Have you ever been on the receiving end of an excellent presentation? If that is the case, you probably suspect that giving a presentation isn't exactly an easy task. It's not about the slides, speaking or presenting plenty of data to a room full of professionals; anyone can do that. What it involves is something a bit more special. People worldwide want to share general knowledge, insights and information in ways that connect with the audience. So how do we do that? First, you need to put yourself in the position of your audience, asking a few important questions:

• What does your audience need to know, and why do they need it?
• Why should your audience care about your message?
• How will your presentation improve their lives?
• How is it relevant to their lives?
• How does the presentation support your message?

Focus on Feelings

Most presentations out there have to be supported with hard data and facts to maintain credibility, so it's essential to keep that in mind. Data is not enough, however, as feelings also matter in this case. If you focus on the purely intellectual and data-driven side of things, you will not be able to reach your audience the right way. They may be professionals, but they're also human beings. Decide what you want your audience to sense as emotions, prepare for it, and give your presentation with that emotion in mind. 

Surprise the Audience

People's opinions regarding surprises are usually divided, as some people love them, but others dislike them. For the most part, when it comes to presentations, your audience will enjoy a good surprise that makes sense. A good presentation starts when you think you will be in for a boring time, but it suddenly turns out to be more interesting than you expected. You can't wait for that to be a reality, and you need to start immediately.

• Tell the audience something powerful, relevant and big that they may not already know
• Reveal a statement, fact or truth that will get them to think
• Bring in some humour
• Ask a question that would provoke a response
• Tell them a compelling short story
• Ask them to imagine something as they close their eyes

If you have about half an hour to speak, you should finish short, such as 25 minutes. Keep your focus, and you will have the perfect presentation. Once you prepare your message, you should be direct with it. Cut it down to what you need to get across, don't get too verbose and long-winded. Respect people's time as you expect them to respect yours. 

Get Straight to the Point

Many professionals get on stage and try to present their ideas in a manner that leaves the most important things for last as the punchline of a good joke. That may work for comedy but doesn't cut professional presentations, for the most part. The audience won't care about long stories about your achievements or something that is so completely off-target that you would be wasting their time.

The importance of your presentation is to make it relevant, short, compelling and memorable. Keep it focused, keep it tight and get to the point. Use your visuals smartly and ensure you don't go overboard with them. They are meant to be visual aids, not crutches to your presentation that become far too much to bear for your audience.

©Presence Training

Perfect Spiral - Lane Hart

Someone leaves a baby on Quinton Dunn's porch claiming it is his. He thinks it's a joke but decides to have a DNA test to find out. In the meantime, he tries to remember what he did 9 months previously to have a baby. He remembers with help from his teammates. He tracks down the address of the baby's mother only to be met by her sister with anger. Callie is exactly what he is looking for--a woman who says no. They fight over the baby then come to an arrangement. Quinton pursues her, but she is gun shy because of her ex and her sister. Is he the father of the baby? Can they come to an agreement? Can he convince her he's changed?

I enjoyed this story. I liked Quinton and Callie. I found Quin's criteria for a woman interesting. I loved the two points-of-view through the story. I like knowing what each one is thinking and feeling. I understand Callie's feelings knowing his history. I appreciated his teammates warning him about Callie's desire for a baby, but I liked that he ignored them.

I look forward to reading more of this series. It made me feel good although the subjects talked of are tough. I felt hopeful for Quinton and Callie throughout the book.

CC has a one-night stand with Gray. She knows nothing about him, and he's glad she does not know who he is. A few days later Gray's car breaks down as he is driving to a meeting. There is a garage almost next to his broken down car which he goes to for help. Turns out it is owned by CC but he does not recognize her in her work gear. She recognizes him and is put out that he does not recognize her. Eventually he does and starts chasing her. When she finds out why he is in town, she tries to stay away but he won't let her. Both are starting to have strong feelings for the other but won't let the other know. Can they work it out?

I loved this story! I laughed so hard tears streamed down my cheeks. I skunk scene and the resultant scene after that were the funniest I have ever read! I could picture it all. I loved CC (Claude, Claudia). She was so strong and able, not going to let Gray (Grayson) get away with anything. Gray is wonderful. Even their fights were fun to watch. Somehow, they both managed to get what they wanted.

The secondary characters of Gray's family were great. His mother, Ida Sue, is a hoot! I loved her outspokenness. I loved that she ruled over a family that was just as crazy as she was. Their hearts were as big as Texas. I am so glad I will have the opportunity to read more of this family and Ida Sue. The villains got what they deserved. I loved that scene when Ida Sue gave them their comeuppance. Cannot wait to read more.

Colbie and her friends are at Lake Tahoe for a skiing vacation. She's not as accomplished a skier as they are, so she sends them off to enjoy themselves on the harder slopes. As she starts toward the easy slope, she avoids a little girl and falls in the snow. She is unable to get up without the help of the most handsome man she has ever seen. Turns out he was a ski instructor and teaches her how to ski. When he wants to spend more time with her, she leaves. Both think of each other and manage to find each other back home in Seattle. Do they take the chance to learn more of each other? Does Colbie run away again?

I liked this story. I felt happy reading about Colbie and Noah. They are sweet together. She has been hurt in the past but Noah senses how fast he can go with her. His intuition helps Colbie feel safe. I hope they have more than one perfect night. This was way too short.

Nach 14 Jahren klicken die Handschellen. Jahrelang sind Mädchen im Alter zwischen sechs und zehn Jahren verschwunden. Der Mörder hat mit roten Schleifen der Polizei den Weg zu den Leichen gezeigt. Hinter den Taten soll der renommierte Philosophieprofessor und Anthropologe Walter Lesniak stecken. Er wird in Anwesenheit seiner Tochter Ann verhaftet. Zehn Morde wirft man ihm vor. Aber Ann ist überzeugt von seiner Unschuld und will diese nun beweisen….

„Perfect Day“ ist ein Thriller von Romy Hausmann.

Meine Meinung:
Der Aufbau ist recht komplex. Es gibt eine Vielzahl an kurzen Kapiteln und verschiedene Erzählperspektiven. Erzählt wird unter anderem im Präsens aus der Ich-Perspektive aus der Sicht von Ann. Eingefügt sind zudem Gesprächsprotokolle, Zeitungsartikel und Tagebucheinträge. Zeitlich springt der Thriller hin und her. Orts- und Zeitangaben helfen jedoch bei der Orientierung.

Der Schreibstil ist auf den ersten Blick unauffällig, auf den zweiten allerdings gut durchdacht. Die Sprache ist authentisch und durchaus variantenreich. Sie wechselt zwischen den einzelnen Erzählperspektiven.

Ann steht im Vordergrund der Geschichte. Sie und die anderen Protagonisten bleiben distanziert und sind keine Sympathieträger. Das passt jedoch zum Genre und lässt Raum für Verdächtigungen und Spekulationen.

Der Thriller ist vor allem zu Beginn sehr undurchsichtig und verwirrend, aber auch atmosphärisch. Die psychologische Spannung baut sich nur langsam auf. Der Anfang war für mich ein wenig zäh. Dann aber hat mich die rund 400 Seiten umfassende Geschichte gefesselt und dank mehrerer Wendungen zum Miträtseln gebracht. Die Auflösung wirkt schlüssig und war für mich überraschend.

Das Cover trifft nicht ganz meinen Geschmack, hat jedoch einen hohen Wiedererkennungswert. Der für das Genre recht ungewöhnliche Titel gefällt mir.

Mein Fazit:
Mit „Perfect Day“ hat Romy Hausmann einen Psychothriller geschrieben, der mich fast komplett überzeugt hat. Es wird mit Sicherheit nicht das letzte Buch der Autorin bleiben, das ich lesen werde.