WHO'S GOT TIME TO READ THESE DAYS? Only a smattering of hands raised, I see. And yet, there's powerful information out there that can help you be better at communicating, both in business and in life. Since you probably already know, or even own, the Presentation Zen book and slide:ology, I want to draw your attention to a couple other sources that are definitely worth taking the time to read, ponder, and apply their ideas.
The "Creating Passionate Users" blog
It's been two years since Kathy Sierra's last post, and yet her writing is as fresh and relevant today as it was initially. If you didn't discover her work before, go there immediately (click here); if you read her then, go back and read some of her pieces again. Her writing is that good.
With an incredible capacity for new ideas, Kathy's writing was always insightful, funny, sharp, hip, and applicable across a wide range of disciplines. And don't let her techie background scare you away — the "users" she refers to could easily be the audience you're presenting to, or your colleagues, or the people you're trying to convince to buy your product. She also had some of the best titles and most fun graphics of anybody in the blogosphere (tho' I still enjoy a lot of the earlier YouBlog images :-).
Here's a starter set of posts to read:
Better Beginnings: How to start a presentation, book, article ...
Just reading some of those titles and absorbing her images makes me smile, big time. You can even learn a lot just by scanning the collection of favorite graphics she included in her final post (scroll down the home page until you get to the images).
And if you're reading this, Kathy, thanks sooooooo much. You were a terrific inspiration.
"How To Win A Pitch"
This is a new book by Joey Asher, an Atlanta-based presentation and communications consultant and trainer. In a world of too many books on presenting, Joey definitely covers new ground.
It was interesting reading for me, because a lot of what Joey writes about are things I've covered in trainings and in The YouBlog over the past three years — things like making a strong connection with your buyer, focusing on their issues, giving them a big picture before diving into details, the power of "3", and so on. It was like reading my own thoughts at times.
The section on "Rehearsal" is very thorough and well worth reading. And the chapter on "Making Your Presentation Interactive" is unlike anything I've read in all those presentation books I've owned or perused. This part alone is worth the price of the book. You're bound to find a lot of great ideas to help you really involve your audience. I particularly liked the "Two-Sentence Drill".
There are a few parts, however, that need caution when you're reading this book. The "Tell 'em-Tell 'em-Tell 'em" approach to presentation structure, how some of the pitches are framed, and the charge to be passionate could all end up as "Me"-focused diatribes if you're not careful. Spend your time developing a compelling, "You"-focused story to share with your audience or prospects, and everything else will flow naturally.
Overall, this is an excellent book and worth both your time and money to read. Start at the beginning, jump to the last two chapters, and then keep my caveats in mind when you read the middle part of the book. Great work, Joey!
The "Decisive Presentations" program
This is what I would've written, if I'd decided to write a book. Instead I put my ideas about presenting into an online course. I used to charge for it, but now you can view it for free. Maybe you've gone through it already and, if so, I hope you've found value in it. I mention it now for those who might be new to The YouBlog or hadn't gotten around yet to watching it. I promise you, your time won't be wasted.
And on that theme of not wasting your time, this will be the last YouBlog post for a while. I've done nearly 200 pieces over the last three years and I don't want to blog just for the sake of blogging. Your attention is too valuable for either you or I to waste. So I invite you to wander through the YouBlog archives or use the search box to find particular topics. And if something pops up that I think could make a difference for you, I'll definitely jump back in.
In the meantime, thanks for your interest. I'm honored that you've been here.
