The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides (Voices That Matter) [Paperback]

Garr Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0321704452 | ISBN-13: 978-0321704450 | Edition: 1

When we learn to present naked, we reach our audiences by communicating the essence of the message, stripping away all that is unnecessary and embracing the ideas of simplicity, clarity, honesty, integrity, and passion. If "slideware" is used, the slides never steal the show or rise above serving a strong but simple supportive role. The ideas in the presentation may or may not be radical, earth shattering, or new, but there is freshness to the approach and content that makes a lasting impression.

In this invaluable resource from the author for the best-selling books Presentation Zen and Presentation Zen Design, you will discover how to get to the core of your message and deliver presentations that are as natural as they are memorable. Whether you are just in the planning stages or need advice for a talk that begins in an hour, you'll find wisdom in The Naked Presenter that you can use to connect deeply with your audience and deliver a great presentation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“ Many books about presentation delivery cover simple topics like eye contact and gestures. Garr’s book goes much deeper, highlighting Zen concepts that address meaningful ways to connect credibly with an audience. It’s a must-read for anyone who has to give presentations. ”
Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design and author of slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations and Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

“ I take everything Garr Reynolds says to heart. I don’t read his books, I devour them from the inside out. The Naked Presenter is a book whose time has come. Shedding everything to focus on the audience and the content is the true secret to great presentations. Now, Garr is sharing that secret (and how to do it) with the world. ”
Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image and author of Six Pixels of Separation

About the Author

Garr Reynolds is the author of the best-selling books Presentation Zen and Presentation Zen Design, and a leading authority on presentation design and delivery. A sought-after speaker and consultant, his clients include many in the Fortune 500. A writer, designer, musician, and long-time student of the Zen arts, he is currently Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan and Director of Design Matters in Japan. Garr's popular blog on presentation design and delivery is at www.presentationzen.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: New Riders; 1 edition (December 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321704452
• ISBN-13: 978-0321704450
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Running Meetings & Presentations
  • #54 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Management > Manager's Guides to Computing

More About the Author

Garr Reynolds is an internationally acclaimed communications expert, and the creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the net: presentationzen.com. A soughtafter speaker and consultant, his clients include many in the Fortune 500. A writer, designer, and musician, he currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Garr is a former corporate trainer for Sumitomo Electric, and once worked in Cupertino, California as the Manager for Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple, Inc. A longtime student of the Zen arts and resident of Japan, he currently lives in Osaka where he is Director of Design Matters Japan.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Zen-like How-To-Guide in creating a memorable connection with your audience... December 27, 2010

By D. Kanigan VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Reynolds is a speaker, consultant, a writer, and designer. He is a long-time student of Zen arts - and is currently an Associate Professor of management at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. In his first two books Presentation Zen and Presentation Zen Design, he wrote about tools for planning and designing successful presentations. In this book, he focuses on the delivery of the presentation...how presenters can deliver natural and memorable presentations that connect deeply with the audience. Some of the key recommendations include:

1) Think Conversation not performance - natural delivery is more like a conversation between friends than a formal one-way lecture. Don't be boring. Don't read your speech. Make eye contact.

2) Prepare. Identify the purpose. (Start with 'Why?') When you present you are trying to create change in people's minds.

3) Establish "presence." Focus on the here and now. Be present. Take a risk and express your true self. Be authentic. Show your passion.

4) Project yourself. The Way you look. The Way you move. The Way you sound.

5) Have pace in your presentation. Attention spans are normally 10 minutes. You need to mix it up. Have the audience participate.

6) Begin with a punch. End with a powerful finish (inspire, tell a story)

7) I thought this excerpt captured the essence of Reynold's teachings from the book:

"I've always said that presentation is more art than science. So what is art?...Set Godin said this about art in the context of work: 'Art is a generous action - it's when a human connects to another human and makes a change.' The work that we do could be art, but if we are just following the rules, playing it safe, and sort of working-by-the-numbers (as in paint-by-numbers), then the work lacks connection and difference, and therefore lacks art. The best presentations are works of art because the best presenters connect in the spirit of contribution and generosity and help people make a change. The worst presentations are speeches are the usual ones, the ones that are perfunctory, route, safe and utterly forgettable. Nobody ever got fired for doing the expected and the safe...Today, more than ever there are opportunities to speak in front of others to make a connection and contribution to lasting change - that is, to create art."

My thoughts on the book:

1) Buy the Book - Skip Kindle. I'm as "green" as the next reader - however this book is written to be read (and owned) in print and not on Kindle. It is beautifully designed and intended to sit on your book shelf as a guide. Masterful in its design - its look and feel is "Zen-like" if I can take it that far in description.

2) This book is a quick and captivating read. While Reynolds does not introduce much in terms of new concepts, I found his ability to distill the message to the core essence of what's important to connect with audiences to be worthy. He practices what he preaches - this is a page turner for a self-help book - which holds your attention throughout. The book is well paced and mixed with stories, quotes, tips from professional presenters and beautiful Zen art.

3) Book is best suited for the advanced presenter. There are better options for beginners and intermediate practitioners such as:

How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation: A Speaking Survival Guide for the Rest of Us

Confessions of a Public Speaker

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars May Become My New Text on Presenting December 14, 2010

By Chris Reich

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent book with deeper content than the book I've been supplying with my presentation classes: Presentation Zen. This book gets more to the matter of presenting than simply making a nice set of slides. In fact, as indicated in the title, it's about making a great presentation with or WITHOUT slides. I wish more people would understand that point! Perhaps this book will be the turning point in a world of death by bullets.

Again, the focus is on PRESENTATION, not slides. So if you're looking for a "how to make a pretty presentation" book, this is not it. If you want to learn presentation from an expert, this is the book.

Here's the punchline. There's nothing revolutionary in this book. In fact, you've heard much of the material before. However, the material is presented in a clear, readable, even relaxing format that will remind and reinforce what you already know but need to practice. And that's what I like most about this book: it reminds us of what we need to practice! Too often presenters slip back to graphs and bullet lists. LET GO OF WORDS AND MAKE A POWERFUL POINT.

Wow, glad to get that off my chest! Buy the book. 200 pages makes it less than 10 cents a page!

Oh yeah, and you can keep your clothes on.

Chris Reich
Presentation Instructor

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not much new here May 11, 2011

By S. Lead

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been a fan of the Presentation Zen website for many years, and have read Garr's previous books. They were both excellent, and contained concrete advice on how to design effective presentations, especially using slides.

This new book feels like a placeholder, with nothing much new to add to the topic. I found it a bit too repetitive, with the same advice repeated throughout the book. Many of the anecdotes, and much of the advice, comes in the form of quotes from other books in the "how to present" field. The rest is taken from the Presentation Zen website, where I'd already read it in blog form.

I thought that the approach taken by Scott Berkun in "Confessions of a Public Speaker" was a better way to address this topic. Unfortunately, this book was a let-down to me.