Pitch Perfect, a book of harsh reality and a boon. Having read the first few chapters I was
intrigued. With each page came in vast knowledge to grasp and ocean of flashbacks. Anybody
who reads this book will be able to relate to it because all of us have backstories. Stories of
embarrassment, success, pride, hard work and the journey of learning.
This book was much needed because it doesn't just teach us but reach out to us. A good presentation isn't about colourful slides, wonderful typefaces , a room full of people and a confident presenter but it is something beyond. The connection, understanding the needs of the audience, communicating instead of lecturing, listening to the audience and finally keeping it simple.
Chapter 3 deals with the teaching of simplicity yet the means to convey a powerful message. One of my favorite lines are from Peggy Noonan :
“ As you grow older and life itself becomes more elaborate and complex, you find yourself using simpler words. And this is not only because your brain cells are dying. It is also, for some of us, because you have grown used to life, even comfortable with it, and understand that it comes down to essentials, that the big things count and the rest is commentary, and that way down deep in the heart of life’s extraordinary complexity .... extraordinary simplicity”
Reading this I found bundle of joy beaming inside of me, for there was someone to think of life the way I sometimes do. Life is a big picture and we try to fit our puzzles together. It ultimately comes down to necessities, not just in life but presentations too. World’s most great orators have always had simple and less but powerful things to say. Jargons sound cool to a newbie in a group but puts off the audience in any given presentation. As the chapter speaks of reality, the most emotional statements are made of very few words. One of the toughest things to do is to sum up all the information in a few words. A good example was the O. J Simpson trial where Johnnie Cochran kept it simple and meaningful. Simple presentations are easy to remember, pass on and have better impact.
I can’t find someone who doesn't love surprises. A moment where our hearts beat heavier and minds think faster. People wait to hear and be heard but what fun it is to make them wait for the big picture? Something to be kept in mind is to make it worth the wait. Surprises delight the audience and it is good to inculcate that habit. Be genuine but be surprising. The motive of the presentation is not to provide information the audience already knows (unless it can be presented in a very different way) but present them with stuff that was unexpected.
This book has broadened my thinking abilities and acts as a support system. Anytime, I feel lost about the ways of presenting, I can always turn back to this and get on with a wonderful presentation. If people wonder, what can a book do to a person? well, change their life at times.
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