Are you among the 40% of Americans who fear "public speaking," yet realize its importance for success in business? If that's your problem, then your solution can be my new book ''How to Bring Home the Bacon: Becoming a Persuasive Speaker with the Proven S3P3 System," published by BookBaby, the leading self-publisher in the US. The book will help you build self-confidence by following a proven method to attain the critical skill of persuasion, which famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins calls "the most important skill a person can possess."I'm a retired Army colonel. As a junior officer I had to deliver complex presentations to senior officers in Vietnam. I realized I needed a repeatable methodology which could be used for any type of presentation, and this resulted in my S3P3 System-the pillars of Substance, Structure and Style supporting a Pyramid of Planning, Practicing and Presenting.When later assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency as a Latin American specialist, I was instead named Senior Intelligence Briefer to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff because of my S3P3-driven speaking skills. I was subsequently assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and, returning to my my Latin American specialty, was very involved in developing the Reagan Central America policy. I also spoke widely on the policy to critical, even hostile, audiences..The White House then directed the Army to assign me to the State Department, taking advantage of my in-depth knowledge of that policy and ability to debate it on college campuses and to other demanding audiences. I was flattered that feedback on these "encounters" resulted in President Reagan describing me as "An extraordinarily effective speaker." My military career has a lesson for technical experts. I was surprised to be promoted to Colonel, as I had not "punched the tickets" normally required for that rank. But I concluded that my promotion was due precisely to the evaluations I had received from the assignments highlighting my persuasive speaking ability. The lesson? Technical expertise, the equivalent of "punching the tickets," is not sufficient. When the opportunity presents itself, be ready to deliver a persuasive presentation flowing from extensive preparation.After retiring from the Army, I became a presentation skills coach, with my workshops based on the S3P3 System, as is the content in "How to Bring Home the Bacon," which can be acquired, in Paperback or Ebook from: store.bookbaby.com. Place either the book's title or "Larry Tracy" in the search box.