Speak Up and Be Heard: Packed with Tips on how to develop confident communications skills, reviewed

By @SimonCocking review of Speak Up and Be Heard: Packed with Tips on how to develop confident communications skills by Lindsay Maclean, who is a communication expert.  Lindsay overcame debilitating shyness as a child and learnt how to Speak Up, lessons she shares with clients including Cath Kidston, Asos.com and with Jamie Oliver’s staff, who she helps to communicate effectively.

“From physical exercises to release stress to tips on what to say and how to say it, this book is good for people who have to give presentations, do a job interview or just want to be able to speak up in work meetings”  Marianne Power, Best selling author and journalist.

Speak Up and Be Heard will help you cope and present your best self in pressurised environments.  Most people can crumble under pressure.  The impact of that is huge – not getting the job, the promotion, the recognition. Learning techniques to manage this can change your life outcomes.

Hands up if you enjoy speaking in front of large crowds? You’d be surprised how many people dread doing this. Often / especially in Ireland too. Great for talking in informal occasions, but absolutely loathe to do so in public, in front of a crowd. This book taps into this widely held fear and reluctance to speak in public. Maclean recognises that is sounds easier said than done. She takes you through a series of steps to build confidence to the point where you will feel able and ready to make that step and be able to speak with ease and confidence.

The book follows a series of logical steps, build a narrative you are happy with, look to eliminate the verbal crutches, ‘er’ ’em’, ‘you know’. It is super tough to hear your self speak, but if you want to get better then this is a step you need to follow. As a TEDx speaker myself it is still interesting to see the range in quality of talks that people deliver. Good TEDx events ensure that the speaker has delivered their talk many, many times. For yourself too, the more you go through your talk, the more you learn where you trip up, what sounds dumb, what flows, and, if you are smart, you do all of this long before you go anywhere near the stage on the night of the event.

This book was an enjoyable, logical and approachable read, with actionable steps for you to follow if you are serious about becoming a better speaker in public. Before you commit your next death-by-powerpoint talk this book is a smart one to read.

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