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The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills that Win Business
Occasionally, a great idea will sell itself. The other 99% of the time, you have to find a way to persuade others that it is, in fact, a great idea. Most executives spend the vast majority of their time creating their work, and almost no time on the presentation. Through an engaging and humorous narrative, Peter Coughter presents the tools he designed to help advertising and marketing professionals develop persuasive presentations that deliver business. Readers will learn how to hone their individual natural presentation style, how to organize a powerful presentation, how to harness the elegant power of simplicity, how to truly connect with an audience, how to rehearse effectively, and most importantly, how to win.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2012
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1382 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 4, 2017
I had to read this for a class and the writer's arrogance was a huge turn-off. There were some helpful tips, but it was mostly basic information with a lot of bragging. Additionally, there was a LOT of contradictions in the advice as well as occasional misogyny. Would not recommend.
June 25, 2023
A book full of applicable learnings and interesting case studies, a must for all of us as the learnings can be applied to our every day conversations, because in the end a presentation is just a conversation, where you do most of the talking :)
June 4, 2017
Every interaction is business life is a sales pitch, and the product of the sale is you. You, and your ability to be trusted, and the credibility you bring to your work. Quiet and reserved people often resent the need to sell themselves and think the quality of their ideas should be the measure, not how they are packaged. But the reality is, in our information overloaded world, the best ideas will never be heard if they are not presented in a compelling way. It's no secret that the best communicators earn the most power and influence, even if their ideas are second rate (erm..Donald Trump?). This book breaks down the art form of pitching and in my opinion does it rather well.
March 3, 2017
In the high-intensity world of business, it is important for firms to do whatever they can to stay ahead. In order to sell a product, service, or idea, the audience must first be convinced. This is exactly the topic of discussion in Peter Coughter’s book, The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills that Win Business. Coughter begins by explaining his credibility in the book’s introduction; he was a part of Siddal, Matus & Coughter Ad Agency, a company that started with three inexperienced men and eventually became very successful. Additionally, he is currently a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University at the VCU Brandcenter graduate program. Coughter’s objective for this book is essentially to teach presentation skills to anyone who has an idea they want to share. Throughout the entire book, a combined argument is seen to involve two broad lessons: be true and be prepared. Of course, in the book, these arguments are further explained. Through the use of specific examples teaching the audience to be true and be prepared, Coughter is able to achieve his main goal: informing others on how to successfully present and persuade in a business setting.
The first broad lesson that Coughter explains is to be true. His specific words aren’t “be true,” however many of his lessons fall under the realm of staying true to oneself. According to Coughter, “true human connection is a bond that is based upon emotion. In order to create this, we must be honest, open, and sincere” (p. 69). Therefore, a very important lesson that Coughter teaches is to be oneself and convey emotion. For example, he writes that in his pitch attempt for the State of Virginia Department of Tourism account, he talked about how he felt rather than what he thought. “We put together a presentation that was simple, visually arresting, and overwhelmingly emotional,” he said, “I knew we had won. And we had. They hired us because of the way we felt about the Commonwealth of Virginia” (p. 73). Because he was able to connect with his audience on an emotional level, he set himself apart from all other ad agencies. Clearly, sellers want to sell to whoever can show that they deserve it the most.
Next, also falling under the “stay true” category is the idea that you should always try to be yourself. As Coughter puts it, “no one is as good at being you as you” (p. 87). He tells his readers that everyone has something in them that makes them stand out amongst the crowd. The important thing is to find whatever that is and use it to your advantage when speaking in a presentation. To support this idea, Coughter provides an example: “Would we find it entertaining if every professional singer tried to sing exactly like Frank Sinatra? I don’t think so. We like variety. We like differences. Some of us even like quirkiness. We would grow very tired of listening to one singer after another doing Ol’ Blue Eyes” (p. 86). I think that this is a very intelligent comparison. People get bored with monotony, so it makes sense that people who stand out in presentations often do well. The explanation for this argument is very persuasive because of how logical it is; Coughter used simple common sense (the fact that nobody would like every singer to be the same) to support his idea.
Additionally, another truthfulness lesson that Coughter teaches is to stay different. This plays along with the idea of being yourself while taking it a step further and calling to embrace it. According to Coughter, “the difference manifests itself in being perceived as smarter, more creative, funnier, stronger, brighter, cooler, better than other people or organizations” (p. 228). Essentially, if you don’t embrace your differences, you will get stuck in the crowd of people who are also unwilling to maximize their full potential. The evidence that Coughter uses to support this claim (his own words) seems truthful, however it could be more effective. Perhaps he could have included a quote from an outside source on how it is vital to stand out in the work force. Of course, this idea is valid, however the supporting evidence is somewhat lacking. This idea of differences strongly relates to the last sentence of the book, “they’re not afraid to stand up” (p. 229). Coughter implements a strong persuasion tactic by ending the book this way. It serves as a call-to-action to anyone reading.
While being true to one’s self and values is clearly important when presenting and persuading, it is not the only thing. The other important argument that Coughter makes in his book is that in order to be successful, one must be prepared. The very first chapter of the book is titled “Everything is a Presentation.” In this chapter, Coughter explains that any little insignificant “chat” with a boss counts as a presentation. In every case, people are there to judge. For this reason, one should always prepare to deal with whatever comes their way. To add some credibility to his claim, Coughter includes a quote by John Adams, CEO of The Martin Agency, where he says, “I think the single most important skill anyone can have at this agency is the ability to present” (p. 13). This supporting evidence is very useful and persuasive in Coughter’s favor; he provided supporting insight from a respected outside source, making his claim much more trustworthy. Adding on to this “everything is a presentation” idea, Coughter also says that “you never know when there is someone in the room who can really help/hurt you. You never know when something you have said or done in the past will come back to reward/haunt you. You cannot take any situation for granted. You’ve got to be at your very best at all times” (p. 213). The serious tone of this explanation makes it very persuasive; it gives the readers a sense of urgency.
Another important factor of preparedness is having an adequate presentation ready. In many cases, this includes a PowerPoint. While PowerPoint can serve as a very effective tool in presenting, according to Coughter, many people feel inclined to fill each slide entirely with pictures and text. However, Coughter suggests that as a presenter one should “decide what is truly important about the material you’ve assembled and include only that” (p. 139). To support this claim, he provides a before-and-after section in which “good” and “bad” PowerPoint slides are displayed. However, although he is saying that one slide is better than the other, besides his own words, there really isn’t a ton of backing from other sources. Of course, Coughter is a reputable source himself, but in order to make his argument as effective as it can be, he should include the input of other sources on this matter.
To conclude, in The Art of the Pitch, Peter Coughter strives to provide information and advice for those who seek to improve their presentation and persuasion skills and clearly, that is what he does. His writing teaches readers to be true to themselves when presenting, by being honest and making emotional connections. Additionally, he teaches readers to always be prepared, for every moment is a potential presentation. Coughter’s biggest strength in this book is his background knowledge on the subject. He has many years of experience with these issues and is a highly credible source of information. However, his one weakness in this writing is an occasional lack of explicit evidence. For example, he makes very good points, yet sometimes he lacks evidence from outside sources that could have otherwise made his work even more solid. I still believe that the information he gives is factual to his knowledge, but perhaps some more statistics or sources could have helped overall validity. In the end, I found the book very engaging and enjoyed it thoroughly. Coughter is very persuasive in his writing style and definitely got his point across to me. I would undoubtedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about business, as that is his target audience. All in all, Peter Coughter’s The Art of the Pitch is an excellent source of inside knowledge on how presentations really work and a great book for anyone who wants to improve their persuasion skills.
The first broad lesson that Coughter explains is to be true. His specific words aren’t “be true,” however many of his lessons fall under the realm of staying true to oneself. According to Coughter, “true human connection is a bond that is based upon emotion. In order to create this, we must be honest, open, and sincere” (p. 69). Therefore, a very important lesson that Coughter teaches is to be oneself and convey emotion. For example, he writes that in his pitch attempt for the State of Virginia Department of Tourism account, he talked about how he felt rather than what he thought. “We put together a presentation that was simple, visually arresting, and overwhelmingly emotional,” he said, “I knew we had won. And we had. They hired us because of the way we felt about the Commonwealth of Virginia” (p. 73). Because he was able to connect with his audience on an emotional level, he set himself apart from all other ad agencies. Clearly, sellers want to sell to whoever can show that they deserve it the most.
Next, also falling under the “stay true” category is the idea that you should always try to be yourself. As Coughter puts it, “no one is as good at being you as you” (p. 87). He tells his readers that everyone has something in them that makes them stand out amongst the crowd. The important thing is to find whatever that is and use it to your advantage when speaking in a presentation. To support this idea, Coughter provides an example: “Would we find it entertaining if every professional singer tried to sing exactly like Frank Sinatra? I don’t think so. We like variety. We like differences. Some of us even like quirkiness. We would grow very tired of listening to one singer after another doing Ol’ Blue Eyes” (p. 86). I think that this is a very intelligent comparison. People get bored with monotony, so it makes sense that people who stand out in presentations often do well. The explanation for this argument is very persuasive because of how logical it is; Coughter used simple common sense (the fact that nobody would like every singer to be the same) to support his idea.
Additionally, another truthfulness lesson that Coughter teaches is to stay different. This plays along with the idea of being yourself while taking it a step further and calling to embrace it. According to Coughter, “the difference manifests itself in being perceived as smarter, more creative, funnier, stronger, brighter, cooler, better than other people or organizations” (p. 228). Essentially, if you don’t embrace your differences, you will get stuck in the crowd of people who are also unwilling to maximize their full potential. The evidence that Coughter uses to support this claim (his own words) seems truthful, however it could be more effective. Perhaps he could have included a quote from an outside source on how it is vital to stand out in the work force. Of course, this idea is valid, however the supporting evidence is somewhat lacking. This idea of differences strongly relates to the last sentence of the book, “they’re not afraid to stand up” (p. 229). Coughter implements a strong persuasion tactic by ending the book this way. It serves as a call-to-action to anyone reading.
While being true to one’s self and values is clearly important when presenting and persuading, it is not the only thing. The other important argument that Coughter makes in his book is that in order to be successful, one must be prepared. The very first chapter of the book is titled “Everything is a Presentation.” In this chapter, Coughter explains that any little insignificant “chat” with a boss counts as a presentation. In every case, people are there to judge. For this reason, one should always prepare to deal with whatever comes their way. To add some credibility to his claim, Coughter includes a quote by John Adams, CEO of The Martin Agency, where he says, “I think the single most important skill anyone can have at this agency is the ability to present” (p. 13). This supporting evidence is very useful and persuasive in Coughter’s favor; he provided supporting insight from a respected outside source, making his claim much more trustworthy. Adding on to this “everything is a presentation” idea, Coughter also says that “you never know when there is someone in the room who can really help/hurt you. You never know when something you have said or done in the past will come back to reward/haunt you. You cannot take any situation for granted. You’ve got to be at your very best at all times” (p. 213). The serious tone of this explanation makes it very persuasive; it gives the readers a sense of urgency.
Another important factor of preparedness is having an adequate presentation ready. In many cases, this includes a PowerPoint. While PowerPoint can serve as a very effective tool in presenting, according to Coughter, many people feel inclined to fill each slide entirely with pictures and text. However, Coughter suggests that as a presenter one should “decide what is truly important about the material you’ve assembled and include only that” (p. 139). To support this claim, he provides a before-and-after section in which “good” and “bad” PowerPoint slides are displayed. However, although he is saying that one slide is better than the other, besides his own words, there really isn’t a ton of backing from other sources. Of course, Coughter is a reputable source himself, but in order to make his argument as effective as it can be, he should include the input of other sources on this matter.
To conclude, in The Art of the Pitch, Peter Coughter strives to provide information and advice for those who seek to improve their presentation and persuasion skills and clearly, that is what he does. His writing teaches readers to be true to themselves when presenting, by being honest and making emotional connections. Additionally, he teaches readers to always be prepared, for every moment is a potential presentation. Coughter’s biggest strength in this book is his background knowledge on the subject. He has many years of experience with these issues and is a highly credible source of information. However, his one weakness in this writing is an occasional lack of explicit evidence. For example, he makes very good points, yet sometimes he lacks evidence from outside sources that could have otherwise made his work even more solid. I still believe that the information he gives is factual to his knowledge, but perhaps some more statistics or sources could have helped overall validity. In the end, I found the book very engaging and enjoyed it thoroughly. Coughter is very persuasive in his writing style and definitely got his point across to me. I would undoubtedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about business, as that is his target audience. All in all, Peter Coughter’s The Art of the Pitch is an excellent source of inside knowledge on how presentations really work and a great book for anyone who wants to improve their persuasion skills.
March 6, 2012
This was a great book for anyone who needs to get better at presenting, in any industry, but especially the advertising industry. I recommended it last night to a young tech CEO friend of mine. The one thing is I wish it talked more about leave behinds vs. presentations, and presentations that go up onto the web later, like on Slideshare. Peter once saw me present, and told me I had too many words on my slides, AND HE WAS TOTALLY RIGHT, but I had to put all those words on there so the deck made sense up on the internet. I'd love to see a companion volume just about that - leave behinds and capturing your presentation for the decision makers who weren't in the room. But other than that, this book is invaluable, and if you don't knock it out of the park every time, or if you're terrified of presenting, read this!
June 14, 2014
Honestly, I found this book talking about the same concepts that have been chanted to me as I grew up.However, the reason why I found this book so interesting was the fact that it taught me these same concepts in a way that made me listen. The book was repetitive, but I was engulfed by the way the author wrote his opinion and by his real world examples. It accomplished something I didn't realize until I got to the end. The book was able to pitch me the same concept, in its own way. It was different, refreshing and I loved it. I learned that sometimes, Its not the content but the person that makes it interesting. This is something I was taught for years, but this book is the proof that showed me without actually saying it.
June 2, 2014
The Art of the Pitch was a delight to read. It makes a very clear, precise point, with some fantastic real-life examples. My opinion is of-course biased, as I am naturally drawn to the world of advertising.
It sometimes makes the point in a repetitive fashion, but this is partly attributed to the fact that the art of the pitch is something that needs to be practiced. See this merely as a tool to perfect the art, rather than expecting to be great at advertising by reading this book alone.
My favorite parts were the accounts of the Mercedes-Benz pitch, and the Sega pitch. I would recommend this book to any advertising enthusiasts.
It sometimes makes the point in a repetitive fashion, but this is partly attributed to the fact that the art of the pitch is something that needs to be practiced. See this merely as a tool to perfect the art, rather than expecting to be great at advertising by reading this book alone.
My favorite parts were the accounts of the Mercedes-Benz pitch, and the Sega pitch. I would recommend this book to any advertising enthusiasts.
April 13, 2015
Great book, really interesting insights. I did find it repetitive, to the point where I felt like I had previously read entire sentences. But aside from that, it offered some good advice which really applies to advertising and presenting in general.
March 3, 2017
The book “The Art of the Pitch: Persuasion and Presentation Skills that Win Business” written by Peter Coughter was a book written from a marketing executive perspective focusing on its main point that a good product is not enough to win. Once reading the book, it is clear Coughter’s audience are presenters. While the book offers advice for marketing in general, the tips he provides are aimed at the presentation side of marketing more so than the analytical and statistical side.
The biggest take away from the book, for me, was that your “presentation” isn’t even a presentation; it’s a conversation. I found this interesting because for most of my life, I had been taught to keep things professional and to put your best foot forward. And while it is certainly true that you need to be at the top of your game, Coughter stresses how important it is to be yourself and not to be afraid to get a little personal.
To be able to present in a fashion that is smooth and casual, it is crucial to truly know and understand what you are presenting. Though it can be intimidating, “the surest defense against nerves is this- know your stuff” (Coughter 90). Memorizing facts about what you are selling and actually knowing the product/ service and being able to answer questions and bail out teammates is crucial to a presentation. Not only should you know about the product/ service you are pitching, you should know who your audience. Know more than the menial things about who they are, know enough so that you can connect with them on a personal and emotional level.
A product can be amazing, but if the pitch is boring, strictly fact based, and unemotional the product may not necessarily sell. Drawing from the idea that this is a conversation where the presenter is doing most of the talking, what makes a conversation interesting? Personal stories, making it clear that you understand your audience, and authenticity. No one wants to be in a long, boring conversation with information that goes in one ear and out the other; the same goes for the presentation. Although not necessarily a formal presentation, I often find the manager at my job employing these same tactics to sell his food. He not only makes sure that the customers are happy with their food, he makes a personal connection with them. I have noticed he will pull up a chair or kneel next to them so that he is on the same level as them to make the conversation even more personal. By doing this and creating a bond with his customers, he is able to get them to try new food, buy more, keep them coming back etc.
I liked how Coughter not only offered tips for how to liven up presentations and make it easier for presenters to sell their project, he gave real world examples. For instance, he wrote in stories from presentations of a Mercedes- Benz pitch. Including stories from ad executives who explained why their presentations worked and didn’t work put more context to the information Coughter was giving to us.
Coughter included tips that seem obvious like always rehearse, be on time, be on the same page as your teammates, etc. but overall, the book did a fantastic job in teaching not only marketing executives how to give a presentation, but anyone who needs to learn how to give a better presentation.
As for downfalls, the book can be repetitive as it based around the notion that it all leads back to a conversation and characteristics of a conversation should be seen in your presentation. However, the repetition makes sense and I would argue, necessary, to get the point across.
I attended a series of lectures by Sean O’Grady about how to communicate better with an audience and I found that a lot of what he told us was synonymous with what Coughter wrote. Both gave advice and explained the logic behind why their tips worked. I never once questioned the validity of what either of them was saying because they made it clear what their advice was and why they were giving it.
Overall, I would definitely rate this book a five out of five! Coughter is able to inform the reader on how to give a better presentation while keeping the reader intrigued. (side note: imagine that? A book about how to keep presentations interesting ACTUALLY being interesting). It was a quick, enjoyable read that provided a lot of helpful tips that can be applied not just in marketing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their presentation skills.
The biggest take away from the book, for me, was that your “presentation” isn’t even a presentation; it’s a conversation. I found this interesting because for most of my life, I had been taught to keep things professional and to put your best foot forward. And while it is certainly true that you need to be at the top of your game, Coughter stresses how important it is to be yourself and not to be afraid to get a little personal.
To be able to present in a fashion that is smooth and casual, it is crucial to truly know and understand what you are presenting. Though it can be intimidating, “the surest defense against nerves is this- know your stuff” (Coughter 90). Memorizing facts about what you are selling and actually knowing the product/ service and being able to answer questions and bail out teammates is crucial to a presentation. Not only should you know about the product/ service you are pitching, you should know who your audience. Know more than the menial things about who they are, know enough so that you can connect with them on a personal and emotional level.
A product can be amazing, but if the pitch is boring, strictly fact based, and unemotional the product may not necessarily sell. Drawing from the idea that this is a conversation where the presenter is doing most of the talking, what makes a conversation interesting? Personal stories, making it clear that you understand your audience, and authenticity. No one wants to be in a long, boring conversation with information that goes in one ear and out the other; the same goes for the presentation. Although not necessarily a formal presentation, I often find the manager at my job employing these same tactics to sell his food. He not only makes sure that the customers are happy with their food, he makes a personal connection with them. I have noticed he will pull up a chair or kneel next to them so that he is on the same level as them to make the conversation even more personal. By doing this and creating a bond with his customers, he is able to get them to try new food, buy more, keep them coming back etc.
I liked how Coughter not only offered tips for how to liven up presentations and make it easier for presenters to sell their project, he gave real world examples. For instance, he wrote in stories from presentations of a Mercedes- Benz pitch. Including stories from ad executives who explained why their presentations worked and didn’t work put more context to the information Coughter was giving to us.
Coughter included tips that seem obvious like always rehearse, be on time, be on the same page as your teammates, etc. but overall, the book did a fantastic job in teaching not only marketing executives how to give a presentation, but anyone who needs to learn how to give a better presentation.
As for downfalls, the book can be repetitive as it based around the notion that it all leads back to a conversation and characteristics of a conversation should be seen in your presentation. However, the repetition makes sense and I would argue, necessary, to get the point across.
I attended a series of lectures by Sean O’Grady about how to communicate better with an audience and I found that a lot of what he told us was synonymous with what Coughter wrote. Both gave advice and explained the logic behind why their tips worked. I never once questioned the validity of what either of them was saying because they made it clear what their advice was and why they were giving it.
Overall, I would definitely rate this book a five out of five! Coughter is able to inform the reader on how to give a better presentation while keeping the reader intrigued. (side note: imagine that? A book about how to keep presentations interesting ACTUALLY being interesting). It was a quick, enjoyable read that provided a lot of helpful tips that can be applied not just in marketing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their presentation skills.
July 30, 2017
Not very impressed with the book. The book is written in a colloquial manner and is full of fillers. First of all presentation skills are not easily attainable through a list of pointers. You don't read a book on presentation to improve your presentation skills. It takes years of practice to find your own style of presentation.
There are many anecdotes in the book but they are in italics. WHY. (You make the text harder to read) Many pointers mentioned in the book are generic. I strongly suspect the usefulness of this book. I wouldn't even read the book if it weren't a free book.
There are many anecdotes in the book but they are in italics. WHY. (You make the text harder to read) Many pointers mentioned in the book are generic. I strongly suspect the usefulness of this book. I wouldn't even read the book if it weren't a free book.
February 27, 2022
Thought provoking and the concepts covered in the book are extremely relevant for all the pitch makers even during the age of digital disruption. Presentation skills are very much essential to pitch your idea to the clients,customers,management team a leadership team etc..and it helps to sell your ideas to them.The concepts such as everything is a presentation,how to organize the presentation and quotation are important take aways for me this book and can be applied straight away in my professional and personal life.. Must read for everyone who wants to boost up their careers.
October 26, 2023
A pretty good book to improve your pitching skills. It has some tips in there that sound pretty obvious, like "be your authentic self", but what I like about the book is that it emphasises the psychology of pitching (I think it could even emphasise it more), such as that people base their decision more on emotion than logic, so touch them on an emotional level. I would love to know more about good PowerPoint presentations, since the author claims most suck, but only spends a little time explaining what would work. I'd love to read more informative books book this author.
June 30, 2021
As run of the mill presentation books go, this one was fine. It has the usual trope of "tell a story", "body language " type stuff that you find everywhere with little more. Bonus points if you're in advertising as it's about that field.
It did frustrated me that it propagated erros like the Mehrabian myth and had a terrible line about not reading your slides.
My biggest gripe is that it didn't add anything new.
Again not bad, just not memorable.
It did frustrated me that it propagated erros like the Mehrabian myth and had a terrible line about not reading your slides.
My biggest gripe is that it didn't add anything new.
Again not bad, just not memorable.
February 4, 2022
This book was an engaging read. It helped to bring the right mindset to approaching presentations. It was good to understand what makes a few presenters great to learn and model an approach for ourselves. I wish it had covered more tactical elements such as the structure of good presentations, sentences catalog that would be powerful in situations, and proven techniques. I would recommend reading this book.
April 28, 2022
Interested in improving your presenting skills? This book will walk you through how to become an engaging speaker and pitch clients with tact. This book was required text for my upper division integrated marketing communications course at UNLV. It’s a well written guide on how to sell an idea. The author uses great examples to back his claims. Plus it’s a smooth read. My favorite takeaway was “ Leave moments in your narrative for the audience’s reflection.”
September 9, 2025
I liked this book, but it felt like a lot of what was being said was common knowledge. Or maybe I feel like I’ve already learned most of this stuff in college that I didn’t feel like I got a whole lot out of it. But if you are studying on your own or don’t feel like your school is educating you well, then this would be a great book for you!
May 31, 2020
This book combines the thinking of many great books on presenting, but adds inspiration and insights on how to be better in many ways. Great stories from respected people highlight salient points that remind us of the purpose of presenting. 10/10 would recommend.
December 6, 2025
Read this for work. Gathered a few good nuggets. As with most books of this nature, some of it felt repetitive and preachy.
Also, I listened to this, and the narrator was a robot so didn’t love that.
Also, I listened to this, and the narrator was a robot so didn’t love that.
August 11, 2017
Smart stories and approaches from one of the best new business leaders in advertising. A must read if you are in pitches.
November 18, 2018
Down-to-earth. Loved it.
July 7, 2020
Author made some really interesting points about presenting that I never considered. It really does come up in all facets of life. Really easy and chill read.
August 12, 2023
Another must-read for strategists, marketers, and anyone who frequently presents to organization leaders or clients
September 24, 2025
Idk this could have been in an email
March 16, 2017
Should be mandatory reading before anyone opens keynote or powerpoint.
June 22, 2021
Es una obra que ilustra claramente la importancia de las presentaciones en el mundo moderno centrándose en cómo el albergar un extraordinario producto ya no es suficiente para la generación de ventas. El libro se encuentra dirigido a la presentación y a los presentadores dentro del mundo de la mercadotecnia.
Uno de los factores más enriquecedores del libro, para mi, fue la importancia de que la presentación se sintiese como conversación y como predomina el sentirte como tú mismo y en tu elemento sobre el profesionalismo extremo. Así mismo, considero que aborda sabiamente el tema del nerviosismo, finalmente cualquier presentador ha presenciado ese sentimiento y el hecho de tornar al conocimiento como una herramienta para combatirle, me parece sabio y atinado. Finalmente no solamente ayuda contra el nerviosismo, pero provee para una mejor presentación en general.
Coughter ilustra, con claridad, la importancia del conocimiento y la preparación en el éxito de una presentación. El conocimiento no es meramente del producto o servicio, sino de la audiencia y de su modo de comunicación, esto suscita una conversación y una conexión personal y emocional más arraigada que promueve un nivel de captación y recolección mayor. Así mismo, creo que logra aterrizar palmariamente la importancia de la preparación del ámbito no verbal y su peso en la retención de los conceptos, como ilustra con el estudio de UCLA de 1960: “...el 55 por ciento de lo que sacamos de la comunicación proviene de lo visual, el 38 por ciento del tono de voz y el 7 por ciento de las palabras reales” (Peter Coughter, p.52).
Considero que mucho del éxito y atractivo del libro reside en su capacidad de ir más allá de los consejos con los ejemplos del mundo real, particularmente el caso de Mercedes-Benz y Sega, le dan un contexto a la información que se ilustra en el libro. En cuanto a las fallas, el libro llega a ser repetitivo, al basarse en el formato de conversación. Sin embargo, la repetición tiene sentido y llega a ser necesaria para la transmisión del mensaje.
En conclusión, el libro muestra cómo cada interacción se ha convertido en una presentación, y como el producto de la venta normalmente es uno mismo. Pero la realidad es que, en nuestro mundo sobrecargado de información, las mejores ideas nunca se escucharán si no se presentan de manera convincente. No es ningún secreto que los mejores comunicadores obtienen el mayor poder e influencia, incluso si sus ideas no son las mejores. Por lo tanto, el saber presentar es una herramienta que se ha vuelto crucial para cualquiera en el mundo moderno sin importar el cargo que desempeñen de forma profesional.
Uno de los factores más enriquecedores del libro, para mi, fue la importancia de que la presentación se sintiese como conversación y como predomina el sentirte como tú mismo y en tu elemento sobre el profesionalismo extremo. Así mismo, considero que aborda sabiamente el tema del nerviosismo, finalmente cualquier presentador ha presenciado ese sentimiento y el hecho de tornar al conocimiento como una herramienta para combatirle, me parece sabio y atinado. Finalmente no solamente ayuda contra el nerviosismo, pero provee para una mejor presentación en general.
Coughter ilustra, con claridad, la importancia del conocimiento y la preparación en el éxito de una presentación. El conocimiento no es meramente del producto o servicio, sino de la audiencia y de su modo de comunicación, esto suscita una conversación y una conexión personal y emocional más arraigada que promueve un nivel de captación y recolección mayor. Así mismo, creo que logra aterrizar palmariamente la importancia de la preparación del ámbito no verbal y su peso en la retención de los conceptos, como ilustra con el estudio de UCLA de 1960: “...el 55 por ciento de lo que sacamos de la comunicación proviene de lo visual, el 38 por ciento del tono de voz y el 7 por ciento de las palabras reales” (Peter Coughter, p.52).
Considero que mucho del éxito y atractivo del libro reside en su capacidad de ir más allá de los consejos con los ejemplos del mundo real, particularmente el caso de Mercedes-Benz y Sega, le dan un contexto a la información que se ilustra en el libro. En cuanto a las fallas, el libro llega a ser repetitivo, al basarse en el formato de conversación. Sin embargo, la repetición tiene sentido y llega a ser necesaria para la transmisión del mensaje.
En conclusión, el libro muestra cómo cada interacción se ha convertido en una presentación, y como el producto de la venta normalmente es uno mismo. Pero la realidad es que, en nuestro mundo sobrecargado de información, las mejores ideas nunca se escucharán si no se presentan de manera convincente. No es ningún secreto que los mejores comunicadores obtienen el mayor poder e influencia, incluso si sus ideas no son las mejores. Por lo tanto, el saber presentar es una herramienta que se ha vuelto crucial para cualquiera en el mundo moderno sin importar el cargo que desempeñen de forma profesional.
February 1, 2016
Just few words would be more than enough describe this book from beginning to end - "passion for presenting".
This book is loaded with passion that Peter has for delivering amazing presentations. Being a great presenter and having a successful track record of been associated with the world of advertising, Peter has very carefully chosen words to craft this book. Every chapter has details about the lessons he follows when it comes to presentations with tons of examples/stories from some great presenters of our times to prove his point.
Since Peter is now a coach as well where he is engaged in helping students learn the art of presentation, this book also reflects his side as a coach. He has talked about so many common mistakes that a common presenter would do and how that presenter can make the use of this book to hone her presentation skills.
A must read for someone who has to regularly present to in front of others whether clients or team members or senior leaders. Though this book is a very easy read (what else you can expect from a great presenter), it should be referred time & again till one is able to fully remember and implement the tips in her next presentation.
This book is loaded with passion that Peter has for delivering amazing presentations. Being a great presenter and having a successful track record of been associated with the world of advertising, Peter has very carefully chosen words to craft this book. Every chapter has details about the lessons he follows when it comes to presentations with tons of examples/stories from some great presenters of our times to prove his point.
Since Peter is now a coach as well where he is engaged in helping students learn the art of presentation, this book also reflects his side as a coach. He has talked about so many common mistakes that a common presenter would do and how that presenter can make the use of this book to hone her presentation skills.
A must read for someone who has to regularly present to in front of others whether clients or team members or senior leaders. Though this book is a very easy read (what else you can expect from a great presenter), it should be referred time & again till one is able to fully remember and implement the tips in her next presentation.
May 20, 2015
Every successful business man or woman has had to learn the fundamental concepts of 'The Art of the Pitch' in someway or another in their career. Whether it's pitching your employees on a new concept or process, persuading a client to 'go big' and give you their entire budget, convincing friends and family to go on a trip, or even debating with co-workers or loved ones in the realm of life, love, sport or business. Truly grasping the understanding of how to deliver a rock solid pitch can make the attainment of all your aspirations, goals and dreams one step closer for anyone.
Peter Coughter's candid real life reflections allow you to see the world through the eyes of an advertising genius. He is story teller, one highly important and effective trait of all the worlds top business minds. Try being relatable and vulnerable with your own life lessons and stories in your next pitch and see how effective you can become! -TK
Peter Coughter's candid real life reflections allow you to see the world through the eyes of an advertising genius. He is story teller, one highly important and effective trait of all the worlds top business minds. Try being relatable and vulnerable with your own life lessons and stories in your next pitch and see how effective you can become! -TK
January 16, 2015
Focuses on the way to improve the pitch and to persuade others into buying into your idea. Not necessarily tangible ideas, but overarching themes to be followed in order to engage the audience into full participation. Simple concepts from telling stories and "read"punctuation" (aka take a beat every once in awhile), to more difficult ways to engage the room via authenticity and being yourself. There is no reason to attempt to emulate someone else or be "professional" because that is not what is going to make the presentation stick. What makes the pitch memorable is the continuous show of passion and true release of who you are.
January 22, 2016
Copied from my Amazon review:
This book is fantastic! I've been in sales over 20 years and read a lot of "sales" books during that time. Coughter offers a fresh approach to presenting: yourself, your ideas, your pitch. I found the book to be relevant, and learned some new things I can put into action immediately. If you have ever done a Power Point presentation, or suffered thru one, you should pick this book up. Aside from my interest in the theme, the flow of the book was particularly easy to read. Does the very title of the book cause him to pay close attention to this as he is writing it? Perhaps.
This book is fantastic! I've been in sales over 20 years and read a lot of "sales" books during that time. Coughter offers a fresh approach to presenting: yourself, your ideas, your pitch. I found the book to be relevant, and learned some new things I can put into action immediately. If you have ever done a Power Point presentation, or suffered thru one, you should pick this book up. Aside from my interest in the theme, the flow of the book was particularly easy to read. Does the very title of the book cause him to pay close attention to this as he is writing it? Perhaps.
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