Customer Reviews

Speaking to the Big Dogs

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This DVD is fantastic! I hung on every word. Speaking to the Big Dogs provides a superb overview of the principles of preparing for, organizing and delivering a presentation to senior decision makers. As someone who writes presentations for "big dogs" and who also teaches how to write and deliver presentations, I think the wealth of advice and insights contained in this DVD is right on the money.

I found myself nodding my head in agreement with everything I heard. While the senior executives' responses to Rick Gilbert's well-considered questions are often like-minded, each one of them offers a different and valuable perspective on every subject area. In the one or two instances where the executives expressed differing opinions about what the "little dogs" should do in a given situation, it pointed to the need to gauge the atmosphere at a particular time and place and adjust -- much like musicians take the measure of a crowd before deciding to play fast or slow, loud or soft.

The DVD is divided into chapters, making it easy to follow the flow of the interviews Rick Gilbert conducted. Rick follows his own advice, giving the viewer a summary of the high points at the beginning of each chapter, so you know what to expect. The booklet that comes with Speaking to the Big Dogs is also well written, and provides a quick read of the DVD's major points.

In taking on the challenge of improving presentations, Rick Gilbert has addressed a subject as ubiquitous as the weather. And we all know what people say about that subject: everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it. Well, Rick has done a great deal to help people make better presentations.

The long and short of it is that Speaking to the Big Dogs provides access to a deep well of knowledge and experience that would be difficult to find in one place anywhere else - at any price.

Who would benefit from buying this CD? Speaking to the Big Dogs would make a great addition to a company orientation package. I can see junior managers, sales personnel, engineers etc. being asked watch and learn from it. They could "check it out" and take it with them to watch on a flight, for instance. It could also be a prerequisite to taking a hands-on course on how to write and deliver a presentation.

MBA students, military members and employees of government, associations and foundations - in other words, anyone who has to present to high-level decision makers - will benefit from the wisdom contained in this DVD.

Very highly recommended for corporate managers at all levels of responsibility, Speaking To The Big Dogs: A Boardroom Survival Kit is a solidly instructional DVD featuring advice straight from senior executives concerning how to prepare, how to present, and how to improvise with the "Big Dogs" (C-Level executives in business) while maximizing an efficient use of their time and yours. From making the first line the bottom line; to why bad news should be served up first; to handling power dynamics; to what to do when time gets cut or they start to leave the meeting or become distracted; to why PowerPoint slides are not always the best presentational choice; and so much more, Speaking To The Big Dogs offers a wealth of succinct, time-tested, experientially solid, and usefully practical career-enhancing tips, tricks, and techniques.

Presentation is more than just copy and paste data to powerpoint slides. This DVD shows you all the techniques to make your presentation more effective. I really learn a lot from it and presentation to senior management no longer a tooth-pulling process for me.