We are often asked for a few tips on putting presentations and talks together.
To complement the various guides I have written and courses I run, I have assembled this collection of quotations which get across the advice that most people require for effective presentations.
1. “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter F Drucker
2. “If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea.” David Belasco
3. “Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” Charles Mingus
4. “For an author to write as he speaks is just as reprehensible as the opposite fault, to speak as he writes; for this gives a pedantic effect to what he says, and at the same time makes him hardly intelligible.” Arthur Schopenhauer
5. “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” Thomas Jefferson
6. “Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge. Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words when short are best of all.” Winston Churchill
7. “The shorter and the plainer the better.” Beatrix Potter
8. “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” Mark Twain
9. “Don’t be nervous. Do just as I do. Whenever I get up to speak, I always make a point of taking a good look around the audience. Then I say to myself, ‘What a lot of silly fools.’ And then I always feel better.” Winston Churchill
10. “The more I practise the luckier I get.” Gary Player
Are there other quotations that you would recommend?
What advice do you have for reluctant speakers?
Fundraising presentations are hard work. You're bombarded with challenging questions from investors, worn out by long days, and struggling to...
Read More
Investment decision-making is not totally rational. Are you using all the tools at your disposal to create and deliver persuasive...
Read More
Do your public speaking skills inspire, motivate and influence others? They should. Many leaders are nervous of public speaking. Some...
Read More
A great investor pitch book is at the heart of successful fundraising. It should capture the essence of your business...
Read More
Better Body Language We all know that body language is important in business. But how important? And does is really...
Read More
How can you be seen as a top 1% fund by investors? At SuperReturn Emerging Markets in Amsterdam, experienced LPs...
Read More
A great elevator pitch is an essential part of your toolkit Last month I chaired the Quickfire Showcase at Berlin’s...
Read More
Better Media Interviews The excruciating Newsnight interview with Treasury Minister Chloe Smith this summer is just one example of how poor preparation...
Read More
These days, we are writing more than ever. That means it’s harder than ever to grab attention. Your readers have...
Read More
When an investor questions how you calculated your Private Equity fund's performance, how do you react? If an investor asks...
Read More
How do you choose a public speaking coach? When selecting a public speaking coach or presentation trainer, you want to work...
Read More
How To Harness Powerful Language For Leadership Communications Great leaders use Power Language to add interest and colour to what...
Read More
When you put your talk or presentation together, how do you decide what to include and what to leave out? Use...
Read More
What do LPs want from private equity funds at first investor meetings? That's the question I put to the panel...
Read More
While we wrote this piece with our Private Equity clients in mind, there are good lessons here for anyone pitching...
Read More
Do you want to give high impact talks and presentations? Do you want to engage your audience? And do you want...
Read More
Leaders use storytelling so that audiences listen, remember and act on what they say. In fact, stories are “the single...
Read More
How do you make your investment pitch more memorable? It's a real challenge these days. Investors have more opportunities than...
Read More
Your leadership talks need to be persuasive As a leader, every talk or presentation you give is an exercise in persuasion....
Read More
A well-crafted private equity pitch book can make the difference between securing a first meeting with investors and getting a...
Read More
Review our top coaching, advice and training programmes.
1. Improve Your Investor Pitch
4. Media Training
All these are in-house programmes. (Not ‘open’ courses.) and can be run as 1:1 or small group training in-house.
Contact Us Now
.
“The new presentation properly represents the institutional quality of our fund. It has been a step change of us.”
Erwin de Kleijn Head of IR, Saemor Capital
“This training has contributed directly to new business – including a new FTSE100 client.”
Michelle Elstein Head of Business Development, Olswang LLP
“BBA transformed our pitch into a compelling investment narrative. They undoubtedly helped us secure Sky TV as an investor.”
Gerry Bastable Director, Blast Films