Customer Reviews

Transformational Speaking

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4 star:		(1)
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Reading Transformation Speaking, I was astonished to learn that even though I was an experienced speaker I had been largely suppressing my core emotional message, or the most passionate and authentic part of myself with the highest potential to move others. Transformational Speaking has given me the confidence to dare to allow all of my humanness to come through when I address an audience, and to speak from the truth of my own story. When I finished the book, I couldn't wait for the next speaking opportunity to step into my power and potential as a change agent. I also especially enjoyed perusing the book's long list of `Qualities of A Great Speaker', as well as the 266 `Voices' one might express, which helped me to get clear on exactly who I most want to be when speaking. Highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to have an impact through public speaking. It will teach you the importance of transforming your relationship with yourself so you can become a truly transformational speaker--something missing from all other public speaking programs I have experienced. Bravo!

Camilla Rees
Wide Angle Health, LLC

TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKING
If you want to change the world, tell a better story...
Gail Larsen

Transformational Speaking literally transformed me as I worked my way through the book. Filled with the heart-wisdom of a woman who knows her territory and exercises that help you go straight to the core of who you are, this book will transform you too . . . if you let it.

This is true if you are a beginning speaker or a speaking pro. Gail makes you think, first about yourself: what are my innate talents and gifts; what is my core message? Our lives contain the answers. That alone is worth much more than the price of the book.

And just when you believe there is nothing left she has to tell you she comes in with: know your audience, "relive don't remember", the nuts and bolts information of the business of speaking.

This is a real human being demonstrating what she is writing about. Do I need to say more? Yes! I strongly urge you to buy the book. Read
Transformational Speaking if you want to find your voice, be your most powerful self, contribute your best gifts to the world and, of course, be a transformational speaker.

Reviewed by:

Lynda Klau, PHD
Licensed psychologist, coach, speaker

Gail's book is inspirational. She gives you tips that show you how to be the kind of speaker you like to hear. It takes courage to show up real and share your own wisdom; Gail helps you find that courage and wisdom and then how to share it in a winning way. Great book. Anyone who is a speaker or wants to become a great speaker should read her book.

Athletes sometimes find their high performance "zone"-when everything clicks perfectly. In her new book, Gail Larsen in her no-nonsense approach shows how anyone can find their high performance "zone"-a zone beyond just public speaking. Without laying claim Gail shows how someone needs to find and journey through their "comfort" and "home" zones to be a great and powerful speaker. In the process and with her process she is really showing people how to reach peak performance in any pursuit. For executives this book is a must read if authentic personal and corporate purpose is high on their agenda. Gail's techniques are some of the finest in the world for companies searching for how to present their purpose, competitive position and source for branding.

Every senior executive should be grounded in Gail's methods. She makes it possible for the executive to win the attention and trust of any stakeholder or audience - this is a must read.

Mark Long
Attorney and founder SuperLab
www.mysuperlab.com

I have been speaking publicly for 17 years and am an active member of Toastmasters. Although I am not a beginner, I feel like I've just started on a most exciting public speaking journey since reading 'Transformational Speaking'. Gail Larsen shows us how to transform through our speaking, and in the process, be transformed ourselves. Ms Larsen shows us how to connect with our deepest self, our deepest message, and share ourselves in a way that benefits, no, 'transforms' others. No matter what business we are in, Gail Larsen teaches us how to be a transformational speaker while speaking to the audiences we are meant to serve. I love this book and am grateful for the wisdom I found in its pages.

Transformational Speaking presents a spiritual path in a how-to book - what a rare find! It's beautifully written, passionate, and totally authentic. Gail is someone you WANT to learn from, and has so much to share. Her teaching is filled with depth and presence, and makes you realize that a podium is a meditation cushion in disguise. And vice versa, too. Become a better speaker, Gail's way, and you're bound to find more than a little enlightenment along the way.

This book's central focus is how we can become "agents for positive change" by speaking with an authentic voice and accessing our unique message. I got a lot from this book. It offers many insights to increase rapport with an audience. The author has a huge amount of experience teaching public speaking to people from all walks of life. But this is a lot more than a book on public speaking. It's a book that changes our relationship with ourselves and with our voice.

The exercises are thought-provoking and powerful. One exercise I did the other day went something like this: What would you say to the world if you only had one minute to live?

It was fun to hear myself boil my message down to its base ingredients. In a variety of creative ways, this book helps you realize the heart of your unique message, and then speak and expand from there. Through memorable anecdotes and exercises the book helps you untangle all the knots that get in the way of having a true connection with your audience.

This book shows us that whoever and wherever we are, through naturalness and authentic voice, we have a story others will benefit from. It's a wake up call to be yourself, and what I liked about this book is that it showed me HOW to "be myself." It helps us shine in front of others without pretense or added "shoulds" about what a speaker is supposed to be like. In fact, it strips all the "shoulds" away, making public speaking sound... well....fun.

This is the kind of book that can stir you in surprising and lasting ways. I have the feeling I'll be using things from it for a long time to come. If you are a teacher, author, or workshop leader, I think Transformational Speaking will help you enhance your relationship with your students/audience because it offers a very honest and user-friendly approach to speaking.

I LOVED loved loved this book! Unlike other books on speaking that focus on the mechanics (and, really, if you're a public speaker, shouldn't you already know not to say "ummm"?) of speaking, this book focuses on how to use speaking as a powerful tool to get your unique message out to the world to help transform others. And that is truly exciting!

Gail Larsen believes quite firmly that we all have our own particular message to bring to the world, and to speak effectively, we need to tap into and deliver that message. What's especially clever about the book is that it will help create the very transformation in its readers that it wants readers to create in others....it will help a reader find his or her own message, which really seems to be another way of helping the reader find his or her own life's mission.

Once you're speaking from your heart, with sincerity and passion, the mechanics will come. Yes, Larsen gives some valuable advice in that regard, too, but this book is truly above and beyond a mere book on how to speak...it's really more of a matter of finding out WHY you want to speak first. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to change the world one speech at a time.

Transformational Speaking leads the reader to their inner authenticity: the source of their 'speaking self'. Without this connection, we are just conveying information. With it, we are offering listeners a richer, more valuable gift. Additionally, the author gives us tools, both practical and energetic, that empower us to speak with the easy confidence of one who enjoys the experience.

I have just read a number of books on speaking. The messages are typically either -

1. Practice and polish to become a better speaker
or
2. Learn the business side to make a lot of money as a speaker.

There is nothing wrong with those types of books, although I believe that making a lot of money as a speaker is really pretty rare. Still, I would like to be a better speaker and I would like more money, so I will not criticize those books.

Larsen emphasizes neither powerpoint nor bottom line. She wants you to change your audience, to move them in some way. This is a truer, more profound message that will certainly sell less than those books that promise big bucks. If you want to really motivate people, though, this is a message that you really need to hear.