Table Of Content2 CasRpiicahna Wrdo oHdasll
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What does it take Ed
itio
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to present with
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impact, confidence l
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and flair? n
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Brilliant presenting can transform your career. It can save companies, inspire
P Presentation
people and make things happen. It’s never been so important. Yet most of us
try to avoid it at all costs or muddle through somehow, someway. But here’s the r
thing: you’re expected to be good at it. Presenting is a core business skill – if you
e
want to get on, you need to be good. How do you do it? – Hard work, motivation,
practice and, your secret weapon, Brilliant Presentation. s
No matter what your current level is, Brilliant Presentation will help you become e
a brilliant presenter. Every aspect of presenting is covered from dealing with
n
nerves through to the mysterious art of presentation performance. Packed full
of anecdotes from the most accomplished presenters around, you’ll find all the t
tools, tips and encouragement you need to make a sensation at presentations. a
t
BRILLIANT OUTCOMES
i
o
• Learn the five levels of presentation mastery
n
• Discover how to make your presentation powerful, colourful and
memorable
• Always feel confident and inspired to give it your very best shot
‘Hall combines a tool-kit, critical pointers and presentation
anecdotes from stars in this excellent book. Advice includes What the best presenters
boosting self-confidence by proclaiming “I feel totally shame-
less today.” Rock on!’ Management Today – voted the book the ‘best of its kind’
know, do and say
£10.99
H
BUSINESS
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Visit us on the web 2nd Edition
www.pearson-books.com
CVR_HALL0768_02_SE_CVR.indd 1 19/9/08 10:14:56
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brilliant
Presentation
What the best presenters know, do and say
second edition
Richard Hall
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PEARSONEDUCATIONLIMITED
EdinburghGate
HarlowCM202JE
Tel:(cid:1)44(0)1279623623
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Website:www.pearsoned.co.uk
Firstpublished2007
SecondeditionpublishedinGreatBritainin2008
©PearsonEducationLimited2008
TherightofRichardHalltobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeenasserted
byhiminaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
ISBN:978–0–273–72076–8
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
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Hall,Richard.
Brilliantpresentation:whatthebestpresentersknow,do,andsay/Richard
Hall.--2nded.
p.cm.
ISBN978-0-273-72076-8(pbk.)
1.Businesspresentations. 2.Publicspeaking. I.Title.
HF5718.22.H352008
658.4'52--dc22
2008035160
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedina
retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
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UnitedKingdomissuedbytheCopyrightLicensingAgencyLtd,SaffronHouse,
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Endorsements
I strongly believe that being a good communicator is one of the
most critical skills required in business today.Presentations are
a fundamental part of communications and this is an excellent
guide to how to become a brilliant presenter.
DianneThompson CBE,Chief Executive of Camelot Group plc
Courage, heart and imagination – aWizard of Oz journey for
everyone who wants to become a brilliant presenter and thinks
they’ll never get there.
Jeanne-Marie Gescher OBE,Founder and Chief Executive of
Claydon GescherAssociates Beijing,China
Brilliant Presentation can make ordinary presentations great and
great presentations spectacular.This is a great read – I hope I
don’t have to compete with anyone who reads it.
LordTim Bell,Chairman of Chime Communications
This is a fresh, direct and vivid picture of what it takes to
become a very good presenter.Whether you see presenting as a
vulnerability of yours or a strength, this book will be genuinely
helpful.
Lucy Parker,CEO of Cantos Communications Ltd
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iv brilliantpresentation
We all think we know this stuff, but Richard shows us how
amateurwereallyare,andhowattentiontodetail–story,script,
illustrative material, slides – can help make an ordinary pitch
memorable.Essentialreadingforanyonewhohastomakepres-
entations.
JamesArnold-Baker,Doctors.net.uk,previously CEO Oxford
University Press
At Showcase we have been creating high quality presentations
for many years. Successful presenters are rigorous in how they
go about developing their presentations, and delivering them.
This excellent and accessible book takes you step by step
through the process.Strongly recommended.
Martin Conradi,CEO of Showcase Presentations Ltd
Things I’ve learned are that rather than script a presentation I
use evocative words as a signpost for my presentations so each
timeIrehearse,itisslightlydifferent.Thiskeepsmeonmytoes
so I do my presentation in a story telling manner.
Richard’sbookprovidesthekeydisciplinesIuse;prepare,relax,
engage the audience and enjoy it.
Gary Donaldson,Bid Director for a major Healthcare PFI Project
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Contents
Author’sacknowledgements ix
Publisher’sacknowledgements x
Introduction xi
1 The stuff of brilliant presentations 1
Fires 3
Fivecriticalprocesses 5
2 Coping with nerves 7
Nervesarenormal 9
It’sthevoicethatiskey 10
Howtoavoidfreezing 10
Sohowdobrilliantpresentersfeel? 11
Behonestwithyourself 12
Whatisactuallygoingon? 12
Beself-aware 14
Tobenervousisnormal 14
Summary 19
3 The five levels of mastery 21
Theworldofthenon-presenter 23
Fivestepstobrilliance 24
Thisiswhatbrillianceis 31
Brilliantpresentersareshameless 31
Summary 32
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vi brilliantpresentation
4 The context of the presentation 33
Haveyougottheplot? 35
First,gettheexamquestionright 36
Summary 42
5 How to write a brilliant story 45
Abrilliantstory 47
Deathtomissionstatementsandotherjargon 48
Truthisapowerfulweapon 50
Doesthestorygrabtheimagination? 50
Becomeastorystudent 51
Theelementsofagreatstory 52
Thebestpresentationswerebrilliantstories 52
Greatmemoryhook,butwhat’sthestory? 53
Tellingitlikeitis–brilliantly 53
Summary 54
6 How to give your story colour 57
Anearlybrilliantpresentationinthemaking 59
Abarepresentationislikebarewalls 60
Summary 66
7 How to illustrate your presentation 67
Thinkofslidesasyourmusic 69
Badslidesslowyoudown 69
Professionalslideshelp 70
Professorialvaguenesshasitsplace 70
Lessismore 71
Whypeopleavoidslides 74
Summary 77
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Contents vii
8 Performance 79
Whatactingcando 81
Inpraiseofwork–inpraiseofAmerica 81
Illogicalargumentsshowupinapresentation 82
Why?Why??Why???Why????Why????? 84
Astrongargumenthelpsyoufeelconfident 84
Summary 89
9 I’ve got the power 91
ThepowerofPowerPoint 93
Plusesandminuses 94
Befair–blametheworkman,nothistools 94
PowerPointhasimprovedworkinglives 95
Let’sgetabitmoretechnical 97
ThingstodotoyourPC 98
Youhaveonlyonechance 100
Youthoughtthetechnicalstuffwaseasy? 101
Summary 101
10 The book as a presentation 105
Followingmyownadvice...almost 107
Discoveringwhatreallyhappens 107
Impedimentstobrilliance 108
Howtodobrilliantpresentations 109
11 Really understanding your audience 127
Brilliancewreckedbynotlistening 129
Lessonsinhowtounderstandaudiences 130
Summary 134
12 From ordinary to brilliant 135
Achangeandacommitment 137
Gettingthestoryrightwilldriveeverythingelse 138
Howdobrilliantpresentersdoit? 139
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viii brilliantpresentation
13 The graduation to brilliance 147
Ascaleofimprovement 149
Summary 159
14 So you made it – brilliant, well done! 161
Thisisthebrilliantformula 163
Howwithitareyou? 164
Presentationhasneverbeenmoreimportant 165
Summary 167
15 Applying your skills to smaller meetings 169
Noslides.Whynot? 171
You’vebeenpromoted,somakethefirstmeetingcount 172
Youwanttobepromoted,soraiseyourgame 172
Beprepared:thekeyadvantage 173
Makeyourmeetingsoundasifit’sworthgoingto 173
Location:chooseit,useit,makeitmemorable 173
Defineeveryone’sexpectations.Meetthem 174
Learningtothinkonyourfeet 174
Thebrilliantexecutivesummary 175
Brandyourmeetingssotheywanttocomeagain 176
Enjoyyourself 177
16 Summary of the lessons in this book 179
Thebiggestchallengestobrilliance 181
Whatyoumustavoid 181
Mytopthreebrillianttips 182
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Author’s acknowledgements
M
ymissioninlife–oroneofthematanyrate–istohelp
createagenerationoftrulygreatandinspirationalpre-
senters. I hope this book helps especially as it’s been
updated and added to in this second edition. It’s a well worn
truth that you can never stop learning and improving as a pre-
senter or as a writer.
Good presentation, like well presented food, makes life more
pleasantforeveryoneanditsharpenstheintellectualtastebuds.
Itisn’t,assomehavesaid,vanity.Brilliantpresentation,likebril-
liantadvertising,makesthingshappen;changesminds;increases
share price;sells product;saves companies.
My thanks and love to Kate my wife who is my most helpful
critic.
Samantha Jackson runs her a close second. It’s an interesting
job,commissioningeditor,involvingstickandcarrotandakeen
sense of seeing the wood for the trees.
She and a large team of excellent people at Pearson do the
companyandthemselvescreditbytheirenergyandenthusiasm.
Elie,Lucy,Julie,Kirsty,Laura,Caroline–Isaluteandthankyou
for your brilliant support.
