Present Like a Pro

This book is without a doubt the best available advice on presenting and speaking. As a professional speaker myself, I use it as a reference guide before every speech. Maxey and O'Connor (combined) speak more than 200 times per year. They have made the mistakes and learned the lessons the hard way. All you need to do is read "Present Like a Pro" to learn from these two highly successful professionals. Cyndi and Kevin teach you: How to prepare for a great presentation How to quickly connect with your audience How to gracefully handle A/V malfunctions How to increase audience participation How to deal with hecklers How to follow-up and more As a reference guide for my own speech preparation, this book never leaves my desk! It's easy-to-read and easy-to-use. Join the hundreds of professional speakers who use Maxey and O'Connor's book for great speeches. Michael Beitler, Ph.D. Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"Strategic Organizational Change, Second Edition

You immediately get the sense that these authors care about helping you improve your speaking. Unlike many books on speaking, this one doesn't provide oversimplified suggestions and the assumptive tone: "Here's how I do it -- it works for me -- so it will work for you too." Present Like a Pro recognizes we each have to develop our own process if we are going to connect with our audience. Maxey and O'Connor take this responsibility with great reverence -- providing hundreds of suggestions that I'm using to make incremental improvements with every presentation. Don't just read this book -- re-read it until you absorb those little nuances that make a big difference - that is, if you really do want to present like a pro!

I have read a tremendous number of books on public speaking and Maxey and O'Connor summed up everything you need to know in this easy to read book. They give you just enough information without being tedious or repetitive. I particularly like the "call-out" boxes which share "Coach's Comments", "From the Pros" and real life stories. Present Like a Pro has a prominent place on my bookshelf - and it will on yours, too!

According to Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O'Connor, authors of "Present Like A Pro," (St. Martin's Griffin 2006), a professional level speaker always ends unexpectedly. When I first read that I thought "Huh?" But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how correct Maxey and O'Connor are. Too many speakers feel they can just end by saying "and in conclusion, my three key points are blah, blah, and blah." Your ending is a great place to shine by showing flashes of creativity--don't blow it. Some speakers do end unexpectedly because they seem to run out of gas. They say "That's it, any questions?" That's not the sort of ending unexpectedly you want to emulate. The key is to surprise with unexpected value, insight and sometimes emotion. Maxey also writes that "a pro is ready to edit on the spot." This means that if you think you are going to have 30 minutes to give a presentation and then you are told at the last minute that you only have fifteen minutes, you aren't going to whine and complain to the organizers or the audience. Because you have such a deep grasp of your subject matter and the needs of your audience, you can instantly figure out what to cut from your speech and still make the strongest impact on your audience. The highest level pros may even go so far as having a second PowerPoint ready with a drastically reduced number of slides just in case the time for the speech has been reduced. "Present Like A Pro" also does a great job of chronicling all the different times, places, and ways in a speech where speakers apologize. Now I have often admonished speakers to avoid apologizing in speeches, but Maxey and O'Connor say it best when they advise "Don't include apologies at any point unless the roof falls in." These authors do an excellent job of crystallizing the highest goals for the advanced speaker; it isn't about avoiding um's or having well structured content. Ultimately, a speech by a professional is about the experience created for the audience. "The Experience is what an audience wants and needs." Yes, Yes, Yes--and this doesn't just apply to so-called motivational or feel-good speakers. Thousands of books have been written on how to give a good speech. "Present Like A Pro" is one of the rare books in the genre that will deliver the inside secrets you need to be a GREAT speaker.

Whether you are a new or seasoned speaker, you will be a better speaker after reading this book. The authors offer meaningful and practical strategies for enhancing your client and audience experiences. From the pitfalls of the apology opening to managing interactions and responding to questions from the audience, this book provides exactly what you need to present like a pro. A book that delivers on its title - what a concept.