Winning The Room

Winning The Room

by Bill Franks, Kirk Borne
Released March 2022
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119823094

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Book description

Revolutionize your data-driven presentations with this simple and actionable guide

In Winning The Room: Creating and Delivering an Effective Data-Driven Presentation, analytics and data science expert Bill Franks delivers a practical and eye-opening exploration of how to present technical data and results to non-technical audiences in a live setting. Although framed with examples from the analytics and data science space, this book is perfect for anyone expected to present data-driven information to others.

The book offers various specific tips and strategies that will make data-driven presentations much clearer, more intuitive, and easier to understand. Readers will discover:

  • How to avoid common mistakes that undercut a presentation's credibility
  • Instructive and eye-catching visuals that illustrate how to drive a presenter's points home and help the reader to retain the information
  • Specific and actionable techniques to dramatically improve a presentation's clarity and impact

Ideal for anyone expected to present to managers, executives, and other business leaders, Winning The Room is required reading for everyone seeking to improve the quality and efficacy of their data-driven presentations and communications.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Additional praise for Winning the Room
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. About the Book
  10. Intended Audience
  11. Overview of the Contents
    1. Section 1: Planning: Reviewing Strategic Fundamentals
    2. Section 2: Planning: Designing the Presentation
    3. Section 3: Developing: Wording and Text
    4. Section 4: Developing: Numbers and Labels
    5. Section 5: Developing: Charts, Images, and Layouts
    6. Section 6: Delivering: Final Presentation Preparation
    7. Section 7: Delivering: Giving the Presentation
  12. SECTION 1: Planning: Reviewing Strategic Fundamentals
    1. Tip 1: Results Are Not the Biggest Factor in Success
    2. Tip 2: Data Literacy Is a Two‐Way Street
    3. Tip 3: Don't Write Your Story … Tell Your Story!
    4. Tip 4: Facts and Figures Are Not a Story
    5. Tip 5: Know Your Audience
    6. Tip 6: Slides Must Be Short, Visual, and to the Point
    7. Tip 7: Charts and Graphs Are Like Jokes
    8. Tip 8: Short Presentations Are Harder to Prepare Than Long Ones
    9. Tip 9: An Executive Presentation May Have No Slides at All
    10. Tip 10: Budget Appropriate Time
    11. Tip 11: Be Yourself and Be Authentic
    12. Tip 12: What Is the Audience Buying Into? You!
  13. SECTION 2: Planning: Designing the Presentation
    1. Tip 13: Different Presentation Venues Require Different Approaches
    2. Tip 14: Try Different Ways to Organize Your Story
    3. Tip 15: Too Many Technical Details Will Undercut Your Impact
    4. Tip 16: Reveal Details Only to the Extent Required
    5. Tip 17: Focus on How to Use Your Results
    6. Tip 18: Use Analogies to Make an Impact
    7. Tip 19: Make Liberal Use of Appendices
    8. Tip 20: Create a Distinct Leave‐Behind Document
    9. Tip 21: Create “Launch” Slides
    10. Tip 22: Break Content into Smaller Pieces
    11. Tip 23: Animations Are Your Friend
    12. Tip 24: Action Settings: A Hidden Gem
    13. Tip 25: Show the Fewest Numbers Necessary
    14. Tip 26: Distinguish Technical Significance from Business Significance
    15. Tip 27: Give the Audience Your Headlines
    16. Tip 28: Start with Your Recommended Actions
    17. Tip 29: Don't Focus on the “What”
  14. SECTION 3: Developing: Wording and Text
    1. Tip 30: Minimize the Number of Words on Your Slides
    2. Tip 31: Use Simple Terms and Definitions
    3. Tip 32: Don't Use Technical Terms
    4. Tip 33: Clarify Your Definitions
    5. Tip 34: Provide Layperson and System Labels
    6. Tip 35: Use Consistent Phrasing
    7. Tip 36: If It Can't Be Read, Don't Display It
    8. Tip 37: Don't Shrink Your Font, Shorten Your Text
    9. Tip 38: Use Appropriate Spacing
    10. Tip 39: Use the Same Font throughout Your Presentation
    11. Tip 40: Beware the Missing Font
    12. Tip 41: Address Every Agenda Item Listed
    13. Tip 42: Identify When an Agenda Item Is Covered
    14. Tip 43: Spellcheck Is Not Always Your Friend
    15. Tip 44: Charts and Images Are Misspelling Factories
    16. Tip 45: Beware the Right Word, Wrong Place
    17. Tip 46: Keep Your Text Horizontal
  15. SECTION 4: Developing: Numbers and Labels
    1. Tip 47: Use Consistent Precision
    2. Tip 48: Use Only the Precision Required to Make Your Point
    3. Tip 49: Match Precision to Accuracy Level
    4. Tip 50: Always Format Numbers
    5. Tip 51: Always Show Percentages as a Percentage
    6. Tip 52: Provide Quantities and Percentages
    7. Tip 53: Never Use Scientific Notation
    8. Tip 54: Use Names, Not Numbers, for Categories
    9. Tip 55: Watch for Truncated Labels
    10. Tip 56: Define All Acronyms and Abbreviations
    11. Tip 57: Use Dedicated Definitions Slides
    12. Tip 58: Clarify Aggregations Applied
    13. Tip 59: Focus on the Outcome of Interest
    14. Tip 60: Validate That Your Numbers Make Sense
    15. Tip 61: Add a Scale to Every Chart
    16. Tip 62: Ensure Your Charts Have Consistent Scaling
    17. Tip 63: An Axis Usually Should Start at 0
    18. Tip 64: Number Your Slides
  16. SECTION 5: Developing: Charts, Images, and Layouts
    1. Tip 65: Use a Mix of Chart Types
    2. Tip 66: Use a Mix of Slide Layouts
    3. Tip 67: Do Not Show Raw Output
    4. Tip 68: Keep It Simple
    5. Tip 69: Choose Charts That Are Easy to Interpret
    6. Tip 70: Don't Show Incomprehensible Graphics
    7. Tip 71: Use Complex Graphics Strategically
    8. Tip 72: Coordinate Your Colors
    9. Tip 73: Keep Colors in Context
    10. Tip 74: Shun Technical and Architectural Diagrams
    11. Tip 75: Don't Let Accent Graphics Steal the Show
    12. Tip 76: Format Tables Consistently
    13. Tip 77: Use Shading to Make Tables Easily Readable
    14. Tip 78: Don't Put Borders Around Charts
    15. Tip 79: Limit the Number of Categories
    16. Tip 80: Label Your Data
    17. Tip 81: Avoid Stacked Bar Charts
    18. Tip 82: Put the Cause on the X‐Axis
  17. SECTION 6: Delivering: Final Presentation Preparation
    1. Tip 83: Practice Your Presentation
    2. Tip 84: Consult Some Confidants
    3. Tip 85: Don't Overprepare
    4. Tip 86: Adjust Your Story to the Audience
    5. Tip 87: Focus on Time, Not Slide Counts
    6. Tip 88: Always Be Prepared for a Short Presentation
    7. Tip 89: The Audience Won't Know What You Left Out
    8. Tip 90: Scale Figures to Be Relatable
    9. Tip 91: Be Clear about the Implications of Your Results
    10. Tip 92: Call Out Any Ethical Concerns
    11. Tip 93: Use Simplified Illustrations
    12. Tip 94: Don't Include Low‐Value Information
    13. Tip 95: Make Critical Numbers Stand Out
    14. Tip 96: Make Important Text Stand Out Too
    15. Tip 97: Have Support in the Room
    16. Tip 98: Always Have Several Backup Plans
    17. Tip 99: Use a Slide Clicker
    18. Tip 100: Do Not Send Your Presentation in Advance
  18. SECTION 7: Delivering: Giving thePresentation
    1. Tip 101: Do Not Read Your Slides … Ever!
    2. Tip 102: Read the Room and Adapt
    3. Tip 103: Do Not Look at the Screen!
    4. Tip 104: Physically Point to Important Information
    5. Tip 105: Don't Let Bright Lights Throw You Off
    6. Tip 106: Don't Stand Still
    7. Tip 107: When Presenting Online, Look Right at the Camera
    8. Tip 108: Anticipate Random and Irrelevant Questions
    9. Tip 109: Handle Difficult People with Grace
    10. Tip 110: Don't Correct People in Front of the Room
    11. Tip 111: Never Pretend You Know If You Don't!
    12. Tip 112: Stress the Positive
    13. Tip 113: Be Honest about Costs as Well as Benefits
    14. Tip 114: Don't Hedge Too Much
    15. Tip 115: Be Clear about the Measure You Are Discussing
    16. Tip 116: Don't Ask Which Findings Are Important
    17. Tip 117: Tie Facts to Impacts
    18. Tip 118: Provide Specific Recommendations for Action
    19. Tip 119: Close with a “Wow” Tied to the Larger Context
  19. Afterword
  20. About the Author
  21. About the Website
  22. Index
  23. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Winning The Room
  • Author(s): Bill Franks, Kirk Borne
  • Release date: March 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119823094