Think Faster, Talk Smarter

Some people are natural-born charmers. When a toast is called for, they’re equipped with engaging anecdotes, a sharp wit, and an eloquent turn of phrase. But for everyone else, unexpected calls to speak can trigger a flight-or-freeze response. Maybe your attempts at composure and eloquence fall short when the moment to speak arrives. Or perhaps, mid-thought, you lose the plot — and the map, compass, and GPS.

Thankfully, award-winning communications educator Matt Abrahams has the cure for your communicative cold sweats and keynote catastrophes. Abrahams, a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, hosts the popular Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. He’s turned countless sweaty-palmed stammerers —including Fortune 100 executives, TED presenters, and Nobel Prize winners — into clear, compelling, confident speakers.