Own Any Occasion: Mastering the Art of Speaking and Presenting

by Erik Palmer

The world is your stage. Own it.

Great speaking does not come easy. But even the wallflowers among us can’t avoid speaking forever. In Own Any Occasion, speaker and educator Erik Palmer taps into his vast experience to simplify the process of extraordinary speaking, whether you’re giving a wedding toast or preparing for a one-on-one sales call. His approach is equal parts preparation and Never speak unless you have something worth saying, and never let a poor performance diminish a good message.

In 11 steps, Palmer shows readers how to craft the perfect message and captivate audiences with exceptional delivery, no matter the circumstance. He demonstrates that the steps to impress when you meet your in-laws for the first time are the same ones that will help you succeed in front of an auditorium full of executives. Whether your audience is large or small, your message personal or professional, Palmer’s easy system will help you become the best speaker you can be in any situation.

Own Any Occasion is for anyone who wants to master the art of speaking well, from first-time presenters to seasoned pros looking for a new process. Give yourself the tools to impress every listener and develop a more confident you.

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2017

About the author

Erik Palmer is an author, speaker, and communication consultant from Denver, Colorado. He works with teachers, trainers, and managers showing practical ways to improve their oral communication as well as the verbal skills of those they instruct and manage. He is a frequent presenter at conferences, and has given keynotes and led workshops for districts across the US and around the world.

Prior to becoming a consultant, he had a career in business (national sales leader for a prominent commodity brokerage firm and a floor trader on a Chicago commodity exchange), and a career in the classroom (21 years in the Cherry Creek School District as a teacher of English, math, science, and civics).

Palmer is the author of Well-Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students (Stenhouse Publishers, 2011), Teaching the Core Skills of Listening & Speaking (ASCD, 2014), Researching in a Digital World (ASCD, 2015), Good Thinking: Teaching Argument, Persuasion, and Reasoning (Stenhouse, 2016), Own Any Occasion: Mastering the Art of Speaking and Presenting (ATD, 2017), and Before You Say A Word: A School Leader's Guide to Clear and Compelling Communication. Palmer is a program consultant for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Into Reading and Into Literature language arts programs.

His educational background includes Oberlin College, University of Denver Law School, and the University of Colorado.

Reviews

[BookCupid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Palmer showcases his experience as a speaker, providing us with advice on how we can speak comfortably in front of others. Whether you are presenting to a group or even performing online, speaker skills are needed. He provides us with acronyms to help us retain the info. I wish he would have giving more information on punch intros. If the beginning stars off dull, you are done.

Make sure to join Toast Masters in your region if this is something you want to pursue. And to always make sure you have others evaluate your work afterward. We can only grow through feedback.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's irony in writing/reading a book about oral presentation skills. The short videos on the eponymous website may be a better way to engage with the content. That having been said, I appreciated the focus on digital media and employee training, as both are areas where good content is relatively scarce.

[Sebastian Sanio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has some interesting ideas and insights about how to prepare and perform a speech and how to be a better speaker in general.

I finished it with the sense that it touched only the surface of the topics.