Presentations For Dummies [Paperback]

Malcolm Kushner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2004

Whether you’re dealing with one person or one thousand, the ability to transmit ideas in a coherent and compelling fashion is one of the most important skills you can ever develop. Want to impress your colleagues? Convince your clients? Prove your point? The key to success is what you say. To get what you want in life, you have to present yourself forcefully, credibly, and convincingly.

If you need to land that big consulting job or launch a new initiative at the office, knowing how to present your case is half the battle. Luckily, Presentations For Dummies shows you the way. It gives you all the tools and tips you need to make your presentations flawless and effective, including proven advice on:

• Relating to your audience
• Overcoming stage fright
• Adding flare with personal stories
• Using humor to loosen up the crowd
• Making your point with visual aids

From getting prepared to dealing with unexpected problems while you’re the focus of attention, this handy guide covers everything you need to make all your presentations flawless. You’ll learn how to create fantastic, effective visual aids that make your point with passion, and a whole lot more:

• Gathering sources and compiling data
• Organizing your ideas
• Improving your timing for maximum impact
• Using your pre-presentation nerves as an asset
• Choosing the perfect word in every instance
• Crafting an introduction, conclusion, and transitions
• Using PowerPoint to make your point
• Understanding what body language says about you
• Simple tricks for every situation

Written by consultant, humorist, and professional speaker Malcolm Kushner, Presentations For Dummies tells you everything you need to know — and do — to get it right from the start. But be careful, this powerful resource could make your presentations so good that you might have to give more of them.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Beat stage fright and give a flawless presentation

Tips and tactics for making your point with PowerPoint®

Want to impress your colleagues? Convince your clients? Prove your point? No matter what you’re trying to say or to whom you’re speaking, a great presentation is often the key to success. Luckily, this friendly guide shows you how to make every presentation you give powerful, believable, and convincing.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Relate to any audience
• Communicate globally
• Add flare with personal stories
• Crack up your audience
• Employ powerful visual aids
• Field tough questions
• Recover when things go wrong

About the Author

Malcolm Kushner, “America’s favorite humor consultant,” is an internationally acclaimed expert on humor and communication and a professional speaker. Since 1982, he has trained thousands of managers, executives, and professionals how to gain a competitive edge with humor. His clients include IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Chevron, Aetna, Motorola, and Bank of America.
A popular speaker, his Leading With Laughter® presentation features rare video clips of U.S. presidents using humor intentionally and successfully. He has performed the speech at many corporate and association meetings, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution.
Kushner has also written presentations for some of the nation’s leading corporate executives. His work has included everything from remarks at annual shareholder meetings to commencement addresses and Congressional testimony.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Buffalo, Kushner holds a B.A. in Speech-Communication. His M.A. in Speech-Communication is from the University of Southern California, where he taught freshman speech. He also has a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a humor consultant, he practiced law with a major San Francisco law firm.
Kushner is the author of The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success (Simon & Schuster) and Vintage Humor for Wine Lovers (Malcolm Kushner & Associates). He is also a cocreator of the humor exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Frequently interviewed by the media, Kushner has been profiled in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, and numerous other publications. His television and radio appearances include CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, Voice of America, and The Larry King Show. His annual “Cost of Laughing Index” has been featured on The Tonight Show and the front page of The Wall Street Journal.
Need a great speaker for your next meeting or event? Contact Malcolm at P.O. Box 7509, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, call 831-425-4839, or e-mail him at [e-mail]. Visit his Web site at www.kushnergroup.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (July 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764559559
• ISBN-13: 978-0764559556
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Malcolm Kushner, "America's Favorite Humor Consultant," is an internationally acclaimed expert on humor and communication. Since 1982, he has trained thousands of managers, executives and professionals how to gain a competitive edge with humor. His clients include IBM, Aetna, HP, AT&T, Bank of America, American Bar Association, American Medical Association and the IRS.

A co-creator of the humor exhibit at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, he also co-authored "Well...There You Go Again": The Humor That Shaped America (Volume I) -- the first multimedia CD-ROM devoted solely to Ronald Reagan. He has lectured about presidential humor at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the Smithsonian Institute and numerous leadership conferences.

Kushner is the author of "The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success" (Simon & Schuster). A main selection of the MacMillan Business Book Club, it has been translated into five languages. He is also the author of "Public Speaking For Dummies" (Wiley Books) and "Presentations For Dummies" (Wiley Books) which has sold over 100,000 copies. His latest books are "The Little Book of Humorous Quotes" (aka associates) and "The Official Book of Mob Humor" (Robert D. Reed Publishers).

Kushner holds an M.A. in Communication from the University of Southern California. and a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. He has served as a staff attorney for the California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, and practiced law with a major San Francisco firm.

Frequently interviewed by the media, he has been profiled in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post and numerous other publications. His television and radio appearances include CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, "Voice of America" and "The Larry King Show."

Kushner is also the creator of the widely quoted "Cost of Laughing Index" -- a price index of the 16 leading humor indicators in America. The annual Index has been featured on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show and the front page of The Wall Street Journal. It is routinely picked up for April Fool's Day by wire services around the world.

A popular speaker at corporate and association meetings, Kushner is based in Menasha, Wisconsin. For more information, and lots of humor you can use in your next presentation, check out www.kushnergroup.com or www.museumofhumor.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good - little surprised not more reviews, May 13, 2007

By 

S. Curry (Los Angeles area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Presentations For Dummies (Paperback)

I picked this book up at a store, and would not have bought on Amazon because of the lack of reviews, which I am very surprised about. This books is a very nice review of what you need to know to give a great presentation. Net, covers the major topics, hits on the key points to think about what your audience wants to here. I have read, many, many books on presenting and thought this was very good. Very comfortable recommending.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting the best of obnoxious people can be fun..., January 27, 2006

By 

Bobby W. Miller "KILL ME IF YOU CAN" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Presentations For Dummies (Paperback)

Here's hoping that you're not in my shoes, but even so, Presentations for Dummies can make life go down a little smoother. There's no need to dread that next encounter with an overbearing in-law or neighbor. With just a little practice using the strategies outlined in this book, you'll look forward to these war games.