If Santa will let you choose something work-related to put in your Xmas stocking, here are three books I can recommend to Consultants.

Like most people, I don’t relish the prospect of getting up on my hind legs and delivering a presentation to a roomful of people. But it’s a part of business life, and if I’m going to do it, I might as well make it as painless as possible – for me and my audience.

I’ve found Brilliant Presentations – what the best presenters know, say and do by Richard Hall a great tool. It’s a short book – 152 pages, but it gets its message across simply and effectively. You can use Hall’s five point checklist to prepare the content, and his tips on using slides in an audience-friendly way should be required reading before clicking on PowerPoint.

We all know how important it is to recruit and retain staff – and at BLT we face the same problems as any professional services organisation. That’s why I recommend Recruiting Excellence by Jeff Grout and Sarah Perrin. Jeff’s a former recruiter with Robert Half, so he knows his stuff. Consultants with responsibility for hiring will find good advice on a wide range of recruitment issues, from attracting candidates by using your brand, through to negotiating salary.

Finally, for everyone who’s ever wondered what else they could do to pay the rent, What Color Is Your Parachute? By Richard Bolles. It covers not just looking for a new job, but looking for a new career. If you’ve decided to get out of consulting, here’s a book which will set you on your search with a positive frame of mind. Being American, there’s an upbeat, almost evangelical tone at times. But in the dark days of January, when spirits are low, we can all do with a bit of boosting….

You can buy these books from the BLT Bookstore, also known as Amazon.co.uk:

Brilliant Presentations - what the best presenters know, say and do

Recruiting Excellence

What Colour Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career Changers

Happy festive reading.