Presentations in Action by Jerry Weissman Summary

Presentations in Action provides 80 actionable techniques for mastering business presentations, blending storytelling, slide design, and delivery strategies. Weissman distills decades of Silicon Valley coaching experience into practical advice, using real-world examples from IPO roadshows and corporate pitches. Key themes include audience-centric messaging, handling Q&A sessions, and avoiding "death by PowerPoint" through visual simplicity.

This book is ideal for executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals who deliver high-stakes presentations. It’s particularly valuable for leaders preparing IPO roadshows, sales pitches, or investor updates. Aspiring speakers seeking to refine storytelling, slide design, or Q&A strategies will find concrete frameworks tailored for persuasive business communication.

Weissman emphasizes:

• The "What’s in it for Them?" approach to audience analysis
• The Five-Step Storytelling Arc for narrative structure
• The Assertion-Evidence Method for slide design (replacing bullet points with visuals)
• The "3-Answer Rule" for handling hostile questions.

The book outlines strategies like "bridging" answers to key messages and using the EAR technique (Empathize-Acknowledge-Respond). Weissman provides scripts for deflecting loaded questions while maintaining credibility, drawing from his coaching of Fortune 500 CEOs during IPO roadshows.

Top critiques include:

• Overloading slides with text/data
• Failing to tailor content to investors’ priorities
• Using jargon instead of plain language
• Neglecting nonverbal communication (tone, gestures, eye contact)
  Weissman illustrates fixes through case studies of revised IPO pitches.

While both cover core presentation principles, Presentations in Action focuses on tactical execution with 80 micro-lessons. Presenting to Win offers broader theory on storytelling structure. The newer book includes updated examples from tech companies and virtual presentation tactics.

Notable lines include:

• "Your slides should illustrate, not annotate" (critiquing text-heavy decks)
• "Answer the question they should ask, not the one they did" (Q&A strategy)
• "Present through your investors’ eyes, not your R&D team’s" (audience alignment)

Yes. Weissman addresses camera engagement, virtual slide optimization, and managing remote Q&A dynamics. He advocates treating webinars as "TV productions" with deliberate pacing and frequent audience interactivity.

Some reviewers note overlap with Weissman’s earlier works and a Silicon Valley bias in examples. However, the book’s structured 80-action format is praised for its practicality compared to theoretical competitors.

His TV production background surfaces in techniques like:

• "Camera-blocking" your stage movements
• Using B-roll thinking for slide transitions
• Applying newsroom storytelling techniques to business narratives

With increased competition for funding, the book’s IPO pitch strategies help founders avoid common valuation-killing mistakes. Updated sections address AI slide tools and hybrid investor meetings, making it a modern companion for fundraising.

Concise summaries highlighting the 80 techniques are available through platforms like Blinkist. However, Weissman emphasizes that practicing the full case studies yields better results than summary-only approaches.