Topher Morrison - The Book on Public Speaking

THE BOOK ON PUBLIC SPEAKING

Praises for

THE BOOK ON PUBLIC SPEAKING

Topher Morrison is one of the most powerful professional speakers in America, and this book reveals how hes earned millions onstage, on camera and in business. I strongly recommend that you read it.

Steve Siebold , CSP, past Chairman of The National Speakers Associations Million Dollar Speakers Group.

Effective presenting is one of the most important skills in business and, for that matter, life. In his book, Topher provides practical and effective strategies for becoming more comfortable with, and effective at, public speaking and business presentations. Whether you have one presentation to give, or have regular talks to deliver, read this book first.

Eric Edmeades , Founder, WildFit

I wake up every day thankful that Topher lives 4000 miles away! Topher Morrison is crazy good at training you how to communicate on-camera so that your business gets more attention. If he lived any closer, Id have serious competition for my corporate clientele! But seriously, do whats in this book; your audience will thank you!

James Lavers , Professional Speaker, Founder, Selling from the Screen

I learned some amazing presentation techniques. Im using them right now. Theyre awesome. You cant tell cause youre reading this.

John Heffron, Winner of the Last Comic Standing

PUBLIC

SPEAKING

NEW YORK

NASHVILLEMELBOURNEVANCOUVER

THE BOOK ON PUBLIC SPEAKING

2017 TOPHER MORRISON

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James and The Entrepreneurial Publisher are trademarks of Morgan James, LLC.
www.MorganJamesPublishing.com

The Morgan James Speakers Group can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event visit The Morgan James Speakers Group at
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ISBN 978-1-68350-321-7 paperback
ISBN 978-1-68350-351-4 eBook
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900736

Cover Design by:
Chris Treccani
www.3dogdesign.net

Interior Design by:
Bonnie Bushman
The Whole Caboodle Graphic Design

In an effort to support local communities, raise awareness and funds, Morgan James Publishing donates a percentage of all book sales for the life of each book to Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

Get involved today! Visit
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This book is dedicated to the most powerful speaker Ive ever known. She showed me that the most important trait a speaker can have is the ability to listen and love. The love she has, and her ability to listen to family, friends, and neighbors is unmatched. Thank you Mom, for inspiring me to be a better man. I love you.

To Jodi, for being my work wife, my alter ego, and the constant needle in my side to write this book.

To Sarah, my work mom. Shes the youngest person in our company, and the most mature. She keeps Jodi and I on track more than we like to admit.

To Daniel, Glen, and Callum, you three make me the dumbest person in the room, and I love it!

To all of the people who have heckled me from the audience. Thanks for teaching me some powerful skills, but lets not make it a habit, okay?

To Zig for writing See You At the Top, its what pointed me in my lifes direction.

To Ken for loaning me the book. Sorry, I lost it. Ill buy you a new one if you really need it.

To my brother Duane, if for no other reason than I dont want him saying, Hey! What about me!?

To my Mom and Dad for always encouraging me to pursue my crazy dreams.

by Joel Comm

When asked what they are afraid of, people who responded to The Chapman University Survey of American Fears in 2015 provided dozens of answers. More than 30% of the respondents said they were either afraid of, or very afraid of, government corruption, terrorist attacks, credit card fraud, war, and reptiles. (Those darned alligators.) While some of the greatest fears were those that would lead to a persons ultimate demise, only 22% of respondents indicated they were afraid of dying. But there on the list, amongst those who are afraid of drones, loneliness, robots, volcanoes and floods, is the fear of public speaking. (Insert screeching violin sounds here!) You mean you want me to stand up in front of a room of people and give a speech? Id rather die!

That might not be too far from the truth, as it turns out nearly 29% of respondents to this survey indicated they were afraid of public speaking. Thats MORE people than are scared of perishing! I imagine that the very worst scenario for someone like this would be to actually die on stage from an alligator attack while speaking. The triple-whammy!

All kidding aside, I have a confession to make: I was a Speech Communications major at the University of Illinois in the 1980s. It wasnt because I wanted to become a better speaker. It was because I found myself in the liberal arts college and needed to choose something . History and Political Science werent going to happen, so I chose the path of least resistance. Imagine my surprise when, in my junior year, I was told it was required to prepare and deliver speeches before my class.

Terrified.

That was the only word I could use to describe how I felt as the day approached. The only word I could use to convey how I felt the sleepless night before my talk. Its the only way I could possibly frame my twisted, wrenching insides as I held note cards in my hand and stumbled through my speech. Today, I speak to audiences of hundreds and thousands; and I love it. I dont get nervous any more. There are many reasons for this, experience not being the least among them. But theres one thing that Ive realized in my career, and I remind myself each time I am preparing to take the stage, whether I am speaking to five or five thousand.

Its not about me.

The people in the audience are patiently waiting to hear what I have to say because the promoter of the event has confidence that I will be delivering value. They arent there to watch me wrestle with my own anxieties. They are there to learn from me, to be inspired by me and/or to be entertained by me. My job is to put the focus on giving them my best. Its not about me.

And guess what? Its not about you, either!

Its about the value you bring to your audience through your passion, knowledge, talents, skills, ability, and unique personality. Its about how you have the opportunity to make a difference in someones life. What a high privilege! And its not one to be taken lightly. Its amazing how your fears can dissipate when you take your eyes off yourself and put them on those who came to glean from you.

Whether you are taking the stage or speaking to an audience through a camera, regardless of your fears, this book is designed to help you make the most of your speaking opportunity.

Topher Morrison knows a lot about public speaking, both from the actual speaking techniques and from the business angle. And The Book on Public Speaking is the most comprehensive guide Ive discovered to be your ultimate reference guide on the business of public speaking.