Say It in Six

I picked this book up in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble for $6.98. The big idea behind the book is that any good business presentation can be given in six minutes or less. I just happen to have a big meeting coming up at work, and this caught my eye.

The author, Ron Hoff, breaks the presentation down into an outline of five steps:

1. The "Burning Issue". What's the point of the presentation? Time: 30 seconds.
2. The Overview. Why the Issue has developed, and how you intend to find the answer. Time: 60 seconds.
3. The Idea made Tangible. Evidence that you've thought about your idea, and why the crowd should take it seriously. It helps if you can hold something in your hands to make the idea real to people. Time: 120 seconds.
4. The Payoff. Why the audience benefits from your Idea, not you. Keep it simple. Time: 120 seconds.
5. The Interactive Close. Wrap it up by opening the floor up to the group for discussion and resolution. If you can discuss the Idea over food & coffee, so much the better. Time: 30 seconds.

Hoff also sprinkles the discussion by illustrating many different types of sample presentations in the book. There's also some good tips on dealing with nervousness. One of my favorite parts of the book was a section where he transforms a ponderous 12-minute speech by President Clinton into one with a 6-minute punch.

Too bad the book can't take its own advice. The author runs too long after he's made his point. By the halfway mark, you either accept the six-minute idea, or you don't, and the 7th or 8th illustration won't make a difference. Fortunately, the rest of the book is easy to skim, and I didn't lose much time there.

A good read worth the money. I'll know in a couple days how well the book pays off.