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Apresentações convincentes: Venda suas ideias. Envolva a plateia. Inspire ação. (Um guia acima da média - HBR)
Para muita gente, falar em público é um enorme desafio, não importa se é uma palestra para dezenas de pessoas ou uma apresentação para o chefe ou o cliente. Apresentações convincentes dará a você a confiança e as ferramentas necessárias para vender suas ideias e inspirar as pessoas. Aprenda a calcular o tempo certo de uma palestra sem correr o risco de entediar os participantes, decidir se é ou não necessário usar o PowerPoint e escolher um layout e as melhores imagens para os slides. Veja também • conectar-se com o público • organizar uma narrativa coerente • conquistar plateias resistentes • montar slides interessantes e marcantes • divulgar suas ideias por meio das redes sociais
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2010
536 people are currently reading
2450 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Duarte
26 books383 followersNancy Duarte is an American writer and CEO of Duarte, Inc., a communications firm in the Silicon Valley. She is a presentation specialist whose client list includes most Fortune 500 companies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 13, 2012
This handy reference guide looks and feels like one of those field guides you might put in a backpack and take into the wilds. In this case, it’s the wilds of public speaking, and this is a useful book to have. It’s arranged in over 50 very short chapters on specific issues presenters might face, such as segmenting the audience, defining your idea, losing the jargon, creating a solid structure, adding emotional texture, making the most of slide software, choosing the right type of slide, avoiding visual clichés, rehearsing your material, getting the most out of Q ‘n A and on and on.
All the advice is good, vintage Duarte, and delivered in bite-sized bits that will fit an executive’s busy schedule. More for browsing than reading, this reference guide should be on every public speaker’s bookshelf.
If you’re looking for more of Nancy’s thinking, her recent book Resonate lays out her method, and it’s brilliant. Read that one to learn the craft, and keep this guide handy to refresh your memory when you’re getting ready to deliver an important speech.
All the advice is good, vintage Duarte, and delivered in bite-sized bits that will fit an executive’s busy schedule. More for browsing than reading, this reference guide should be on every public speaker’s bookshelf.
If you’re looking for more of Nancy’s thinking, her recent book Resonate lays out her method, and it’s brilliant. Read that one to learn the craft, and keep this guide handy to refresh your memory when you’re getting ready to deliver an important speech.
December 7, 2021
I am fan of Nancy Duarte, since I watched film "Inconvenient Truth".
When I picked up a book, I was looking at Slide design and flow of presentation. Book touches both topics, in fact there is a section on slide design. However, it is not treating subject in depth.
I guess she touched on this in "Slide:ology".
This book is prescriptive in nature. It has few sections, each section has a small topic. And then the topic covers do's and don't. More suitable as a support for a training workshop on presentations.
However, it is a good reference to keep handy, when one want to respond or correct oneself as per feedback.
Looking forward to read "Slide:ology" and "Resonate" by Nancy Duarte.
When I picked up a book, I was looking at Slide design and flow of presentation. Book touches both topics, in fact there is a section on slide design. However, it is not treating subject in depth.
I guess she touched on this in "Slide:ology".
This book is prescriptive in nature. It has few sections, each section has a small topic. And then the topic covers do's and don't. More suitable as a support for a training workshop on presentations.
However, it is a good reference to keep handy, when one want to respond or correct oneself as per feedback.
Looking forward to read "Slide:ology" and "Resonate" by Nancy Duarte.
April 20, 2014
Excellent book on how to create better presentations. I especially liked the recommendations on how to create effective power point presentations. This book helped me create a presentation that I gave during a job interview... and yes, I did get the job!!
August 11, 2018
Great overview for improving your presentation creation and delivery. Powerful advice and insight. Not hard to read as the book is written like a presentation, easy to absorb quickly without losing your attention, which is one of the main points amongst many. Simple advice with powerful results.
December 28, 2020
Really useful and practical guide to everything about presentations. I have a fear of presenting but I feel that if I follow most things in the book then it’s difficult to not give a good presentation
July 6, 2021
Las estrategias presentadas si bien son más para el ámbito de los negocios, logra cooperar en la dificultad que todos podemos pasar al realizar presentaciones en la academia, el trabajo y otras dependencias.
Muy realista y practico.
Muy realista y practico.
March 18, 2021
It is an excellent book on Presentations. The presentation should be in a storytelling mode as per the author. It should be able to connect with and engage the audience. Equal importance should be given to the content, slide layout, delivery and feedback.
October 6, 2019
If you have never read anything about how to make great presentations, read this. It is so complete and concise at the same time it worth completely reading it.
April 13, 2025
diagrams are really nice
January 10, 2018
Quick and easy read. Some practical tips but I find skills like giving presentations are better gained through doing than reading.
November 1, 2024
I almost dropped this because the audio narration was terrible. For a book about persuasion it is not persuasive at all! But it contains some good ideas. Overall it was quite useful.
December 11, 2018
Excelente. Simples, objetivo.
January 14, 2018
Much of what Duarte writes seems like common sense, though it is not so common. I have encountered way too much of the "look at me, I'm so smart" kind of presentations of late. It's about making your audience feel smart, as Duarte rightly points out, not about making yourself look smart. Nice to see my views own views on effective presentations reaffirmed -- and expanded upon.
May 15, 2024
Leitura rápida, mas não necessariamente boa. É possível encontrar várias dicas boas, mas para quem já está acostumado a apresentar trabalhos ou a ministrar aulas torna-se uma livro apenas para chamar a atenção para nossas próprias práticas.
September 3, 2022
Obviously great summary even for experienced presenters it's good to summarize things at one place and go through it to recall, avoid some mistakes and improve at some parts where one doesn't see it or feel it.
Having presentation anxiety? This is for you.
Want to gain audience trust? Grab it.
>When audiences can see that you're prepared, care about their needs, and value their time, they'll want to connect with you and support you.
>You should think of them as a line of individuals waiting to have a conversation with you.
>After you've mentally stratified the audience, figure out which group and members will have the most significant impact on the adoption of your idea.
>When preparing to present to an audience you've never met, do some research and findings online. If you know the names of some of them, look up their bios.
>Your main idea should have two components:
• Your point of view: This is the big idea you need to express your perspective, not a generalization.
• What's at stake: You'll also want to convey why the audience should care about your view and listen to you.
>Many of your ideas may be mind-blowing and creative, but you can't fit them all in — and no one is patient enough to hear them all, anyway. Network, assess, arrange, and filter the ideas to streamline your effort to those with the best potential. Rework and readjust your message until it's clear enough for even your grandmother.
>Apply storytelling principles; they make a writer's themes more vivid and memorable.
Stories have the power to attract and win customers; they can also motivate employees. Stories are the most compelling platforms for managing imaginations, and those who master this art form can significantly influence many people.
>Using your audience will easily recall what they've learned from you and even spread the word if you use stories in your presentation.
>Make sure your presentation and any story you tell in it has all three parts, with clear transitions between them.
>Start your presentation by painting a scenario to which your audience can relate. It should leave people responding with affirmative body language in recognition and understanding because you've articulated what they already understand.
>The middle is the most exciting part of your presentation, the part where you can convince the people because that's where most of the “action” takes place. Here, you can emphasize the contrast between what is and what could be, moving back and forth between them, and the audience will start to find the former unappealing and the latter alluring.
>Your ending should leave people with a great sense of what could be and a willingness to believe or do something new. It would help if you also thought about how your ideas will benefit the world, help the masses, and improve public health and the environment.
>Great presentations are short because people highly value their time.
>Do not overload your time slot; utilize just 60%: if you're given an hour, don't spend more than 40 minutes speaking so that you will leave time for question and answer, a panel, or some other form of discussion.
>Streamline your slides: if your presentation is an hour, cut your slides by a third so you can deliver in a maximum of 40 minutes. Don't delete them totally because you might have to bring one or more back at the last minute when you're answering questions.
>Practice with the clock counting up: keep trimming, checking the time, and practicing until you're consistently within your desired time frame.
>Create slides people can understand in three seconds.
>Include one idea per slide: cramping several ideas into one slide is often counterproductive. There are no restrictions, so make the commensurate amount needed to give a short notice dose of your idea.
>Always rehearse your delivery and know your material inside and out so that you don't struggle to connect with your audience. That way, you can adapt more quickly if the environment, audience, or technology suddenly changes on you.
>Communicate using your body: your body language is critical, and people will read and study it to decide if they can trust you and your expertise. Constricted and secluded gestures will make you seem insecure.
>Larger movements convey confidence and openness.
>Use your physical expression positively and to its fullest: look away from your slides; when you turn your back to the audience to look at your slides, you put up a barrier. Keep your eyes on the people who have come to hear you as much as you can.
>Have an open stance: avoid folding your arms, standing with legs crossed, putting your hands in your pockets, or clasping your hands behind or in front of you; it signals discomfort.
>Exaggerate your movements: move around your space in a large room using the same gestures you would when having a personal conversation. Preceding your presentation, stretch your arms as wide and tall as you can (even stand on your toes).
>Check the room or hall before the day and ask organizers if it's digital-compliant. In fact, a physical visit to the venue will help you settle in and personally own the space; this helps eliminate fright and overcome anxiety.
Having presentation anxiety? This is for you.
Want to gain audience trust? Grab it.
>When audiences can see that you're prepared, care about their needs, and value their time, they'll want to connect with you and support you.
>You should think of them as a line of individuals waiting to have a conversation with you.
>After you've mentally stratified the audience, figure out which group and members will have the most significant impact on the adoption of your idea.
>When preparing to present to an audience you've never met, do some research and findings online. If you know the names of some of them, look up their bios.
>Your main idea should have two components:
• Your point of view: This is the big idea you need to express your perspective, not a generalization.
• What's at stake: You'll also want to convey why the audience should care about your view and listen to you.
>Many of your ideas may be mind-blowing and creative, but you can't fit them all in — and no one is patient enough to hear them all, anyway. Network, assess, arrange, and filter the ideas to streamline your effort to those with the best potential. Rework and readjust your message until it's clear enough for even your grandmother.
>Apply storytelling principles; they make a writer's themes more vivid and memorable.
Stories have the power to attract and win customers; they can also motivate employees. Stories are the most compelling platforms for managing imaginations, and those who master this art form can significantly influence many people.
>Using your audience will easily recall what they've learned from you and even spread the word if you use stories in your presentation.
>Make sure your presentation and any story you tell in it has all three parts, with clear transitions between them.
>Start your presentation by painting a scenario to which your audience can relate. It should leave people responding with affirmative body language in recognition and understanding because you've articulated what they already understand.
>The middle is the most exciting part of your presentation, the part where you can convince the people because that's where most of the “action” takes place. Here, you can emphasize the contrast between what is and what could be, moving back and forth between them, and the audience will start to find the former unappealing and the latter alluring.
>Your ending should leave people with a great sense of what could be and a willingness to believe or do something new. It would help if you also thought about how your ideas will benefit the world, help the masses, and improve public health and the environment.
>Great presentations are short because people highly value their time.
>Do not overload your time slot; utilize just 60%: if you're given an hour, don't spend more than 40 minutes speaking so that you will leave time for question and answer, a panel, or some other form of discussion.
>Streamline your slides: if your presentation is an hour, cut your slides by a third so you can deliver in a maximum of 40 minutes. Don't delete them totally because you might have to bring one or more back at the last minute when you're answering questions.
>Practice with the clock counting up: keep trimming, checking the time, and practicing until you're consistently within your desired time frame.
>Create slides people can understand in three seconds.
>Include one idea per slide: cramping several ideas into one slide is often counterproductive. There are no restrictions, so make the commensurate amount needed to give a short notice dose of your idea.
>Always rehearse your delivery and know your material inside and out so that you don't struggle to connect with your audience. That way, you can adapt more quickly if the environment, audience, or technology suddenly changes on you.
>Communicate using your body: your body language is critical, and people will read and study it to decide if they can trust you and your expertise. Constricted and secluded gestures will make you seem insecure.
>Larger movements convey confidence and openness.
>Use your physical expression positively and to its fullest: look away from your slides; when you turn your back to the audience to look at your slides, you put up a barrier. Keep your eyes on the people who have come to hear you as much as you can.
>Have an open stance: avoid folding your arms, standing with legs crossed, putting your hands in your pockets, or clasping your hands behind or in front of you; it signals discomfort.
>Exaggerate your movements: move around your space in a large room using the same gestures you would when having a personal conversation. Preceding your presentation, stretch your arms as wide and tall as you can (even stand on your toes).
>Check the room or hall before the day and ask organizers if it's digital-compliant. In fact, a physical visit to the venue will help you settle in and personally own the space; this helps eliminate fright and overcome anxiety.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2021
Presentation Practicum - Having seen Duarte’s books before, then references and quotes in Berinato’s "Good Charts: The HBR Guide to Making Smarter, More Persuasive Data Visualizations" (see my review), I finally got ahold of this book after reading her "Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols" as that was available to me first. Given my interest in the use of visualization as well as the current status of public speaking and rhetoric, I was particularly interested to see this work and how it compares with related textbooks and learning guides.
The contents include 7 sections (57 short chapters by my count, on average 8 per section) More particularly the sections include: (1) Audience: Know your audience and build empathy; (2) Message: Develop persuasive content; (3) Story: Use storytelling principles and structure to engage your audience; (4) Media: Identify the best modes for communicating your message; (5) Slides: Conceptualize and simplify the display of information; (6) Delivery: Deliver your presentation authentically; and (7) Impact: Measure – and increase – your presentation's impact on your audience.
Among my favorite aspects of the book include the diagrams from the Introduction (‘Plan Well’) on pg. xvi (which provide a presentation planning process that encompasses the sections of the book – conceiving, visualizing, presenting) and throughout the text (some 49 charts, tables and illustrations). In addition, much helpful information and many tips stood out for me. For instance, see ‘Define how you want to change the Audience’ (From/To), use of Mind-map in generating/organizing material to support the main idea one is trying to get across (pg. 31) anticipating resistance (Message), and use of ‘outline tab’ in PowerPoint (pg. 48). Then, there are the admonitions to craft begin/middle/end of your story and use of metaphors, choosing right media/style/length – making most of slide software (practicing with clock counting down - pg. 101, Media). It was surprising to me the attention Duarte gives to Slides (designer mind set, right type, one per idea, words into diagrams). However, her emphasis of visuals just testifies to the large extent such media are used in business and increasingly in other settings (see Frommer’s "How PowerPoint Makes You Stupid: The Faulty Causality, Sloppy Logic, Decontextualized Data, and Seductive Showmanship That Have Taken Over Our Thinking").
I was also startled and delighted to see her use of the McLuhan Tetrad on pg. 192 (Delivery Section) to address the benefits and challenges of remote presenting (as via a web meeting). More specifically, this medium enhances the number of people with whom one can connect or audience reach; it obsolesces physical presence; it retrieves collaboration among people separated by distance; it and reverses or flips into audience disconnection when taken to extremes as in no face to face contact (see Gordon’s "McLuhan: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed)" for background and explanation of the Tetrad). I found it quite clever and masterful the way Duarte uses this device to discuss the characteristics and peculiarities of virtual meetings and it suggest this framework might be used in other business books. Her discussion of follow-up with Social Media (Impact) also seems quite timely and relevant.
While appreciating this condensed read for busy professionals, where practical guidance is distilled, I recalled the importance of practice in developing such skills. Obviously, a book can only go so far in this regard, so one also needs skilled coaches like Annett Grant and her firm “Executive Speaking” with her own “core/satellite” system (not unlike the concept map mentioned above) to cultivate these capabilities. It is curious that college or professional schools (see Huber and Moreale’s "Disciplinary Styles in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Exploring Common Ground") and the professors with their own texts do not have wider influence.
Perhaps, we have to get out of school and into the professional world to realize the criticality of making persuasive presentations. It seems Duarte’s HBR business book would be a good complementary resource for communication courses and can continue to be a helpful ‘presentation practicum’ and refresher reference for improving our efforts in this regard.
The contents include 7 sections (57 short chapters by my count, on average 8 per section) More particularly the sections include: (1) Audience: Know your audience and build empathy; (2) Message: Develop persuasive content; (3) Story: Use storytelling principles and structure to engage your audience; (4) Media: Identify the best modes for communicating your message; (5) Slides: Conceptualize and simplify the display of information; (6) Delivery: Deliver your presentation authentically; and (7) Impact: Measure – and increase – your presentation's impact on your audience.
Among my favorite aspects of the book include the diagrams from the Introduction (‘Plan Well’) on pg. xvi (which provide a presentation planning process that encompasses the sections of the book – conceiving, visualizing, presenting) and throughout the text (some 49 charts, tables and illustrations). In addition, much helpful information and many tips stood out for me. For instance, see ‘Define how you want to change the Audience’ (From/To), use of Mind-map in generating/organizing material to support the main idea one is trying to get across (pg. 31) anticipating resistance (Message), and use of ‘outline tab’ in PowerPoint (pg. 48). Then, there are the admonitions to craft begin/middle/end of your story and use of metaphors, choosing right media/style/length – making most of slide software (practicing with clock counting down - pg. 101, Media). It was surprising to me the attention Duarte gives to Slides (designer mind set, right type, one per idea, words into diagrams). However, her emphasis of visuals just testifies to the large extent such media are used in business and increasingly in other settings (see Frommer’s "How PowerPoint Makes You Stupid: The Faulty Causality, Sloppy Logic, Decontextualized Data, and Seductive Showmanship That Have Taken Over Our Thinking").
I was also startled and delighted to see her use of the McLuhan Tetrad on pg. 192 (Delivery Section) to address the benefits and challenges of remote presenting (as via a web meeting). More specifically, this medium enhances the number of people with whom one can connect or audience reach; it obsolesces physical presence; it retrieves collaboration among people separated by distance; it and reverses or flips into audience disconnection when taken to extremes as in no face to face contact (see Gordon’s "McLuhan: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed)" for background and explanation of the Tetrad). I found it quite clever and masterful the way Duarte uses this device to discuss the characteristics and peculiarities of virtual meetings and it suggest this framework might be used in other business books. Her discussion of follow-up with Social Media (Impact) also seems quite timely and relevant.
While appreciating this condensed read for busy professionals, where practical guidance is distilled, I recalled the importance of practice in developing such skills. Obviously, a book can only go so far in this regard, so one also needs skilled coaches like Annett Grant and her firm “Executive Speaking” with her own “core/satellite” system (not unlike the concept map mentioned above) to cultivate these capabilities. It is curious that college or professional schools (see Huber and Moreale’s "Disciplinary Styles in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Exploring Common Ground") and the professors with their own texts do not have wider influence.
Perhaps, we have to get out of school and into the professional world to realize the criticality of making persuasive presentations. It seems Duarte’s HBR business book would be a good complementary resource for communication courses and can continue to be a helpful ‘presentation practicum’ and refresher reference for improving our efforts in this regard.
April 12, 2025
This is not just a business reader but also a general must-read guideline for every student. It provides a framework for persuasive communication and offers different perspectives on how to design comprehensive and engaging messages for your audience.
I just realized it was published in 2010. If students read this during their junior years and practice its principles throughout their studies, they could become excellent presenters in both academic and professional careers.
Personally, I love how it offers an analytical framework for understanding the audience. I used to focus only on demographics and politics, but this reading highlights the importance of psychographics (personality, values, attitudes, interests, communities, and lifestyle), firmographics (no. of employees, revenue size, industry, no. of locations, location of HQ), and ethnographics (social, religious, and cultural needs). These factors all play a role in shaping audience perception and how they receive your message.
The author's reminder is particularly powerful: 'If you see your audience as a homogenous, faceless clump of people, you'll have a hard time making a connection and moving them to action. Instead, think of them as individuals waiting to have a conversation with you.' When addressing segmented groups, focusing on their unique needs will likely have the greatest impact in persuading them to adopt your idea.
The missing one star is due to the fact that, overall, it presents a conceptual idea and a somewhat vague framework. Readers might find it challenging to apply the concepts in real-life situations or may even misinterpret them due to limited experience. It could be improved by providing guidance on how readers could identify and justify their audience's needs or suggestions for effective research methods. Offering specific tools, techniques, or examples for audience analysis would make the framework more practical and actionable.
I just realized it was published in 2010. If students read this during their junior years and practice its principles throughout their studies, they could become excellent presenters in both academic and professional careers.
Personally, I love how it offers an analytical framework for understanding the audience. I used to focus only on demographics and politics, but this reading highlights the importance of psychographics (personality, values, attitudes, interests, communities, and lifestyle), firmographics (no. of employees, revenue size, industry, no. of locations, location of HQ), and ethnographics (social, religious, and cultural needs). These factors all play a role in shaping audience perception and how they receive your message.
The author's reminder is particularly powerful: 'If you see your audience as a homogenous, faceless clump of people, you'll have a hard time making a connection and moving them to action. Instead, think of them as individuals waiting to have a conversation with you.' When addressing segmented groups, focusing on their unique needs will likely have the greatest impact in persuading them to adopt your idea.
The missing one star is due to the fact that, overall, it presents a conceptual idea and a somewhat vague framework. Readers might find it challenging to apply the concepts in real-life situations or may even misinterpret them due to limited experience. It could be improved by providing guidance on how readers could identify and justify their audience's needs or suggestions for effective research methods. Offering specific tools, techniques, or examples for audience analysis would make the framework more practical and actionable.
April 18, 2020
This book was a fairly quick read on how to give better presentations. The most important things that I learned were how to develop a presentation step by step starting with an analysis of the audience, engaging the audience before the presentation, drawing out the story and how to use visuals to convey a message. The section of the book on giving virtual presentations was particularly timely as I'm looking for good advice on how to translate in-person trainings to the web. I had not thought about all of the ways to engage an audience post-presentation, nor how to use social media to build a buzz around a presentation and this book gave me some useful tips on that. Overall a good read and I got a lot of information in a short amount of time. I will be using what I learned to pitch ideas lead project kick-off meetings, and for update meetings.
December 31, 2018
This turned out to be much better than I anticipated.
So I enjoy the previous work of the author so I expected it to be good, but thought it might be a little stale or textbook, but it wasn't.
Read this if you want to improve your presentations. Whether for business, pleasure or whatever this lays out a very nice formula, some good examples and an extremely structured view of how to approach presentations.
This doesn't focus on slides and visuals like her previous work (though that was excellent in it's own right). In fact, this book can guide you on how to do presentations without slides.
Want to do a TED talk? This book will prepare you. Yes it's at that level.
Overall it's interesting, engaging, and extremely informative.
So I enjoy the previous work of the author so I expected it to be good, but thought it might be a little stale or textbook, but it wasn't.
Read this if you want to improve your presentations. Whether for business, pleasure or whatever this lays out a very nice formula, some good examples and an extremely structured view of how to approach presentations.
This doesn't focus on slides and visuals like her previous work (though that was excellent in it's own right). In fact, this book can guide you on how to do presentations without slides.
Want to do a TED talk? This book will prepare you. Yes it's at that level.
Overall it's interesting, engaging, and extremely informative.
May 19, 2018
Quick and easy to digest read about how to improve presentations. The book provides a good high-level description of some key areas of focus. Nancy Duarte starts with how to understand and appreciate your audience. She follows that up with expanding on how to develop the message and the story behind the presentation. Afterwards, she discusses the medium of the presentation (not everything requires PowerPoint) and then goes further into the actual slides and methods of delivery. Lastly she touches on the impact and follow-through post-presentation. I found the topics useful and very applicable to my work.
May 30, 2020
The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations provides practical tips from an experienced presenter. Having done many presentations myself, I'd learned some of these tips the hard way, like the importance of practicing, testing your presentation out on other people, and the importance of making your slides look good. But some of the ideas were totally new to me, and I'm excited to try them out the next time I need to do a presentation. I've never thought to record my presentation and watch my performance, and it makes a lot of sense to research the people you'll be presenting to. I listened to this as an audiobook but I will buy an ebook or paperback before my next presentation as a reference.
January 13, 2019
This compact field guide encapsulates the best practices needed to master the full range of business presentation scenarios. The advice is pragmatic and clearly based on real-world experience. What I most appreciated was guidance on distinguishing between the slides used to document information vs. what should be used in an actual presentation. Duarte covers everything else too, including audience perspective, room logistics, technology and how to involve others. It reads quickly and is a worthy book to keep handy for future reference.
August 6, 2023
Nothing Novel but Good Tips
Last bit of the book is a bit of a stretch when it comes to useful, unique info. Mostly common sense stuff, in general.
Wish the author used gender neutral pronouns when talking about hypothetical persons. For example she says things along the lines of “always check with your AV techs ahead of time. He could make or break your presentation.” It’s micro things like this that make me question the legitimacy of someone’s advice on how to present in an inclusive way. Or maybe Nancy and this book is just a bit outdated.
Last bit of the book is a bit of a stretch when it comes to useful, unique info. Mostly common sense stuff, in general.
Wish the author used gender neutral pronouns when talking about hypothetical persons. For example she says things along the lines of “always check with your AV techs ahead of time. He could make or break your presentation.” It’s micro things like this that make me question the legitimacy of someone’s advice on how to present in an inclusive way. Or maybe Nancy and this book is just a bit outdated.
April 28, 2025
Bon livre qui résume les lignes directrices afin d’aider la structure d’une présentation. HBR on souvent de bons livres qui valent la peine de lire; celui-ci en est un, d’autant plus que c’est une lecture facile.
Même pour un présentateur d’expérience, ce livre peut apporter ou souligner quelques nouveaux points ou sujets oubliés.
Je suggère de prendre des notes dans les marges ou à la fin du livre.
Même pour un présentateur d’expérience, ce livre peut apporter ou souligner quelques nouveaux points ou sujets oubliés.
Je suggère de prendre des notes dans les marges ou à la fin du livre.
January 27, 2026
Quick snappy and to the point. This book is like reading a quick guide on presentations 101.2. I’ve been presenting to leaders, teammates, and others for years based on the work that I do and a lot of concepts in this book were good reminders - but I myself already knew most of them.
It’s a good refresher for those looking to sharpen skills, or for someone who’s new to a job/company/industry on how to make an impact or where to begin if you want to present better than the average person.
It’s a good refresher for those looking to sharpen skills, or for someone who’s new to a job/company/industry on how to make an impact or where to begin if you want to present better than the average person.
September 25, 2017
Spare and informative, like a good presentation. I would view this book as more something to glance through when creating a presentation. It's all good information by a great presentation designer. Try one of her other books or many other good presentation books for a more in-depth view. But this is great review.
April 28, 2018
After reading so many unuseful videos and books finally found this gem. A well-articulated book, which also provides a tip sheet about the structuring the thought process prior, during, and refining steps of the slide deck. There are 2-3 chapters on the social media or off-line presentations. I didn't find them much use though. A separate book on those topics would have been better.
January 15, 2023
This book is exactly what it claims to be. To the point and filled with helpful info. I am an associate pastor ands so rarely get to speak to anyone in the church (I speak to smaller groups but not the congregation). This content, although made for more of a corporate environment, was all very helpful for me.
December 23, 2018
Pretty content heavy. Loved it. Make sure you go slow reading this one to be able to digest all the content. If you can read it during the timeline of a couple of presentations you have to do in real life, that would be perfect!
January 19, 2020
Easy, fast, and well-structured read. Great ideas and reminders for building effective presentations. Some of the stuff is aimed at delivering a talk to a larger audience, though I still picked up ideas for regular internal meetings. Assigned reading for the MBA.
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