How to Present, 2nd Edition

Book description

Learn the secrets of successful speaking, communicating and presenting 

Do you get nervous when presenting at work? Do you want to showcase your knowledge, influence people and accelerate your career? How to Present reveals the winning formulas that ensure you are a confident, clear and influential presenter every time. 

Presentation skills expert Michelle Bowden shares her internationally proven system for exceptional presenting, starting with analysis (plan what you would like to achieve), then design (put your presentation together) and delivery (communicate your message for results). This second edition is fully updated with all new strategies for presenting in online and hybrid sessions. Presenting online can be effective and engaging—you just need to know what to do, and then do it! 

How to Present will help you: 

  • maximise your impact in meetings, conferences and conversations 
  • manage your nerves so you feel calm and confident 
  • engage your audience and master the art of persuasion 
  • structure your message cleverly and with deliver with authority 
  • command attention and achieve your goals 

Whether you're speaking to one person or thousands, live or online, this is the essential guide to becoming an outstanding presenter who is memorable for all the right reasons! 

Table of contents

  1. COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. DEDICATION
  5. FOREWORD
  6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    1. Style and approach
  7. THANK YOU!
  8. INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO THIS BOOK
    1. Top 10 business presentation mistakes
    2. How to get the best value from this book
  9. CHAPTER 1: Persuasive presenting at a glance
    1. Looking at the research
    2. What does all this mean?
    3. Nerves and presenting
  10. Phase 1: Analysis: Be clear on your goals
    1. CHAPTER 2: Working out what you want to achieve from your presentation
      1. Preparing for a presentation with a five-step analysis
  11. Phase 2: Design: Write your presentation
    1. CHAPTER 3: Structure your message
      1. An audience-focused model
    2. CHAPTER 4: Design your presentation
      1. Storyboarding: a magical design technique
      2. Taking advantage of the storyboarding benefits
    3. CHAPTER 5: Script your presentation
      1. Step 0: Hook your audience's attention
      2. Step 1: Build rapport with your audience
      3. Step 2: Assert your perspective using a leading statement
      4. Step 3: Motivate your audience to pay attention
      5. Step 4: Proactively manage audience objections
      6. Step 5: Control and relax your audience
      7. Step 6: Deliver the facts, figures and data
      8. Step 7: Explain the steps for implementing your ideas
      9. Step 8: Provide any other information
      10. Step 9: Summarise your three key points
      11. Step 10: Call your audience to action
      12. Step 11: Manage questions and answers
      13. Step 12: Highlight negative and positive consequences
      14. Step 13: Close with a sizzle!
    4. CHAPTER 6: Finalising your Persuasion Blueprint
      1. Relating the Persuasion Blueprint to the 4MAT System
      2. Looking at an example script
      3. Some final pointers
    5. CHAPTER 7: Watch your language!
      1. Avoid turning your audience off
      2. Using electrifying, polished language in your presentation
      3. Using rhetorical questions
    6. CHAPTER 8: The art of storytelling
      1. A technique for telling memorable stories
      2. Exploring storytelling techniques
  12. Phase 3: Delivery: Captivate your audience
    1. CHAPTER 9: Warm up your mind
      1. Yes, unfortunately, you do need to rehearse
      2. Using the power of your mind to manage your nerves
      3. Understanding the impact of personality on nervousness
    2. CHAPTER 10: Warm up your body and voice
      1. Warm up your body
      2. Warm up your voice
      3. Using tongue twisters to warm up
    3. CHAPTER 11: Managing your nerves
      1. ‘Extending the self' to reduce nerves and connect with your audience
    4. CHAPTER 12: Speak with confidence
      1. Using your voice effectively when you present
      2. Making use of technology for in-person presentations
    5. CHAPTER 13: Congruent body language
      1. Understanding body language
      2. Using a lectern
      3. The role of smiling
    6. CHAPTER 14: Engage and entertain
      1. Engaging and stimulating your audience
    7. CHAPTER 15: Dealing with difficult people
      1. Keeping your audience on side
      2. Managing difficult behaviour without causing negative ripples
    8. CHAPTER 16: Using visual aids
      1. Take the test: will your slides be lethal?
      2. The purpose of slides
      3. Presenting technical information
      4. Setting up before your presentation
      5. How well do audiences look and listen concurrently?
      6. Operating the slides for face-to-face presentations
      7. Using a flipchart or whiteboard
    9. CHAPTER 17: Setting up the room for live presentations
      1. The best room set-up
    10. CHAPTER 18: Getting positive feedback
      1. A feedback model to boost your confidence
    11. CHAPTER 19: Delivering your message virtually
      1. Setting up your visual space
      2. A note about hybrid meetings
    12. CHAPTER 20: Engaging online audiences
      1. Setting your boundaries for success
      2. Understanding how eye contact is different online
      3. Using slides in your virtual meeting
      4. Interacting with your virtual audience
  13. AND NOW IT'S UP TO YOU
  14. APPENDIX: PRESENTER CHECKLIST
    1. Phase 1: Analysis
    2. Phase 2: Design
    3. Phase 3: Delivery
  15. INDEX
  16. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Product information

  • Title: How to Present, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Michelle Bowden
  • Release date: October 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119912354