Jerry Weissman (pictured to the left)
founded Power Presentations, Ltd. in 1988 in Silicon Valley. His
background in broadcasting, television production, publication,
professional writing and classic rhetoric made Weissman uniquely
suited to create a new comprehensive, media-based approach to presentation
coaching.
Mr. Weissman's initial focus was to help companies in Information
Technology develop their general presentation skills. One of his
debut efforts was the Cisco Systems IPO roadshow. Following its
very successful launch, Don Valentine, of Sequoia Capital, and
then Chairman of Cisco's Board of Directors, attributed "at
least two to three dollars" of the offering price to Mr. Weissman's
coaching. In addition to Cisco, Weissman has coached hundreds of
CEO's prior to their IPO roadshows.
Over time, Mr. Weissman's focus expanded to include Life Sciences
(Biotechnology, Medical Devices and Medical Services); and then
further into Retail, Real Estate and Restaurants. Until recently,
all of Weissman's coaching has been delivered to small groups through
custom programs. At the request of Microsoft and with encouragement
from other long-term clients, Mr. Weissman has broadened his services
to accommodate large groups in a new cost effective seminar program
called The Master Class.
Mr. Weissman holds a Masters in Speech and Drama from Stanford
University. He spent a decade at WCBS-TV in New York City, where
he produced Public Affairs programs and series. In his role as
a Public Affairs producer, Mr. Weissman brought lay people into
the studio, made them feel comfortable, look comfortable, helped
them develop a succinct story, provide graphics support and field
questions. Each of these components was to become a fundamental
building block for the Power Presentations, Ltd. program.
Since the start of Power Presentations, Ltd. fourteen years ago,
it has become the preferred source for presentation coaching. Mr.
Weissman has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes
ASAP, Fast Company and Business 2.0 and the Los
Angeles Times, among others. Weissman is a regular speaker
at national conferences.
Geetesh:
Jerry:
Nowadays, you hear PowerPoint being compared to death.
What do you think about this whole thing?
While it is true that many presentations are mind-numbingly
poor, the fault is not in Microsoft PowerPoint, but in the
presenter. To blame the software for poor presentations is
like blaming poor handwriting or spelling on the Montblanc
Pen Company. The fault is not with the pen, but the penmanship.
Presenters must learn to adopt the Less is More rule.
Geetesh:
Jerry:
What do you think about online rich media delivery of
presentations - for instance PowerPoint re-purposed to
be distributed online.
Online presentations, such as Microsoft LiveMeeting, present
vast new opportunities to improve communication and save
the cost and wear and tear of travel. While many of the techniques
that apply to in-person presentations are applicable online,
there are a number of significant changes that must be adopted.
One is the absence of direct personal contact. To compensate,
the online presenter must provide a richer narration and
be mindful of conveying meaning with vocal inflection. Another
important factor is to make the cyber audience feel involved
by using the polling and interactive techniques available
in online software.
Geetesh:
Jerry:
If you had to put into a few sentences your advice for presenters who
get nervous, what would it be?
Preparation, preparation, preparation. Organize your ideas
so that they flow logically. Then rehearse by verbalizing.
This means speaking the presentation aloud, just as you will
be delivering it at the actual presentation. Most presenters
simply mumble. Verbalize instead. It will crystallize the
thoughts and settle the mind.
Geetesh:
Jerry:
Workshops use so much of the same concepts as presentations
other than the fact that the audience does not have to
be led from Point A to Point B. Or is there a Point A to
Point B distinction there too?
Every communication situation has a group of people starting
at Point A. That group can be an audience or a workshop.
The reason either of those groups convene is that they want
to achieve something new as a result of their meeting… that
is Point B. Point B is the endgame.
Geetesh:
Jerry:
Tell us about some candid feedback you received as a direct result of
people benefiting from your courses.
The most eloquently stated response I’ve ever received
during my coaching was from an executive who said to me, "This
is the blinding flash of the obvious!"
This man had extensive experience in the publishing trade
and, while he was an effective communicator, he thought of
his presentations as text. People often approach presentations
as documents because it seems efficient to create the presentation
and the leave-behind as one. Instead, it greatly dilutes
the effectiveness of both. When I showed him how to drive
a wedge between the two functions he saw the light!
Geetesh:
Jerry:
Any tips you would like to share about everyday presenting
situations?
One of the most common mistakes presenters make is to try
to use their PowerPoint as a document: leave-behinds, send-aheads,
crib notes, etc. A presentation is a presentation and only
a presentation. If you need a document, use Microsoft Word,
if you need a presentation, use PowerPoint. If you need a
document of your presentation, use the Notes Page View in
PowerPoint… and distribute it AFTER the presentation.
