The naked presenter

Context

I wanted to improve my oral communication skills

Is the book for me?

• I would recommend it if you’re interested in increasing the impact of your presentations
• It is mostly applicable to presentations (L&L, conference, All Hands), less so for other oral communication (discussion, standup update)
• Be prepared for many Japanese philosophical analogies

What learnings should I expect?

• Analysis, testimonies and tips & trips from great presenters
• Insights of how to prepare, how to deliver, and what to include in your presentation

Takeaway: how to prepare

• find a quiet time and space (remove all possible distractions)
• allow ideas to emerge by using pen & paper + stickies
• audience is forgiving with mistakes, not with insufficient preparation
• define who your audience is, where they are now, and where you want them to be

Takeaway: what to include

• choose breadth or depth of information, not both
• show restraint, most presentations include too much

Takeaway: how to reduce the distance with the audience

• make it conversational, look at people in the eyes, make genuine smiles
• use their vocabulary (be careful of regional expressions)
• be physically close to them, remove barriers (hide computer, remove lectern)
• authenticity is key, reading notes will tell the audience that you haven’t prepared enough

Takeaway: how to deliver

• dress well, keep a stable and powerful stance
• move and speak slowly
• break presentation in 10min segments with an emotional stimulus in between
  • our attention span is short, even if you’re interesting

Takeaway: how to engage people

• good education is good entertainment
• participation is key “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”
• people are much more apt to implement ideas coming from them than ones imposed from outside

Takeaway: how to start

• you NEED to hook people in during the first 2-3 minutes, they are crucial
  • getting technology to work in your first minutes wastes the “honeymoon” phase
• use PUNCH (personal, unexpected, novel, challenging, humorous)
• don’t start with an agenda before people are hooked

Takeaway: use multiple communication channels

• we can’t read and listen at the same time
  • avoid reading text on slides, audience can read faster than you can speak
  • if you read your slides, people will read and stop listening
• we are very good at looking and listening
  • support your speech with simple, explanatory visual
  • helps the brain make connections and remember information much better

Takeaway: how to end

• summarize main points, repetition is crucial (but don’t make it boring)
• make a call to action (“tonight, do X / try Y”)
• ending should stick
  • Simple: less is more, maximize impact with minimal means
  • Concrete: avoid jargon and make it clear with examples
  • Stories or Emotions: make people care, share a story

Takeaway: how to conduct a Q&A

• be silent during the question, then paraphrase it to the audience
• be assertive, don’t let a question go on and on
• engage with the public, ask questions in return, or ask the audience
• end powerfully:
  • Avoid “that’s all the time we have, we’ll stop”
  • Try: “we have time for one more”
  • Try: “would you like to ask the last question”