The way to win over an audience is by passionate presenting, much like the evangelists do, reveals Les Watson
The Encarta World English Dictionary describes an evangelist as someone who tries to persuade other people to become Christians, especially one who travels around speaking at public meetings or making radio or television broadcasts.
According to Russell Prue (pictured), author of Science of Evangelism - A corporate guide to presenting your product or service at a seminar or exhibition, the second half of this definition is spot on. Russell believes that corporate evangelism is the new 21st century business skill. He may well be right, but contrast some of the points he makes with what we as teachers see at the annual BETT show (just two months away). Never use your mobile phone when you are one of the personnel on a corporate stand. Never sit reading the fact sheet, magazine or newspaper on the stand - it’s a barrier between you and the customer. It seems to me that the first market for Russell’s book should be the many hardware and software companies that exhibit at BETT - one for each member of the team!
The other key message in the book is of more general interest: great presentations need to be made great, they don’t just happen. Russell gives lots of practical guidance on how to engage the audience and get the message across. This book has lots of obvious, but often ignored, advice on how to make sure that you are well prepared, and how that provides the foundation of confidence we all need to give great presentations that engage the audience. Such advice is clearly useful not just for those high-level sales presentations, but it might also serve the classroom teacher well.
This is an easy-to-read book full of practical advice for budding evangelists who want to master the science of passionate presentation.
Science of Evangelism - A corporate guide to presenting your product or service at a seminar or exhibition
Price: pound;34.99. ISBN 0-9550381-0-3. Published by Anderton Tiger LLP. www.scienceofevangelism.com
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