Chapter 7 Synopsis
Connectors Do the Difficult Work of Keeping It Simple
A few years ago, I was being interviewed on a television talk show. The host held up a couple of my books and said, “John, I’ve read several of your books and they are all so simple.” His tone of voice, body language, and mannerisms [...]

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Chapter 6 Synopsis
Connectors Connect on Common Ground
If I had to pick a first rule of communication—the one practice above all others that opens the door to connection with others—it would be to look for common ground. That rule applies whether you’re resolving conflict with your spouse, teaching a child, negotiating a deal, selling a product, [...]

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Chapter 5 Synopsis

Connecting is More Skill than Natural Talent
I want to tell you a story that will help you understand how bad I was as a communicator when I started out. I think it’s the kind of thing that can give anyone hope.
While I was in college studying for the ministry, it was common [...]

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Chapter 4 Synopsis
Connecting Always Requires Energy
When I was working on my bachelor’s degree, I took a speech class. More than forty years later, I can truly say that learning how to speak to an audience has been foundational to my journey through life as well as to my growth as a speaker. It was in [...]

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Chapter 3 Synopsis
Connecting Goes Beyond Words
People watch a reality show on television where two equally talented people sing the same song. One of them gives the audience goose bumps; the other one leaves everybody cold. Why is that?
Two professors at a university teach the same class at the same time using the same prescribed syllabus [...]

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