Presentation Pitfalls: 10 Traps Business Professionals Fall Into and How to Avoid Them - Paperback

by John Polk (Author), Justin Hunsaker (Author)

Great presentations get ideas approved, secure funding, and drive action. But even experienced professionals fall into common traps that weaken their message and lose their audience.

In Presentation Pitfalls, executive communication experts John Polk and Justin Hunsaker reveal the ten traps that cause presentations to fail--and, more importantly, the techniques to avoid them. You'll learn how to craft a compelling narrative, design slides that engage rather than distract, and deliver your message with confidence.

Presenters fall into "the Frankenstein Trap" when they cobble slides together without a clear storyline, leaving audiences confused. Or they stumble into "the Lipstick on a Pig Trap," dressing up a weak message with flashy design instead of strengthening the content. Or they trip over "The Just the Facts Trap," believing that data alone is enough to persuade. These missteps--and seven others--can be the difference between winning buy-in and losing your audience.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Tell a clear story
• Leverage graphics
• Reduce the noise
• Present with confidence

Estimates put the corporate waste from ineffective presentations at over $1 billion daily. Don't let your ideas get lost in the shuffle. Whether you're leading a key meeting, presenting to senior leadership, or pitching a new idea, this book gives you the tools you need to get results.

John Polk and Justin Hunsaker are on a mission to rid the world of bad presentations and the bad decisions that come with them. Presentation Pitfalls will teach you how to craft compelling presentations that engage to influence and influence to drive action.

Back Jacket

Praise for PRESENTATION PITFALLS

"John and Justin make people look like they've got their s#!t together."
--Sharon McGinty, Founding Member, Camp Chateau, and former VP, Enterprise Risk Management, Capital One

"Who wouldn't want to learn how to avoid speed bumps and sinkholes on the road to becoming a better business communicator? In Presentation Pitfalls, Justin and John do a masterful job of helping us all improve our presentations and presence. Their practical, tactical advice and guidance are pure gold for anyone who communicates in front of others ... and who doesn't? I invite you to do what I do--keep this book nearby and refer to it whenever you are presenting."
-- Matt Abrahams, lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter, and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast

"Everyone can recognize (and has probably stepped in) all 10 of the traps described in the book. I know I have. But few people can explain how to avoid them as clearly and joyfully as John and Justin. Packed with practical advice for every professional and written as an encouraging guide for anyone who wants to design and deliver presentations that will make an impact, Presentation Pitfalls will help you present the right information to the right people in the right way. John has helped me improve my presentations, and I know he will help you."
-- Randle D. Raggio, PhD, Professor of Marketing, former Associate Dean of Graduate Business Programs, University of Richmond, and coauthor of The Professional Communicator

"Brilliant ideas deserve to be heard--and remembered. In high-stakes meetings and everyday conversations alike, data and expertise alone rarely carry the day. What truly drives decisions is the power of a well-told story. This book is a masterclass in transforming complex concepts into clear, compelling narratives that inspire action. If you want your work to make an impact, start here--because the best ideas win when they're powerfully communicated."
-- Jamie Warder, Former President of USAA Bank, Current CIO and Head of Business Strategy, Alliant Credit Union, the largest digital credit union

"A minute to learn, a lifetime to master--and one book to get better. That applies to PowerPoint, any presentation software, and the new book Presentation Pitfalls by John Polk and Justin Hunsaker. As a professional producer of virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferences; the author of the Amazon #1 Engaging Virtual Meetings; and 1 of only 400 members of the National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professionals; I've seen thousands of decks--and 9 out of 10 of them need serious help. For example, I've seen top lawyers with 20 bullet points, top experts with 400 words on a slide, and top executives with 30-page decks for 30-minute meetings. John and Justin provide clear, practical, and tangible takeaways in Presentation Pitfalls for all of these challenges. If you KNOW your slides need help or need to get to the next level, do yourself a favor, buy the book--and make your next presentation the 1 out of 10 that gets it right."
--John Chen, Certified Speaking Professional, CEO of Engaging Virtual Meetings, and author of Engaging Virtual Meetings

Author Biography

John Polk is the president of John Polk & Associates and a former data visualization professor at the University of Richmond. He created a presentation design workshop at Capital One, attended by over 10,000 professionals. He earned a master's in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech.

Justin Hunsaker is a lead consultant at John Polk & Associates and an award-winning innovator with extensive experience launching products and coaching leaders at Fortune 500 banks and tech startups. He earned an executive master's in technology management from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School.

John and Justin met at Capital One, where they led strategy and analysis teams for a combined 30 years across operations and marketing. They have shaped thousands of presentations and coached clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies. They are on a mission to rid the world of poor presentations and the poor decisions that come with them.

Learn more at johnpolkandassociates.com. For bookings, email admin@johnpolkandassociates.com or connect with John and Justin on LinkedIn.