Develop the life-changing ability to excel in spontaneous communication situations—from public speaking to interviewing to networking—with these essential strategies from a Stanford lecturer, coach, and host of the popular Think Fast, Talk Smart The Podcast.
“A road map to mastering the art of thinking quickly and speaking confidently, this is the perfect book for…anyone else who talks.” —Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit, Smarter Faster Better and Supercommunicators
Many of us dread having to convey our ideas to others, often feeling ill-equipped, anxious, and awkward. Public speaking experts help by focusing on planned communication experiences such as slide presentations, pitches, or formal talks. Yet, most of our professional and personal communication occurs in spontaneous situations that creep up on us and all too often leave us flustered and stumbling for words. How can we rise to the occasion and shine when we’re put on the spot?
In Think Faster, Talk Smarter, Stanford lecturer, podcast host, and communication expert Matt Abrahams provides tangible, actionable skills to help even the most anxious of speakers succeed when speaking spontaneously. Abrahams provides science-based strategies for managing anxiety, responding to the mood of the room, and making content concise, relevant, compelling, and memorable. Drawing on stories from his clients and students, he offers best practices for navigating Q&A sessions, shining in job interviews, providing effective feedback, making small talk, fixing faux pas, persuading others, and handling other impromptu speaking tasks.
Whether it’s a prospective client asking you an unexpected question during a meeting or all eyes turning to you at a dinner party, you’ll know how to navigate the situation like a pro and bring out your very best. Think Faster, Talk Smarter is an accessible guide to communication that will help you master new techniques in no time.
"An important part of leadership is being able to communicate effectively. People are frequently in meetings with others where they need to persuade those others. Being able to think on one's feet and make a positive impression through what we say is essential. I highly recommend Abrahams' book." —Jeffrey Pfeffer, Stanford GSB Professor and author of The 7 Rules of Power
"Getting to sit in a classroom with Matt you quickly see why his course is one of the most popular on campus. It's a mini laboratory with constant experiments being conducted by students to see what works and what doesn't for each of them. And you're in luck... he's boiled down years of classes, thousands of hours of these experiments and created a clear, actionable six-step methodology with a set of frameworks for spontaneous situations to help anyone become more confident speaking in the moment. This is a must read for anyone who has to speak in public. Well that's everyone. So just do yourself a favor and get the book already."
—Anthony Veneziale, Co-Founder Freestyle Love Supreme and freestyle+, TED Speaker, Grammy Nominee and Tony Award Winner
“You can learn to navigate nearly any conversation with Think Faster, Talk Smarter. This concise guide offers science-based strategies for managing anxiety and delivering impactful, impromptu responses in any situation, from job interviews to those questions you get at the most unexpected moments. Abrahams' real-life examples and actionable tips provide a roadmap to mastering the art of thinking quickly and speaking confidently, and this is the perfect book for professionals, teachers, parents - or anyone else who talks.”
—Charles Duhigg, best-selling author of The Power of Habit, Smarter Faster Better and Supercommunicators
"Matt Abrahams has a gift for making complex concepts easy to understand and simple to enact. If you’ve ever struggled to summon the right words at the right time, this book is an essential read.” —Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of To Sell is Human, Drive, and The Power of Regret
