My biggest complaint about Michael Wade's new book How to Make Presentations to Councils and Boards is this:  The subtitle is wrong.  The subtitle is "The presentation guide to read when you don't have time to read a guide".  It is wrong because this guide is the guide to read when you make presentations to councils and boards - period.  It isn't missing a thing so you don't need to feel that you are getting abbreviated advice.  Wade simply knows how to edit so he has produced a very handy speakers guide.

I've sat on councils and boards and I've made presentations to them.  Based on that experience, my recommendation is that councils and boards provide this book to organizations - engineering firms, consultants, architects, brokers, planners - who will be presenting before them as a public service.  It will save those councils and boards incredible amounts of time and taxpayer dollars.  Similarly, my recommendation to anyone who finds himself before a public entity is to read this book cover to cover before your next presentation.  You will improve your results.  Trust me. 

I purchased three copies of the book and I now plan to buy a few more for our sales team.  Our company often stands before school boards, councils and insurance committees and Wade's book offers useful, clear and concise advice on how to give better presentations before those public entities.  And while he focuses on public entities, the advice applies to presentations in general. 

The book covers all aspects of presentations from preparation to checklists to body language and dress to your conclusion and the handling of questions.  Wade covers the waterfront, offering great reminders and advice that can be put to immediate use.

His preparation checklist alone is worth the purchase price.  In short, How to Make Presentations to Councils and Boards is one of those books to read, mark up and use to fix your existing presentations and then pull out every time you are getting ready to make a presentation.  I cruised right through it because it is so damned readable and clear.

An added bonus is that Wade, who is highly qualified to write on this subject, shares similar advice daily at his website, Execupundit.com.  Execupundit is one of my favorite sites and I'm pleased that Wade has written a book that expands on the great stuff he serves up daily at Execupundit.