Introduction
If I am to speak for ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.
—Woodrow T. Wilson
We work in a first-draft culture. Type an e-mail. Send. Write a blog entry. Post. Whip up some slides. Speak.
But it’s in crafting and recrafting—in iteration and rehearsal—that excellence emerges.
Why worry about being an excellent communicator when you have so many other pressing things to do? Because it will help you get those things done.
So as you conceive, visualize, and present your message, don’t skimp on preparation, even if you’re giving a short talk. It actually takes more careful planning to distill your ideas into a few key takeaways than it does to create an hour-long presentation (see figure 1-1). And gather lots of feedback so you’ll be all the more effective when you start the process again.
Since 1990, I’ve run a firm that specializes in writing and producing presentations—and then I became a presenter myself. This book is loaded with insights learned from supporting other presenters and giving my own talks. But, trust me, I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments, many of which could have been avoided with a little planning. Loading the wrong presentation onto my laptop. Walking onstage with my skirt tucked into my underwear. Botching my delivery to executives at an $8 billion company because I hadn’t rehearsed enough—and getting cut from their continuing series of meetings. Experience is a powerful teacher.
I’ve also learned a lot from success. When audiences can see that you’ve prepared—that you care about their needs and value their time—they’ll want to connect with you and support you. You’ll get people to adopt your ideas, and you’ll win the resources to carry them out. You’ll close more deals. You’ll earn the backing of decision makers. You’ll gain influence. In short, you’ll go farther in your organization—and your career.
Special thanks to:
- The wonderful Lisa Burrell, who edited my mess into coherence
- The entire team at Duarte, who supported me with case studies
- Members of the Twitterverse who answered my questions: @annzerega, @caddguru, @carolmquig, @catiehargrove, @charlesgreene3, @ckallaos, @conniewinch, @iamanshul, @karlparry, @managebetternow, @matthewmccull, @moniquemaley, @mpacc, @speakingtall, and @zupermik