Larry King

If there’s one thing I hope you get out of this book, it’s an attitude about talk. Talk should not be a challenge, a grim obligation, or a way of filling up time. Talk is mankind’s greatest invention, it’s how we make connections among us, and it’s one of the pleasures that life has to offer. Think of every conversation as an opportunity. Regardless of your ability as a talker, remember this: 1. If you feel you’re not good at it, you can be. 2. If you feel you are good at it, you can be better. Keep talking!

Of course, bloopers are not confined to the world of broadcasting. So if you find yourself committing one, don’t let it phase you. Shake it off and keep right on going, knowing that you’re in good company.

The second key to being a good speaker is to follow the motto of the Boy Scouts—Be Prepared.

In the real estate business they say that the three most important things are ‘location, location, and location.’ The three most important things in running a meeting are preparation, preparation, and preparation.

I’ve always loved speaking so much that when I started, I went anywhere that would have me.

English teachers tell the story of the man who received a lengthy letter from a friend that ended with an apology. ‘Please excuse such a long letter,’ his friend said. ‘I didn’t have time to write a short one.’ It’s not easy to be brief, especially on a topic you know a lot about. But in any kind of communication, it’s always worth taking the time to boil down your message to the essentials.

Remember, asking questions is the secret of good conversation. I’m curious about everything, and if I’m at a cocktail party, I often ask my favorite question: ‘Why?’ If a man tells me that he and his family are moving to another city: ‘Why?’ A woman is changing jobs: ‘Why?’ Someone roots for the Mets: ‘Why?’ On my television show, I probably use this word more than any other. It’s the greatest question ever asked, and it always will be. And it is certainly the surest way of keeping a conversation lively and interesting.

Most successful people are talkers. Not surprisingly, the reverse is also true. If you have developed the ability—and it can be developed—to talk well, you will be successful. If you feel that you’re a successful person already, you can make yourself even more successful by making yourself a better talker.