In this excerpt from Tell to Win, entertainment mogul Peter Guber describes how it took a former president and a lot of fast talking to get permission to film underwater in Havana Harbor.

Fidel Castro

By Peter Guber, contributor

Have you ever been in the audience when a speaker who's lost his or her audience just keeps going with the prepared remarks? Do you remember how that made you feel as a listener? Bored? Annoyed? Anxious to escape? Whatever your reaction, it likely didn't help you absorb the speaker's message.

Tellers who stubbornly stay "on point" may be afraid to diverge from their script into uncharted waters. Or they may feel that too much time and money have gone into preparation to toss the plan aside. But neither excuse will bring back your listeners' attention, and unless you have their attention, why bother telling your story?

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