In the Line of Fire

Jerry Weissman is the founder and president of Suasive, Inc., formerly Power Presentations, Ltd. Weissman began his career as a staff producer-director of public affairs and news programs at CBS TV in New York, where he learned the skills to master the building blocks of every presentation: a clear, compelling story, well-designed graphics, natural delivery, and the art of Q&A. In 1988, Weissman brought these skills to Silicon Valley. In short order, he established himself as the coach for Silicon Valley CEOs developing their IPO roadshows by teaching them to tell their business stories through the eyes of their investors. In doing so, he helped their companies raise hundreds of billions of dollars. After amassing an elite client list of IPOs, he soon widened his focus to coaching public and privately held companies to develop and deliver all types of business presentations. Today his methodology has helped thousands of companies on every continent deliver high-stakes presentations with clarity, confidence, and maximum persuasion. In addition to this book, Weissman is the author of three other books on presentations and public speaking: The Power Presenter: Techniques, Style, and Strategy to Be Suasive; Presentations in Action; and Winning Strategies for Power Presentations, all Pearson publications.

• Foreword: Baptism Under Fire     xvi Introduction: Universal Challenges, Universal Solutions     xviii Chapter One: The High Stakes of Q&A     1 The Pricing of an IPO     1 The Making of a President     2 The Unmaking of a CEO     4 Chapter Two: Tough Questions     5 Why People Ask Tough Questions     5 Why Businesspeople Ask Tough Questions     10 Blood Sport     11 Chapter Three: Presenter Behavior/Audience Perception     15 Presenter Behavior: Defensive     16 Presenter Behavior: Contentious     18 Audience Perception     20 Chapter Four: Four Steps of Preparation     23 Research     24 Anticipate     25 Distill     27 Prepare Your Position     29 Chapter Five: The Q&A Cycle     31 Worst-Case Scenario     31 Maximum Control     32 Open the Floor     32 The Q&A Cycle     34 Yield the Floor     35 Chapter Six: You're Not Listening!     37 How to Lose Your Audience     38 How People Ask Questions     38 Ready, Fire, Aim     45 Chapter Seven: Active Listening     47 Yield the Floor     47 Subvocalization     56 Physical Listening     56 Yards After Catch     60 Chapter Eight: The Power of the Buffer     61 Retake the Floor     61 The General's Strategy     63 The Buffer     63 Buffers for the Seven Universal Issues     65 Industry- or Company-Specific Buffers     74 Chapter Nine: Structurally Challenging Questions     77 Negative Questions     78 Irrelevant Questions     80 Multiple Questions     81 Statements     86 Questions About Presented Content     89 Summary     91 Eight Buffer Benefits     91 Chapter Ten: Buy (Thinking) Time with Buffers     93 Paraphrase     93 Double Buffers     96 The Triple Fail-Safe     99 Buffer Options Summary     100 Key Word(s) Buffers in Action     102 The Making of a Master     109 Chapter Eleven: Slip, Slide, and Spin     113 Evasion     113 Valid Reasons to Decline an Answer     121 Chapter Twelve: The Quid Pro Quo Answer     123 Quid Pro Quo / Seven Universal Issues     124 Manage the Time     127 The First Three Steps of Q&A Cycle     129 Chapter Thirteen: Special Questions / Special Answers     131 Tangential     131 False Assumption     132 Unknown     135 Forward Looking     139 Downstream     139 Guilty as Charged     140 Point B and WIIFY     147 Topspin     148 Chapter Fourteen: Topspin     149 Topspin     150 The Suasive Q&A Cycle     155 Chapter Fifteen: Finishing Touches     173 Preparation     173 Verbalization     175 Chapter Sixteen: The Role Model     179 Summary     186 Endnotes     189 Appendix A: Video Links     201 Index     211