Winning the Room - by Bill Franks (Paperback)

About the Book

"This book focuses on common errors that people make when presenting technical data. These errors are magnified when presenting to non-technical audiences. Note that "presenting" in this case applies to both the written/visual presentation one might prepare and to how a person would verbally talk about those written points. While the book will be framed with examples from the analytics and data science space, the points are valid for anyone presenting data and analytics results. The flow of the book will be a series of specific tips. It is anticipated that there will be around 100 tips. Instead of the typical chapter-based format, this book will be broken into sections of general topic areas and then have specific tips within each area. It is anticipated that the topic areas would be of a number such that each has 10 -- 15 tips within it. Given the format, most of the tips will be comprised of just 2 -- 3 pages. Most tips will have a very short (paragraph or two) description of a key point and then a visual of the concept being ignored and a visual of the concept being followed. For example, many people miss simple things like making the number of decimal points consistent across a table. Visually seeing how bad it looks when done wrong will help readers get the point."--

Book Synopsis

Revolutionize your data-driven presentations with this simple and actionable guide

In Winning The Room: Creating and Delivering an Effective Data-Driven Presentation, analytics and data science expert Bill Franks delivers a practical and eye-opening exploration of how to present technical data and results to non-technical audiences in a live setting. Although framed with examples from the analytics and data science space, this book is perfect for anyone expected to present data-driven information to others.

The book offers various specific tips and strategies that will make data-driven presentations much clearer, more intuitive, and easier to understand. Readers will discover:

• How to avoid common mistakes that undercut a presentation's credibility
• Instructive and eye-catching visuals that illustrate how to drive a presenter's points home and help the reader to retain the information
• Specific and actionable techniques to dramatically improve a presentation's clarity and impact

Ideal for anyone expected to present to managers, executives, and other business leaders, Winning The Room is required reading for everyone seeking to improve the quality and efficacy of their data-driven presentations and communications.

From the Back Cover

Create and deliver clear, impactful data-driven presentations with this simple and actionable guide

Effective presentation of data-driven information can be the difference between successful persuasion and muddled communication. In Winning the Room: Creating and Delivering an Effective Data-Driven Presentation, data science and analytics expert Bill Franks walks you through the preparation of a polished presentation of technical information for non-technical, live audiences. While written from the perspective of a data science professional, this book is perfect for anyone expected to present data-driven information to others.

The author provides concrete strategies and practical tips to clarify, simplify, and refine data-driven presentations in a way that maximizes comprehensibility without sacrificing accuracy. The book also offers instructive and memorable visuals that illustrate how you can drive your points home and help your audience understand and retain your message.

With specific advice on how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls encountered by presenters, Winning the Room is the ideal resource for anyone required to present data-driven information to managers, executives, or other business, governmental, and academic leaders. It's a can't-miss reference that will improve the quality and impact of your live data-driven presentations.

"Read this book! It is an outstanding desk reference for anyone who develops technical presentations for a non-technical audience. You'll improve your live presentation skills every time you open it."
--CRAIG BRABEC, Data Analytics Executive and transformational leader for Fortune 100 organizations, including Caterpillar, Ford Motor Company, and McKesson, and current Chief Data Analytics Officer at McDonald's Corporation

"Ever read a book and wish it came with some templates you could put into practice immediately? This book does just that with numerous examples of how to take poor presentation practices and make them great."
--ALAN JACOBSON, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Alteryx

"Facts and figures are not a story! Have you ever presented your good data analysis and failed to get any action? Good data analysis, while essential, is only half the battle. The other half is effective presentation. This book gives you great practical tips on text, images, charts, and delivery methods to make your next presentation so much better, and should be an essential companion to every data scientist or data analyst."
--GREGORY PIATETSKY-SHAPIRO, President, KDnuggets

"Bill has provided all of us a real practitioners guide for the 'how to' of delivering a winning presentation. It is both easy to read and organized to allow for quickly referencing topics. This is the only body of work I'm aware of that combines the importance of data and analytics into a step-by-step approach for developing and delivering a winning presentation to any decision-making audience, and it is especially applicable to executive decision-making bodies."
--BILL VANCUREN, EVP and CIO, NCR Corporation