Abstract :
The process of writing a book on professional English presentations can be likened to a product development project. The author took an engineering approach consisting of four stages: market analysis, design, production, and quality assurance. Market analysis revealed a growing need for self-teaching materials and course texts on technical English communication in general. In the market analysis, the author evaluated a range of previously available books on English presentations with which the new book would compete. Identification of their strengths and weaknesses through this competitive analysis led to the design of differentiation as a way of offering real value. Capitalizing on his own experience, the author was able to differentiate his book in terms of content, ease of use, reliability, and readability, by providing, for example, caveats against common pitfalls and mechanisms for easy access to key information. Another significant method of differentiation was to include a model presentation, which would enable readers to jump-start their own presentations. Hints on the actual process of book-writing (such as production and quality assurance) are also offered.
