Customer Reviews

Own the Room: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, and Get Results

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a Silicon Valley based CEO in the world of ventures, I have had to raise considerable sums of money privately and publicly to fund companies I was responsible for. Raising money is an art with a critical component being "the presentation." I have also been called upon to speak at national and regional meetings on medical technology and/or the experience of being in a venture-backed company. "Owning the Room," the making of an effective presentation, is a subject near and dear to my heart...much less, my livelihood.

Authors David Booth, Deborah Shames, and Peter Desberg in "Owning the Room" present the Eloqui communication method they developed and are now commercializing. Booth and Shames come from the entertainment world with experience in directing, acting, and producing. Desberg is a licensed clinical psychologist who has done extensive research in areas of public speaking, performance anxiety, and instructional humor. Together, this team has produced a book that combines "performance techniques and cognitive science with the best research in psychology."

The authors cover how to open, how to close, the power for narrative, stage fright, presenting in teams, physical grammar, PowerPoint revival, and being memorable. I did not find the book exceptional in the area of business presentations but I did find it exceptional for giving speeches and for when presentations involve more than one person. "Owning the Room" will make a valuable addition for those who depend on communication arts for their living, which is just about every executive, manager, professional, consultant, and salesperson.

As a seasoned reviewer, I get nervous when I see only 5-star reviews for an Amazon item. Often that means the authors enlisted their friends and relatives as reviewers.

To my surprise, Own the Room really deserves a 5-star rating. It's hard to imagine a book about presentations that's actually fun to read, but this one is. But what I like best is the way the authors encourage us to get away from those ho-hum openings. They offer all sorts of creative approaches to making presentations come alive. Many of their ideas will work for written presentations and copywriting also.

As an experienced speaker, I don't get concerned with stage fright. I love speaking and welcome all opportunities. My challenge is to avoid being too relaxed. So I particularly enjoyed the chapter on roles: deciding how you will present yourself to the audience. The discussion on examples and anecdotes was especially strong.

Too often we get advice to worry about "ums" and "uhs" and endless discussion on PowerPoint. The authors do share some helpful tips on Powerpoint but they make it clear that their focus is on structuring your presentation, not the small stuff. So this book will be especially helpful to readers who have gotten past the basics. As the back cover suggests, you'll get tips to go from "presenting" to "persuading, inspiring and performing."

I'm not crazy about the contemporary gimmick of putting takeaways in the text margins. That was probably a publisher's decision. Otherwise, the book seems well worth recommending to others.

For any of us who've had to sit through a countless number of uninspiring & unfocused presentations (power point or otherwise), and wonder what went wrong, this book has the answers. Follow the well organized and comprehensive "game plan" laid out by the team of David Booth & Deborah Shames, and you too can "own the room" the next time you're called to action.

It's simply a great book; and following the very pragmatic strategies presented by this pair of public speaking gurus will ensure the most bang for the buck for any presentation. It's almost a foolproof plan; that's how strongly I recommend this book.

Aside from being witty and charismatic, the key to knocking 'em dead is to assertively establish a clearly defined intention for your presentation. Where so many people fail is by trying to accomplish too much in the endeavor; by bombarding the beleaguered audience with too much information, instead of focusing on one central theme. Of course, the end result is a disaster and nobody comes away a winner. Don't be fooled by the applause at the end of that droning monologue; they're just glad it's over.

However, if you read this book and properly prepare for your gig, you'll more than likely successfully engage the audience to take the desired action; and chances are your career will now be locked onto the fast track.

Preparation, confidence, charisma, a little dose of humor and a clearly defined purpose will make everybody happy, and you'll get what you want out of the experience.

It's practically guaranteed.

I'm a marketing consultant who often leads meetings, gives presentations, and tries to convince others to follow my recommnedations. I'm always open to learning new ways to be more effective and more comfortable in all sorts of business situations and so I've read my share of business/sales books and have attended many corporate training sessions. What's great about Own The Room is that it's not the typical business book "fluff" that has one idea and fills 300 pages giving examples of that idea. It offers chapter after chapter of smart, practical advice that I started using right away.

I also liked that the authors don't prescribe a one-size-fits-all list of "must-do's" for speakers. Instead, they tell you how to be more effective using your own individual talents and strengths. That was far more comfortable for me and more useful to me in my day-to-day work.

If you want to up your game in terms of effective communications, get this book.

Put a classically trained actor, an award winning director, and a clinical psychologist together and what do you get? Why a book that should be on every seller's bookshelf, of course.

David Booth, Deborah Shames, and Peter Desberg, the authors of Own the Room: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, & Get Results (McGraw Hill: 2010), are not the typical authors you'll run across when looking for a book that can help you increase your sales and income. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that none of the authors can define the Puppy Dog Close, write a top notch cold calling script, or coach you through the negotiation process with a tough customer.

They don't know sales; they know people, they know presentation, they know how to connect with others. They know how to use words, body language, voice, props, and silence--all the things that we sellers use every day, usually with little grace and less control--to gain and keep someone's attention. More importantly, they know how to turn attention into genuine interest.

Own the Room isn't going to close deals for you, but it is going to give you the opportunity to close deals by showing you how to really engage your prospects and make presentations that will bring the prospect along with you; and frankly, you can't sell if your prospect has turned you off and is daydreaming about what they're going to have for lunch--or the relief they'd feel if they could throw you and your damned PowerPoint presentation out the window.

From your opening sentence--you've got 30 to 60 seconds to grab (or lose) your audience's attention--to your closing remarks, Own the Room gives solid, tested and proven guidance. Guidance is what you get in Own the Room, not just tips and tricks, and because the authors are giving guidance and I'm dense, I sometimes wished they'd been more concrete and said "Thou shalt do this in exactly this way" instead of giving an example of the concept and leaving the rest up to me.

Booth, Shames, and Desberg take on all aspects of the presentation from preparation to dealing with stage fright to using PowerPoint to using physical movement to make your point to how to make effective team presentations. The book seeks to be comprehensive in scope without smothering you with needless detail.

Whether your make presentations to a single potential buyer or to a room of thousands at a formal dinner, you'll walk away from Own the Room with some very practical guidance that will make your presentations more effective--or very likely, transform them altogether. Either way, you'll sell more of whatever you're selling.

If you're speaking publicly and haven't read this book, you've got more guts than I (and possibly less fans)! Smart, entertaining and chalk full of client anecdotes (both success stories as well as train wrecks), Deborah and David have done all the homework for business professionals to position themselves as savvy and engaging trusted advisors. This book is a MUST HAVE for any business professional who gets out of bed in the morning!

I had bought and put this book aside for a long while. It just happened that I needed to do an open powerpoint presentation so I checked it and....It's very helpful indeed. Full of good stuff, particularly those on "Stage Fright". In short, highly recommended!

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.
To put your hand through a horizontal piece of wood, you have to visualize as your target, not the top surface, but rather a point below it. That means you have to focus on striking two feet below the board with the intention of going right through. You cant hold back. You have to know exactly where you are going and believe you will get there. Pg1
Speakers must have a clear intention....Choose a specific not a general intention. Pg 2
To jump start your thinking, begin with a phrase such as one of the following:- I want... I am going to...We will...They will see me as the....Remember, the most effective intentions are active, not passive. Pg6
We adapted, improvised and overcame. (veni, vidi, vici). A theme is defined as a principal, recurring melody intended to convey a mood or central idea. Pg62
Never begin with an apology....Always present with authority. Pg68
The most specific the story, the better. Polite generalities miss the mark. Pg101
In this experiment, there were two groups: tappers and listeners. The tappers were directed to tap out the rhythm of a common song (Happy Birthday), and the listeners were asked to identify it. The tappers predicted that the listeners would correctly identify the song move than 80% of the time. The results showed that it was less than 15%. Pg103
Use concrete terms so the listener can visualize what you do...Choose specific, action oriented verbs for your stories.....Construct a list of three specific actions using active verbs. People tend to respond to units of three. Pg106
Occasional pauses are good for the presenter and for the audience. Pg124
As a presenter, you attract attention when you move....Being physically open allows the audience or client to embrace your ideas...Move to the center of the space when introducing or revisiting your theme....When you want to make an important point, move downstage toward your audience....Cross to a different part of the stage to introduce a new idea.....If possible, stand in close proximity to the screen where your powerpoint slides are projected......Chapter 8 Physical Grammar
Powerpoint doesn't give presentations; it creates slides. You give the presentation. Pg184

This book is a great overview of how to create presentations that are interesting, persuasive and get results.
Thank you!

This book had me from hello! This is a must read if your just beginning or have been in sales for some time. The information is so well laid out and easy to follow. Once you start applying the techniques you are sure to see success. Don't take my word on it, read it and try it yourself.

Remember in your childhood being asked to perform a musical instrument, or speak in front of a group of adults.
What a strange, awkward experience, and how could you deliver without choking up?

"Own the Room" brings you three high-quality mentors, a theater actor + director, a film producer + director, and a clinical psychologist.
These three mentors guide you to bring out your magic and personalize each element of your presentation.
Also, you learn to tailor your story for your audience and circumstances.
You learn to speak from the heart, to deliver your compelling story, and engage your audience to the very last pause.
"Own the Room" is filled with practical actions to engage, compel, and be very meaningful to your audience.

This book should be required reading to communicate successfully, effectively and economically.
In addition, David and Deborah train people to present successfully under different circumstances.
Their interactive classes bring "Own the Room" to life and they change your life for the better.