Customer Reviews

Present Like a Pro: The Field Guide to Mastering the Art of Business, Professional, and Public Speaking

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This book has a considerable number of useful points for the speaker - but a lot less for the presenter. Maxey and O'Connor have a combined total of more than 45 years experience of professional speaking, so it doesn't take much to realize that they both probably started before the age of PowerPoint - and they don't like it.

They talk of flipcharts, which don't work well for audiences over 30 people, and there are a whole lot of techniques that they recommend that work well for people who don't use a projector but work against those who have spent time on slides.

That isn't to say that if you use slides you won't pick up any useful techniques here, but be careful before you implement some of them. I had to check the date of first publication because I though this was a new edition of an older book.

Like many books on presenting, they throw up ideas that aren't really explained enough to be useful, like "End Unexpectedly." But what really makes me think that they realize what readers they're dealing with is when they say "finish early - your audience will love you." Yes, on one level, they will, but this also gives me the impression that they think that you'll be bad, no matter what advice they give you, so get off as soon as you can.

Buy this book if you're looking for ideas wherever you can find them, and some ideas might be very useful, like the "Never Apologize" chapter. But be aware it's not really aimed at the typical presenter, so you'll have to pick and choose your advice carefully.

This book is without a doubt the best available advice on presenting and speaking. As a professional speaker myself, I use it as a reference guide before every speech. Maxey and O'Connor (combined) speak more than 200 times per year. They have made the mistakes and learned the lessons the hard way. All you need to do is read "Present Like a Pro" to learn from these two highly successful professionals.

Cyndi and Kevin teach you:

How to prepare for a great presentation
How to quickly connect with your audience
How to gracefully handle A/V malfunctions
How to increase audience participation
How to deal with hecklers
How to follow-up
and more

As a reference guide for my own speech preparation, this book never leaves my desk!

It's easy-to-read and easy-to-use. Join the hundreds of professional speakers who use Maxey and O'Connor's book for great speeches.

Michael Beitler, Ph.D.
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"Strategic Organizational Change, Second Edition

According to Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O'Connor, authors of "Present Like A Pro," (St. Martin's Griffin 2006), a professional level speaker always ends unexpectedly. When I first read that I thought "Huh?"

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how correct Maxey and O'Connor are. Too many speakers feel they can just end by saying "and in conclusion, my three key points are blah, blah, and blah." Your ending is a great place to shine by showing flashes of creativity--don't blow it.

Some speakers do end unexpectedly because they seem to run out of gas. They say "That's it, any questions?" That's not the sort of ending unexpectedly you want to emulate. The key is to surprise with unexpected value, insight and sometimes emotion.

Maxey also writes that "a pro is ready to edit on the spot." This means that if you think you are going to have 30 minutes to give a presentation and then you are told at the last minute that you only have fifteen minutes, you aren't going to whine and complain to the organizers or the audience. Because you have such a deep grasp of your subject matter and the needs of your audience, you can instantly figure out what to cut from your speech and still make the strongest impact on your audience. The highest level pros may even go so far as having a second PowerPoint ready with a drastically reduced number of slides just in case the time for the speech has been reduced.

"Present Like A Pro" also does a great job of chronicling all the different times, places, and ways in a speech where speakers apologize. Now I have often admonished speakers to avoid apologizing in speeches, but Maxey and O'Connor say it best when they advise "Don't include apologies at any point unless the roof falls in."

These authors do an excellent job of crystallizing the highest goals for the advanced speaker; it isn't about avoiding um's or having well structured content. Ultimately, a speech by a professional is about the experience created for the audience.

"The Experience is what an audience wants and needs." Yes, Yes, Yes--and this doesn't just apply to so-called motivational or feel-good speakers.

Thousands of books have been written on how to give a good speech. "Present Like A Pro" is one of the rare books in the genre that will deliver the inside secrets you need to be a GREAT speaker.

Whether you are a new or seasoned speaker, you will be a better speaker after reading this book. The authors offer meaningful and practical strategies for enhancing your client and audience experiences. From the pitfalls of the apology opening to managing interactions and responding to questions from the audience, this book provides exactly what you need to present like a pro. A book that delivers on its title - what a concept.

You immediately get the sense that these authors care about helping you improve your speaking. Unlike many books on speaking, this one doesn't provide oversimplified suggestions and the assumptive tone: "Here's how I do it -- it works for me -- so it will work for you too."

Present Like a Pro recognizes we each have to develop our own process if we are going to connect with our audience. Maxey and O'Connor take this responsibility with great reverence -- providing hundreds of suggestions that I'm using to make incremental improvements with every presentation. Don't just read this book -- re-read it until you absorb those little nuances that make a big difference - that is, if you really do want to present like a pro!

I have read a tremendous number of books on public speaking and Maxey and O'Connor summed up everything you need to know in this easy to read book. They give you just enough information without being tedious or repetitive. I particularly like the "call-out" boxes which share "Coach's Comments", "From the Pros" and real life stories. Present Like a Pro has a prominent place on my bookshelf - and it will on yours, too!

I bought this book last year based on the reputation of one of the authors. I present about 25 times a year and I found the book very useful. I used a number of tips and techniques immediately with good results. The authors practice what they preach in their writing structure and style, proving the effectiveness of some of their techniques/points.

There is so much bad advice out there on how to present, mostly from people who "think" they know what to do. Maxey and O'Connor have "done it", with every type of audience and industry. 45 years of real world experience. They absolutely make sense to me on what actually works! This is the definitive book on presenting in my opinion. It doesn't matter whether you are presenting to a large or small group, giving a talk at a wedding or a local business group, it is about the audience and that connection. It is a series of one on one conversations!

I could not put the book down! As someone who is seeking to become a better speaker, I found a great suggestion on every page. The book is packed with excellent advise, pertinent suggestions, and wonderful stories to drive their points home. The changes I have made, as a result of this book, have dramatically improved the quality of my speeches.

In reading the entire book in 2 sittings, I can say that I found the content to be engaging, pragmatic, and very timely solution to some of my current issues around presenting.

Yes, it is a lot of information, but the book doesn't feel unapproachable. Nor is it a "presenting for dummy's" kind of book. Good balance between too much information and too little.