Backstage Pass for Trainers, Facilitators, and Public Speakers: Your Guide to Successful Presentations »

Susan Jones is a life-long educator, whose interest in best practice and research in teaching and learning led to a passion for effective communication. Actively facilitating and training education professionals, she also devotes much energy to keynote speaking, training trainers of adult audiences in presentation skills, and facilitating institutional change. She has presented to more than 20,000 people in the past decade alone. A leading expert on research-based classroom instruction and student achievement, she has helped educators translate research into practical strategies for teaching and learning. Her no-nonsense approach to instruction and leadership separates critical new research from speculation and skillfully presents the elements that positively impact achievement. She has served as past president of Florida ASCD, a member of the Board of Directors of ASCD, a trainer for the Bureau of Education and Research and has taught adjunct through four universities. Susan's experience includes more than two decades of K-12 classroom teaching experience, as well as service as Director of Program Development for Illinois Regional Offices of Education. In addition to Blueprint for Student Success and Backstage Pass, Susan is a contributing author to two brain-research based books. She has authored numerous articles and columns dealing with strategies to improve achievement.

This little book is a do-it-yourself speaking coach, mentor, and image consultant rolled into one!

Confident and effective communication is a skill every public speaker craves and every exceptional speaker continually hones. Effective presentations require preparation, savvy performance, and sound communication to win audience approval and "buy-in." Inside Backstage Pass for Presenters, Trainers, and Public Speakers you will find strategies to help you do just that, including:

• Designing audience handouts and seating the audience
• Maintaining group energy and timing group work
• Working with angry and challenging audiences
• Structuring breaks for more active audience participation
• Quality closers that highlight session gains
• Self-evaluation assessments that include feedback from colleagues
• Lists of Q&A's and Do's and Don'ts

This practical yet humorous handbook demonstrates how to get your point across and win your audience-by zeroing in on the keys to successful communication, whether your goal is to bring a change in ideas, attitude, or performance from your audience.

1	Preparation precedes success	3
2	Little things mean a lot	9
3	Lights, camera, action!	17
4	Quick - let 'em love you!	26
5	Put teeth into your technique	37
6	Enthrall 'em all	54
7	Rave reviews : making sure you still have an audience left after break	72
8	That's a wrap!	89
9	Evaluations : make it the best plant possible and then keep weeding, watering, and talking to it sweet	102