The Pin Drop Principle: Captivate, Influence, and Communicate Better Using the Time–Tested Methods of Professional Performers

Praise for The Pin Drop Principle "By bringing communication back to first principles, Lewis and Mills get beyond the tricks and traps and help you understand what really engages an audience."—Dylan Taylor, CEO, USA, Colliers International "Lewis and Mills have beautifully captured their high–energy live performances and workshops in this extraordinary book. Read, enjoy, and allow The Pin Drop Principle to guide you to success!"—Keith J. Evans, CEO, British Retail Consortium "The Pin Drop Principle is a must–read for anyone who wants to dramatically enhance their ability to communicate."—Aarti Gupta, vice president, global head, learning and culture, Capgemini "In a noisy world, communication with clear intent is critical to drive change. The Pin Drop Principle is a game changer."—Tom SchenCker, director, sales training, Walgreens "The Pin Drop Principle clearly, concisely, and convincingly shows you how to become a great communicator. A fast, fascinating, fun, and useful read."—Rob Nelson, entrepreneur and inventor, Big League Chew

Introduction 1 1 Understand the Secrets of Persuasion 13 Communicating with Intention and Objective 2 Tell a Good Story 29 Using Personal Experiences to Inspire and Persuade 3 Craft a Compelling Narrative 47 Building the Framework to Support Your Message 4 Be Prepared 71 Managing Nerves and Controlling Anxiety 5 Project Confidence 91 Expressing Your Intention Nonverbally 6 Say It Like You Mean It 119 Using Your Voice to Influence 7 Listen to Understand 139 Maximizing Comprehension and Retention 8 Think on Your Feet 157 Mastering Impromptu Speaking in Any Situation 9 Stay Focused and On Track 173 Handling Questions and Controlling Your Audience 10 Assert Yourself 195 Gaining Commitment, Providing Feedback, and Delivering Difficult News Conclusion 219 Notes 221 Glossary of Terms 231 Acknowledgments 239 About the Authors 241 Index 243

David Lewis and G. Riley Mills are cofounders of Pinnacle Performance Company, a global training firm that teaches the Pinnacle Method to thousands of professionals each year. Lewis is a former Fortune 500 executive, filmproducer, and screen actor. Mills is a regular speaker and award–winning writer with twenty years of professional acting experience. For more information, please visit www.pinper.com.

“By bringing communication back to first principles, Lewis and Mills get beyond the tricks and traps and help you understand what really engages an audience.” —Dylan Taylor, CEO, USA, Colliers International “Lewis and Mills have beautifully captured their high–energy live performances and workshops in this extraordinary book. Read, enjoy, and allow The Pin Drop Principle to guide you to success!” —Keith J. Evans, CEO, British Retail Consortium “ The Pin Drop Principle is a must–read for anyone who wants to dramatically enhance their ability to communicate.” —Aarti Gupta, vice president, global head, learning and culture, Capgemini “In a noisy world, communication with clear intent is critical to drive change. The Pin Drop Principle is a game changer.” —Tom Schencker, director, sales training, Walgreens “ The Pin Drop Principle clearly, concisely, and convincingly shows you how to become a great communicator. A fast, fascinating, fun, and useful read.” —Rob Nelson, entrepreneur and inventor, Big League Chew “A great book. At the end of each chapter, I found myself cheering for the concepts and wishing I had been introduced to these ideas years ago!” —Dan Hebel, former senior vice president, claims, Allstate Insurance Company “Practical, straightforward, sane advice. Anyone who speaks will benefit from applying the concepts in The Pin Drop Principle to their communication.” —Eloise Haverland, director, training and development, Fort Dearborn Company “The techniques presented in The Pin Drop Principle have proven to be the most effective communication tools that I have acquired as a senior executive. I can only imagine how much more valuable they could be if I had been exposed to them twenty years ago.” —Gregory J. Rizzo, former president and CEO, Spectra Energy Partners “The Pin Drop Principle is essential for anyone wanting to improve presentation delivery.” —Roshan Joseph, global head, learning and development, Virtusa Corporation “This insightful book provides everything you need to know to move from being an average speaker to becoming a great speaker.” —Brendan Noonan, senior vice president, learning and development, Emirates Airline Group