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(More customer reviews)With this new volume, veteran presentation coach Jerry Weissman has both summarized and updated the advice he offered in his three previous books: Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story, Updated and Expanded Edition, The Power Presenter: Technique, Style, and Strategy from America's Top Speaking Coach, and In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts. Here, 80 vignettes give us ideas about how to be better presenters: really, to be more successful performers and speakers. The one- or two-page examples include real-life tales from celebrities, politicians, athletes, and business folk. A few appearances by President Obama serve to further update the approach. These are stories about what to do and what *not* to do when you're speaking in front of a group. We can learn from both.
As we scan through the pages, we come across Weissman's mantras, repeated here and there for emphasis. "Make it hard for your audience, and they will make it hard for you," he says, more than once. He explains the best ways to begin speaking, and the optimum placements and postures for standing or sitting. He shows us the benefits of pausing. He also suggests conducting your speech as a person-to-person conversation. Many PowerPoint users need to understand the differences between a graphics presentation and a document or handout. The slides should *supplement* your remarks, not mirror or replace them. Otherwise, why are you there? Some of these points are obvious, but they're the types of tips that you might overlook whenever you are busy preparing for your event. Even experienced speakers can learn new techniques and nuances here.
The author's suggestions about slide development are good. But with the variety and nature of his text, he cannot devote too much space to them. On that topic, I personally am partial instead to The Non-Designer's Presentation Book by Robin Williams. Williams is an expert who knows her stuff. Her illustrations are also printed in full color, which helps to define the good looks from the non-readable ones. So if you need more advice along those lines, go to Ms. Williams.
Weissman's list of footnotes points to additional books and articles, and not just to his own works, which gives further credence to his recommendations. Most of the citations point to online sources, however. While the URLs are convenient for reference, the amount of them is also a bit disconcerting. Did the author do his entire realm of research just by surfing the 'net? It would also have been helpful to have the full citations of these articles, and not merely the web addresses.
Nevertheless, "Presentations in Action" is a worthwhile read for anyone who is called upon to speak to any group. Page through this book a few weeks or days before your next presentation, and confirm for yourself how Mr. Weissman's recommendations will make a difference in the resulting response. I know I'll take his advice during my own upcoming engagements.
[This reviewer was given a free non-obligation copy of the book from the author or his publicist.]
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Want to make outstanding presentations? See how others have done it! Legendary presentations coach Jerry Weissman shares powerful examples from the media, sports, politics, science, art, music, literature, the military, and beyond. Weissman's examples reveal universal truths about effective communication—and help you supercharge everything from content and graphics to delivery!
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