Book Review: Be Heard Now! by Lee Glickstein
Before I even finished reading the book I applied Glickstein's lessons and succesfully ran two consecutive one-hour meetings without my usual panic and self-consciosness. The key for me was relaxing about needing to perform and making soft eye contact with the meeting participants. I have been shy and borderline social-phobic and these kinds of encounters always caused me major anxiety. I was able to visualize the meeting participants and their receptivity to my presence. It made all the difference in the world. I am now looking forward (amazing!)to taking the next step of public speaking and larger presentations.
Glickstein is the creator of Speaking Circles, where individuals can learn public speaking in a safe, non-judgmental environment. You need to read the book for the details, but this is very different from Toastmasters, where members comment on technique and content. Speaking Circles are about your relationship with the audience, rather than about the content of your talk.
Delighted to see your perceptive review of my book, Bronxilla, and I am glad you picked up the subtlties of my approach to public speaking in a way that made a difference for you at the meetings.
ReplyDeleteYou might enjoy this video of me demystifying charmisma: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j24tBfi0it0,
and my website (www.speakingcircles.com) has more recent articles.
Best,
Lee Glickstein
Hi Lee:
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. One thing that I did not mention in my post was that I have also tried stand-up comedy, mostly as an open-micer but including a competition and one straight-up performance. Comedy and internet posting and blogging have helped me both develop courage to perform on other stages (a meeting room) and to gain confidence in expressing my thoughts.
Your book is a gem and should have a wider readership.