Book Highlight: The How of Wow

Great speech-making skills are not only beneficial to those who must get in front of large audiences on a regular basis. The advice provided by communications expert Tony Carlson can benefit anyone who feels they have something important to communicate.

In the The How of WOW: A Guide to Giving a Speech That Will Positively Blow ‘Em Away, author Tony Carlson shares his tips on delivering effective speeches that get the attention, empathy, and respect from any audience. He covers techniques that allow one to build a bigger and better stage presence and make create a memorable experience. As a communication expert, his advice on body language, creating hooks, advancing the room, and getting media coverage are primarily directed toward those who have an opportunity to deliver public speeches to sizable audiences. However, the benefits of being an effective speechmaker are more broadly applicable to anyone who wants to effectively communicate a message to another person.

One of the primary benefits from developing effective presentation skills is that personal brands are build not only through your actions, but also through communication. Effective communication can position you as an expert in your field or area of interest and it helps you establish a name for yourself that people will both know and respect. A worthy goal from most communication encounters is to have the person or people with whom you are speaking remember you in a positive way and remember your headline in a positive way. This is true whether you are delivering a speech to hundreds of people, are making a presentation to your clients, are having a conversation with your boss, or have a chance meeting with a potential investor in your business. In a personal sense, conversations with friends, spouses, and children could also benefit from the advice shared by Carlson.

The focus on the audience is a tip shared that diverges from much of the traditional speechmaking advice. There are three elements required for communication:

1. Information or data that needs to be communicated,
2. A person to do the transmission of the information, and
3. A person to receive the information. Often, the focus is primarily paid to just the first two elements – what needs to be said and how is it best shared.

Carlson suggests that by considering the end goal at the beginning, communication will be much more effective. The starting question should be less around what you want to share and more focused on what you want the audience to believe or do. This shift in focus automatically works to improve the effectiveness of your communication because all of the delivery tactics you select will be geared towards your understanding of the audience and your desired outcome.