Backstage Pass for Trainers, Facilitators, and Public Speakers

Your Guide to Successful Presentations
Susan J. Jones - Educational consultant, St. Augustine, FL
Backstage Pass for Trainers, Facilitators, and Public Speakers
July 2005 | 136 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781483361505
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412915014
Available from January 0001

Description

This little book is a do-it-yourself speaking coach, mentor, and image consultant rolled into one!

Confident and effective communication is a skill every public speaker craves and every exceptional speaker continually hones. Effective presentations require preparation, savvy performance, and sound communication to win audience approval and "buy-in." Inside Backstage Pass for Presenters, Trainers, and Public Speakers you will find strategies to help you do just that, including:

  • Designing audience handouts and seating the audience
  • Maintaining group energy and timing group work
  • Working with angry and challenging audiences
  • Structuring breaks for more active audience participation
  • Quality closers that highlight session gains
  • Self-evaluation assessments that include feedback from colleagues
  • Lists of Q&A's and Do's and Don'ts

This practical yet humorous handbook demonstrates how to get your point across and win your audience-by zeroing in on the keys to successful communication, whether your goal is to bring a change in ideas, attitude, or performance from your audience.

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Preface and Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

  • 1. Preparation Precedes Success
  • Clear Communication: Exceeding Expectations
  • Questions and Answers
  • Minmizing the Chance for Misunderstanding
  • Tailoring Programs: One Size Does Not Fit All
  • Preparing Handouts
  • Organizing for a Relaxed Delivery
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 2. Little Things Mean a Lot
  • Sleep for Efficiency
  • Eat for Sustained Energy
  • Dress for Success
  • Pack Light and Catch the Early Train
  • Questions and Answers
  • Packing Checklist
  • Sharing Book Resources
  • Heading off Equipment Trouble
  • Hydration - Wet Your Whistle to Whet Your Brain
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 3. Lights, Camera, Action!
  • Readying the Facility
  • Materials
  • Start Before You Begin
  • Questions and Answers
  • Crutches to Stay Calm - and On Course
  • Room Set Up - The Good, The Bad, and The Adjustments
  • Seating Participants for Great Results
  • Distributing Handouts and Materials
  • Charts, Slides and Overheads
  • Grand Entrances
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 4. Quick- Let 'Em Love You!
  • Gaining Acceptance
  • Building Audience Rapport
  • Vulnerability
  • Establishing Common Ground
  • Friendly is good, Familiar is Not
  • Acknowledging Knowledge and Know-How
  • Working Around Personal Quirks
  • Questions and Answers
  • Honoring Audience Expertise
  • Increasing Visibility
  • Changing an Audience's Point of View
  • Agendas and Overviews
  • Introductions and Openers
  • Positive Communication
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 5. Put Teeth into Your Technique
  • Purpose Drives Process
  • Question and Answers
  • Delivering the Main Course: Information, Skills and Message
  • Limiting Content
  • Reflections and Connections
  • Motivating an Audience
  • Generating New Thinking
  • Understanding: Taking the Road Less-Traveled
  • Non-Verbal Communication
  • Small Groups to Enliven Learning
  • Timing Group Work
  • Maintaining Involvement
  • Regaining Attention
  • Ensuring Active Participation
  • Tight Parameters to Ensure Success
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 6. Enthrall 'Em All
  • Job I: Make Time Disappear
  • Infusing Excitement into Sessions
  • Variety as a Vehicle
  • Monitoring an Audience
  • The 1-2-3 Rule
  • Questions and Answers
  • Introductions Set the Tone
  • Change of State
  • Movement, More than a Sign of Life: The Glue for Learning
  • Energizers
  • Breaks
  • Putting Lecture In Its Place
  • Covering Volumes of Content: Alternatives Methods
  • Accountability in Group Work
  • Group Size
  • Visuals to Enhance Meaning
  • Directing Attention
  • Applying Content
  • Handling Questions
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 7. Rave Reviews: Making Sure You Still Have an Audience Left After Break
  • Appeal
  • Fun
  • Comfort
  • Mystery
  • Finesse
  • Questions and Answers
  • When You Don't Have the Answer
  • Building Fun Into Learning
  • Creating Physical and Emotional Comfort
  • Prizes and Rewards
  • Meaningful Mixers
  • Time and Organization
  • Handling Difficult Audiences
  • Humility
  • Setting Yourself Apart
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 8. That's a Wrap!
  • The LASTing Impression
  • Questions and Answers
  • The 3 Features of a Quality Closer
  • Audience Awareness of Session Gains
  • Review, Rehearsal, Application
  • Positive Endings
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 9. Make it a Great Plant, Then Keep Weeding, Watering and Talking to It Sweet
  • Consistency - An Allusive Target
  • Inviting Improvement
  • Informal Feedback
  • Formal Feedback
  • Collegial Feedback
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • References

Index

Index

Description

This little book is a do-it-yourself speaking coach, mentor, and image consultant rolled into one!

Confident and effective communication is a skill every public speaker craves and every exceptional speaker continually hones. Effective presentations require preparation, savvy performance, and sound communication to win audience approval and "buy-in." Inside Backstage Pass for Presenters, Trainers, and Public Speakers you will find strategies to help you do just that, including:

  • Designing audience handouts and seating the audience
  • Maintaining group energy and timing group work
  • Working with angry and challenging audiences
  • Structuring breaks for more active audience participation
  • Quality closers that highlight session gains
  • Self-evaluation assessments that include feedback from colleagues
  • Lists of Q&A's and Do's and Don'ts

This practical yet humorous handbook demonstrates how to get your point across and win your audience-by zeroing in on the keys to successful communication, whether your goal is to bring a change in ideas, attitude, or performance from your audience.

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Preface and Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

  • 1. Preparation Precedes Success
  • Clear Communication: Exceeding Expectations
  • Questions and Answers
  • Minmizing the Chance for Misunderstanding
  • Tailoring Programs: One Size Does Not Fit All
  • Preparing Handouts
  • Organizing for a Relaxed Delivery
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 2. Little Things Mean a Lot
  • Sleep for Efficiency
  • Eat for Sustained Energy
  • Dress for Success
  • Pack Light and Catch the Early Train
  • Questions and Answers
  • Packing Checklist
  • Sharing Book Resources
  • Heading off Equipment Trouble
  • Hydration - Wet Your Whistle to Whet Your Brain
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 3. Lights, Camera, Action!
  • Readying the Facility
  • Materials
  • Start Before You Begin
  • Questions and Answers
  • Crutches to Stay Calm - and On Course
  • Room Set Up - The Good, The Bad, and The Adjustments
  • Seating Participants for Great Results
  • Distributing Handouts and Materials
  • Charts, Slides and Overheads
  • Grand Entrances
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 4. Quick- Let 'Em Love You!
  • Gaining Acceptance
  • Building Audience Rapport
  • Vulnerability
  • Establishing Common Ground
  • Friendly is good, Familiar is Not
  • Acknowledging Knowledge and Know-How
  • Working Around Personal Quirks
  • Questions and Answers
  • Honoring Audience Expertise
  • Increasing Visibility
  • Changing an Audience's Point of View
  • Agendas and Overviews
  • Introductions and Openers
  • Positive Communication
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 5. Put Teeth into Your Technique
  • Purpose Drives Process
  • Question and Answers
  • Delivering the Main Course: Information, Skills and Message
  • Limiting Content
  • Reflections and Connections
  • Motivating an Audience
  • Generating New Thinking
  • Understanding: Taking the Road Less-Traveled
  • Non-Verbal Communication
  • Small Groups to Enliven Learning
  • Timing Group Work
  • Maintaining Involvement
  • Regaining Attention
  • Ensuring Active Participation
  • Tight Parameters to Ensure Success
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 6. Enthrall 'Em All
  • Job I: Make Time Disappear
  • Infusing Excitement into Sessions
  • Variety as a Vehicle
  • Monitoring an Audience
  • The 1-2-3 Rule
  • Questions and Answers
  • Introductions Set the Tone
  • Change of State
  • Movement, More than a Sign of Life: The Glue for Learning
  • Energizers
  • Breaks
  • Putting Lecture In Its Place
  • Covering Volumes of Content: Alternatives Methods
  • Accountability in Group Work
  • Group Size
  • Visuals to Enhance Meaning
  • Directing Attention
  • Applying Content
  • Handling Questions
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 7. Rave Reviews: Making Sure You Still Have an Audience Left After Break
  • Appeal
  • Fun
  • Comfort
  • Mystery
  • Finesse
  • Questions and Answers
  • When You Don't Have the Answer
  • Building Fun Into Learning
  • Creating Physical and Emotional Comfort
  • Prizes and Rewards
  • Meaningful Mixers
  • Time and Organization
  • Handling Difficult Audiences
  • Humility
  • Setting Yourself Apart
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 8. That's a Wrap!
  • The LASTing Impression
  • Questions and Answers
  • The 3 Features of a Quality Closer
  • Audience Awareness of Session Gains
  • Review, Rehearsal, Application
  • Positive Endings
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 9. Make it a Great Plant, Then Keep Weeding, Watering and Talking to It Sweet
  • Consistency - An Allusive Target
  • Inviting Improvement
  • Informal Feedback
  • Formal Feedback
  • Collegial Feedback
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • References

Index

Index

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Backstage Pass for Trainers, Facilitators, and Public Speakers

Your Guide to Successful Presentations

Susan J. Jones
Cancel Print

July 2005 | 136 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412915014 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781483361505 $35.00

This little book is a do-it-yourself speaking coach, mentor, and image consultant rolled into one!

Confident and effective communication is a skill every public speaker craves and every exceptional speaker continually hones. Effective presentations require preparation, savvy performance, and sound communication to win audience approval and "buy-in." Inside Backstage Pass for Presenters, Trainers, and Public Speakers you will find strategies to help you do just that, including:

  • Designing audience handouts and seating the audience
  • Maintaining group energy and timing group work
  • Working with angry and challenging audiences
  • Structuring breaks for more active audience participation
  • Quality closers that highlight session gains
  • Self-evaluation assessments that include feedback from colleagues
  • Lists of Q&A's and Do's and Don'ts

This practical yet humorous handbook demonstrates how to get your point across and win your audience-by zeroing in on the keys to successful communication, whether your goal is to bring a change in ideas, attitude, or performance from your audience.


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface and Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Introduction
  • 1. Preparation Precedes Success
  • Clear Communication: Exceeding Expectations
  • Questions and Answers
  • Minmizing the Chance for Misunderstanding
  • Tailoring Programs: One Size Does Not Fit All
  • Preparing Handouts
  • Organizing for a Relaxed Delivery
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 2. Little Things Mean a Lot
  • Sleep for Efficiency
  • Eat for Sustained Energy
  • Dress for Success
  • Pack Light and Catch the Early Train
  • Questions and Answers
  • Packing Checklist
  • Sharing Book Resources
  • Heading off Equipment Trouble
  • Hydration - Wet Your Whistle to Whet Your Brain
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 3. Lights, Camera, Action!
  • Readying the Facility
  • Materials
  • Start Before You Begin
  • Questions and Answers
  • Crutches to Stay Calm - and On Course
  • Room Set Up - The Good, The Bad, and The Adjustments
  • Seating Participants for Great Results
  • Distributing Handouts and Materials
  • Charts, Slides and Overheads
  • Grand Entrances
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 4. Quick- Let 'Em Love You!
  • Gaining Acceptance
  • Building Audience Rapport
  • Vulnerability
  • Establishing Common Ground
  • Friendly is good, Familiar is Not
  • Acknowledging Knowledge and Know-How
  • Working Around Personal Quirks
  • Questions and Answers
  • Honoring Audience Expertise
  • Increasing Visibility
  • Changing an Audience's Point of View
  • Agendas and Overviews
  • Introductions and Openers
  • Positive Communication
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 5. Put Teeth into Your Technique
  • Purpose Drives Process
  • Question and Answers
  • Delivering the Main Course: Information, Skills and Message
  • Limiting Content
  • Reflections and Connections
  • Motivating an Audience
  • Generating New Thinking
  • Understanding: Taking the Road Less-Traveled
  • Non-Verbal Communication
  • Small Groups to Enliven Learning
  • Timing Group Work
  • Maintaining Involvement
  • Regaining Attention
  • Ensuring Active Participation
  • Tight Parameters to Ensure Success
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 6. Enthrall 'Em All
  • Job I: Make Time Disappear
  • Infusing Excitement into Sessions
  • Variety as a Vehicle
  • Monitoring an Audience
  • The 1-2-3 Rule
  • Questions and Answers
  • Introductions Set the Tone
  • Change of State
  • Movement, More than a Sign of Life: The Glue for Learning
  • Energizers
  • Breaks
  • Putting Lecture In Its Place
  • Covering Volumes of Content: Alternatives Methods
  • Accountability in Group Work
  • Group Size
  • Visuals to Enhance Meaning
  • Directing Attention
  • Applying Content
  • Handling Questions
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 7. Rave Reviews: Making Sure You Still Have an Audience Left After Break
  • Appeal
  • Fun
  • Comfort
  • Mystery
  • Finesse
  • Questions and Answers
  • When You Don't Have the Answer
  • Building Fun Into Learning
  • Creating Physical and Emotional Comfort
  • Prizes and Rewards
  • Meaningful Mixers
  • Time and Organization
  • Handling Difficult Audiences
  • Humility
  • Setting Yourself Apart
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 8. That's a Wrap!
  • The LASTing Impression
  • Questions and Answers
  • The 3 Features of a Quality Closer
  • Audience Awareness of Session Gains
  • Review, Rehearsal, Application
  • Positive Endings
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • 9. Make it a Great Plant, Then Keep Weeding, Watering and Talking to It Sweet
  • Consistency - An Allusive Target
  • Inviting Improvement
  • Informal Feedback
  • Formal Feedback
  • Collegial Feedback
  • Do's and Don'ts
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

“A wonderful contribution to the presentation field. As a presenter for 15 years, I have purchased, read, or perused many books on presentations. This is the most useful and captivating book I have read thus far. . . . I love the dollops of research integrated into the manuscript. Since brain research is my area, I am happy that others will see how it relates. The author makes important connections between preparation, presentation, and prudence. This Backstage Pass can make the difference between an acceptable presentation and an outstanding one!”
Marilee Sprenger, Professional Development Consultant, Presenter, and Author
“The warm, friendly, conversational tone makes it feel like the author is right there with you, cheering you on as you put her tried and true suggestions to work. . . . Her suggestions resonate with my own professional experience. I found myself laughing, agreeing, and shouting ‘yes!’ (even though there was no one in the room to hear me). . . .I plan to re-read this book periodically to remind myself of this powerful advice and apply it to my own presentations.”
Lynell Burmark, Thornburg Center Associate, Presenter, and Author

Recommendations