I don’t know how many times I have attended meetings and found it difficult to focus on what was being said, mainly because the speaker was so terrible. I’ve worked for the government for over thirty years in every aspect, and I’ve seen some of the worst presentations possible, especially after PowerPoint was invented. I responded to his statement:

“Presenters who fail to craft and deliver clear, meaningful messages become background noise, much like the music in the elevator. We know it is there, it might even be pleasant. However, do we really pay attention to it?”

For someone who rehearses her speeches multiple times before family, friends, and the dogs, I understand the importance of practice, performance and appearance. I want to present a concise important statement and have the audience pay attention in hopes that they will learn something, or sway them to my point of view.

Dr. Mark Tamer speaks of the glut of information out there and having quick access on every type of electronic device. Junk mail is pushed towards us abundantly, and he advises us to understand Attention Management and refrain from using visual clutter in a presentation. He advocates for a commanding personal presence with less reliance on visuals. People will then focus on what you as a presenter are saying.

Dr. Tamer’s book is an excellent resource for anyone who needs to brush up on their skills. I’ve written a self-help book in the past, and I like to read a book that has a clear and straightforward message. This book teaches you how to hone your presentation skills.

As a writer, I especially liked his chapter on Words to Avoid. I don’t know how many times I’ve found these junk words which add no value to my message. I took his list and went through my current project and deleted most of these words.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to improve their skills to present an important message to any audience. His book is available on Amazon.com at a very reasonable price. Thank you Dr. Tamer.