Giving Great Presentations in Easy Steps - Softcover

Whether it’s in a one-on-one meeting with the boss or at an international conference to an audience of thousands, presenting information is a integral part of modern working life. And since few businesses offer any training in presentation skills, nearly everyone dreads these occasions: even the most confident can give mediocre talks simply through stage fright and poor preparation. This in-depth, easy-to-follow guide offers a thorough grounding in the art of public speaking and presentation. Emphasizing the importance of proper preparation, it walks readers step by step through every stage developing a key message, designing effective slides and audiovisual aids, dealing with anxiety, appropriate dress, achieving good delivery, and dealing with questions from the floor. Written in clear, jargon-free English, this practical guide aids those wishing to hone their speaking skills as well as those gearing up for their first talk.

When was the last time you attended a presentation and thought "That was fantastic! I really enjoyed listening to the speaker and learned something today"? It doesn't happen often enough, because most people who present give mediocre talks at best. But it shouldn't be like this.

Presenting information or data, whether it be one on one to your boss, or at an international conference to an audience of thousands, is very much part of modern business and academic life. But such occasions are feared by most people, and even people who are outwardly confident in their work can fall apart at the podium and give the most mediocre presentations simply through anxiety, nervousness and lack of preparation.

We have all watched great presenters in action and envied their talent for public speaking wishing we could do the same. What most people fail to realise is that these awe-inspiring presentation gurus suffer stage fright too but have overcome this through a variety of methods which are explored in this book. Central to their performance is a solid preparation for the event. Every slide has been designed with one aim in mind — to enhance their talk and emphasise their key messages. They have done their homework, put together a presentation with a clear beginning, middle and end, and have not tried to dazzle the audience with fancy irrelevant graphics and gimmicky effects. The best presenters will use fairly simple slides which serve to complement the spoken presentation.

However, such techniques are not innate but are learned, and this book aims to show you that with effective preparation and good audiovisual aids your key messages will be presented with clarity. By keeping to time and answering questions smoothly, you can give an above-average presentation which will be memorable for the audience.

The author has years of experience in this area. As a regular presenter at all types of meeting, he has made every mistake possible! He's crammed slides too full, disengaged from the audience, used distracting animations on his slides, and committed most sins as a presenter. Happily, he has learned from these and improved considerably, and in this book he helps the less confident presenter avoid the mistakes that most presenters make today. With patience and practice and using the guidance in this book you will soon be giving memorable presentations and become a real asset to your organisation! Or if you're just planning to talk to a small group of enthusiasts at a local club this book will help you there, too!