Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Orderly Conversation summary
Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger
Business Presentations Redefined
4.3 (25 ratings)
11 mins
5 key ideas
Audio & text
What is The Orderly Conversation about?
The Orderly Conversation (2014) is a guide to designing, preparing and delivering a killer presentation. These blinks explain why making a speech is different from presenting in a business context, and why strong presentations are just like a good conversation.
About the Author
Dale Ludwig is the founder and president of Turpin Communication, which helps people develop the skills and proficiency to excel in presenting. He holds a PhD in communication and has been a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Greg Owen-Boger is the vice president of Turpin Communication. His diverse background includes experience in management and the performing arts. In addition to his day job, he is a frequent blogger.
Table of Contents
The Orderly Conversation
summarized in 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
A great presentation is a conversation, not a performance.
At one point or another, most of us will find ourselves in front of an audience, giving a presentation. But whether it’s a sales pitch or a project overview, there’s a big difference between a presentation and a performance.
A performance is much like a speech in that it’s scripted and pre-written. It’s carefully put together, rehearsed and totally controlled by the performer. For instance, when an actor gives a performance, he detaches his world from that of his audience, essentially putting up a wall that distinguishes between the performance and the real world.
So, while the last scene of Romeo and Juliet might be utterly convincing, the audience feels no cause for alarm when the actress playing Juliet commits suicide. And just like an actor, when a person gives a speech, he’s performing; his words are scripted and prepared, and the audience is well aware of this.
On the other hand, a presentation is unpredictable as there is a constant exchange between the presenter and his audience. In fact, this interplay is essential to bringing the presentation to life, capturing the interest of the audience and fostering a learning environment. There can’t be any wall between the presenter and the audience; as such, a presentation is less like a performance and more like a conversation.
But it’s not just any conversation. A presentation is an orderly conversation, because conversations can easily get off topic and stray in unproductive directions. So, for a presentation to stay on topic it needs some structure – a framework it can follow while maintaining some spontaneity.
This is a bit tricky because it means that as a presenter, you have to speak with a plan in mind, while also responding to changes and adapting to the uncertain trajectory of your presentation.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Orderly Conversation?
Key ideas in The Orderly Conversation
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Who should read The Orderly Conversation
- Managers, coaches and lecturers hoping to improve their presentation skills
- Every employee or student who wants to nail a presentation at work or school
Categories with The Orderly Conversation
Books like The Orderly Conversation
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers