Customer Reviews

The Power Presenter: Technique, Style, and Strategy from America's Top Speaking Coach

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jerry Weissman breaks through a powerful myth about public speaking and offers an appealing alternative right at the start of this book. I'll rephrase it for you: Public speaking should not be required to mimic what a Broadway actor does on his or her day off!

This is really important for the many businesspeople who speak and have been browbeaten by well-meaning but ill-informed coaches to think that they need to summon up their Inner Thespian just to make an acceptable speech. They don't. I was once a speech coach and I was on the side of Weissman's philosophy. Namely, that a speech is not necessarily a Tony-Award-winning performance; but it _is_ a _conversation_ with your audience.

Drama ain't for everyone. But clear, connected, and ideally compelling communication is.

There's lots more in this book besides that stress-relieving idea, but it alone will make it worth your reading, especially if you are a man or woman in business. Here is why: Many people successful in business have already learned how to listen and how to speak persuasively, long before they needed to get in front of an audience. (Not all, but many.) That everyday persuasion skill is relatively easy to extend and expand on the platform, compared to the much more demanding (and often awkward) skill set that needs to be mastered from the dramatic arts.

I know a number of people in the professional speaking community and a number of coaches. One other good thing Weissman does that I haven't seen anyone else in his field do nearly as well or as thoroughly is, he meticulously researches and presents examples from famous people familiar to the reader (one chapter: Winston Churchill, JFK, Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama) and shows someone who has no mastery of oratorical skills, and no desire to have it, how to apply some lessons from the greats in their own presentations.

I've been speaking in front of groups professionally since 1987. I know from experience (not just as a coach, but as a speaker) that it makes a huge difference to have a model and approach that lets you be yourself in front of a group while still being interesting and worthwhile for your audience. This book gives you many tips and techniques to get you there.

Jerry Wiseman's latest book (he also wrote "In The Line of Fire" and "Presenting to Win")is subtitled "Technique, Style, and Strategy from America's Top Speaking Coach." While the book certainly is packed with practical and useful ideas, I had some difficulties getting through it. Rather than let my subjective opinion color my entire review, here's what worked and what didn't work (in my opinion.)

What works:
1. You'll find a lot of specific examples of good and bad speeches, along with the urls so you can view them online.

2. Weissman stresses the importance of knowing and working with the audience. He brings it up early and keeps coming back to it. It's the key to good presentations and he wraps much of the book around it.

3. He gives specific examples of improving vocal and visual components of presenting.

4. He addresses how to handle nerves and non-verbal fillers (e.g., "ummm) in clear, useful ways.

5. Chapters 11 through 13 give specific, useful, attainable instructions on how to deliver a PowerPoint presentation that creates a bond of clarity between the speaker and audience. No more Death By PowerPoint.

What doesn't work:

1. Weissman spends 230 pages on the sizzle and 8.5 on the steak. Chapter 4 is "How to Prepare Your Content, The Seven Steps of Story Development," but points 6 and 7 are not really about story development. Without meaningful content, there is no presentation, no matter how powerful the presenter. From frequent mentions, I surmise content was the topic of a previous book. But no book on presentation should gloss over the importance of content. Skip it entirely and say why, or include more material on how to write a good presentation.

2. The subtitle of the book includes the words "from America's Top Speaking Coach." Who decides that? In case you wonder, the book's introduction assures the reader that Weissman's speech coaching has raised the value of an IPO (initial public offering of stock) for none less than Cisco Systems. You also are reminded that Weissman has an MA from Stanford University, and that his client list includes the CEOs of well-known companies, which are named. He makes reference to his other books often. In our culture, self promotion is a virtue, intended to explain expertise. It made me feel browbeaten instead.

3. The majority of speech quotes are political. There is a good reason for that--they are recognizable and easily accessible. The disadvantage is that most people feel strongly supportive of their political choice, and that lessens the reader's ability to be impartial in how these speeches are described.

4. Their are design and editorial flaws. The book's photos and clips are in black and white, even after TV programs ran in color. Some of the photos are blurry. The pie chart on pages 2 and 4 is presented incorrectly: a pie chart's biggest segment begins at the top of the circle and moves clockwise, followed by the next biggest segment. The political quotes are too busy--they appear in italics, separated from the text by indents and keylines. One of those would have been enough. The urls for each political clip (conveniently, the url is an ad for the author) is given in a large shaded box marked "Note" and a reminder to use the passcode in the introduction. This material could have been handled in a less obtrusive way. Important notes, such as how to black out a PowerPoint screen are presented in the same way, making it easy for a reader to skip them. Elizabeth Dole's nickname is "Liddy" not "Libby." There is mention of a Pulitzer Prize winning television critic, but he or she is not named. On p. 207 is a chart that "summarizes. . .all that you've learned in the last two chapters," but the chart shows 6 identical storyboard segments. All these stumbles make me doubt some of the veracity of the book.

The book is certainly worth reading and even worth owning. It's not a textbook, but it will help you improve your presentation skills.

Like most professional presenters I have a couple of shelves of books on public speaking and presenting. We always look for a new wrinkle. Jerry Weissman's book seemed especially promising. He had trained some heavy hitters, including the CEO's of Yahoo, Intuit, and Netflix. I was not disappointed. One moment we all fear is when we stand up to speak ... what Jerry calls the "Moment of Truth," the critical first few seconds when you begin to speak, when appearance, body language and the way you sound account for 93% of the impression you make. (WHAT you say accounts for only 7%!) Jerry's techniques for handling the adrenaline rush and moving with confidence and grace are excellent. His most important quality is writing with clarity and precision and walking you through each step in the preparation process. In my judgment, every battle is won or lost before it is set into motion, and Jerry handles this concept as the "Mental Method of Presenting." Assuming you have a precious payload, preparation and multiple rehearsals will launch it into orbit successfully.

There is a great deal more, including learning to tell the right story in a compelling way, using graphics to wow and not confuse, using body language to deliver with poise and power, and orchestrating proper cadence. The book abounds with great examples, and Weissman provides web access to view the video clips of many of the examples he refers to. These clips are worth the price of the book and include outstanding presentations of Ronald Reagan, contrasting examples of passionless a Bob Dole and fiery Barack Obama, Generals Neal and Schwarzkopf, Kennedy/Nixon in debate; George Bush's dramatic improvements before and after being coached, Libby Dole's dramatic invasion of the audience,the monumental errors by a cranky and negative Ross Perot and much more. If you give talks or presentations you will not regret this investment.

Many people would rather try to flush a snarling bobcat down the toilet than give a speech. Indeed, individuals often rate public speaking as a primary fear. Delivering a speech summons the same jacked-up "fight or flight" response that animals depend upon to survive predator attacks. Your breathing rate shoots through the roof. You cannot think clearly. You are suddenly in severe physical crisis. Unfortunately, when you give a speech, you cannot fight your way out of trouble or run away from it. Instead, you must somehow stand there calmly, and speak in a coherent, compelling fashion. Premier speaking coach Jerry Weissman shows how to quell those stressful feelings. In this clearly written book - which features an attractive design that makes his examples particularly easy to follow - he provides a comprehensive set of public speaking techniques to help you win over any audience. getAbstract is glad to speak up for this book and its fascinating case histories about famous speakers, including an insightful analysis of the fateful 1960 U.S. presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. History might have been different if Nixon had read Weissman's book before he went on TV. If you hope to rise in sales or business, not to mention politics, you must be able to give a great presentation - this book will show you how.

This book is a good read, and it accomplishes it's main goal: to educate the reader on how to become a better, less fearful speaker. The author has a theory: that the WORDS of a speech are not as important as the speaker himself. In Weissman's opinion, a speaker's charisma counts for a great deal more than even the message he/she is trying to convey. I agree with the author to some extent, and he paints a very good argument for his belief.

This book would be useful to anyone who is trying to cultivate a speaking job-- as an author, I find that marketing is becoming more and more my responsibility, and part of that includes speaking in person, at book fairs, in seminars, etc.

The only drawback I saw in this book was the repeated back-patting and self-promotion. Authors must learn how to self-promote in order to be successful, but there's a fine line where this becomes excessive.

But if you can get past the political jargon and the self-serving aspects, it's a very useful book.

I don't know if Jerry Weissman is America's top speaking coach
(as proclaimed on the cover of his book, THE POWER PRESENTER),
but I can tell you that the guy knows his stuff . . . his tips
make a great deal of sense, and apparently they work--as evidenced
by the fact that he has worked with dozens of big-name business
leaders, including founding Yahoo! CEO Tim Koogle, Intuit
founder Scott Cook and Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings.

What I liked best about THE POWER PRESENTER was its
analysis of actual speeches by such notables as Martin
Luther King, Jr., John F. Kenney and Ronald Reagan . . . but
not only do you get to read what Weissman has to say, he
then proceeds to the show actual clips (via a website that only
purchasers of the book can get).

Even if you're an accomplished public speaker, there's much
in this book that you'll enjoy hearing Weissman's take on . . . for
example, in speaking to a group, he advises:

* Whenever you step up to the front of a room to present or
speak, regardless of the size of the audience-4, 40, 400, or
4,000-pick one person. It doesn't matter who: the person
who greeted you at the door, someone you know, someone
you don't know, a friendly face or an unfriendly face. Pick
only one person.

And then to establish eye contact:

* Every time you pick a person with whom to have a conversation,
look at that person at least until you feel him or her look back at you.
Feel the connection. Feel a click. Look that person straight in the eye.
Establish sincerity.

I also liked the special chapter, "What Every Speaker Can Learn
from Barack Obama" . . . this one point really struck home:

* Obama now tries to make a more personal connection with
voters. In the past, he has been accused of making his campaign
more about himself than about those who come to his rallies.
Now the word "you" is mentioned as much as the word "I."
"You're not heard. They're not listening to what you need,"
he told a crowd assembled at a rodeo site in Fort Madison on a
recent evening. "You deserve a president who is thinking about you."

That said, even if you're not aspiring to become President of the United
States, there's much you'll benefit from by reading THE POWER
PRESENTER . . . it would also make an ideal gift for anybody
needing to improve his or her presentation skills.

A very useful book in tandem with Presentation Zen. Concise and to the point this book will open your eyes and guide you to vastly improved presentations. Whether it is for launching your IPO or an internal presentation you will find great use from this book. I really enjoyed his analysis of what you can learn from Obama's style. Also you get the in depth look at how Reagan became the great communicator. I had not seen anyone else show how Bill Clinton and Geo W. Bush both vastly improved their speaking styles. Good book for your library - buy it, read it and use it.

This book is packed with practical advice that will make you a better presenter, but it's more than just advice. The Power Presenter proposes a method of presenting that works for any presenter in any circumstance. I can see why executives swear by Weissman's workshops. They leave with a toolkit for presentations. You'll love the author's frequent links to his website for snippets of good and bad speaking by our political leaders. In particular, I like the way that Weissman distills his recommendations into acronyms, memorable phrases, and simple diagrams. I wouldn't recommend this book without saying that the classic Presenting to Win is a must read also.

I liked this book. It was definitely well written and well outlined. Books on this subject are hard to write. They are typically not very popular. And they rarely do a good job of educating the reader how to be better public speakers. I should know since back in 2005 I was a very active member of two Toastmasters clubs in South Carolina. I looked for books on public speaking to help me rush through the Toastmasters programs. I didn't find many books that were particularly helpful. But I did rush through the first two of four public speaking programs in my first six months and became an Advanced Toastmaster Bronze. That's 20 five to seven minute talks in 6 months.

What I learned was that you get better with public speaking with practice. A coach like the author of this book may help. But he's kind of expensive and he's only going to give you his perspective on how you need to improve. My advice, join one or two Toastmasters (Toastmasters dot org) clubs and get involved. Learn by doing - not reading.

There are a few books you may want to read besides the instant one being reviewed. Yes, I recommend you read the instant book. But also consider reading the following: Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story; In The SpotLight, Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing; Speak With Confidence : Powerful Presentations That Inform, Inspire and Persuade; The Confident Speaker; The Complete Guide To Public Speaking; and The Exceptional Presenter: A Proven Formula to Open Up and Own the Room.

Most people have a fear for public speaking. I found the secret to being successful at it was to simplify the talk into a series of short stories. Never try to memorize lines. Just tell stories. It's really that simple. And the better you organize those stories and pick good stories, then the better your talks will be. You will want to use good body language, but that is not all that difficult to do if you enjoy telling your stories and try to make them interesting.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the way the author kept trying to self-promote himself. I didn't need to hear too much about his background in the book. All I wanted to read about was how he advises his clients to be better public speakers. I also did not appreciate all the examples of public speakers who were famous. Too much name dropping. And I certainly didn't need to hear so much about Barack Obama. That guy's not a public speaker. He a great teleprompt reader. There's a difference!

But all in all this is a pretty good book on the subject of public speaking. I highly recommend you read it along with the other books cited above after you enroll in a Toastmasters club. The clubs are very inexpensive to join and they will make you a great public speaker if you are serious about it. 4 stars!

If you search in Amazon for books on presentation skills, you'll find that there are 10,415 books from which to choose. There is no shortage of information on the topic. What is typical among them are formulaic approaches, many of which espouse the same old adages on body language, connection with your audience and reliance on the visual. While The Power Presenter addresses that which is tride and true, it also goes many steps further. Weissman dives deep into speech, showing WHY his recommendations work. He analyzes popular speeches (supported by video clips on his website) to demonstrate where and how good technique is being used. It becomes evident that becoming truly masterful at public speaking is as hard as any discipline -- there is a lot! to practice and perfect. The very tangible case studies and analyses makes it easy to quickly recognize what you are doing right (or wrong) in your own delivery. Furthermore, he addresses the end goal of speaking, i.e., making a profound impact. For instance, he tracked the speeches of Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama in their contest for the Democratic nomination. When Obama shifted his speeches to use the word "you" more than the word "I", his popularity outpaced that of Clinton's. She, by the way, used the word "I" 35 times and the word "you" only 17 times in her concession speech. Conversely, Obama used the word "I" only 10 times and the you "26" times in his victory speech.
The end result is that there is a lot of material in this book that appeals to intellect and supports the recommendations. If you had to choose just one book on presentation skills, this should be it.