About the Book
Whether you’re dealing with one person or one thousand, the ability to transmit ideas in a coherent and compelling fashion is one of the most important skills you can ever develop. Want to impress your colleagues? Convince your clients? Prove your point? The key to success is what you say. To get what you want in life, you have to present yourself forcefully, credibly, and convincingly. If you need to land that big consulting job or launch a new initiative at the office, knowing how to present your case is half the battle. Luckily, Presentations For Dummies shows you the way. It gives you all the tools and tips you need to make your presentations flawless and effective, including proven advice on:
Relating to your audience
Overcoming stage fright
Adding flare with personal stories
Using humor to loosen up the crowd
Making your point with visual aids
From getting prepared to dealing with unexpected problems while you’re the focus of attention, this handy guide covers everything you need to make all your presentations flawless. You’ll learn how to create fantastic, effective visual aids that make your point with passion, and a whole lot more:
Gathering sources and compiling data
Organizing your ideas
Improving your timing for maximum impact
Using your pre-presentation nerves as an asset
Choosing the perfect word in every instance
Crafting an introduction, conclusion, and transitions
Using PowerPoint to make your point
Understanding what body language says about you
Simple tricks for every situation
Written by consultant, humorist, and professional speaker Malcolm Kushner, Presentations For Dummies tells you everything you need to know — and do — to get it right from the start. But be careful, this powerful resource could make your presentations so good that you might have to give more of them.
Table of Contents:
Introduction. Part I: Presenting with Purpose.
Chapter 1: Presentations: One Key to Doing Business.
Chapter 2: The Four Ws: Who, What, Where, and Why.
Chapter 3: Pumping Up Your Research.
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Message.
Chapter 5: Me, Worry? Controlling Anxiety.
Part II: Creating a Presentation: The Basics.
Chapter 6: Building the Body with Stories, Statistics, and Other Good Stuff.
Chapter 7: Setting a Style: Choosing Your Words Carefully.
Chapter 8: Using Humor Effectively.
Chapter 9: Tying It All Together: Introductions, Transitions, and Conclusions.
Chapter 10: Planning Powerful Visual Aids.
Part III: Giving Your Presentation with Ease.
Chapter 11: Making Body Talk: What’s Out, What’s In, and What’s International.
Chapter 12: Appreciating Your Audience.
Chapter 13: What Did You Say? Fielding Questions.
Part IV: Mastering the Power of PowerPoint.
Chapter 14: Employing Stunningly Simple Design Techniques.
Chapter 15: Considering Cool Tricks to Whip Your Audience Into a Frenzy.
Chapter 16: Avoiding Common Mistakes with PowerPoint.
Part V: Checking Out Tips and Tricks for Common Presentations.
Chapter 17: Succeeding in Sales and Other Motivational Presentations.
Chapter 18: Tackling Technical and Financial Presentations.
Chapter 19: Making Informational Briefings and Training Presentations.
Chapter 20: Presenting a Business Plan to a Venture Capitalist or Your Boss.
Chapter 21: Making Virtual Presentations: Phone, Video, Web, and E-Mail.
Chapter 22: Impressing with International Presentations.
Chapter 23: Dealing with Impromptu Presentations, Panels, and Roundtables.
Part VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 24: Ten (or So) Comeback Lines to Use When Things Go Wrong.
Chapter 25: Ten (or So) Tips for Presentations at Public Meetings.
Chapter 26: Ten (or So) Things to Check Before You Present.
Index.
About the Author :
Malcolm Kushner, “America’s favorite humor consultant,” is an internationally acclaimed expert on humor and communication and a professional speaker. Since 1982, he has trained thousands of managers, executives, and professionals how to gain a competitive edge with humor. His clients include IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Chevron, Aetna, Motorola, and Bank of America.
A popular speaker, his Leading With Laughter® presentation features rare video clips of U.S. presidents using humor intentionally and successfully. He has performed the speech at many corporate and association meetings, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution.
Kushner has also written presentations for some of the nation’s leading corporate executives. His work has included everything from remarks at annual shareholder meetings to commencement addresses and Congressional testimony.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Buffalo, Kushner holds a B.A. in Speech-Communication. His M.A. in Speech-Communication is from the University of Southern California, where he taught freshman speech. He also has a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a humor consultant, he practiced law with a major San Francisco law firm.
Kushner is the author of The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success (Simon & Schuster) and Vintage Humor for Wine Lovers (Malcolm Kushner & Associates). He is also a cocreator of the humor exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Frequently interviewed by the media, Kushner has been profiled in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, and numerous other publications. His television and radio appearances include CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, Voice of America, and The Larry King Show. His annual “Cost of Laughing Index” has been featured on The Tonight Show and the front page of The Wall Street Journal.
Need a great speaker for your next meeting or event? Contact Malcolm at P.O. Box 7509, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, call 831-425-4839, or e-mail him at mk@kushnergroup.com. Visit his Web site at www.kushnergroup.com.
Malcolm Kushner, “America’s favorite humor consultant,” is an internationally acclaimed expert on humor and communication and a professional speaker. Since 1982, he has trained thousands of managers, executives, and professionals how to gain a competitive edge with humor. His clients include IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Chevron, Aetna, Motorola, and Bank of America.
A popular speaker, his Leading With Laughter® presentation features rare video clips of U.S. presidents using humor intentionally and successfully. He has performed the speech at many corporate and association meetings, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution.
Kushner has also written presentations for some of the nation’s leading corporate executives. His work has included everything from remarks at annual shareholder meetings to commencement addresses and Congressional testimony.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Buffalo, Kushner holds a B.A. in Speech-Communication. His M.A. in Speech-Communication is from the University of Southern California, where he taught freshman speech. He also has a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a humor consultant, he practiced law with a major San Francisco law firm.
Kushner is the author of The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success (Simon & Schuster) and Vintage Humor for Wine Lovers (Malcolm Kushner & Associates). He is also a cocreator of the humor exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Frequently interviewed by the media, Kushner has been profiled in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, and numerous other publications. His television and radio appearances include CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, Voice of America, and The Larry King Show. His annual “Cost of Laughing Index” has been featured on The Tonight Show and the front page of The Wall Street Journal.
Need a great speaker for your next meeting or event? Contact Malcolm at P.O. Box 7509, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, call 831-425-4839, or e-mail him at mk@kushnergroup.com. Visit his Web site at www.kushnergroup.com.
