You're no idiot, of course. You can hold your own in water cooler conversation, are the life of the party at get-togethers, and have no problem firing a quick comeback at your smart-alecky friends. But when it comes to standing onstage in front of a group of people, you feel like you're the one in your underwear, not the audience. Don't hide behind the lectern just yet. The 'Complete Idiot's Guide to Public Speaking, Second Edition' helps you feel confident and build the skills you need to deliver winning speeches and presentations. In this completely revised and updated Complete Idiot's Guide, you'll find: -Professional guidance on identifying your audience and adapting to the situation. -Expert advice on effective wardrobe and body language. -Useful pointers on how to tell jokes. -Valuable tips on handling hecklers and negative audiences. -Cutting edge information on using Powerpoint and other visual aids.

You're no idiot, of course. You can hold your own in water cooler conversation, are the life of the party at get-togethers, and have no problem firing a quick comeback at your smart-alecky friends. But when it comes to standing onstage in front of a group of people, you feel like you're the one in your underwear, not the audience. Don't hide behind the lectern just yet. The 'Complete Idiot's Guide to Public Speaking, Second Edition' helps you feel confident and build the skills you need to deliver winning speeches and presentations. In this completely revised and updated Complete Idiot's Guide, you'll find: -Professional guidance on identifying your audience and adapting to the situation. -Expert advice on effective wardrobe and body language. -Useful pointers on how to tell jokes. -Valuable tips on handling hecklers and negative audiences. -Cutting edge information on using Powerpoint and other visual aids.

Just what the doctor ordered for the anxiety-ridden speaker-to-be, this indispensable, fun-to-read reference contains solid information, tips, alerts, and more to help the average person prepare and give powerful presentations. With just the right touch and full of wit, this is the book to read and read again before speaking in public.

This is the 2nd Edition of this book. The first, published in 2009, won a Readers Favorite Silver Medal for Non-Fiction. Since then many new software tools for enhancing presentation visual aids have been introduced and are discussed herein. Regardless of your profession, e.g., business, science, engineering or government, communicating in front of others is useful and becomes even more of a necessity as one progresses in an organization. Many topics are presented herein such as: Ancient human versions of Facebook and Twitter, the Evolution of Verbal & Written Communication, Factors to Consider Before Designing a Presentation, Winning Over an Audience, Opening & Closing Techniques, Developing Each Part of Your Speech, Taking the Terror out of Public Speaking, Deadly Mistakes to Avoid, Pros & Cons of Using Visual Aids, How to Avoid "Brain Death" When Speaking and much more. Many vital speaking tips are also presented such as: the use of humor; awareness of the role your eyes and gestures play; verbal & body language; strong words to use & weak words to avoid; speaking speed & pauses; strategies for handling hostile questions & audience members; "security blankets" to avoid and even tips for making a presentation to your boss and management. On-the-job presentations are emphasized such as those within corporations and other organizational entities, business and technical conferences, symposia and scientific poster sessions. The public speaking strategies and tips are described in a straightforward and easy-to-follow manner. The author uses his extensive education, 35 years of management consulting and executive management experience, as well as research on public speaking to present a useful guide for presentations in any setting. As William Hewlett, Co-founder of the Hewlett Packard Corporation said: "How can I trust someone to manage multi-million dollar projects if he or she can't manage a half-hour speech?"