Connect!
Description
Why do some people radiate energy when they speak while others fizzle out? How do some writers make us turn the page whilst others make us feel like closing the book? What makes some colleagues so memorable whilst others are instantly forgettable?
One of the world's top speechwriters, Simon Lancaster, explains that the secret of brilliant communication is all down to making connections, connecting the personal to the universal, the past to the present, and the mundane to the meaningful; thereby bypassing logic and immediately accessing people's deepest instincts and emotions.
How to Inspire!
- Connecting Mind and Body
- Connecting 'Me' and 'We'
- Connecting Morality and Mundanity
How to Influence!
- Connecting Statement and Story
- Connecting Past and Present
- Connecting 'This' and 'That'
How to Energise!
- Connecting Rhythm and Reasoning
- Connecting Serious and Silly
- Connecting Stats and Symbols
- Connecting Deeds and Dreams
Connect! reveals this art of making immediate and indelible connections, blending cutting-edge neuroscience with ancient rhetoric and brain-training exercises to give you everything you need to become a brilliant communicator.
Connect! is the definitive guide to making immediate and indelible connections with anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Reviews / Votes
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 *More details
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Person
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.