The Presentation Coach: Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter by Graham Davies
| The Presentation Coach: Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter by Graham Davies | |
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| Category: Business and Finance | |
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Reviewer: Louise Laurie
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| Summary: Throw away all the other books, says the author. This little baby (my words, not his) is all you need for your presentations: business, politics, in-house or after-dinner speaking - they, and so much more, are all comprehensively covered here in Davies' breezy style. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 280 | Date: September 2010 |
| Publisher: Capstone | |
| ISBN: 978-0857080448 | |
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With plaudits all over the covers like a rash; plaudits from well-known people such as Nick Robinson, Political Editor of the BBC, Daniel Finkelstein of the Times and Boris Johnston, current Mayor of London, this book's bar is set pretty high. Straight away and yes, I was asking the usual question - why another one of these seemingly endless 'how-to' manuals? My first impression is of no-nonsense, time is precious but also a little in-your-face, American style er, presentation of the book. But that's good. I like that. It's all the wishy-washy books in this genre and similar that I don't like.
Davies gets straight down to the matter in hand and states ... the single most important presentational tool known to man isn't a slideshow. It's you. And I can hear him almost shouting out that last word. Chapter 1 opens with the essentials of presenting/presentational scenarios. We're told that we are all in some form of presenting mode on a regular basis as we go about our daily lives - often at an unconscious level. Davies cites the simple telephone call as an example for us to think about, chew over. Before going on to more complex illustrations.
And then he really did grab my attention when he reminds the reader about Nick Clegg, the Lib-Dem Leader's television speech which propelled him from near obscurity into the limelight and to the attention of the British people - who are important potential voters, don't forget. A presentational tour de force. I saw that particular speech (and others) and I agree with Davies. Impressive stuff. And a lesson for us all to bear in mind that often it's not simply what you say - but how you say it.
The book is broken down into chapters with grab-your-attention headings like Know Your Audience, Nail It Down and Control The Day. Broken down even further for ease of reading and also to dip into if time is short. Davies acknowledges time and time again of the business of our daily lives. Readers who prefer a gentler, perhaps more traditional style of writing may find Davies style too abrasive. Me? I loved it. I thoroughly appreciated his honesty. Here's one of his short and sassy statements (there are many). He's talking about the mantra of the 21st century presenter Say it. Support it. Shut it. I for one wanted to read further, find out what it was all about. And I wasn't disappointed. He had my interest throughout. And this is, after all what a good book, of whatever genre, is all about.
Davies is refreshingly frank. He says what he means and means what he says. He also puts Powerpoint' back in its box saying that it's often a lazy option. And sometimes it's an unsuccessful option. Preparation, and by that Davies means thorough preparation for the big event - or even if it's a small event with only a handful of people - is key. Do not prepare, he says, then prepare to fail. Leave nothing to chance. Extreme importance is given to the power of the spoken word. Get it right and the world could be yours. Think of the famous words by Winston Churchill and J F Kennedy. Decades later, we still remember them.
I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. (I have taken my own notes for possible future use). I warmed immediately to the message, to the style and to the tone of the book. I admired his candour. Such as There is no fictional story-telling in this book. I only give you what you need. And not a word more. No waffle ... no platitudes. If only others would do the same, I thought. Davies is both business-like and likeable. I can see why he's at the top of his game. This book is not only for the stuffy boardroom; it covers much more than that. Thoroughly recommended.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Like the idea of this book? Then you might well enjoy How To Persuade And Influence People by Philip Hesketh.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Presentation Coach: Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter by Graham Davies at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Presentation Coach: Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter by Graham Davies at Amazon.com.
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