Great persuaders can maintain the attention of their audience. Research shows that people's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. The moment you lose their attention, you can no longer persuade them. You could have a great Website, be a sharp dresser, publish a great brochure, or have any manner of impressive credentials.

The reality is, however, that the number-one persuasion tool is you, and a big part of how you present yourself is through your communication.

Long gone are the days of counting on the subject matter to speak compellingly for itself, compensating for your inadequacies as a presenter. Nowadays, you've got to get inside your audience's minds, and you've got to get there fast.