One of our greatest fears is public speaking. It is often greater than the fear of loneliness, the fear of snakes, even than the fear of death. Yet speaking is one of the most powerful means of influencing others in business and in life. This guide shows how to convert the adrenalin produced by this fear into effective communication in front of small and large groups. Using real examples, it explains how to order your material, attract the audience's attention, control your voice, use appropriate body language and adapt your techniques for different situations. It not only shows you how to speak well, but also how to feel at ease with public speaking. The book is for professionals in business and the public sector who want to improve their speaking skills. To succeed in business, your message must be heard, understood and remembered. With its combination of practical tips and case studies from the experts, this guide should help you to become a more powerful and persuasive speaker, whether pitching for business or presenting to the Board.

Author Biography

Patsy McCarthy is an actor, teacher and administrator with 30 years experience teaching speech communication. She consults with organisations on communication issues and has worked in the USA and UK as well as Australia. She is currently senior lecturer in Speech Communication at the Queensland University of Technology. Caroline Hatcher is currently a senior lecturer in the Brisbane Graduate School of Business at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. She has a PhD in organisational communication and teaches in the area of speech and inter-cultural communication for business. Caroline has worked and consulted on communication issues in both the private and public sectors and has a special interest in the role of communication in change processes in organisations. She has lived and worked in the UK and Japan, as well as in Australia. Patsy and Caroline have many other individual and joint publications in international academic journals and books.