Five Steps to Conquer 'Death by PowerPoint': Changing the world one conversation at a time - Softcover

Bergman, Mr. Eric

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1469926377 ISBN 13: 9781469926377

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

Regardless of whether you're presenting in a classroom, a lecture hall, a boardroom, a training room or a conference hall, if you're looking for a way to generate better outcomes from presentations, this book is exactly what you've been seeking. 

"As a frequent speaker, I'm always looking for tools that sharpen my skills. Needless to say, I was intrigued by Eric Bergman's promise of techniques to avoid humdrum slide decks. 5 Steps to Conquer 'Death by PowerPoint' proved to be worth the read." 
 
-- Roger Dooley, Forbes
 
5 Steps to Conquer 'Death by PowerPoint' was written to reduce presenter reliance on slide-driven presentations, certainly. But this book has insights that will help you communicate more effectively in a host of situations--whether you're delivering a formal keynote presentation to thousands or moving a sale forward with a single customer.  
 
"An excellent book on communications that covers a wide range of communication topics. What sets this book apart is that it is founded on solid academic research. It is also clearly written and presented, making it a great book for students and practitioners alike." 
-- David Straker, Changing Minds

You'll gain insight into matching your ideas to the needs, wants and desires of your audience. You'll learn to develop content quickly and efficiently. You'll may continue to use PowerPoint, but your slides will no longer become a barrier between you and those you're seeking to inform or persuade. And you'll gain valuable insight into the skill of answering questions effectively, which has the potential to positively impact every aspect of your personal and professional life.  
 
"Eric Bergman provides straight-forward advice to presenting ideas effectively. This book is well worth reading." 
 
-- Glenn Ives, Chairman, Deloitte & Touche LLP
 
If you're a sales executive looking to enhance the results generated by sales presentations delivered by your team, this book will provide insights that everyone can use to better engage customers and positively impact the bottom line. 
 
"Although 'Death By PowerPoint' wasn't written with salespeople in mind, anyone who sells a product or service could benefit from the advice offered in this practical book."
 
-- Kelley Robertson, Fearless Selling
 
One of the world's leading cognitive scientists calls 5 Steps to Conquer 'Death by PowerPoint' a "window to the future" of better presentations everywhere. 
 
"The various recommendations Bergman makes are based on strong research evidence he has brilliantly applied to the art of presenting information to a live audience. Eric Bergman's techniques are a window to the future of this important human activity."
 
-- John Sweller, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Education, University of New South Wales

About this title

From the Author:

I decided to write this book because I got a bit frustrated trying to change organizations from the inside. I would provide presentation skills training to an organization over one or two days. Everyone would agree that their skills improved. The video evidence would be irrefutable. At the end of the workshop, everyone was communicating more effectively than they were at the beginning. 

"But," they would say, "our senior executives (or customers, or conference organizers, or clients, or staff) expect us to use PowerPoint. How can we apply what you've taught us while using PowerPoint at the same time?" 

The sad reality is that I can't. Nobody can. 

As I've said in the book, it's time to face reality. The emperor has no clothes, and slides are not working as an effective communication medium. They stifle discussion. They impede understanding. They hinder decision making. They crush audience participation. They smother critical thinking. They leave boredom and lost productivity in their wake. 

Yet millions of people the world over continue producing and using them on a daily basis. 

If you're interested in maintaining the status quo, this book will not help you. However, if you're interested in setting a higher standard, as a presenter communicating information or an audience receiving it, this book is here to help. 

If you absolutely need visual aids (which encompasses more than slides, by the way), use them. When they are no longer necessary, remove them from view. 

And carry on a conversation with your audience. 

That's the only way we'll change the world, one conversation at a time. 

About the Author:

For the past 30 years, Eric Bergman's speechwriting, coaching and presentation skills programs have helped countless professionals from five continents become better communicators--from C-Suite executives to front-line supervisors and everything in between. 

Over the past three decades, he has come to the conclusion that the spoken word and the written word must be separate to be effective. Simply put, audiences can read or they can listen, but they cannot read and listen at the same time. 

"This is actually quite easy to demonstrate," he says. "The next time you're watching your favorite all-news channel, try listening to what's being said while reading what's scrolling across the bottom. It shouldn't take longer than ten seconds to prove the point." 

He believes smart presenters tap into this principle, and others, to improve their ability to communicate and enhance their success, and is convinced that Five Steps to Conquer 'Death by PowerPoint' and the free downloadable workbook at fivestepstoconquer.com/workbook.html will show them how.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1469926377
• ISBN 13: 9781469926377
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 172