Preface

Occasionally, however, exceptionally strong presenters show up in a class.

Ask them why they are there and the answer is amazingly consistent. They are looking for "one more thing" they can do better as a presenter. Seeking improvement when they no longer need it has become the key to their high performance.

You could say they have a Toyota attitude toward presenting.

In recent years, Toyota has been challenging General Motors for the title of Biggest Automobile Manufacturer in the World. General Motors has held this unofficial title for over half a century. Most people would have thought GM's hold on the throne was permanent.

How did Toyota grow so dramatically?

Most business analysts would say the answer lies in Toyota's corporate culture--a culture built around an obsession with continuous, incremental improvement. Its employees constantly look for one more thing they can do better.

Like the people at Toyota, presenters who rise above all other speakers are the ones who are always looking for one more thing they can do better. Their commitment to incremental improvement leads to exceptional skills.

But why make presentation skills a priority?

Let's face it; most people just want to survive their public speaking responsibilities. I just want to get through it without messing up or having a nervous breakdown. To them presentation skills are survival skills. The only potential they recognize is potential embarrassment.

In reality, presentation skills have enormous potential to advance a career. Influential, senior leaders are most likely to be in the room--ready to be impressed--when someone is presenting. The positive impression of a strong performance can pay off big down the road.

This truth was underlined at a presentation skills class I once conducted. The corporate vice president who had scheduled the workshop gave some opening remarks. He told the class participants that he had arranged for this training because he wanted them all to become vice presidents. However, if this was going to happen, they needed to know how vice presidents were selected.

He explained that the senior decision makers cannot make a final promotion decision based on resumes alone. Typically, they find themselves with three or four final candidates who are equally impressive "on paper" (range of experience, education, positions held, etc.). When that happens they have to shift their focus to the "impressions" they have of these people. And these impressions, he declared, are often based on the handful of times the candidates presented to them.

Each presentation became a "snapshot" of the future candidate, this VP explained. Then, declaring "This is you to them," he pantomimed the animation of several still shots by fanning an imaginary stack of photos.

Strong presentation skills build careers. When it counts, they leave long-lasting impressions of someone who can confidently and professionally handle a high-pressure situation that demands clear thinking and clear communication.

But I don't have time for more training!

Unfortunately, the high-performing professionals who most appreciate the need to hone their presentation skills have the least amount of time for training. They're too busy attending meetings and giving presentations!

I wrote this book for these professionals. The ones who have said to me over the years "Just give me something I can do right away to take it up a notch." They want actionable ideas that generate immediate improvement.

Does this describe you? Are you committed to continuous improvement as a presenter? Are you always looking for one more thing you can do that will make you a more effective speaker? If so, this book is for you.

In the pages that follow you will find over 70 tips that have proven themselves over and over in the 16 years I've been coaching presenters. Implement just a few of them and you will see significant, career-building improvement in your presentations. Implement many of them and you will stand out from the crowd when critical impressions are being made.

Let me stress, this is not a step-by-step guide to creating and delivering presentations. There are hundreds of books that meet that need. I titled it Presentation Skills 201 because I expect you, the reader, to already be a competent presenter. The information in this book is for enhancing your skills.

Start at the beginning and read to the end, or jump around to points that interest you. Keep the book in your desk drawer as a reference guide. If you implement one new idea each time you present, the cumulative improvement will put you at the top of your game.