Connect!: How to Inspire, Influence and Energise Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime

Description

Why do some people radiate energy when they speak whilst others fizzle outbefore they've even begun? How do some writers make our hearts race whilstothers make us feel like closing the book? Why are some work colleaguesseemingly more influential, or funnier, than others? Top speechwriter Simon Lancaster explains that the secret of brilliantcommunication is all about making connections. Whether in speech or in writing, ata networking event or in an email, at work or at home, the best communicators findways of connecting with their audiences. More than that, they are able to connectthe personal with the universal, the past with the present, the abstract with theeveryday, the visual with the verbal, the moral with the mundane. Like hot-wiring acar, connections are able to bypass logic and access our deepest instincts andemotions, generating an instant neurological reaction. Connect reveals the secret art of making connections in eleven engaging, revelatorychapters. It blends cutting-edge neuroscience with ancient rhetoric and wonderfullyshareable examples from popular culture; and it incorporates exercises to helpwork your own creative muscles, so you can become quicker at making connectionsand finding your own stories, metaphors, analogies and jokes. If you want moresparkle when you speak, more power when you present, more wow when youwrite, then this book will show you the skills to connect with anyone aboutanything, anytime and anywhere.

Simon Lancaster first started writing speeches in the late 1990s for members of Tony Blair's Cabinet. He has since gone on to write speeches for the CEOs of some of the world's biggest companies. He is an Executive Fellow of Henley Business School and lectures on Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge. Simon regularly appears on BBC and Sky News discussing speeches and has written articles for the Guardian, Daily Mail, Spectator, Prospect and GQ. He frequently makes keynote speeches at major conferences around the world and his social media videos attract hundreds of thousands of views. His 2016 TEDx Talk 'Speak like a Leader' has had more than three million views. He lives in the Brecon Beacons with his wife, two daughters, a dog, two cats and several chickens

Like everything the incredible Simon Lancaster does - whether it's in speech-writing, books or music - this is erudite, interesting and, above all, entertaining. * Alan Johnson, author and Former Home Secretary of the United Kingdom * In a world filled with division and anxiety, Simon Lancaster unlocks a treasure trove of advice on how we achieve meaningful and lasting connections with others through our written and spoken communications. And he makes it all sound fun and easy - which is exactly how it should be * Viv Groskop, author of How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking * One of the world's best speechwriters unveils the arts of persuasion with the help of some brain science. A racy, engrossing read. * Professor Ian Robertson, author of How Confidence Works: The New Science of Self-Belief * A rollicking read, jammed full of inspiring insights and examples, showing how we can all use humour and playfulness to become better communicators. Great fun! * Neil Mullarkey, comedian and author of Seven Steps to Improve Your People Skills * In this highly entertaining guide to communication, Simon Lancaster provides rich insight into how to instantly connect with audiences. His anecdotes and familiar cultural reference points ensure that he always practises what he preaches, and so his ideas connect with readers * Jonathan Charteris-Black, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics, University of the West of England * Simon Lancaster dives into the language that dominates public debate to argue that the opinions many of us assume to be instinctive are actually the product of others manipulating words and phrases to provoke the reaction they desire. A thoroughly entertaining and highly relevant read. * Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive, NSPCC *