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Think Faster, Talk Smarter

How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot

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Think Faster, Talk Smarter

By: Matt Abrahams
Narrated by: Matt Abrahams
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About this listen

Read by the author.

Stanford lecturer and host of the #1 business podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams, reveals the secrets to finding the right words when it counts.


Communication is crucial to success in life and business. However, it is not just big speeches that matter: it is also those critical, spur-of-the-moment situations for which we cannot prepare.

A prospective client asking unexpected questions during a sales pitch, a teacher singling you out for an answer during a class, a high-pressure meeting with senior executives at work, or even a heartwarming toast to deliver on the spot. All are fraught scenarios that might cause you to freeze up. The pandemic has only boosted this fear, by stripping the spontaneity from communication during lockdown, and then changing the communication landscape.

In this invaluable guide, Matt Abrahams provides a six-point methodology that will enable you to cut through the anxiety arising from these stressful, impromptu circumstances to create and deliver crisp, compelling and calm communication.

Think Faster, Talk Smarter is an energetic, engaging resource for anyone who wants to speak out, spread their ideas, and ultimately share their story.

When you purchase this title, an accompanying PDF will be available in your audiobook library along with the audio.

Anxiety Disorders Career Success Meetings & Presentations Mental Health Motivation & Self-Improvement Personal Development Personal Success Psychology & Mental Health Self-Esteem Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

Remarkably helpful and specific. I certainly plan to follow Abrahams' recommendations (Robert Cialdini, internationally bestselling author of Pre-Suasion)
Exceptional. His tools for thinking quickly and speaking clearly are indispensable. His easy-to-understand approach helps anyone to become a better 'in-the-moment' communicator (Tony Fadell, inventor of the iPod, co-creator of the iPhone, and internationally bestselling author of Build)
A gold standard for communication best practices. Matt’s six step approach to speaking confidently and clearly in spontaneous situations helps calm the nervous system so you can focus on what matters: creating connection with those around you and responding in the moment. (David Eagleman, neuroscientist and internationally bestselling author of The Brain)
An essential contribution to the communication field. Matt provides a powerful toolkit for managing the anxiety-filled situation of speaking spontaneously — answering questions, giving feedback, addressing mistakes and miscues (Jonah Berger, internationally bestselling author of Contagious)
Filled with practical, tactical advice, this book is indispensable. (Kim Scott, internationally bestselling author of Radical Candor)
An essential read. Matt Abrahams has a gift for making complex concepts easy to understand and simple to enact (Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive)
Sparkling and deeply human. Abrahams lays out his proven approach to easily and powerfully telling your story, share your achievements, and getting the results you deserve. If you work with people, you must read this book! (Laszlo Bock, former Chief People Officer of Google and bestselling author of Work Rules!)
Communication expert and podcast host Matt Abrahams delivers useful advice on how to think on one's feet with the relaxed polish of a seasoned voice professional. His voice and ideas sparkle with energy. The guide is intuitively organized and covers a wide range of speaking situations, such as interviews, Q&A sessions, unscripted remarks to an audience, and conversations between employees and bosses. His focus on the emotional dynamics of any speaking situation will help listeners feel more confident when faced with a speaking challenge.
All stars
Most relevant
Wow, communication is the greatest skillset anyone in business can work on.

This is a great eye opener to blind spots and other opportunities in communication to truly set you up for success in all scenarios of communication.

Listen, read it and share it with friends and loved ones!

Be a sponge

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Was recommended this book by a colleague and didn’t disappoint. Have already started using the techniques and structures with a boost in confidence and effectiveness

Great insights and structure

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I really enjoyed this read, it was not too much fluff and valuable advice throughout.

Great

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This is one of book most of us need to read .
It is lern skill you will get better prepared for surprise situations.

Simple and practical this

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The entire book could be summarised in one sentence: join an improv comedy group, and you will learn everything you need to know.

If you have any experience in presenting and/or performing, this book will have little value to you.

The performance is good. The narrator speaks with practiced cadence and uses inflection and tone to control rhythm, which makes it easier to listen to.

The content is limited. Much of the book focused on suppressing, resolving, and managing anxiety, which is useful if this is something you experience; and not if you don't.

The book is already structured in two parts, and says you can skip ahead, but it is presented as though part 1 is critical to success and should not be skipped.

You can definitely skip it.

It would be more efficient to release the book in two parts, one to address anxiety and one with only the strategies. This way, listeners/readers can obtain the portion that is most useful to them, without bulking out the content.

Overall: 3/5 speeches. Not terrible, but limited in scope.

Useful for absolute beginners and people with crippling anxiety. Not much use for experienced speakers.

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