Talking Your Way to the Top

Book excerpt: What''s the difference between ambiguous and ambivalent? When is it right to say he and I, and when is him and me correct? What''s the most important part of a voice mail message? What''s the one mistake that''s guaranteed to make an audience fall asleep during your presentation?Whether you''re the CEO of a conglomerate or an entry-level candidate preparing for an interview, how you speak has an effect on how you''re perceived. Grammar gaffes, incorrect word choices, inappropriate language, and inarticulate expression can peg you as both uneducated and unsophisticated. If you''re uncertain about how effectively you speak, business-communications expert Gretchen S. Hirsch has all the answers in this one comprehensive, amusing, and very useful book. Full of on-target tips and easy-to-navigate lists of frequently misused words, Talking Your Way to the Top is a quick, entertaining reference for any businessperson interested in becoming a more interesting and powerful speaker. It teaches you to recognize and avoid noxious nouns, vexing verbs, jarring jargon, wretched redundancies, and execrable euphemisms.Even better, Hirsch leads you every step of the way on the road to success. She gives you the words you need for job interviews; making contributions at company meetings; asking for more responsibility, promotions, and raises; giving speeches and making presentations; and chatting with your coworkers and potential clients at trade shows, cocktail parties, and company dinners.Whether you''re a recent college graduate, a middle manager, or a seasoned professional, you''ll find Talking Your Way to the Top to be warm, inviting, and sometimes downright amusing as it guides you through the perils and pleasures of the spoken word on your way up the corporate ladder.