Steal The Show: From Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, How to Guarantee a Standing Ovation for All the Performances in Your Life

by Michael Port

Overview

A Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller. A powerful way to master every performance in your career and life from a top business coach and former professional actor.

Every interaction is a performance, and much of our success—professional and personal—hinges on being able to inspire an audience. And while some people seem to be naturals in the spotlight, this ability very rarely derives from talent alone.

Confident communication is a skill, and anyone can learn how to do it.

In Steal the Show, New York Times best-selling author, top-rated corporate speaker, and former professional actor Michael Port teaches you how to make the most of your own moments in the spotlight. He makes it easy to give your presentations a clear focus, engage your listeners, manage your nerves, play the right role in every situation to give your message maximum impact, and much more.

Drawing on his MFA training at the prestigious Graduate Acting Program at New York University, Port has engineered a system that the non-actor can use to ensure his or her voice is heard when it matters most.

“An indispensable guide for introverts and extroverts alike.”— Inc. Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544800847
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	233,482
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

MICHAEL PORT, the New York Times best-selling author of five books, including Book Yourself Solid, has been featured on all the major TV networks and is one of the highest-rated speakers working today. He runs a company of experts advising businesses on marketing, business development, and public speaking. Learn more at www.MichaelPort.com.

Table of Contents

Author's Note: All the World's a Stage xi

Prologue: Make the Most of the Spotlight Moments in Your Life xvi

Part 1 The Performer's Mindset

1 Find Your Voice 3

2 Play the Right Role in Every Situation 13

3 Crush Your Fears and Silence the Critics 25

Part 2 Powerful Performance Principles

4 Have a Clear Objective 41

5 Act "As if …" 49

6 Raise the Stakes 56

7 Say "Yes, and …" 62

8 Be in the Moment 70

9 Choose Early and Often 77

Part 3 A Master Class in Public Speaking

10 How to Craft Captivating Pitches, Speeches, and Stories 85

11 How to Create and Tell Stories That Make 'Em Laugh or Cry 106

12 How to Rehearse and Stage World-Class Performances 118

13 How to Produce Powerful Openings, Commanding Closings, and Amazing Audience Interaction 154

14 How to Improvise Your Way into the Hearts and Minds of the Toughest Crowds 169

15 How to Get a Standing Ovation Every Time-Really 183

Epilogue: All's Well That Ends Well 208

The Cheat Sheet: The 50 Public Speaking Tips You Can't Afford to Ignore if You Want to Wow Your Audience and Win Praise and Plaudits Every Time 213

Acknowledgments 224

Notes 226

Index 230

Editorial Reviews

A Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller! "An indispensable guide for introverts and extroverts alike who want to shine when performing in public." - Inc. Magazine  Steal the Show surprised me. It might be the most unique and practical book written on the topic of public speaking and performance in everyday life. And it's about so much more than just public speaking. You'll learn how to express yourself authentically, be more creative and increase your confidence in all aspects of life." —Howard Behar, former president, Starbucks Coffee "Speaking in public is not just an art, it's a craft that can be learned and improved upon in order to change the treasures that can be mined.  On that account, Port's latest book, steals the show." - Peter Guber, CEO, Mandalay Entertainment & #1 NYT bestselling author, TELL TO WIN “If anyone knows how to steal the show, it’s Michael Port. In this tour de force, he shares his secret method on how anyone, even the most inexperienced, can wow an audience. Jeff Goins, Best-selling author of The Art of Work “It takes decades of coaching and practice to become a truly fascinating speaker. But it turns out, there’s a shortcut: you can apply Michael Port's principles to immediately stand out and steal the show." —Sally Hogshead, Hall of Fame Speaker and NY Times Bestselling author of How the World Sees You  “An engaging book on how to dazzle audiences. Michael Port shares effective techniques for rehearsing and performing.” —Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take —

From the Publisher