How to Speak So That People Want to Listen

by Julian Treasure

The human voice is a powerful instrument. When it comes to speaking effectively, just as in music, targeted training and regular practice are key. In the modern technological era, a greater number of obstacles exist to overcome for listening and speaking successfully. From conversing with friends to addressing large audiences, a robust communication toolkit equipped to handle these challenges will benefit anyone hoping to convey an important message. A strong and prepared communicator is better received and more accurately understood.

So what can you do to beef up your communication skills? How can you kick hardened habits, and make lasting changes to your mindset, body, and environment in order to speak and listen more effectively? And is it possible to transform yourself from a nervous babbler to a confident and powerful public speaker?

The nine invaluable episodes of How to Speak So That People Want to Listen can train you to become a strong and effective communicator for the modern era through a multilayered approach. With TED Talks speaker Julian Treasure as your expert guide, explore how the failure to communicate effectively can negatively impact everything from your physical health to your well-being. Discover how listening and speaking are intimately connected and how a good listener makes for a powerful and cool-headed speaker. Move to the mechanics of speaking and listening from the ear down to the diaphragm. Spend time practicing how to breathe and stretch before important speaking engagements. Understand the difference between content and delivery when it comes to conveying a message, and see how you can improve your skills in each of these two areas. Conclude by examining how you can address large audiences with authority and conviction by changing how you practice, prepare, and deliver your content.

7 pages, Audible Audio

Published February 25, 2022

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Surprisingly, he made me want to not listen.

I was skeptical about this series of lectures from the Great Courses. The cover has a close-up of a man looking oracularly into the distance more suitable for a hagiography than a set of lectures. The title also suggested that this was someone who was not going to cut excess fat. How to Speak So that People Want to Listen should have been cut down to How to Speak So that People Listen.

Those initial two problems were indicative of all the issues this had. The course had lots of filler. He starts out by spending a course on explaining why one should want to speak so that people want to listen. But I already picked up the course from the library, no need to bang on about why I should pick up the course from the library, and certainly not to spend a whole half an hour on the subject. Section two is about why you need to think about listening in a course about speaking. That is a worthy topic, but Treasure does not do it justice, blabbing on about unrelated topics.

This had the feeling of something that was a very successful TED Talk that, because of the success, got an offer to do a Great Course. But it never really matured beyond that initial TED Talk, instead it just expanded. If the TED Talk worked because the author had to cut lots of excess fat and present the most important ideas in a 20 minute sessions, this allowed him to throw all that garbage back in, and thus suffered for having the expanded time.

[Spiritualhumorguy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating work that drew me in more and more as it went along. I picked it up thinking that it'd discuss things like how to project your voice, the rhythm of your speech, connecting visually with the audience, presenting yourself... and it does have that, but to get there, you first journey through many, many things that I had never considered ("To be an effective speaker, you must first know how to be a good listener") that feel true, profound, and which evolve into a life philosophy that is so much more than just being professional onstage.

I appreciated immensely the depth of experience that the author showed, leaving no stone unturned in the journey of awareness of sound and locale, designing for sound, learning about the nuances of listening, and speaking not just with a professional's confidence but also in a way that reflects your own personal values.

I had very few expectations going in, but found this to be one of those rare works that mark a "before" and "after" in my life.

[Alberto · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rare DNF for me. By the end of chapter 2 (of 9) I realized I did not like this audiobook at all. Had the book been on literally any other topic on earth I would probably have muddled through looking for the occasional fact or insight. However, given that this book is on "how to speak so that people want to listen" and I really REALLY did not want to listen any more, I didn't really see the point of continuing.

[Helfren · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Speak So That People Want to Listen is like having a TED Talk buddy show you the ropes of real, memorable communication! Julian Treasure blends practical tips with fascinating insights, reminding us listening is just as key as talking. It starts slow but gets punchier, covering mechanics, mindset, and even breathing tricks for confident delivery. If you want conversation starters and public speaking hacks you can share with friends, this book is a chatty, surprisingly thoughtful guide.

[Rodney Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has ample advise for speakers at all levels. It is a good primer or reminder of what it takes to communicate clearly and interestingly. Furthermore, Treasure provides valuable insights into how sound affects us all.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took a while to get interesting but the last 3 chapters pulled it together well.