Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Understand the Secrets of Persuasion -- Intention and Objective -- Defining Your Objective -- Choosing an Intention -- Putting Intention and Objective into Practice -- Intention Cues -- Primary and Secondary Intentions -- The How of Intention Cues -- Chapter 2 Tell a Good Story -- The Power of Storytelling -- Why is Storytelling so Effective? -- How to Craft a Good Story -- Structuring Your Story -- The Power of Surprise -- Using Humor -- Finding Your Voice as a Storyteller -- Chapter 3 Craft a Compelling Narrative -- Composing Your Message: an Overview -- Assessing Your Audience -- Finding Your Core Theme -- The Primacy-Recency Effect -- The Rule of Three -- Mastering Your Transitions -- Structuring Your Message -- The Opening -- Main Body -- Closing -- Rhetorical Tools and Techniques -- Signposts -- Spotlights -- Teasers -- Callbacks -- Metaphor and Simile -- Chapter 4 Be Prepared -- Preparing Like a Pro -- The Three Phases of Preparation -- Contingency Plans -- The Myth of Over-Preparing -- The Anxiety of Performance -- Techniques to Combat Speech Anxiety -- Chapter 5 Project Confidence -- Intent Versus Impact -- Congruence Versus Incongruence -- Creating a Strong First Impression -- The Five Major Areas of Nonverbal Communication -- Posture -- Eye Contact -- Facial Expressions -- Gestures -- Movement and Spatiality -- Chapter 6 Say It Like You Mean It -- The Power of the Voice -- Paralanguage -- Volume -- Pitch -- Inflection -- Pace -- Banish Verbal Viruses -- The Power of the Pause -- Articulation -- Choose your Operatives -- Protect your Voice -- Chapter 7 Listen to Understand -- Why Listening Matters -- Barriers to Effective Listening -- Active Listening -- The Four Types of Listening -- Comprehensive Listening -- Critical Listening -- Sympathetic Listening.

Selective Listening -- Improving Your Listening Skills -- Listening and Memory -- Chapter 8 Think on Your Feet -- The Challenge of Thinking on Your Feet -- Mastering Impromptu Speaking -- Tackling the ''What do you do?'' Question -- Creating a Summary Statement -- Crafting Your Positioning Statement -- Chapter 9 Stay Focused and On Track -- Distracted Audiences -- Red Flags and Warning Signs -- Controlling Your Audience -- Create a Pattern Interrupt -- Manage Conflict -- Capturing (and Keeping) Your Audience's Attention -- Connect Early -- Be in the Moment -- Set Ground Rules -- Take Frequent Breaks -- Blank Your Screen -- Honor the Time -- Handling Questions Effectively -- Focus on the Question and the Questioner -- Use Checkbacks -- Create a Bridge -- Maintain a Confident Presence -- Reflect and Answer Carefully -- Defer an Answer Until Later -- Be Succinct -- Defer to an Expert -- Repeat the Question -- Facilitate a Discussion -- Rephrase Hostile Questions in Neutral Terms -- Use Connector Statements -- Use the Relevancy Tree -- Prepare by Murder Board -- Chapter 10 Assert Yourself -- Getting What You Want -- The Persuasion Equation -- Finding Your Signature Style -- Gaining Commitment -- Getting Buy-in from Senior Leadership -- Providing Feedback -- Delivering Bad News -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Glossary of Terms -- Acknowledgments -- About the Authors -- About Pinnacle Performance Company -- Index -- EULA.