Author

Nancy Duarte

Rate this book

5
Average: 5 (1 vote)

This review was submitted by jmarkey77.

  • Premise: There are mechanics to a good presentation, using these mechanics any presentation can get traction with the target audience and get the results you're looking for.
  • My thoughts: I've taken more notes from this book than any book in the last few years. There is a ton of meat here that can be put to good use. Anyone who would try to change someone else's mind or do a presentation should read this book. And you can do it for free with a multimedia web book: https://www.duarte.com/resonate-book/front/
  • Some insights from the book:
    • The enemy of persuasion is obscurity.
    • Presentations today are boring because there is nothing interesting happening. They have no contrast and hence, interest is lost.
    • Remember, people you don't know are difficult to influence.
    • Your goal is to figure out what your audience cares about and link it to your idea.
    • Many of (your) ideas are unique and were possibly fascinating to uncover. But you can't say it all--and no one wants to hear it all.
    • Make edits on behalf of the audience; they don't want everything.
    • People can only process one inbound message at a time. They will either listen to you or read your slides; they cannot do both.
    • A presentation's quality will not exceed the quality of the planning process that precedes it.