HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

Are you preparing an important presentation? Does public speaking make your face flush and your heart race? Are you struggling to create a concise, powerful argument? Packed with practical advice on everything from structuring content to overcoming stage fright, this guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to master public speaking. Whether your audience is a small group of well-known colleagues or a larger gathering of prospective clients or board executives, learn how to: shape your information to specifically address your audience’s needs; prepare visual aids that develop, not distract from, your points; and grab your listeners’ attention and hold it.

This collection includes: “The Basic Presentation Checklist;” “How to Make Your Case in 30 Seconds or Less,” by Nick Wreden; “Coping with Stagefright,” by John Daly and Isa Engleberg; “Presentations 101,” by John Clayton; “Easy on the Eyes,” by Kirsten D. Sandberg; “Plan for Visuals,” by Harvard Business School Press; “Why the Best Presentations Are Good Conversations,” by Roly Grimshaw; “Connect with Your Audience,” by Nick Morgan; “Presence: How to Get It, How to Use It;” “Are Your Presentations Inspiring?;” and “The Twentieth Century’s Greatest Speech–What Made It So Powerful?”

Harvard Business Review Guides are for busy professionals looking for quick answers to common challenges. They’re packed with useful tips and practical advice in a brief, easy-to-read format. Whether you’re looking to expand your skills or refresh your existing ones, these guides offer reliable answers to your most pressing problems.