Business Communication Essentials, 7th Ed.
Chapter 12. Developing and Delivering Business Presentations
"Networkers, take initiative! If you are asking someone to meet with you to receive advice, information, or support, make an extra effort to impress him or her with your competence and energy.
According to Greg Stone (photo, left), "Many executives start presentations about products or initiatives with a vague theme statement, often expressed with as much pith as a puff of smoke: “We have a new focus on customer satisfaction,” or “Our current strategic goals are execution and innovation.
"In his book The Virgin Way, Richard Branson reveals that he loathes speaking in public.
"What's the secret to becoming an excellent public speaker?
"Even if it’s not your job to read the evening news, a teleprompter can come in handy.
Follow these steps distilled from Duarte’s decades of experience crafting presentations for major corporations.
"Here are ten tips to help you add a little zing! to your next presentation.
"If you're trying to perfect your pitch, try these seven public speaking exercises to help you get there.
"Fortunately, eloquence is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and mastered.
"Public speaking means – for most people – stress and a sudden flurry of decision-making under stress.
"Poor use of PowerPoint is such a common bad habit that it’s almost become the norm in the corporate world.
According to Nick Morgan (photo, left), ".
"In his book "The Virgin Way," Richard Branson reveals that he loathes speaking in public.
"Ralph Gardner Jr.
"Many people are afraid of public speaking.
"In the past year and a half, I’ve given over 100 keynote speeches and hundreds of presentations, and things have changed dramatically.
"When we speak, we have about 60 seconds to capture our audience's attention, establish credibility, orient them to our topic, and motivate them to listen, says Darlene Price, president of Well Said, Inc.
"I am continuously fascinated by what comes out of people's mouths in the workplace.
Jacquelyn Smith relays the advice of Darlene Price (photo, left).
"When it comes to persuasive communication, if you wander, you are lost.
"Developing an effective presentation is akin to the value chain in business: a series of activities performed to deliver a valuable product or service.
"Having sat through more presentations that we can count and having had to present our own work and ideas throughout the years, we have learnt a lot about what makes you a good presenter and what doesn’t.
First Round Review reports on the work of IDEO and their Project Lead, Nicole Kahn (photo, left).