And they should know. As the official speech coach for every Republican National Convention since 1992, they’ve worked with nearly all of the most famous headliners at the conventions, which means their work has literally been seen by millions around the world. But how do you teach people who already speak for a living a way to do it better? Just ask Rudy Giuliani, who’s known for his confidence-inspiring oration. He was just as surprised as anyone that he had so much room for improvement when he worked with the Hendersons at the 2004 Convention. Afterwards, his communications director Sunny Mindel had this to say to the Hendersons: "All of us have nothing but very fond thoughts of you both . . . and of course our abiding respect and gratitude for helping Rudy’s speech be the success that it was."

But politics isn’t the only field where presentation matters. The Hendersons have coached many major public figures and celebrities, helping corporate leaders of Fortune 500 giants prepare for their major sales and stockholder meetings, press conferences, FDA hearings and industry conventions. Nearly everyone can use help with their presentation skills, and the Henderson have a unique approach that makes the process easy and fun.

That’s why the Hendersons decided to take a year off from personal coaching to write their new book There’s No Such Thing as Public Speaking (Prentice Hall Press, 2007), in which they share a step-by-step blueprint for making perfect presentations. "There’s No Such Thing as Public Speaking is more than a book title," they say. "It also expresses our entire training philosophy."

According to the Hendersons, the strongest form of communication is that which occurs one-on-one, and every speaker’s goal is to capture those same elements (about thirty of them) when making a presentation before a larger group. For example, one of the most important elements of a one-on-one conversation is eye contact, but it’s also one of the first things to fall by the wayside when someone starts to speak before a group.

"Speakers tend to believe they have to scatter the message around to everyone, and so they end up talking to ‘the room’ rather than to any single person in it," says Roy Henderson, whose extensive experience in presentation includes being an actor and director for more than five decades, including five years with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. "What you need to do is first make real eye contact with one person, and simply talk to that person, for a complete sentence, then simply turn to another person and do the same thing. It’s ineffective to say half a sentence to one person and half a sentence to another, which is what most people always do wrong."

In There’s No Such Thing as Public Speaking, the Hendersons share all thirty-plus elements that happen during one-on-one conversations (including eye contact, gestures, volume, vocal variety and pitch, pacing, pausing, and a multitude of other characteristics), then share unique techniques form replicating those impressions when speaking to a group.

The book also provides an innovative Three-Step Formula for Inspiration, which is a surefire way to arrange the content of your presentation for maximum effectiveness, and instructs you in the Six Truths of Human Interaction, the Seven Essential Tools of the Trade, and the Six Final Insights to be mastered at the venue.

"Anyone who has ever felt the need to stop and think about what he or she wanted to say will benefit from this book," says Roy Henderson. "It helps you clearly understand exactly what it is you should be thinking about."

"And no, you don’t have to imagine your audience naked," Jeanette adds with a smile.

"Whether you are speaking to your local service club, your peers in a business meeting, or at your next National Convention, our guidance will keep you on course so that you will know what you are doing every step of the way," Jeanette and Roy Henderson conclude.