Working the Room: How to Move People to Action through Audience-Centered Speaking (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I'LL BEGIN WITH A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW we got to the rather sorry state of public speeches and presentations we find ourselves in today..." (more)
Key Phrases: successful public speaking, elevator speech, residues method, President Bush, Martin Luther King, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This useful guide to modern public speaking in business situations begins (as did public speaking) with the ancient Greeks. It's an auspicious start: the Greeks' influence lasted into the 20th century, even after television made our relationship with most of the speakers we hear far more intimate. Morgan, the founder of a communications coaching company, proposes what he calls "the audience-centered presentation process," in which the speaker listens to that audience-two-way communication, in other words. Morgan breaks down the generation of such a presentation into a series of steps, with guidelines and methods for overcoming phobias (he is adamant that his readers conduct the most intensive rehearsals possible, including at least one in the actual presentation site). He also warns against Q & A sessions (particularly for the media), lame and irrelevant jokes, and videoconferencing, and seems to loathe Power Point. While he speaks of "kinesthetics"-"being aware of the position and movement of the body in space"-he generally avoids polysyllables and never pushes fancy-sounding concepts as magic wands. This is a clear, engaging guide any socially and verbally competent person can benefit from, and not only those readers speaking to the business world.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Give Powerful Speeches to Audiences of Five or Five Hundred

There are several universal truths about public speaking. Most people hate doing it, and most don’t do it well. And not surprisingly, most audiences retain just a fraction of a typical speech’s content. Given these obstacles, why—in an age of telecommunications tools such as videoconferencing and e-mail—do we continue with "live" presentations at all?

Communications expert Nick Morgan says we do so because speeches remain the most powerful way of connecting with audiences since ancient Greek times. But as television has ushered us toward a more informal, conversational mode of public speaking, we have forgotten much of what the Greeks taught us about the importance of form and structure in speech giving. Even more crucial, we’ve lost the physical connection with an audience that does more than grab attention; it impels action.

Morgan says this "kinesthetic connection" comes from listening to your audience with your whole body, through everything from eye contact to facial expressions to gestures. In Working the Room, he draws from nearly twenty years of experience as a speech coach and consultant to offer a new, audience-centered approach to public speaking that combines the best of ancient Greek oratory with modern communications research.

Through entertaining and insightful examples, Morgan illustrates a practical, three-part process—focusing on content development, rehearsal, and delivery—geared toward engaging an audience on every level: emotional, intellectual, and physical. Presenters from novices to seasoned orators will learn how to:

• Craft an "elevator speech" that concisely nails the key message.
• Prepare a compelling "story line."
• Rehearse effectively.
• Involve the audience.
• Choreograph body language to reinforce the core idea.
• Channel nervousness into positive energy and passion.
• Master the technical details of voice, posture, gesture, and motion during delivery.

Whether speaking to a handful of employees or a keynote audience of hundreds, anyone can use these principles to give speeches that challenge minds, impassion hearts, and empower audiences to change the world, one idea at a time.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Press (April 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578518199
• ISBN-13: 978-1578518197
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #600,331 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turbo Charging Your Presetation Skills, July 11, 2003

By A Customer

Finally, a truly great book concerning the art/craft of public speaking. If you heard advice like "picture the audience in their underwear", then you owe it to yourself to read "Working the Room". In this insightful and eminently useful text, Nick Morgan explodes the myths of bad speech-making and crafts a better mousetrap.

Morgan's central theme is that the the only reason to give a speeach is to "change the world". According to the author, a speech is not a collection of information rather it is a forum to showcase the unique passion of the speaker to sway hearts and minds in the audience. Morgan takes the reader through a thorough process of crafting a speech, rehearsing it, and rendering it to an audience in an entirely new and effective way. I guarantee that you will never think of giving a presentation the same way again. Hint: It has nothing to do with the quality of your PowerPoint.

Morgan's style is first rate. Filled with useful insights and stories, the book is lazer precise, witty, and absolutely right on time. No fuzzy thinking here. Just solid advice from a unique perspective. It's also an excellent length. It isn't too short and at the end, like many great reads, it leaves you wanting more!

If you are a person who presents on a regular basis or even if you are a neophyte looking to hone your speaking skills, there is only one book to buy and that's "Working the Room."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, practical, proven principles on public speaking, April 5, 2003

By	John Baldoni - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Nick Morgan nails it. No one working with people can achieve much of anything without the ability to communicate effectively. "Working the Room" is an artful blend of theory and story that shows how to develop a message and deliver it. Very useful are the analyses of speeches and speaking styles of great orators from the past as well as contemporary sources. These historical references give context to how the nature of the stand?up presentation has changed from podium oratory to up?close and personal relationships via the media. According to Morgan, speakers need to connect with their audiences "kinesthetically" a blend of word, action and commitment. "Working the Room" contains solid advice on developing the speech, choreographing the speech, and rehearsing the presentation to get everything just right. And unlike many other books on this topic, Morgan addresses the need to listen to the audience and react accordingly in order to connect with impact and meaning. Morgan begins Working the Room with a quote from a speechwriter who postulated the only reason to give a speech was to "change the world." There is no better advice to give to any speaker in any environment. For anyone who cares about the power of the spoken word, either as speaker or writer, this book is a must?read and a must?have. I heartily recommend "Working the Room."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Valuable Read, July 10, 2003

By	Tonton1960 (Wellesley, MA United States) - See all my reviews

I tend to hate business related books. They are usually boring and trite. Someone whom I respect and who had hired Nick Morgan gave me this book. To my surprise, I found it insightful, easy to read and very thought provoking. I am about to buy it for two friends who need it and who I hope will find it as useful as I did.