The average attention span today has dropped to 8 seconds (which means you may want to send out detailed bullet points reviewing what was discussed at your last staff meeting). With more distractions today than ever before for the average person, it has become as difficult as it’s ever been to get a message across. To get heard in this ADD-filled, phone-addicted culture, one must focus their message, be slightly different, and deliver with finesse. In You’ve Got 8 Seconds, high-stakes communications expert Paul Hellman uses fast, fun, actionable tips to explain what works and what doesn’t, what’s forgettable and what sticks, when it comes to getting your message to land. With stories, scripts, and examples of both good and bad messages, the book reveals three main strategies for getting your point across:• FOCUS: Design a strong message–then communicate it in seconds• VARIETY: Make routine information come alive• PRESENCE: Convey confidence and command attention. Hellman also shares many practical techniques that have been proven successful, including his very own Focus Method™ that he uses with leadership teams; 10 actions that spell executive presence; and his own unique plan for how to stand out in the first seconds of a presentation. Get their attention. Get understood. Get results!
Paul Hellman consults and speaks internationally on how to excel in high-stakes communications. His columns and advice have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNBC.com, The Boston Globe’s online Job Doc column, and on public radio’s Marketplace and CNN’s Business Unusual.
