If you’re like most people, the phrase “You’ll be giving a presentation” is on a par with
“It looks like that molar will have to come out.” Well, let’s be honest: you’d prefer the
surgery, wouldn’t you?
One reason most people regard public speaking as a nightmare is that they have to be
“perfect.” They drive themselves crazy trying to conform to all sorts of handed-down
rules that tie them up in knots and put their audiences to sleep. But Karen Hough knows
that by throwing out those rules, relaxing, being yourself, and even making “mistakes,”
you’ll connect with your audience much more effectively than the guy with the
impeccable PowerPoint presentation.
Hough has used her unique approach to take the anxiety out of one of the greatest fears
in business. It’s authenticity and passion that win people over, she says, not polish. It’s
why people trust vlogs more than commercials and user reviews more than ads. But you
can’t be authentic if you’re following constraining rules that drain the life and
personality out of your presentation.
Hough debunks over a dozen myths about presenting to make it more fun and natural
for everybody. She explains why mirrors are evil, why you should never end with
questions, what the real purpose of any presentation should be, and much more. You’ll
discover how to embrace and develop your own style and communicate your message in
a way that’s all “wrong” according to the experts and that your audiences will find
compellingly right.
If presentations really didn’t matter, we’d all just send memos. There are a million ways to share information out there, but the
more we digitize, the more we long for human connection. By following Karen Hough’s wise and witty advice, you’ll avoid being
forced to become one more robot behind a podium and be freed to be a living, breathing, occasionally clumsy real person whose
passion is powerful and infectious.
About The Author:
Karen Hough is CEO of ImprovEdge, which creates training using improvisation to teach business skills. She is an Amazon bestselling author, keynote speaker, contributor to the Huffington Post, and winner of the Stevie International Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year.
