The Manager's Guide to Presentations

Lauren Hug

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781783000159
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Information Technology
• Index: Computer Science

Lauren Hug, founder of HugSpeak Coaching & Consulting, has been helping people reach and motivate audiences for 20 years. In this concise, friendly guide, she condenses her years of presentation expertise from the courtroom to the boardroom. Your presentations are a crucial part of establishing yourself as a leader. Developing a commanding presence and exceptional public speaking skills will mark you as a rising star within your organization. And it doesn't have to be daunting. Lauren will teach you how to speak with confidence, whether you're presenting to your employees, your boss or external stakeholders.This accessible, practical book will walk you through the process step by step, from planning and developing your content, through mastering your materials, to delivering a dynamic performance and reaping the rewards in your career. With interactive exercises and templates, you'll learn how to embrace your signature speaking style, engage your audience, craft compelling content and speak like a pro. Along the way, you'll find yourself building relationships with team members and bosses alike, and developing valuable insights into your strengths as a manager. Through her positive and collaborative coaching approach, described as empowering, life-changing, and therapeutic, Lauren will help you shine as both a leader and a presenter.

The Manager's Guide to Presentations

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The Manager's Guide to Presentations

Copyright © 2013 Impackt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

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Impackt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Impackt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: December 2013

Production Reference: 1181213

Published by Impackt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78300-014-2

www.impacktpublishing.com

Cover Image by Jarek Blaminsky (<[email protected]>)

Credits

Author

Lauren M. Hug, J.D., LL.M.

Copy Editors

Jalasha D'costa

Maria Gould

Paul Hindle

Indexer

Monica Ajmera Mehta

Reviewers

Karole Campbell

Erin Feldman

Project Coordinators

Anurag Banerjee

Venitha Cutinho

Production Coordinator

Melwyn D'sa

Commissioning Editors

Stephanie Moss

Danielle Rosen

Proofreaders

Maria Gould

Paul Hindle

Cover Work

Melwyn D'sa

Foreword

I remember my first official job interview like it was yesterday. Trying to find employment for any young kid just out of law school is tough, but it gets even tougher when you are seeking employment in the shadow of New York City. As I left to venture out into the great unknown, my grandmother looked at my suit and tie and politely told me that "you dress to impress."Taking the hint, I meekly returned to my bedroom, changed suits and ties and got the seal of approval. I did get the job, but I would like to think that it was on merit and not color coordination.

The world has changed since my grandparents were players in the business world, but the principles of success have not. You have to know your audience, define your goals, and sell your product, which, in this case, is yourself. This book provides all individuals—young and old, tired and true—with a blueprint of success.

The one thing that I have seen, repeatedly, over my business career is that so many people either do not truly know themselves or are afraid to make the introduction. As Lauren Hug so aptly points out in this book, if you are going to succeed in business, as well as in life, you must know yourself.

"The first thing you have to know is yourself," explained Adam Smith. "A man who knows himself can step outside himself and watch his own reactions like an observer." And isn't that the goal of any successful presentation?

Know your strengths, know your flaws, and know what can be corrected and/or modified. If you can see yourself through the eyes of those watching you, you will know what works and what flops; what attracts attention and what induces boredom.

As an attorney, I have had both the fortune and misfortune of sitting through a number of presentations. As this book explains, a one-size-fits-all approach does not exist in preparing for presentations. It is incumbent upon any speaker to do his/her homework. Who is your audience? What is the subject matter? Is humor fitting or out of place? Should I speak for a long period of time or should I be short, sweet, and to the point?

It is here that one must develop a presentation and Lauren has provided her readers with the ability to not only draft a blueprint, but execute it as well. Planning a presentation is typically intimidating and daunting, especially if it is a new concept. Not only must you put together something that is going to wow your audience, which may consist of bosses, customers, and dignitaries, but you then have to deal with the stress of making such a presentation.

Lauren breaks down the phobias that hinder successful presentations. By relating the building blocks of a successful presentation to the same building blocks most of us utilize in everyday life, Lauren has taken the idea of a presentation, which sometimes appears out of reach for people, and put it within an arm's length. This is the majesty of her book.

This book is a must read for any new manager entering the business world. This book is not about gimmicks, nor does it become a self-help book. This book is about success and it provides its readers with the tools they need to achieve such success. And if you read this book and take its message to heart, you will never have to picture another audience in their underwear again. That's how priceless this book is.

Joe Murray

Founder of the Murray Law Firm

About the Author

Lauren M. Hug, J.D., LL.M., an accomplished speaker, writer, and thinker, has helped people reach and motivate audiences for 20 years. For the past decade, she has applied analytical and communication skills to branding, messaging, and market research needs of businesses, big and small. As founder of HugSpeak Coaching & Consulting, she relies on presentation experience from the courtroom to the boardroom, involvement with dozens of corporate campaigns, insights from analyzing research along with cultural sensitivity from traveling and living abroad to advising clients in a wide variety of industries. Having discovered her gifts for public speaking, research, and strategy through her high school speech team, Lauren has a passion for helping students, as well as professionals, develop those crucial skills. Her positive, collaborative coaching approach has been described as empowering, life-changing, and even therapeutic. Lauren is an attorney and certified mediator whose academic credentials include an LL.M. with merit from the University of London, a J.D. with honors from the top-20 University of Texas School of Law, and a Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Texas.

I would like to thank my eternally supportive husband Andrew for his patience with me while writing this book, my dear friend Craig Noack for his encouragement and excitement regarding this project, the savvy and energetic Karole Campbell for insightful feedback, the editorially gifted Erin Feldman for her expertise, the charming and brilliant Anna Rydne for camaraderie, and all the friends and family members who have cheered me along the way.

About the Reviewers

Karole Campbell owns Madwoman Marketing Strategies, a strategic advertising and marketing firm, and consults with diverse clients of all sizes across all industries including non-profits, utilities, education, entertainment, tourism, healthcare, and retail. She has presented to small audiences and large, her most recent a non-profit fundraising donation request to an audience of 500 plus.

Karole lives on a mountainside in Manitou Springs, Colorado with two manic and ancient border collies.

Erin Feldman is the founder of Write Right. She is a copywriter, editor, poet, and artist. She helps people and brands tell their stories. She has worked as a writer and editor for over seven years and has her MFA in creative writing and her BA in English and graphic design.

Preface

Congratulations on your promotion! As a new manager, there is a lot to learn and a lot of new duties to juggle. On top of all your responsibilities, you have to give your first presentation—a crucial step toward establishing yourself in your new role. This first presentation allows you to demonstrate your authority and share your leadership style. It also provides you with the opportunity to solidify relationships with your team members and your boss. It requires careful planning, thoughtful content development, sufficient practice, and confident delivery.

If that sounds like a lot to handle, don't worry! This book is here to guide you through the entire presentation process—from planning to writing to practicing to giving a masterful presentation that instills your team with confidence and enthusiasm. By following my practical, encouraging, and systematic approach, you'll be presentation-ready before you know it, prepared to impress key stakeholders, win over your team, and showcase your value to the entire organization...

Table of contents

• The Manager's Guide to Presentations