When it comes down to a pivotal business or sales presentation, if it doesn’t move you forward, you have got to figure out why, and change it

How do you sell, persuade, or move people to action? A vital element in creating influence in today’s market is the ability to build and deliver a thought-provoking presentation. From elevator speeches to formal sales presentations, you can craft a more compelling message.

Most people want to improve their presentations but don’t know where to start—and that can be costly. That is where this book can help. Terri Sjodin has done the heavy lifting and eliminated the guesswork by providing specific solutions to guide you through the process of crafting an improved presentation to use at your very next meeting (in-person, virtually or in a hybrid environment). She shares the results of her multi-year research project—which identified twelve common sales presentation mistakes that may cost an individual the win, the deal, or the opportunity—and shows how to avoid them. Why focus on mistakes? Because you can’t improve what you don’t recognize as a problem.

Presentation Ready is divided into three sections: building your case, leveraging creativity, and honing your delivery. Each chapter explores a specific presentation mistake—why it happens, why it’s damaging, and includes practical tips on how to correct it. You may laugh or cringe at some of these confessions, stories, and observations, but they are all true. The solutions will ultimately help you course-correct to save yourself time, increase your earning potential, reduce stress, and gain greater confidence for future presentations. You will learn vicariously through the experiences of others, and use that edge to transform your presentations almost overnight.