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When I first visited the Ottawa Carlingwood Toastmasters Club, in 1978, I had little idea why I was there. I knew that I had to do something about my shyness, which had developed since immigrating to Canada from Holland. You see, I had become self-conscious about the way I spoke English and someone suggested Toastmasters to me!

The first meeting was a real eye-opener! I discovered that I was not the only person afraid to speak in front of a group and that, in fact, there were many other people interested in learning better speaking, listening and leadership skills. I had plenty of company - - I was not alone. In any one year, Toastmasters International attracts an average of 170,000 members, world-wide, who enjoy the benefits this organization offers to those who accept the challenge.

It took half a year before I gained enough courage to make my first speech. But I did not stop there! I participated in speech contests, winning some, losing others. I conducted seminars in Canada, the USA and Europe, on communications and related subjects and received the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) accreditation. In 1991, I was elected District Governor for District 61, the only Canadian bilingual district in Toastmasters International.

Today, I make my living conducting seminars and delivering keynote speeches on communication and other life-enrichment skills. It all started with that first step, in 1978, when I attended a meeting of the Carlingwood Toastmasters Club.

Enterprises, both large and small, corporations, organizations and government departments are realizing important benefits by ensuring that the appropriate corporate and personal image is projected by their executives and employees during public appearances. My “Image Making” seminars teach participants how to project “their” personal and corporate image through enhanced visual- and verbal communication skills - skills that can be learned with a little effort and practice.

When I began looking for material to build these seminars, I found that most books on presentation skills were written with the aspiring professional speaker in mind. There seemed to be a void in the market for people who would like to enjoy the process of delivering an occasional speech in a competent manner, or give workshops once in a while. I also found that there are hardly any books that are useful to students who are asked to make presentations by their teachers or for students wishing to participate in speech contests... and win!

Therefore, I wrote “Powerful Presentations”. I do not claim to have originated any of the material that I share with you in this book. The skills you will learn have been practiced by many speakers before me. This book is based on the accumulation of material through many years of reading, studying, going to seminars and conferences, in my search for ideas and methods that work for most people. The result is before you. The essence of presentation techniques boiled down to simple and effective formulas that everyone can understand and use.

Jacques Waisvisz