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Presentation Pitfalls
10 Traps Business Professionals Fall Into and How to Avoid Them

John Polk (Author), Justin Hunsaker (Author)

9781394345991, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 25 August 2025

336 pages
23.1 x 18.3 x 2 cm, 0.658 kg

Great presentations get ideas approved, secure funding, and drive action. But even experienced professionals fall into common traps that weaken their message and lose their audience.

In Presentation Pitfalls, executive communication experts John Polk and Justin Hunsaker reveal the ten traps that cause presentations to fail—and, more importantly, the techniques to avoid them. You'll learn how to craft a compelling narrative, design slides that engage rather than distract, and deliver your message with confidence.

Presenters fall into "the Frankenstein Trap" when they cobble slides together without a clear storyline, leaving audiences confused. Or they stumble into "the Lipstick on a Pig Trap," dressing up a weak message with flashy design instead of strengthening the content. Or they trip over "The Just the Facts Trap," believing that data alone is enough to persuade. These missteps—and seven others—can be the difference between winning buy-in and losing your audience.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

  • Tell a clear story
  • Leverage graphics
  • Reduce the noise
  • Present with confidence

Estimates put the corporate waste from ineffective presentations at over $1 billion daily. Don't let your ideas get lost in the shuffle. Whether you're leading a key meeting, presenting to senior leadership, or pitching a new idea, this book gives you the tools you need to get results.

John Polk and Justin Hunsaker are on a mission to rid the world of bad presentations and the bad decisions that come with them. Presentation Pitfalls will teach you how to craft compelling presentations that engage to influence and influence to drive action.

Foreword xi

Introduction 1

1 The Frankenstein Trap 11

2 The Bury the Lede Trap 37

3 The Black Hole Trap 71

4 The Just the Facts Trap 103

5 The Expert Trap 133

6 The Piece of Cake Trap 161

7 The Lipstick on a Pig Trap 185

8 The Under (or Over) Confidence Trap 219

9 The Virtual Fatigue Trap 241

‌10 The First and Last Impression Trap 263

Conclusion 283

Notes 293

Further Reading 301

Index 305

About the Authors 319

Subject Areas: Business & management [KJ]

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