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Speak Without Fear: Rock Star Presentation Skills to Get People to Hear What You Say
From the classrooms of Yale and Harvard comes Deb Sofield’s inspirational, instructional guide to help you conquer your fear of public speaking. Speak without Fear transforms our old ways of thinking about public speaking and provides the reader with the necessary tools to move beyond the fear and craft their message in a way that will inspire, move, and most of all—be heard!
Sofield provides the reader with a front-row seat to her award-winning, internationally recognized techniques and uses personal examples and step-by-step instructions to help you overcome the number one fear in the country: the fear of public speaking.
Whether it be in the boardroom or the living room, we all need to be effective speakers to ensure our message is received clearly. In Speak without Fear, Sofield provides the reader with the knowledge and skills to look and sound the part of a rock star presenter, and uses easily adaptable strategies to quell those jitters, project confidence, and craft the perfect message.
Don’t allow fear and doubt to paralyze you. Find your voice and discover what thousands of Sofield’s clients have already learned—how to Speak without Fear!
Sofield provides the reader with a front-row seat to her award-winning, internationally recognized techniques and uses personal examples and step-by-step instructions to help you overcome the number one fear in the country: the fear of public speaking.
Whether it be in the boardroom or the living room, we all need to be effective speakers to ensure our message is received clearly. In Speak without Fear, Sofield provides the reader with the knowledge and skills to look and sound the part of a rock star presenter, and uses easily adaptable strategies to quell those jitters, project confidence, and craft the perfect message.
Don’t allow fear and doubt to paralyze you. Find your voice and discover what thousands of Sofield’s clients have already learned—how to Speak without Fear!
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2013
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Deb Sofield
11 books2 followersDeb Sofield is an award-winning speaker and executive speech and presentations coach who creates and trains world-class public speakers nationwide.
Deb has personally coached scores of executives and elected officials to tap into their natural abilities, becoming capable and motivational speakers who deliver a message with lasting impact. That’s because Deb knows exactly what it takes and means to deliver a meaningful message. Deb is a skilled politician and savvy businesswoman who has been winning campaigns for public office while running her own successful business for more than two decades. She’s an accomplished corporate, political and talent strategist who coaches her clients to the top, and a dynamic keynote speaker who is in demand both nationally and internationally.
Deb has personally coached scores of executives and elected officials to tap into their natural abilities, becoming capable and motivational speakers who deliver a message with lasting impact. That’s because Deb knows exactly what it takes and means to deliver a meaningful message. Deb is a skilled politician and savvy businesswoman who has been winning campaigns for public office while running her own successful business for more than two decades. She’s an accomplished corporate, political and talent strategist who coaches her clients to the top, and a dynamic keynote speaker who is in demand both nationally and internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 17, 2021
This book was like a Toastmasters meeting — I listened to it before taping a video for the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. Deb is a fellow alum from The Campaign School at Yale and her engaging delivery was a bonus to the tactical tips she provided on effective speaking. Who knew that drinking milk before a speech was a bad idea???
January 20, 2014
Speak Without Fear, by Deb Sofield,is an immensely readable book, so much more than just a "how to," book about public speaking. Deb Sofield knows whereof she speaks, and makes a living demonstrating the "Rock Star Presentation Skills to Get People to Hear What You Say."
She starts with the basics of communicating. We assume people listen when we speak, but the listeners may be picking up messages we don't mean to send from our grammar, our demeanor, and our body language. Ms. Sofield uses excellent examples from her own life and experience as well as skills she has learned in her work teaching speakers to be more effective in selling a message, a product, or persuading a reluctant audience.
Preparation is mandatory, and includes seeing the forum beforehand, checking the audio system while there is still time to make any corrections, and knowing a little about the audience before they meet you for the first time. This can be the key to wowing them with your humor and storytelling skills rather than offending them unknowingly by insulting one of the strongly held tenets of the group.
If you get a chance to hear Ms. Sofield, go out of your way to take advantage of the opportunity. Until then, read her book and learn how to modify your visual impact by practicing a pleasant expression when your face is at rest, being sure that your outfit is appropriate to the occasion and fits properly, how to begin and close a presentation, and above all remember that the content of your talk is key to your success so prepare thoroughly. Preparation trumps fear every time.
She starts with the basics of communicating. We assume people listen when we speak, but the listeners may be picking up messages we don't mean to send from our grammar, our demeanor, and our body language. Ms. Sofield uses excellent examples from her own life and experience as well as skills she has learned in her work teaching speakers to be more effective in selling a message, a product, or persuading a reluctant audience.
Preparation is mandatory, and includes seeing the forum beforehand, checking the audio system while there is still time to make any corrections, and knowing a little about the audience before they meet you for the first time. This can be the key to wowing them with your humor and storytelling skills rather than offending them unknowingly by insulting one of the strongly held tenets of the group.
If you get a chance to hear Ms. Sofield, go out of your way to take advantage of the opportunity. Until then, read her book and learn how to modify your visual impact by practicing a pleasant expression when your face is at rest, being sure that your outfit is appropriate to the occasion and fits properly, how to begin and close a presentation, and above all remember that the content of your talk is key to your success so prepare thoroughly. Preparation trumps fear every time.
June 27, 2013
This book was great for me because it taught me that public speaking is really about making sure I’m effectively communicating a message. What I learned is that if I have something to say and there’s an audience there of their own free will, they likely want to know my opinion on something, so I shouldn’t be worried about what they’re thinking of me. I also learned that it’s a lot about presentation yourself-yes it’s nice to have confidence, but if you’re confident in your knowledge of a subject, it will carry over to how you present yourself. For expert advice on these topics and more, in addition what you need to know to make sure that your speech knocks it out of the park, look no further.
July 15, 2013
Speak Without Fear taught me so much...I picked up what I thought would be the typical book telling me to “picture the audience members in their underwear” when I got nervous, but instead found a useful and intelligent guide to understanding communication as a whole and how it affects our interactions with other people every day. This is not, in fact, a book that will give you a simple trick that may or may not work as an “instant fix” for your public speaking fear-instead, it will make you understand the importance of connecting with what you want to say and how the importance of a message can propel you through your fear.
June 14, 2013
Speak Without Fear was such a great resource for me...it completely helped me understand the importance of communicating as a tool in both personal and professional life. One of the things that I found most helpful about this book was that the large number of examples that were present that didn’t involve a podium and a projector, which were great in bridging the gap between the different types of communication. It really made me understand that there’s nothing to be worried about the next time that I have to give a speech or presentation in public.
July 8, 2013
Public speaking for me is now no different than having a conversation around the dinner table about a well-learned subject thanks to Speak Without Fear. This book has helped me to understand how the two are similar and how really, every conversation we have, every spoken word comes down to the essence of communication. We communicate with others all the time, so why get nervous when there are more people? Deb helps us to understand that our perceptions of ourselves and finding our own voices are essential to nailing that key speech. This book is definitely a must-read.
July 15, 2013
Deb did a great job of compiling all kinds of tips and tricks into this book. It’s not surprising that her message is shared clearly and easily with readers as she practices what she preaches and puts communication, and nothing else, at the center of her mission. Readers get all the instruction and guidance of a master in a convenient, portable form, at an amazing value...she should be charging a hefty fee for such valuable information!
July 30, 2013
As a public speaking professional, Deb has published what is one of the best, most accessible guides to public speaking and understanding what some of the most common mistakes are that people make when they try to speak. By understanding failure, Deb shows readers, we can ultimately grow from such experiences and be successful-we just can’t dwell on the failure, sulk or pout about things, because we have to get back up and keep sharing a message.
June 16, 2013
Who can’t relate to having a fear of public speaking? Deb Sofield is my official go to gal for all things presenting and I definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in learning how to improve your speeches. Both novice and experienced presenters can benefit from reading this. You can be a rockstar too!
August 23, 2013
Speak Without Fear has definitely helped me nip my fear of public speaking in the bud. Not only did it give me some great tips for what I should really be focusing on-rather than just the things that I was letting occupy my thoughts and keep me worried-but I’ve already passed it on to another one of my friends so that he can get use out of it too.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews