It's the Way You Say It by Carol A. Fleming, PhD

Do you want to be articulate, well-spoken, and clear when you speak?

This book is a great resource on how to speak effectively. She starts off by tackling the rate of speech. She suggests you record yourself. Listen. Can you understand yourself?

Next is the volume of your speech. Then she has exercises for effective public speaking.

She covers intonation and pitch. She has tips and examples to help us become well-spoken: articulate, fluent, and courteous. She adds tips on the art of conversation, including articulation, omitted sounds, and getting your body language to tell the same message as your words. She even includes suggestions for an effective interview and how to do small talk. She ends with a section on business talk, including how to speak in front of a group of people.

This is a great resource for anyone wanting to verbally communicate more effectively. The exercises are very good.

I am listening to an audio book read by the author, a previous Vice-President. He is a “fader.” As he reads, the last words in the sentence fade to nothing. I wish he would have consulted a speech coach (like Dr. Flemming) or at least read this book. It certainly would have helped his reading aloud, which is often very different from normal speaking.

I read this book through my local public library. What could be better than that?

Find out more at http://itsthewayyousayit.com/

Carol A. Fleming, PhD, is a speech pathologist and personal communication coach with thirty years of experience working with thousands of clients from all walks of life. She is the author of two previous audio programs.

Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 240 pages.