Life After PowerPoint!

I just came upon Speaking PowerPoint: The New Language of Business, a book by Bruce Gabrielle. Although I’ve only read the first two chapters, I’m very impressed with it. I’m write more about it when I’ve read more.

Have you  seen it? What do you think about it?

Nancy Duarte, author of Slide:ology, has published a new book that is well worth your consideration.

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences (Wiley, 2010) is a visually-appealing, thought-provoking book, and richly satisfying book.

I haven’t read it from cover to cover. Its design has always prompted me to open it at random and read a couple of pages, reflect on what I’ve read, and dive in again at some other point. Each open-read-reflect experiment either confirmed my own experience (“that’s so true”) or gave me a new insight (“I hadn’t thought of it that way before”).

I’ve long believed that every speech — or at least any speech that hopes to change the way an audience thinks and feels and acts — tells a story. Resonate shows you what kind of story to tell and how to tell it. Nancy’s insights, gleaned from Joseph Campbell’s work on myths and from modern-day masters of screenwriting, is both insightful and practical. You would do well to buy the book for those insights alone. And then you’ll find so much more to savor. (Her analysis of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is a marvel; it gives a new way of appreciating a well-known masterpiece.)

Here’s just one example of what Duarte offers: “Create a moment where you dramatically drive the big idea home by intentionally placing Something They’ll Always Remember — a S.T.A.R. moment — in each presentation… The S.T.A.R. moment should be a significant, sincere, and enlightening moment during the presentation that helps magnify your big idea — not distract from it.”

She then lists, explains and gives examples of the five types of S.T.A.R. moments: 1) memorable dramatization, 2) repeatable sound bites, 3) evocative visuals, 4) emotive storytelling, and 5) shocking statistics.

I highly recommend Resonate. Let me know what you think of it.

My book, Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint: How to Speak So People Listen, is being released in the UK today!

It’s being published by Piatkus Books. And you can order it from Amazon.co.uk here.

There are so many wonderful books about speeches and presentations already published in the UK that it seems like I’m sending coals to Newcastle. I feel honored to have my book joining their ranks.

If you have a chance to read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

Photo courtesy of jtlondon at Flickr.

My book is being published in Australia today.

When my publisher at Hachette Australia told me the book’s release date, I asked her if April 1 was April Fools’ Day in Australia. Yes, she said, even in Australia it’s April Fools’ Day. So then I asked if the release date was some sort of commentary on the book. No, she assured me, the release date has nothing to do with their judgment of book’s worth. (Authors — at least this one — are an insecure lot and need reassurance every so often.)

If you’re Australian, you can get the book through Dymocks or at your local booksellers. I’d love to hear your comments. The principles, techniques, and strategies I set forth in it are, I think, pretty universal. But you never know. Tell me if you come across something that sounds un-Australian.

I feel proud and lucky to be published in the Lucky Country.

Map of Australia courtesy of Color Line at Flickr.

Fletcher Dean, an award-winning speech writer, ran a review of my book, Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint. He calls it the “real deal for leaders” and a “good addition to your bookshelf.” (Thanks, Fletcher.)

I highly recommend his blog Speech 2.0. He offers insightful and thorough critiques of major speeches, both in business and in politics. And he doesn’t just stick with American speeches. (He’s recently analyzed speeches by the premier of China and by the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.) He also hightlights interesting books.

As an example of what you’ll find in Fletcher’s blog, he just posted a piece about Ted Sorensen (JFK’s counselor and celebrated speechwriter). He compared what Sorensen said in a recent speech where he focused on “the outline; the headline; the frontline; the sidelines; and the bottom line,” to what he wrote in his book, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History. Then he gave a great synopsis of the book’s main ideas about speechwriting.

If you’re interested in gaining an experienced speechwriter’s perspective on what makes a speech work (or not), check out Fletcher’s blog. As my mom would say, “it’ll do you good.”

Publishers Weekly, “an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents,” ran this review of my book, Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint:

In Witt’s succinct and humorous assessment of leadership strategies and the art of the public presentation, the business consultant focuses on the basics and the particulars that often go by the wayside when speakers rely on crutches like PowerPoint. A good speaker and leader knows that the individual is inseparable from his or her message, that ideas must be conveyed simply and powerfully, and that conviction is paramount to get others on board. Witt, founder and president of his own Witt Communications company, goes into great detail illustrating exactly what a successful speaker does and how those skills translate to good leadership. While Witt’s primer doesn’t say anything particularly new, it’s a fine demonstration of his principles at work: well-organized and straightforward, with plenty of concrete take-away techniques. Geared toward those looking to get a leg up at work, shape their ideas and overcome the public speaking jitters, Witt’s quick, witty instructional makes a fine addition to the office arsenal.

I like the review not just because it’s positive, but because it captures the main point of the book.

I wish, of course, that it had substituted the phrase “is brilliantly original” for “doesn’t say anything particularly new.” But since public speaking has been so well studied for more than 2,500 years, it’s next to impossible to come up with something new to say about it. I like to think that I’ve selected and distilled some of the best insights that have been generated over the years, added my own take on them, and given practical tips for making them relevant today.

I’ve printed up the review so I can post it next to my computer. (See photo.) I don’t know if you can make it out, but I’ve highlighted certain phrases that warm my heart and stroke my ego:

• “succinct and humorous”
• “well-organized and straightforward“
• “quick, witty”

Normally, I bristle at being described as witty, because with a last name like Witt I’ve heard just about every pun that can possibly be made on the word. But I’ll make an exception in this case.

Thanks for bearing with me. I’m still enjoying seeing my book in print and hearing nice things said about it.

A friend of mine, Gertrud Nelson, hosted a book signing party at her place on Saturday. (She’s published several books herself. One of them — To Dance with God – has been in continuous print for more than 20 years.)

Gertrud supplied the place. I bought chocolate — See’s Candy, chocolate chip cookies, and the most decadent brownies I’ve ever tasted — and white wine. (It was Valentine’s Day, after all.) She asked me to “say a few words,” which I hadn’t planned on doing. But I took a lesson from the chapter in my book titled, “Speaking Spontaneously Takes Some Planning,” and did my best.

Here’s what I said:

Leaders — and people who want to have impact when they’re speaking — speak not to communicate information, but to influence and inspire their audiences.

A great speech is made up of four main elements — the person who’s speaking, the event, the message, and the delivery. (The book is divided into four sections, which elaborate on those four elements.)

And, of course, I told a story because I can’t imagine giving a speech without telling at least one story.

If you’ve had the chance to read my book, Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint, I’d love to hear your thoughts.