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If you open this book expecting to find the standard advice given by most books on how to improve your public speaking skills, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Walker, a presentation coach and master speaker with more than 25 years of experience, is brutally honest: Becoming a better speaker is not simple. Most speakers are boring and unmemorable. If you want to be different, you’ll need to put in lots of time, effort and practice—but the payoff will be well worthwhile.
In short, concise chapters, he covers how to create your presentation, how to prepare for it, what tools to use, how to deliver your presentation, how to handle problems and how to continuously improve your presentation skills. Each chapter focuses on one key point and includes a link to related video on Walker’s Web site that further illustrates the point. (His company, Media Training Worldwide, provides media and presentation workshops and seminars to a wide range of clients.)
The number one secret to great presentations, Walker says, is to focus on the audience—not on yourself. That’s easier said than done, but Walker shows you how to do it. For example, if you’re not sure what your presentation should cover, there’s a simple way to find out: Call a few of the people you know will be attending the presentation and ask them what they most want to hear about. Then be sure to include these topics in your presentation.
The goal of every presenter, Walker explains, is to confidently deliver interesting, clear and memorable information that motivates the audience to take action and tell others about the presentation. Walker answers all the standard questions about presentations--such as what to do with your hands, how to get over nerves, whether to read from notes, how to use PowerPoint and more—with practical, honest advice that will give you a new perspective on presentations. Whether you are addressing your staff at a weekly meeting, potential clients on a sales call or an auditorium full of people at your industry’s annual conference, this book will give you the tools you need to succeed.