Review: The Exceptional Presenter Goes Virtual by Timothy Koegel

While on my recent business trip to the East Coast, I picked up a copy of The Exceptional Presenter Goes Virtual by Timothy J. Koegel, author of The Exceptional Presenter.  I have not read The Exceptional Presenter, but after a few chapters of this book, I quickly purchased it.  I am not someone who gives countless speeches per year; however, I am a firm believer that people should know how to present and I do work hard honing this craft.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• “The incremental improvement of multiple skills leads to significant overall improvement in effectiveness and consistency.” (p. 6)
• Organization and planning are keys to success in the virtual presentation world.
• “The use of verbal graffati [‘um's' & ‘uh's'] reflects a level of unpreparedness that is not acceptable.” (p. 19)
• “The number one reason virtual presentations fail is from a lack of planning.” (p. 27)
• “As you organize your virtual presentation, keep in mind that your message is your personal brand.” (p. 39)
• “For anyone presenting information virtually, the greatest challenge lies in making the presentation more interesting than the distractions.” (p. 65)
• “Attention span studies suggest that undivided attention capacity is between 15 and 30 seconds.” (p. 73)
• “What you are wearing, your body language and facial expressions, your movements and gestures all communicate a message as to your level of confidence and professionalism.” (p. 95)
• “Nothing is more important than practicing your presentation.” (p. 146)
• “If they are multi-tasking, they most likely are not hearing a significant amount of detail.” (p. 157-158)
• “A confident presenter will choose the venue that is more effective, even if it is the more difficult choice to execute.” (p. 172)

I highly recommend this book for anyone that gives presentations, whether in-person or virtually.  The skills in this book will help prepare you and strengthen your presentation skills.

Question:  Do you think virtual presentations will replace face-to-face presentations?