• You've Got 8 Seconds

  • Communication Secrets for a Distracted World
  • By: Paul Hellman
  • Narrated by: Paul Hellman
  • Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (128 ratings)

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You've Got 8 Seconds  By  cover art

You've Got 8 Seconds

By: Paul Hellman
Narrated by: Paul Hellman
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Publisher's summary

Every day at work, people do three things: talk, listen, and pretend to listen. That's not surprising when you consider that the average attention span has dropped to 8 seconds. To break through, says high-stakes communications expert Paul Hellman, you need to focus on your audience, be slightly different, and deliver with finesse.

Through fast, fun, actionable tips, You've Got 8 Seconds explains what works and what doesn't, what's forgettable and what sticks. With stories, scripts, and examples of good and bad messages, the book reveals three main strategies:

  • Focus: Design a strong message - then say it in seconds
  • Variety: Make routine information come alive
  • Presence: Convey confidence and command attention

You'll discover practical techniques, including the fast-focus method™ that the author uses with leadership teams; how to stand out in the first seconds of a presentation; and 10 actions that spell executive presence.

Whether pitching a project, giving a speech, selling a product, or just writing an email, with You've Got 8 Seconds you'll get heard, get remembered, and get results.

©2017 Paul Hellman (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Published by arrangement with AMACOM, a division of American Management Association International, New York

What listeners say about You've Got 8 Seconds

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

I gave him 7200 seconds!

What a great title. It encapsulated his entire premise. I pushed play. He arrested my attention and had his eager audience. It turned out not unlike the precocious child who enthusiastically teases with the line, "Look what I can do!", then hops on one foot while making a grimacing facial expression and you realize you fell for it and wasted a minute of your finite existence. The author makes many obvious statements as if they were profound revelations. Worse, he seems to believe it's amateur night at the improv and painfully tries to be funny via personal stories, like an interaction with a snarky bus driver, that just falls flat and seemed pointless. I listened for 7200 seconds, which, (I hope I'm not embarrassing myself with a basic second grade equation) is two full hours, of hoping the movie plot would suddenly grab me. It didn't. I couldn't listen another 8 seconds. Save yourselves people. Skip this one.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Basic Communication/Presentation Advice

The title sets a high expectation, which leaves the reader constantly disappointed as chapter after chapter covers basic communication/presentation techniques. The premise is that a presentation should cover these 3 things:
1. Why is the content important to the audience?
2. What is the content (agenda)?
3. How can the audience put the information into action?

For example, explaining to a group of salespeople that leadership training is valuable because it will help them develop and lead a team is the "why." The leadership skills is the "what." Giving specific actions for the audience to do is the "how".

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

started strong but had weak finish

purchased based on my following and enjoying Dan Pink's work. performance wise both sound and deliver similarly. This book has some solid insights which is why it got four stars vs less. it could have been a five star book and performance but the last quarter of the book fell off with nothing really insightful to add. that said first half was solid and worth the price.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Advice

Practical, easy to follow guidance on communication. Real life examples that demonstrate the ideas presented.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Solid advice here

This audiobook felt slow at times but overall has some very good advice that can be helpful when presenting and leading meetings.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Audio book perfection!

Not only was the information very useful and immediately applicable, the author/narrator was hilarious. Gained a wealth of knowledge and ended up laughing each chapter.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very helpful and engaging!

You’ve got 8 seconds, is a very informative guide, to help you sell yourself and make a powerful statement in presenting yourself!

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