Carmine Gallo

audio nonfiction (analyzing successful TED talks to arrive at recommendations for
probably better in print=more skimmable; as an audio it was excessively long, with each point being repeated so many times despite Gallo's recommendation that this presentation tactic is not as effective as keeping things short and to the point.
some points that I managed to pick up (in between completely zoning out). Note that these will help people in job interviews as well as career presentations and public speaking engagements.

* to make your topic interesting, stick to themes that you actually care about (i.e., that "make your heart sing"
* think of a presentation more as a conversation in which you are connecting with your audience. The pace of a conversational tone is actually a little faster than the pace at which an audiobook is read.
* sit/stand up straight (or even lean slightly forward as a friendly/interested salesperson). See Amy Cuddy's power pose for prepping before your presentation.
* connect by invoking emotion--as through a personal anecdote, funny story, or shocking statement. Keep in mind that serious topics may benefit from a thoughtful injection of humor.
* practice a LOT. in front of friends, strangers, in front of a camera--put in the thousands of hours until you've reached proficiency and polish.
* keep it short (18-20 minutes) and focus on three things you want the audience to remember.
* adding carefully selected images to your slide deck (and limiting text - try 40 words for first 10 slides) can help people remember. Stick to one theme/one statistic/one message per slide; don't just stack bullet-points together as per the old style. (also consider props or multimedia to help illustrate your point)… (more)