learnt these techniques mostly by observing other speakers, by attending training and by reading. I have learnt that there are many styles of public speaking, just as in great sports men and women have different styles and idiosyncrasies. However in any endeavour, there are certain core principles and techniques that just work, and so it is with public speaking. Such principles and techniques and worth learning, and I have therefore included numerous examples of these in my book.

Conclusion  – final thoughts  

Chris Anderson the Head of TED, the organisation that has placed  numerous videos of fantastic talks online, summed up this book as follows:

“There is no single set formula for giving a great talk. However, in this book you will find compelling insights and practical guidance to help you discover the way that’s right for you.”