Customer Reviews

High Impact Presentations: The Most Effective Way to Communicate with Virtually Any Audience Anywhere

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am an avid reader of presentation books (and an avid presenter), and although I found some useful gems of information in this book, other books on the market are more useful and filled with more detail (e.g. Knock Out Presentations, Beyond Bullet Points).

In my view the greatest contribution of this book is the focus on giving a presentation as you would a conversation. This might seem obvious to some, but most presenters in my field look like robots or people in a far-off distant land. Thinking in terms of a conversation rather than a presentation changes how someone approaches the presentation and how they interact with the audience during the presentation.

The organisation of the book was not clear to me - I felt as though the author jumped around from one topic to another without a clear structure. I also found the self-promotion of Kingstree a bit old after a while - I didn't read this book to learn that Kingstree "was the best"; I read it to improve my presentation skills.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you know you are a relatively wooden presenter and would like to appear more natural. Otherwise, if you have other skills you would like to improve, I would suggest picking up another presentation book.

I really learned a lot from the book 'High Impact Presentations' of Lee Bowman.

In the first part he begins with explaining why spoken word is more powerfull than the written word, continueing to explain how to use pauses, silence, eye contact and how to prepare a presentation. In the second part he continues on how you can build personal influencing skills, how you can build your self confidence, and how you should talk to the conference platform. Also he explais how you can use the 'Kingstree Approach' at internal meetings and in Social Situations. The thirth part is about how to influence the inflencers, and he explains how to convincingly talk to the media, about crisis management and how the Kingstree approach works for politicians and diplomats. The fourth and last parts is about how to use this approach to win new business, by being very clear about how to talk in foreign tongues, and how to use visual aids.

What I liked about the book where to incredible nice and very explaining examples from practice, and the nice anecdotes.

The main thing what can be learned from this book is how to give a good presentation in front of an audience, by presenting yourself in a natural way. Because of the good examples, and the clear goals he gives about what presenting is about, he takes away much of the fear you could have for giving a presentation.

I myself was nervous for a presentation, and bought this book. I used this approach for a presentation I had to give for a course as a student, and afterwards I got many compliments from other students and the teacher. Later I one time I didn't go to a lesson from that course, and the teacher asked a student friend if I was still follwing that course. He said: "I am not sure, he is very busy right now". And the teacher and one other student said: "ohw, that it's a pitty, his presentation was very good".

It's nice to get a compliment about your presentation, and it helps you being not so nervous for the next one. It gives a very good feeling.

Very long winded and wordy such that you have to extract key points from a mass of self promotion anecdotes.

I read this book from cover to cover. That was hard work! I speak regularly and do some teaching on presentation skills, though I do not pretend to be an expert. Who is?

I cannot agree with the other reviewers. I found the style pompous; "our method is better than everyone elses". In essence the book is repetitive and tells presenters to speak in a converstaional style. This is important, but not new. Anyone who watches top speakers will recognise this. I would not agree with some of the suggestions either. Trying to get inexperienced speakers to read their presentation is usually a recipe for disaster. I could not recommend this book to serious presenters, it is just as full of pseudoscience and waffle as all those it decries!

I approached this book cautiously - not ANOTHER "how to" communication book. But Lee Bowman is excellent. Why? He writes clearly, simply, and sympathetically about communication in the workplace, at social occasions, and elsewhere. Lee stresses the conversational skill as the most skilful way to communicate and I found the frequent practical examples and case studies refreshingly candid. Much of my own work focuses on public and written communication, and I thought I had most of it taped. Jane Austin suggested that the highest form of communication was the "art which conceals art". Bowman also emphasises the inportance of practice and preparation. I learned some extremely useful tips from Lee Bowman, and strongly recommend the book.

Lee Bowman is a master of presentation skills, and has developed the Kingtstree approach - a conversational style now used by many world leaders in their speeches.

It is simple, effective and easy to apply - the amazing thing to me is that it isn't more widely known.

As a professional speaker myself, I'm glad I have this book - and I wouldn't lend it to anyone!