Customer Reviews

TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations is not written for public speakers only, although they will benefit immensely from this compact book.

It is written for anyone who has anything important to say in any context, to as few as one person. Think job interview, sales call, marriage proposal, a pitch to investors, and so on, and most definitely, a public speech or presentation.

The title is misleading in another way, as well. It shares not one secret to making great presentations, but dozens. Each of them written is bite-sized, easy-to-undestand, chapters. No theory, no filler. All meat.

Some of the secrets Walker and co-author Jess Todtfeld share are:

How to overcome stage fright or nervousness

What the realistic goals are for your presentation

How long your presentation should be

How many key points to cover

How to use PowerPoint effectively

Whether or not to use whiteboards, flip-charts etc.

How to use humor

How to connect with the audience

How to troubleshoot your presentation

How to develop a lifetime presentation improvement plan

and... The One Big Secret to Foolproof Presentations. The secret that makes all the other secrets work.

Walker knows what he's talking about. He has appeared on over 1,000 TV and radio news/talk shows, including Fox News Channel, NBC Radio and National Pubic Radio. He is the CEO of Media Training Worldwide.

In sum, I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever has the occasion to speak to another human being.

Read it and speak. With confidence and power.

Danek S. Kaus, author of You Can Be Famous! Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity You Can Be Famous: Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity and co-author of Power Persuasion: Using Hypnotic Influence to Win in Life, Love and Business Power Persuasion: Using Hypnotic Influence to Win In Life, Love And Business

TJ Walker gives the best tips you can get to make your presentation more interesting and engaging. His book is an extremely valuable tool for anyone that needs to stand in front of an audience and don't want to be forgotten the minute people walk out the door. I highly recommend this book.

TJ has one of the key attributes a successful speaker needs, and that is passion for his craft and topic. I am not surprised at all that this book is a bestseller. I'd prefer that people buy my book, The Confident Speaker, but you can't go wrong with TJ Walker's advice and his tremendous experience in the art and science of speaking.

Harrison Monarth

New York Times bestselling author of The Confident Speaker (McGraw-Hill 2007)

[My review originally appeared in the Thinking Directions Occasional Update, hence the references to interest in thinking skills.]

Many books offer great advice. Some are so powerful they change your mind on issues you consider settled. Very few are so clear you can learn something about thinking just by reading them. *TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations* is all three.

At first glance, this book appears to be a compendium of answers to frequently-asked questions (FAQ's) about public speaking. The chapters have titles such as "How can I get over stage fright or nervousness?" and "What do I do if I make a mistake or forget what I am about to say?" Each chapter answers the title's question in a clear, direct way.

But that's where the similarity to a typical FAQ ends.

Though the questions come from different perspectives, the answers all come from TJ Walker's. He's a man on a mission to persuade his readers of one thing: "Don't focus on making a bad impression. Spend your time figuring out how to leave a lasting positive impression." He hits this point in some form in every chapter--without ever being redundant.

In fact, the book as a whole is a deft dramatization of how to respond to the issues of immediate concern to your audience, while still getting *your* message across in a compelling way.

There is something fresh in every chapter. In some cases the advice is familiar (analyze video of yourself) but the argument is strikingly blunt: "Is it painful to watch yourself? Yes. But this is less painful than wasting the time of people you are speaking to because you were boring or hard to follow."

In other cases the advice is surprising. For example, Walker tells you to put no words--zero words--on the Powerpoint slides you show to the audience. But make a second set of slides with bullet points, and give that to them afterwards for reference.

I particularly appreciated how Walker made every suggestion easy to implement. His simple advice for how to find appropriate stories and humor was eye-opening and empowering.

Even if you have no particular interest in improving your communication skills, I recommend you read this book. Because if you're interested in thinking skills (as I presume those on this list are), you're interested in clarity. And for sheer clarity, this book is remarkable. It vividly demonstrates how to use words to make your ideas unmistakably clear and compelling.

Whatever your reason for reading it, don't be surprised if TJ Walker inspires you to improve your presentation skills. Before I read this book, I felt pretty satisfied with my own presentations. I opened up the book hoping to pick up a few extra tips. By the time I finished it (less than 24 hours later), I was filled with insights and inspiration, and passionately committed to taking my presentations to the next level.

Highly recommended.

I am an expert in my field, not in public speaking. With coaching by TJ Walker, I've learned to be conversational. Gone are the days I try to speak like I write. Now during a presentation, I just have a conversation. I have the same conversation with my audience as I would with my best friend. It's better for my audience and better for me.

Harkins RMA

I read the book. It is a great summary of what we have learned the hard way over many years. In fact a little over a week ago I needed to do a telephone conference presentation to an account in Austin, TX., that I have been courting for over a year. I flipped through the book and decided, "So, why are we here" followed by a short summary of the past year, stated goals and unstated needs. Landed the account in 45 minutes! My honest thoughts . . . A well prepared and rehearsed presentation that does does not waste the audience time, hits the important marks and allows for the follow-up and implementation . . . as they say is "Priceless". Your book hits the marks!

Some of the things covered on power point I had thought or heard, TJ confirmed it. A must have for sales people who want to improve and move away from paper handouts. Easy read and very practical.

As author of "Practical Public Relations for the Small Business: Tools and Tactics for Competitive Advantage," I readily endorse this as a must-read book for anyone who wants to truly reach an audience.

T.J. reveals the secrets of creating one-on-one communication with an audience regardless of its size. This straightforward, easy to read primer challenges many of the standard assumptions about how to be an effective presenter. The author's decades of speaking experience adds to its tried and true credibility.

As a presenter and moderator who has worked on television for 22 years, I highly recommend this book.

[...]

Mr. Walker breaks down the ins and outs of presentations. After reading his book, I feel I am better prepared to address people in a public setting. I never knew just how much goes into the delivery of a message.

"TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations" is an invaluable resource for anyone. I have and will continue to recommend this book. It is both informative and interesting.

This book is without equal. There are so many useful tips and suggestions, it would be impossible to list them all here, but TJ's advice to tell stories, and to avoid using text in one's PowerPoint slides, will help you go from good to great in your presentations. After you read this book, you should sign up for one of TJ Walker and Jess Todtfeld's seminars.

Miles Davis and Vladimir Horowitz practiced for hours each day up until the end of their lives. No matter how skilled you believe you are, there is always room for improvement, and if you follow the wise counsel in this book, your effectiveness as a communicator will skyrocket.

I can't recommend this book highly enough! Thank you, TJ.