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Powerful Presentations

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Powerful Presentations

50 Original Ideas for Making a Real Impact

Kogan Page,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Learn the speech-making tactics of historic masters to reach your audience and persuade them to agree with you.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Jöns Ehrenborg and John Mattock deliver a basic but smart little manual for packing your presentations full of punch. They argue well for time-tested, person-to-person methods of persuasion, though they also offer tips on preparing visual aids and some particularly useful ideas on handling after-presentation discussion questions. getAbstract highly recommends this informative how-to book to help you truly communicate with an audience.

Summary

Start with Your Listeners

The typical audience member is wondering if your presentation will have any personal relevance. That means your first job is to establish a connection so people feel uniquely affected by your message. One quick way is to offer a thought that reflects what they already think. You will be able to see them nod as they signal their buy-in to your message. If they believe the first thing you say, they will be more inclined to accept what follows. Astute presenters acknowledge facts that may even seem to weaken their overall arguments, but that the audience recognizes as true. Such candor deepens their trust.

Visual Aids That Work

When you are trying to reach people, appeal to their more poetic, emotional "right brains," which remember facts more easily. The right brain is image-oriented. Painting a picture, verbally or with graphics, helps your listeners remember your concepts. Nobody will remember a list, so don't bother with one; you'll bore your audience. Use a visual aid, or another sensory counterpoint, to take advantage of the brain's preferred way of being engaged and saving information. Provide a visual anchor by how you present...

About the Authors

Jöns Ehrenborg and John Mattock have extensive experience in communication. They co-direct a consulting company and are also co-authors of How to Be a Better Negotiator.

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