A full 91 percent of business professionals admit to daydreaming during the meetings they attend, and a shocking 39 percent confess to falling asleep. You certainly don't want your colleagues to be among them when you have the floor. How can you ensure that, in any communication you deliver¿whether you are presenting ideas, conveying feedback, conducting difficult conversations, or trying to persuade others¿you not only hold your audience's attention but engage them so completely that you really could hear a pin drop?

The Pin Drop Principle is a step-by-step master class for anyone¿from first-level managers to seasoned executives¿who wants to become a more confident, credible, and engaging communicator at work and in life. The core of this master class is the Pinnacle Method®, a unique model for improved communication that draws lessons from an unusual source: the time-tested methods of professional performers. Actors enter every scene with a clear objective¿a reaction they want to spark in their audience¿as well as a clear intention¿a plan for the exact emotional appeals that will help them get what they want. This book will help you identify and activate an equally clear sense of objective and intention for every communication in which you engage.

Drawing on their own careers as professional actors as well as decades of experience in business, Lewis and Mills show you exactly how to apply these classic performance principles to any high-stakes communication challenge you face. A clear objective and intention are just the beginning of any effective communication. Lewis and Mills also offer a full toolbox of performance-based delivery techniques, including storytelling, gestures and movements, and vocal dynamics¿and reveal how and when to deploy them. These cornerstones of skillful communication, they explain, are as relevant to business professionals as they are to the actors who have successfully relied on them for centuries.

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to put passion and purpose behind your words, and to captivate and convince your audience, whether a crowd of thousands or a single individual. The Pin Drop Principle is the definitive hands-on guide to help you do just that.