Widely endorsed by senior industry and NGO clients with whom they have worked, this book delivers its title with a great deal of practical advice and valuable illustration. We are all capable of becoming better communicators, and this book shows you how. The six sections deal with communicating ideas, communicating with authority, answering questions, creating connection, changing minds and leadership communications. A particular focus is people who want to change the world, which is addressed specifically in the last section, partly with a triangle featuring dissatisfaction, urgency and hope in order to create motivation to change. They think that messages should be concise, concrete, connected and catchy, and show how best to structure presentations and use body language to good effect. Sometimes, as they show in a chapter on micro-messages, body language contradicts the message but it contains the essence of the communication. In terms of persuasion, it is important to understand the nature of frames as mental structures and how best to modify these. Essential reading for those who want to communicate, influence and inspire. ~ David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer

Society for Technical Communications Journal, Feb. 2017, Book reviews, page 77 The Master Communicator’s Handbook was written by a “Master Communicator” and is for those who wish to become one. It is one of the few books out there that is concerned not only with getting your message across to your readers and listeners but also with having them act on it. As the authors state, “Communication is not about output [by the writer], it’s about impact [on the reader]” (p. 21). This book is not Communications 101. It isn’t concerned with K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly), readability formulas, or Joe Williams’ elegance. It is not about grammar. Plenty of books exist today for that. The Master Communicator’s Handbook is about how to write to your readers and listeners so that they don’t hit the Delete button before they get to the second paragraph or turn to their phones while you are speaking. It’s written so that you become a “powerful advocate for your cause and your organization . . . a catalyst for transformation” (p. 3). As the authors state in their introduction, their “approach to communications is based on clarity, leadership and impact” (p. 2). The Master Communicator’s Handbook is specifically written for those in organizations “dedicated to making the world a better place,” such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Society of Conservation Biology, the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank, all clients of the two authors. The authors sprinkle in actual stories of their clients’ communication challenges and their solutions. I began examining this book thinking I would simply skim it, yet by Chapter 2, I was reading slowly and underlining and annotating new ideas, underlying concepts, and tips. It is a book that recognizes and stresses the need to write reader–based documents. That need has taken the authors, just as it has this reviewer, to study neuroscience to understand how we read, why we act, and what makes us act the way we do, and then apply these theories to our communications. Several chapters are specifically concerned with oral communication, speaking to both large and small groups. These include aspects that are seldom discussed, including answering questions and using symbols and icons. Most chapters, however, contain recommendations that are applicable to both oral and written communication. These, too, contain topics that are almost never covered in books on effective communication, including framing an argument, what the psychologists term cognitive cultural dissonance, transformational storytelling, and reframing (changing people’s positions on a topic}. Anyone working in a nonprofit or environmental organization can find much needed assistance for “changing the world” in The Master Communicator’s Handbook. I certainly did. Carolyn Boiarsky Carolyn Boiarsky, PhD, is an STC Associate Fellow and a 1998 winner of the Frank R. Smith Award. She teaches in the English Department at Purdue University Northwest-Calumet Campus. Carolyn is the author of three books related to technical communication, the most recent being “Risk Communication and Miscommunication” (2016). ~ Carolyn Boiarsky, Society for Technical Communications Journal, Feb. 2017

You have a presentation to do? A speech to give in front of an audience? An article or a text to write and you want it to have an impact? Then, this book is great for you. Great to read if you want to boost your confidence and convey better your ideas. ~ Lucie Fuentes, New Books On My Shelves

Absolute must read book for anyone serious about communicating their ideas to others. Extremely well written with numerous real life scenarios. The authors define simple strategies that can be used to communicate in numerous settings, virtually anywhere that you need to push an idea or thought across to an audience. They cover everything from being clear on your own vision to how to grab the attention of others so that they are receptive to really listening and understanding the points you are communicating. For those of use in teaching positions or administrators of online groups this book is a must have reference material. I can see so many possibilities for the use of these techniques for my own business and personal life as well. This book is already a favorite of mine. If you haven't read it, stop what you are doing and order it immediately! It will change the way you present yourself and your ideas to others in a very positive way. ~ Gina Francesca, The Fairy Intuitive, Via NetGalley http://thefairyintuitive.blogspot.com/2016/08/absolute-must-read-book-for-anyone.html

Every person needs this book on their shelf. If your anything like me then you know what it is like to have a conversation slip out of your control and by the end of the meeting everyone is saying how good it went and standing up to leave. By the time your back to your desk you realize that some how your pont was never made and your wonder you went wrong. The problem isn't you it's how we're taught to communicate.. With this book by your side Not only will you learn how to make your point but when and where to make it. ~ Mary Ebert, NetGalley

I worked with Tim and Teresa early on in my career with notable results and I’ve made many a return visit. They scrubbed me of acronyms and schooled me to making everything more relevant and real to my audience. We’ve now engaged them in training our leaders in a Master Communicators program and I’ve seen a watershed difference in bringing our work to life. ~ President Carter Roberts, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund

I've seen Teresa and Tim's techniques at work with my leadership team, with transformational results. They've helped us cut through the jargon and communicate with clarity, purpose and vision. ~ Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President emeritus, Africa Development Bank

I've watched Teresa and Tim at work for the past 20 years, teaching over 3000 utility professionals from 152 countries how to answer questions effectively and communicate with clarity and authority. I have seem them transform people who were nervous (to say the least) in front of the press into confident professionals. They are the best I have seen and their approach is easy to grasp and effective. ~ Mark A. Jamison, Ph.D., Director, Public Utility Research Center, University of Florida

Teresa and Tim are genuine masters. They have helped me enormously over the years and I am certain that there is no professional speaker working today who would not benefit from reading their book. ~ Wade Davis, BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk, University of British Columbia