A client recently expressed anxiety about filing. He said he always overprepared, obsessed weeks in advance, lost sleep, and repeatedly repeated what he wanted to say and do.

I asked her, “When do you know your presentation is good enough?”

She answered, “Good enough to do what?”

Your question led me to read the two excellent books by TJ Walker, How to give a pretty good presentation and TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations.

Walker writes conversationally, quickly and easily to read, without pretense; His knowledge and experience can help catapult any presentation from boring to great. I shared these books with my client and recommend them to you.

How to give a pretty good presentation

In today’s extreme business environment, you must balance time and performance. So the challenge is, how can you be “good enough” to impact business results?

According to Walker, as long as you find a way to make an impact, you don’t need to be a rock star. Walker’s step-by-step tips can help almost anyone write, rehearse, and deliver presentations that he calls “good enough,” meaning good enough to make a difference.

After reading this book, my client pointed out one particularly helpful tip. Walker says it’s important to select a single idea to convey to your audience and focus your presentation on that message. That helped my client after she was promoted to vice president and, with 30 minutes’ notice, she had to address a group in her new role.

He took Walker’s advice, spoke with confidence, and earned a high level of credibility among his peers.

TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations

Using a streamlined question-and-answer format, Walker answers just about every question you’ve ever had but were afraid to ask about giving a presentation. Each answer is given clearly and directly; each suggestion is easy to understand and easy to implement.

One of Walker’s best tips is to keep it real and be yourself. As he points out, polished and professional can mean you’re suddenly just like any other presenter. Says Walker, “Doing what everyone else is doing is playing it safe… You have to do something, anything, so that people leave your presentation with a positive impression of you and your ideas.”

Walker also offers great tips on using PowerPoint. He suggests that he create two separate PowerPoint presentations:

  • an optimized and very visual version to be projected on the screen, and
  • a more detailed version with all your text, data, and graphics that can be used as a brochure or email follow-up.

Both titles are valuable additions to your library. Take a look and you will discover that they are essential resources that will help you to be confident, listened to and inspiring every time you come to talk.