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What's Your Message?: Public Speaking with twice the impact, using half the effort
"Finally, a book on public speaking that's worth reading (and using)." - SETH GODIN, Author, Tribes
"Congratulations Cam. Wonderful stories, delivered well. I wish you every success.”
- JACK WELCH, former CEO of GE and author of 'Winning'
The end of Public Speaking as we know it! This revolutionary method shows you how to think clearly, manage anxiety and speak persuasively. It helps you bring your ideas to life with: A simpler way to control nerves. A simpler way to structure your ideas. A simpler way to engage your audience with natural delivery skills.
Remove the obstacles to success and become a relaxed, credible and persuasive speaker.
The key measure of success for a business presentation is not your style. It's not your pretty slides. It's not whether you say 'um'. And it's not the colour of your tie. It's the clarity and recall of your message.
There are 3 things that make a great speech: Message Structure Connection with the audience
This book shows you how to master all three, and dissolve your public speaking anxiety - effortlessly.
"I knew what I wanted to say. Cam refocused me on how to say it in a way that cut straight to the heart. That made all the difference. This man knows what he's doing." - Andrew Denton, Journalist and Media Personality
"Cam has helped us enormously in getting our ideas across." - Alastair Clarkson, Head Coach, Hawthorn Football Club.
"It's refreshing to read a public speaking book that focuses on the message rather than the techniques. Every speaker-to-be should read 'What's Your Message' before getting in front of an audience." -Al Ries, Author of 'War In The Boardroom' and 'Positioning'.
"Cam is the Magic Man! He has an amazing ability to distill complex ideas into simple, practical steps." - Jules Lund, Radio and TV Personality.
"Cam gives you a philosophy that frees you to be yourself and simple tools to structure your ideas so you engage your audience." - Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)
"Great book. Thank you for your fresh approach Cam." - Janine Allis, Founder and CEO, Boost Juice.
"This is an outstanding book. The core premise certainly worked for me, and I believe you have nailed it for people making major presentations." - Paul Thompson, founder of both Austereo and DMG (now Nova Entertainment)
"The Vivid Method has helped me to bring order to the world of information chaos - in the media, at the lectern and the board table. The secret to confident and powerful delivery skills is clarity. Read the book!" - Mark Evans, AFL football operations manager
"Yes, the world really did need another book on presentation skills. The interesting question is whether the world still needs any of the previous books on the topic. This book is important." - Steve Marx, author of 'Close like the Pros'. Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Center for Sales Strategy.
"Congratulations Cam. Wonderful stories, delivered well. I wish you every success.”
- JACK WELCH, former CEO of GE and author of 'Winning'
The end of Public Speaking as we know it! This revolutionary method shows you how to think clearly, manage anxiety and speak persuasively. It helps you bring your ideas to life with: A simpler way to control nerves. A simpler way to structure your ideas. A simpler way to engage your audience with natural delivery skills.
Remove the obstacles to success and become a relaxed, credible and persuasive speaker.
The key measure of success for a business presentation is not your style. It's not your pretty slides. It's not whether you say 'um'. And it's not the colour of your tie. It's the clarity and recall of your message.
There are 3 things that make a great speech: Message Structure Connection with the audience
This book shows you how to master all three, and dissolve your public speaking anxiety - effortlessly.
"I knew what I wanted to say. Cam refocused me on how to say it in a way that cut straight to the heart. That made all the difference. This man knows what he's doing." - Andrew Denton, Journalist and Media Personality
"Cam has helped us enormously in getting our ideas across." - Alastair Clarkson, Head Coach, Hawthorn Football Club.
"It's refreshing to read a public speaking book that focuses on the message rather than the techniques. Every speaker-to-be should read 'What's Your Message' before getting in front of an audience." -Al Ries, Author of 'War In The Boardroom' and 'Positioning'.
"Cam is the Magic Man! He has an amazing ability to distill complex ideas into simple, practical steps." - Jules Lund, Radio and TV Personality.
"Cam gives you a philosophy that frees you to be yourself and simple tools to structure your ideas so you engage your audience." - Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)
"Great book. Thank you for your fresh approach Cam." - Janine Allis, Founder and CEO, Boost Juice.
"This is an outstanding book. The core premise certainly worked for me, and I believe you have nailed it for people making major presentations." - Paul Thompson, founder of both Austereo and DMG (now Nova Entertainment)
"The Vivid Method has helped me to bring order to the world of information chaos - in the media, at the lectern and the board table. The secret to confident and powerful delivery skills is clarity. Read the book!" - Mark Evans, AFL football operations manager
"Yes, the world really did need another book on presentation skills. The interesting question is whether the world still needs any of the previous books on the topic. This book is important." - Steve Marx, author of 'Close like the Pros'. Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Center for Sales Strategy.
254 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2015
133 people are currently reading
488 people want to read
About the author
Cam Barber
1 book15 followersCam Barber is a professional speaker and speaking coach who focuses on the awesome power of messaging.
His background as a radio executive taught him how to get inside the mind of an audience and trigger message recall.
Clients include Telstra, Hawthorn Football Club, BBC, Disney, Seek, Fairfax, UIP, Columbia Tristar, Southern Cross Austereo, Fox Sports and many others.
“Why I wrote the book…”
1. Many people don’t have a clear and memorable message when public speaking and miss their opportunity to persuade.
2. Many people who could share their ideas, don’t because they are burdened by public speaking anxiety, and/or information overload.
This book solves both problems.
#MessageMan
His background as a radio executive taught him how to get inside the mind of an audience and trigger message recall.
Clients include Telstra, Hawthorn Football Club, BBC, Disney, Seek, Fairfax, UIP, Columbia Tristar, Southern Cross Austereo, Fox Sports and many others.
“Why I wrote the book…”
1. Many people don’t have a clear and memorable message when public speaking and miss their opportunity to persuade.
2. Many people who could share their ideas, don’t because they are burdened by public speaking anxiety, and/or information overload.
This book solves both problems.
#MessageMan
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 29, 2016
For those of us who have anxiety when it comes to public speaking this is the best book I have read. It's so on the mark. Cam is right on the ball with easy ways to focus and leave the anxiety behind. However, he doesn't use the old remedies of studying every word prior to the talk, or about thinking of how to use our facial expressions and coordinate our hands and all that stuff that we are so nervous about and find hard to keep all of these rules together, let alone speak at the same time. He actually goes against the grain and tells the reader to go with the flow of who they are.
Cam Barber goes into depth to show us how his ideas work and have worked for many famous people, for numerous years showing us how to be a great speaker by just being ourselves. Some of his story telling is quite humorous but is packed with great methods, and how to's to make your message clear, show you a great way to start, and give your speech added structure. It goes against the conventional grain of doing speeches, and a little contradictory to what we've heard from school, toastmasters and many others over the years.
I know for me, I will certainly implement his procedures the next time I do a talk!
Pamela Hamilton
Cam Barber goes into depth to show us how his ideas work and have worked for many famous people, for numerous years showing us how to be a great speaker by just being ourselves. Some of his story telling is quite humorous but is packed with great methods, and how to's to make your message clear, show you a great way to start, and give your speech added structure. It goes against the conventional grain of doing speeches, and a little contradictory to what we've heard from school, toastmasters and many others over the years.
I know for me, I will certainly implement his procedures the next time I do a talk!
Pamela Hamilton
February 19, 2017
Cam Barber makes it easy to envision, plan and execute a presentation, no matter the audience, location or topic. I discarded my other textbook on public speaking because 'What's Your Message?' simplified and demystified the whole process with such ease. We'll be adding this to our bookshelves for our kids to read when they start presenting to others.
January 6, 2020
The best book I've ever read on presenting
Hands down THE best book on presenting. There are bigger names and more popular books on the matter but this little book beats them all in my opinion. This was a breakthrough read for me. It is highly actionable and fully empowers anyone to level up the impact of their presentations. You gotta read this if you really want and effective and effortless way to present while being yourself. No more gimmicks, rules, dread, performance pressure, procrastination, myths... Totally worth the read.
Hands down THE best book on presenting. There are bigger names and more popular books on the matter but this little book beats them all in my opinion. This was a breakthrough read for me. It is highly actionable and fully empowers anyone to level up the impact of their presentations. You gotta read this if you really want and effective and effortless way to present while being yourself. No more gimmicks, rules, dread, performance pressure, procrastination, myths... Totally worth the read.
April 6, 2020
I found this book to be very practical and it clears up some "myths" about public speaking that cause anxiety and counterproductive efforts. I found the chunk method of presentation preparation and the 1-minute rehearsal to be extremely valuable advice. I'm going to apply it to my writing as well.
March 11, 2018
Good refresher on presentation skills
Key message, structure, connection with the audience are the three points... also that it’s not about adapting yourself to some style but really the above three things!
The chunking method is refreshing and good recap for daily practice..
Key message, structure, connection with the audience are the three points... also that it’s not about adapting yourself to some style but really the above three things!
The chunking method is refreshing and good recap for daily practice..
June 20, 2021
Praktyczne podejście do tematu
Podpisuje się pod bardzo dużą ilością tez i obserwacji autora. Powiedziałbym, że to nie tylko książka o "prezentacji" - podstawowa teza o potrzebie jasności przekazu jest istotna w każdej dziedzinie biznesu, zwłaszcza marketingu.
Podpisuje się pod bardzo dużą ilością tez i obserwacji autora. Powiedziałbym, że to nie tylko książka o "prezentacji" - podstawowa teza o potrzebie jasności przekazu jest istotna w każdej dziedzinie biznesu, zwłaszcza marketingu.
May 5, 2019
Amazing
Very helpful, descriptive, detailed, knowledgeable in everything and very good examples, take away points to apply. To every presentation Good read
Very helpful, descriptive, detailed, knowledgeable in everything and very good examples, take away points to apply. To every presentation Good read
June 12, 2020
Very good book on public speaking
April 22, 2021
Fantastic book to read! The author is a fantastic person both on paper and in person! You can learn a lot from him :) (p.s. it’s your favourite cafe waitress)
September 2, 2024
Be free with your thoughts
June 20, 2016
Cam Barber knows how to walk the talk. A professional public speaker and speaking coach, he has written a very engaging and useful book titled, What’s Your Message? It promises that it can allow readers to make twice the impact using half the effort. On this count it delivers thanks to its practical and logical approach that can be adapted for different audiences and situations.
In this book Barber dispels a number of myths about public speaking. Barber traces the original instructions about public speaking back to actors where there was an emphasis on rules regarding body language and performance. Barber claims that this often confused people and made them even more anxious. He also says that a natural delivery can make a speaker seem more relaxed and credible. This guide uses rich, real-life case studies about people like Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Anita Roddick and more in order to prove that good public speakers are not necessarily born but they can be made with good practice and instruction.
In addition to the examples, anecdotes and case studies, Barber also describes “The Vivid Method.” It’s one he has devised himself with respect to offering guidelines and ways to prepare for public speaking. There are handy hints, tips and suggestions as well as some easy-to-follow examples and templates that can be used every day. The key point Barber makes is that the message needs to be clear, consistent and concise.
What’s Your Message has summarised a lot of complex information and elaborated on some key concepts. It also demystifies a lot of myths and offers practical insights that can be used in almost any situation. In short, What’s Your Message is a handy guide that is engaging, rational and fun and will allow readers to speak in public in a rather simple, effortless manner, which should be commended.
Please note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this book Barber dispels a number of myths about public speaking. Barber traces the original instructions about public speaking back to actors where there was an emphasis on rules regarding body language and performance. Barber claims that this often confused people and made them even more anxious. He also says that a natural delivery can make a speaker seem more relaxed and credible. This guide uses rich, real-life case studies about people like Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Anita Roddick and more in order to prove that good public speakers are not necessarily born but they can be made with good practice and instruction.
In addition to the examples, anecdotes and case studies, Barber also describes “The Vivid Method.” It’s one he has devised himself with respect to offering guidelines and ways to prepare for public speaking. There are handy hints, tips and suggestions as well as some easy-to-follow examples and templates that can be used every day. The key point Barber makes is that the message needs to be clear, consistent and concise.
What’s Your Message has summarised a lot of complex information and elaborated on some key concepts. It also demystifies a lot of myths and offers practical insights that can be used in almost any situation. In short, What’s Your Message is a handy guide that is engaging, rational and fun and will allow readers to speak in public in a rather simple, effortless manner, which should be commended.
Please note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2017
Simple but powerful ideas
May 6, 2016
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review....
A decent, solid read that is great of beginners who need a little push and education with Public Speaking. I just wished I had this book in college with my communication classes. It would've really benefitted me to get my shy and quiet self a better grade.
A decent, solid read that is great of beginners who need a little push and education with Public Speaking. I just wished I had this book in college with my communication classes. It would've really benefitted me to get my shy and quiet self a better grade.
February 5, 2016
Good, basic information about public speaking for beginners. Cam urges you to get clear on your message, and be authentic in delivering it. No argument here!
August 2, 2016
I won a free copy from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Program and think that it interesting and beneficial. I would recommend it to everyone.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews