Book excerpt: The Professional Communications Toolkit presents a compelling new vision of communication that offers little-known and amazingly effective techniques for the novice speaker and stage-savvy pro. Author D. Joel Whalen provides practical, research-based tools that apply to all professional communication, including engaging in one-on-one conversations, speaking at small staff meetings, and delivering a keynote address to a ballroom full of people. Key Features • Provides a dynamic modern approach: Includes a vivid conceptualization of the exact nature of business communication-what it is and how to do it well in the 21st Century. • Avoids academic tone and jargon: Written to be accessible and make the material come alive for students. • Offers a chapter on visual tools for communication: Step-by-step instructions are given for building high-impact PowerPoint slides, mastering e-mail communication, and leaving clear voice mail messages. • Enhances discussion of managing speech anxiety: The causes, symptoms, and methods for managing anxiety, including mind-body techniques, are thoroughly examined. • Includes a special article on performance anxiety: A contribution from Corey Goldstein, M.D., a nationally recognized expert on performance anxiety, offers additional help and techniques for managing debilitating anxiety. Intended Audience Designed for professional communicators or anyone looking to communicate professionally, this book is also an excellent text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Business Communication, Speech, Presentations, and Principles of Communication in the departments of management, marketing, communications, social work-administration, and public administration.