How to Be Heard Lib/E: Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening

by Julian Treasure (Reader)

Learn communication skills secrets from one of the most successful TED Talks stars of all time Transform your communication Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Renowned five time TED Talks speaker and author Julian Treasure reveals how to speak so that people listen - and how to listen so that people feel heard. As this leading sound expert demonstrates via interviews with world-class speakers, professional performers and CEOs atop their field, the secret lies in developing simple habits that can transform our communication skills, the quality of our relationships and our impact in the world. Effective speaking, listening, and understanding How to be Heard includes never-before-seen exercises to develop your communication skills that are as effective at home as in the boardroom or conference call. Julian Treasure offers an inspiring vision for a sonorous world of effective speaking, listening and understanding. Communication skills secrets and tips discussed in How to be Heard Sound affects us how to make it work for you and improve your wellbeing, effectiveness and happiness. Why listening matters. How listening and speaking affect one another.The seven deadly sins of speaking and listening, and how to avoid them; the four cornerstones of powerful speaking and listening.How to listen and why we don't. Your listening filters, and how to use them. Five simple exercises to achieve conscious listening. Tips from great listeners. Inner listening.Your the instrument we all play, and how to play it beautifully. The power of your vocal toolbox and how to build your speaking power; tricks of great speakers; simple exercises and practices to develop your voice.Saying what you how to plan and structure content so you always hit the bullseye. Clean language. Secrets of rhetoric; great speeches unpacked; exercises and methods to achieve clarity, precision and impact. Five danger words to how to deliver a great talk. Practice, preparation, tools and aids, common mistakes and how to avoid them, stage presence - how to act and talk like a top professional speaker and win over any audience. The five most common errors and how to avoid them.

Genres: Communication, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Business, Personal Development, Psychology

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, some key takeaways but overall not hugey impactful for me.

I felt like the beggining was okay, it talked a lot about sound, noise, and music which is not what I was expecting. All of it also had to do with becoming a better listener and thus will make you better heard.

But the middle was the good part for me. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), voice tonality, pitch, volume, accenting certain words, posture, body language, lots.

The end was more about being a professional public speaker.

This book is pretty thorough! I don't know why people that reviewed the book say it's repetitive because it's not.

[Michael Huang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some general, mostly common sense point of listening and to be heard.

1. Sound can impact your sleep, work, and even tendencies to commit crime. (Mayors keep note: play sound of birds etc in public places can reduce crime rate.)
2. When listening, keep eye contact, and try to be empathetic which help you understand the speaker better.
3. To be heard better, use story telling. (Rag to riches stories are most popular.) Avoid jargon. Use good posture. Manage your volume.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is repetitive, but very helpful for public speakers and others who need to use their voices and their ears. Treasure gets into the physiology of speaking to train readers to speak clearly and with power and control. He emphasizes etiquette and techniques for public speaking, such as not turning your back on the audience and using lecture notes like cue cards. He offers many practical tips on presentation software (and I realize that I need to use more images and fewer bullet points, or at least successively reveal them as I speak). He even gets into best practices for conference speakers, like showing up as early as possible to test the room's technology and to get to know the IT person, who needs to know what you will do in your speech. But the most unique and life-changing part of the book was Treasure's points about sound and listening. I am a librarian setting up a new university library; and Treasure made me plan spaces very carefully to ensure that sound is controlled so that my patrons can be productive. I value my hearing more now, and I am more concerned now about how sound impacts cognitive performance.

[Gemma Golley · Rating 2 out of 5]

~dnf~
I couldn't do it. He was so repetitive and his activities were so juvenile... I did not learn a thing as I was reading. A bit disappointing, but this book is definitely for people who can't form relationships... It's like conversation 101, and I don't think people are that dumb.

[Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Only read about 60%) Felt too much like a self-help book. Very general and wishy-washy. Although it felt sincere, I didn’t feel the book had any new insights for me. And Julian, we get it, you gave a couple TED talks..

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately, this book perhaps tries to be too much. I found the guidance and exercises to be either too grand (here's how to find out what your values are!) or too granular (you should avoid drinking milk before giving a speech), and never quite the level I was looking for.

I enjoyed the chapters regarding listening and its importance in our lives, something we take for granted. I will definitely be thinking and practicing listening and being more conscious of how I respond -- surely in the coming days and weeks but hopefully it becomes a jumping-off place to make me a better friend, wife, and leader.

Regarding speaking, this might be a good read before an important presentation. But, I was looking for something I could apply more in everyday situations where I find it difficult to be heard. I didn't find that in this book to the extent I'd hoped. The title is a little misleading in that respect.

The author's distaste for writing's predominance is a little confusing as well, given this is a book. The near constant reference to TED talks as if his audience has a collective understanding of the entire catalog was annoying. I think the content and the way the author wants to share it would have been better suited for a podcast with many episodes of varying content rather than a book.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started basic and got better as it went. I considered not finishing it but I'm glad I did. He covered everything about speaking, from the physical mechanics of breath to whether to memorize content or not to the interpersonal listening skills of conversation.

As a key bonus: I listed to the audio version and he had some interviews with experts at the end that moved this book from 3 stars to 4 stars. Don't skip those!

[Jerecho · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about listening and being heard... A must have book for speakers, speech writers, business strategist, planners and political figures alike.

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like he was just trying to sell himself a lot. Was useful...but burnt out half way through. Sorry.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid 4 stars; overall this is worth your time and reading/listening effort; the volume could use some trimming; the story loses its informational value as it unfolds; starting out very strong and losing its punch just about halfway through; the science is convincing and the author indeed does an admirable job in laying out the structure and dynamics of speaking and listening; useful and providing actionable insights; recommended. On the subject of listening and speaking, be sure to check out these related books: Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves and one of my favorites: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been re-thinking your communication habits and impact (especially re: using virtual meeting platforms and tools), this is a helpful listen. Treasure expands on his TED Talk ideas and makes the most of the audiobook format by demonstrating different aspects of speech and sound.

Listen to the complete review @ https://podcast.jannastam.com

Rate, review, and subscribe to the Audiobooks in Five Minutes podcast on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Spotify

[Lexie Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that had a lot of good tips but as others have noted felt repetitive. I appreciated the tips for presenting but there were some things I felt were not relevant to the overall book.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly boring, but occasionally just BS, like claiming that dozens of scientists have replicated Amy Cuddy's power pose blah blah, when in reality she's the poster child for the replication crisis.

[Cairn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting facts and small, challenging exercises to practice. He references TED a lot, and the glimpse into that world was intriguing. Audiobook was excellent. I don’t think the non-verbal version of the book would be as impactful, especially considering the emphasis on SOUND in the book.

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert: this is really a review of the Blinkist summary of the full book. So I’ve not yet read the full book. And on the basis of this Blinkist summary, I’m not liable to seek out the full book. Not much here that I didn’t already know or that was especially interesting to me ....though feducing crime by playing pleasant soun d was new, I’m not sure that I believe itSound has the power to affect us in many different ways. In the physiological sense, sound can influence our overall health, especially when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
Music can trigger emotional associations and images in our mind’s eye. For example, when people hear the first two notes of John William’s classic theme song from Jaws, a sense of fear is automatically heightened as the image of a shark enters their mind.
The mayor of Lancaster, California, R. Rex Parris, tried to reduce crime in the city by setting up speakers throughout the downtown area, known as The Boulevard, that played bird songs, lapping water and other calming sounds. According to the town’s Sheriff, crime in Lancaster subsequently dropped 15 percent. [I wonder how this was actually measured; if it was sustained and whether it was actually related to the music or to some other local factor...such as increasing prosperity].
Obstacles to effective communication include hyperbole, people pleasing and avoiding difficult emotions.
We often use hyperboles, like “amazing” and “genius,” to describe normal, everyday things like a new pair of shoes. We do this to get a favourable reaction or to impress others, but it also devalues the true meaning of the words, thereby making them less effective.
Another habit that reduces effectiveness is our overwhelming desire to be right, and when we’re so focused on this, we tend to miss out on what the other person is really trying to say.
Another roadblock to good communication is how we deal with difficult, emotionally charged situations. Quite often, people will keep quiet or try to delicately fix the emotions surrounding an incident.
Listening skills are honed through experience, and what we say can have serious consequences.
Even identical twins with nearly identical genes and a similar upbringing can develop very different listening skills......The important thing to remember is that we need to pay close attention to the words that come out of our mouths, since they greatly influence what people think of us......“Hearing is a miracle, and far too complex and extraordinary to be taken for granted the way we do.”
Eye contact and empathetic listening help build strong, communicative relationships.
Eye contact and empathetic listening help build strong, communicative relationships. Making eye contact will automatically result in better listening. [This is actually very influenced by culture and looking people in the eye can, in some cultures, be considered aggressive. Certainly with animals such as gorillas, eye contact is seen as aggressive and deflecting gaze can defuse a dangerous situation. So I don’t take this (American) view of eye contact as being universal]. In his book Bodily Communication, social psychologist Michael Argyle says we make eye contact 70 percent of the time while we are listening, compared to only 40 percent of the time when speaking.
There are four traits to empathetic listening:
1. putting the feelings and thoughts of others before our own;
2. letting your guard down and being open with your emotions and opinions;
3. imagining ourselves in the experiences and perspectives of others; and, finally,
4. avoiding judgment or criticism while being receptive.....Parents often make the mistake of practicing critical listening rather than being empathetic. When a child shares her worries and difficulties, it’s common for a parent to respond either with criticism or with a plan for how to fix the problem. If the parent tunes into the child’s emotions and validates her feelings, their bond will improve.
Get your message across by using storytelling and clear, unambiguous language.
Get your message across by using storytelling and clear, unambiguous language. One of the best methods to ensure you are being heard is to employ classic storytelling tropes, such that your words resonate with your audience. Researchers from the University of Vermont and the University of Adelaide looked at 1,737 pieces of fiction and found “rags to riches” stories such as Cinderella are the most popular. So consider following a template like this, if you can.
Another storytelling tool you can use is to speak from a place of intention. When the social justice activist Bryan Stevenson gave a TED Talk in 2012, he was eager and determined to shed some much-needed light on the inequality of the US justice system. The audience could feel how personally invested he was in this topic and was riveted by his presentation, giving him a long standing ovation at the end. The best political speakers, like former US presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, win applause by sticking to simple, clear language.
“If you want to seize and hold people’s attention, become a good storyteller.”
To avoid muddled/annoying speech habits: good posture; be aware of your volume.
The first piece of advice for anyone hoping to be a great public speaker is to have good posture. Here’s how you can find out if you have a text neck: stand up straight and put your back up against a wall. If your neck is naturally jutting forward, then the muscles in your neck could use some exercise. While your back is against the wall, you can help straighten out this posture by imagining a string pulling your head straight up while your chin is tucked in. Practice this exercise for one minute every day.
Always be aware of the volume of your voice and how to use it. If you’re too loud, you can irritate your audience and your message could quickly be lost.
Final summary
To become an effective speaker, you must first learn to be a good listener, since the two skills are closely related. Practicing empathetic listening will enable you to become consciously aware of what you’re saying, and will lead you toward the most effective way of articulating it to others.
Actionable advice: [I’m not sure how this really relates to either being a good speaker or a good listener...it’s really just about effective use of time]. Turn off all the alerts for your incoming e-mails and messages. Before you start your day and begin working, turn off the alert notifications for incoming e-mails and messages on both your computer and your phone. Every time you receive an alert, your concentration is disrupted, which greatly affects your productivity. Instead, make it a habit to check your e-mails and messages just three times a day: after waking up, during lunch and at the end of day.
An interesting book but not sure that there is much there that I didn’t already know...even if I’m not putting it into practice. Two stars from me.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 but rounding up because there is something in this book for everyone. This book is for anybody who wants to learn listening to understand, not listening to reply.

Favorite quotes:
“Democracy depends on civilized disagreement, which requires listening to people with whom we disagree, and understanding and respecting their perspective. “
“What use is free speech if nobody is listening?” Politicians should meet for listens instead of talks - this made me laugh.

Key takeaways:
Scary thought: noise pollution is the #2 threat to global health after air pollution.

Speaking to everybody with loving kindness (thinking bless you).

Say say say. Say what you are doing to say. Say it. Then say what you just said.

Abraham Lincoln said, give me six hours to cut down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe. Preparation is key.

Practice presentations so that you know the material and also your gestures and slides.

This book had a great chapter full of suggestions for people who give presentations.

Strike a power pose before a meeting or important conversation for a natural shot of confidence / testosterone.

This book is full of exercises to improve presentation posture and breathing.

[Justin Tapp · Rating 1 out of 5]

How to Be Heard: Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening by Julian Treasure
Terrible. The author undermines his own premise with information that is not primary to his point; like a TED talk with too much filler. An unnecessarily long beginning revealing the *secret* that our society is becoming increasingly noisy and this is harmful and killing us. Who alive doesn't already know this? I live in Europe where appliances (washing machines, microwaves, etc. )annoyingly beep incessantly to make sure owners turn them off to save electricity and two-stroke delivery motorcycles audibly cruise neighborhoods nightly delivering food and coffee at all hours. It's great that engineers and architects are taking noise into consideration when designing their buildings, but long and useless information is not how to keep your audience listening. There are the same basic reminders you'll find in literally every book about interpersonal communication-- eye-contact, active listening, empathy, etc. If you want the TED talk from the "renowned five-time TED talk presenter," then watch the TED talk.

1 star.

[Kylene_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive talk about listening and speaking techniques. Sometimes I felt like he spoke about some topics several times in different ways, which was a bit annoying since my memory is not enormous, so I couldn’t remember all his mnemonics and tips about a same topic. Also, the last chapter about stagecraft was a bit useless for me. Although I do plan to give a TED Talk once in my career of course ;) so the knowledge about professional speaking didn’t harm. 4 stars for the size of the information, for the excellent English, and for some funny jokes. I had to fight myself a little bit through the book, because I didn’t get immersed, as happens when reading some fantastic books (especially fiction). I think that’s mostly because How to be Heard is non-fiction. Maybe if the book didn’t take so long, that would’ve been better. So generally, I’d recommend this. 👍🏼

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off with technical information about sound (how sound can affect sleep and how fast music can increase your heart rate and how quickly you eat). The book delves into a lot of topics around listening, speaking, and presenting.

[Alex Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has pretty much all the faults of ‘soft business’ books, including plugging the writer’s company, a peculiar reverence for TED, a neuroscience bit, padding, more padding, sloppy editing... etc.

[Thomas Showell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book embarks on a commendable journey to unravel the intricacies of effective verbal communication. This guide is a noteworthy addition to the self-help genre, offering many insights for individuals yearning to refine their conversational prowess.

One of the book's strengths lies in its systematic approach to tackling various facets of verbal communication. It meticulously dissects the components contributing to practical expression, from tone modulation to body language. This analytical approach, however, occasionally falters in providing concrete, real-world examples to illustrate key concepts, which left me wanting more tangible instances.

While the book admirably delves into the nuances of communication strategies, there is room for improvement in the depth of exploration. Some sections, though informative, could benefit from a more profound analysis or a broader range of scenarios to cater to a diverse readership. In this regard, a few additional case studies or anecdotes would have elevated the book's impact, making it resonate more profoundly with readers.

Despite these minor critiques, this book is a valuable resource for individuals committed to refining their conversational skills. The author's positive and encouraging tone permeates the narrative, fostering an engaging and motivational reading experience. The actionable advice provided throughout the book serves as a practical roadmap for readers striving to break down the barriers hindering effective communication.

In conclusion, this book may not be flawless in its execution, but its merits overshadow its shortcomings. It is an excellent choice for those seeking tangible methods to amplify their verbal communication abilities. Aspiring communicators will find solace in the book's encouraging guidance, making it a commendable addition to the self-help literature landscape.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to be heard by Julian Treasure.

Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening?
In this book you can find some tips!

The book is repetitive, but very helpful for public speakers and others who need to use their voices and their ears.
Treasure gets into the physiology of speaking to train readers to speak clearly and with power and control.
He emphasizes etiquette and techniques for public speaking, such as not turning your back on the audience and using lecture notes like cue cards. He offers many practical tips on presentation software (and I realize that I need to use more images and fewer bullet points, or at least successively reveal them as I speak). He even gets into best practices for conference speakers, like showing up as early as possible to test the room's technology and to get to know the IT person, who needs to know what you will do in your speech. But the most unique and life-changing part of the book was Treasure's points about sound and listening. I am a librarian setting up a new university library; and Treasure made me plan spaces very carefully to ensure that sound is controlled so that my patrons can be productive.
I value my hearing more now, and I am more concerned now about how sound impacts cognitive performance.

[AttackGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the average self help book. Several times I was … oh really how interesting, is that backed by studies, experiments and woooo yes it was and she presented it. I like it and no sooner did I finish the book and found myself at Best Buy talking to a very tall young man with a specific tone in his voice and I considered all she presented and looked up the book and offered the link to the young man to help himself and his presentation to the world.

So this gets a 4 star which for me, all self help get 3s or lower but of course with ACCOMPANYING REFERENCE MATERIAL. Whoooo hooo I am sold on those 4 stars and to be able to apply it to help people well.

I usually Archive the books after I read them then write here to keep track of my readings but this book I think I wont archive and maybe read it again in a week or two, we will see how it goes.

Read Read and Read some more.

[Carolina CC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro no era lo que esperaba y para bien, pues aprendí que para ser escuchado, primero tienes que saber escuchar, y de acuerdo a los consejos aquí manejados, ¡soy muy mala haciéndolo!

Julian Treasure dirige una agencia de sonido, además de ser escritor y orador que ha aparecido en las carlas TED. Dado que desde su paradigma todo inicia con la habilidad de escuchar, es hasta después de expicar filtros y pecados de la escucha, que después aborda los pasos para hacer un gran contenido y finaliza con el mometo en que se hacen presentaciones frente a público.

Para no olvidar nada, hice mapas mentales y anoté algunos ejercicios que quiero implementar como parte de mi rutina. Definitivamente recomiendo leerlo.

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this just after I read Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet, which I thought was wonderful. In contrast this book feels like a self-help warmup book that glancingly plops over several of the same topics with all the sincerity of a ted talk, which the book apparently began as. My takeaway is that you shouldn't judge an author by his last book--if I'd read this first I probably wouldn't have read the book I loved.

[Prashant Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Expected More...

How to be heard is a good book, however I expected more from this book. I follow Julian Treasure and seen his Ted Talks multiple times. I could not find additional information or tips which were not present in the TED talk. There were a lot of interview script of other TED speakers which i found very boring. There were multiple repetitions and the entire content was not stitched together coherently.
I would recommend people to watch his TED talks rather than spending time on this book

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many, I imagine, I read this on the back of Julian's popular Ted Talks. I had high expectations of the book and wasn't disappointed.

I listened to the audiobook version and so had the pleasure of listening to Julian talk through the material. As a trainer in interpersonal communication I found it eye opening, entertaining and most importantly practical.

The audiobook also has Julian's interviews with some of the most popular Ted talkers.

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in speaking publicly or desire to communicate more effectively and with greater empathy.

[Fransu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Julian Treasure through his amazing TED talk on how to listen better and speak so that people want to listen. I highly recommend this book especially for individuals that will like to greatly improve their listening and stage speaking. I felt that Julian did a great job on revealing all the crucial points that will make you a effective speaker and also nuances that will change how you listen. I also want to thank Julian for sharing all his past experiences so that we can become magnificent.

[Rodney Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How to Be Heard: Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening" is like a University Education in sound and communication. It taps into a broad knowledge of the topic, while simultaneously offering practical skills to improve Speaking and Listening. This book is well worth the investment of time and money for speakers, musicians, leaders, and anyone who just wants to improve their communication and listening skills. Add to this the available interviews, exercises, blogs, etc. and this is easily the best value in communications education I have found.

[Sharily Ortela · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book had great and practical tips and techniques that you can use when speaking and listening.

However, at the end of the book it became almost like an event planning book and went, in my opinion, to much into planning an event and stage-management. This really took away from the strong beginning the book had. At one point it became very dragging and was really happy I finished the book still.