At the SXSW Interactive tech conference, Tim Ferriss was asked “What books should I read to learn how to get good at public speaking?” In his typical way to cut right through the chase, he didn’t recommend any specific book, but rather outlined what he does to prepare for speaking engagements:

Here are five things that build the basis for Ferriss’s talks:

1. He won’t focus on being a “public speaker”. He focuses on being a teacher from the stage.
2. He has no problem if some people dislike you or disagree with him, but he aims to not be misunderstood. Everything he says seems clear and concise.
3. He accepts that he gets nervous and stammers from time to time, drops F-bombs where needed, or generally feel like a nervous wreck. He knows that if he gives good actionable, clear advice, people will forgive it all.
4. He has fun and laughs at himself whenever possible. Beating the audience to the punch makes it much less fun for them to slam the presenter.
5. He has one 16-oz. Diet Coke 45 minutes prior to speaking and another about 20 minutes prior to speaking. He pees before getting on stage to not look like a squirmy kid at a spelling bee. Yes, Diet Coke will give you hairy palms and insomnia, but this caffeine dosing has proven perfect for him for taking the stage. Could be as much placebo effect as anything else.

With the basics out of the way, he drew a summary to explain his approach:

And here are his explanations of the paper summary above:

1. If the format is a 60-minute keynote, a typical format, then I automatically build in at least 20 minutes of audience Q&A, which I usually make 30 minutes. This reduces my presentation time to 30-35 minutes and allows me to tailor the presentation to the group (via answering their questions) instead of guessing what is most important to them and delivering as a pure monologue.
2. I assume my presentation will be in five parts: approximately 2-minute introduction, three 10-minute segments, and a 2-minute close. I use this “rule of thirds” for the three segments whether the presentation is 60 minutes or 10 minutes.
3. I then plan the content in this order:
   10-minute segments – For each segment, what is the main takeaway or usable action for the audience? This means I have three main points in this talk, no more. To flesh out to 10 minutes in length, I then use a PEP (point-example-point) format or, my preference, EPE (example-point-example) format. PEP means you illustrate the concept, then give an example or case study, then reiterate the concept and actionable next step. EPE means you give an example or case study, then explain the concept, then finish with another case study or example. I sketch out 2-3 EPE or PEP for each 10-minute segment, and all of this is done on 1/4 to 1/2 a piece of paper.
   Introduction – Now that I have a better idea of my content, I decide on the introduction, preferably starting with a story and then explaining that I’ll introduce three concepts that will help them do “X”, where “X” is whatever the overarching theme of the presentation is.
   Unless you are a comedian or have already tested jokes with audiences who don’t know you, do NOT use rehearsed jokes. If a joke falls flat in your intro, it will ruin the experience for you and your audience.
   
4. Now the harder work and the fun of discovery – rehearsal:
   The PEP/EPE is usually sketched out well in advance, and the rehearsal is done the night before the presentation. I rehearse the intro, segment 1, segment 2, and segment 3, all separately. I’ll repeat the two-minute intro — winging it — until I nail it. I use a kitchen timer on countdown, and each time I finish, I write down any one-liners or wording that I like. Note that I NEVER memorize a speech verbatim, but I do ensure that I have memorized the starting and closing 2-3 sentences for each portion (intro, segments) at this point.
5. How many times will I repeat each segment? Until I’m happy. I am a perfectionist, so for certain presentations, this could be up to 10 times.
6. Once I have these parts in order, I then wing the close (not before), and repeat like the other portions until I’m happy. For me, it’s not productive to work on the closing statements or questions until I have the rest of the content polished and ready to rock.
7. Now link them all together and do the whole thing until you nail it at least once. Expect you’ll forget about 10% of your memorized lines or anecdotes, and that’s OK, but review your notes each time to ensure you’re hitting the most important points. Once you’ve blazed through it well once, go to bed.One additional tip: I came to realize long ago that I can barely sleep the night before presentations; it doesn’t matter how many times I do them. So… expect that you won’t sleep and don’t let that add to the stress of the experience. Just get extra sleep the two nights before and plan on an all-nighter. If you get sleep, it’ll be a pleasant surprise instead of a source of panic.

There you have it! Quite simple and definitely way effective.

To read the full article, head over to Tim Ferriss’s blog.

I’m quite a fan of the TED website and often find videos that are relevant to presenters and product demonstrators. Either because these videos are first class examples of great presentations, or they provide insight that is relevant to improving your own presentation skills.

In the video below, Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, explains how, with a few adjustments and the right question on our mind, we can learn anything. Simply shifting our own beliefs about what’s possible can lead to drastic results. Tim demonstrates this with examples from his own life.

How is this relevant to a presenter? It’s simple: many people believe that great presenters are born that way and that they simply don’t have the gift of telling. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is not one person who is a “born communicator”. It’s all learned. Granted, some learned it at such a young age that it appears to be a natural skill, but it isn’t.

In the video, Tim Ferris explains how he has learned to swim at a rather late age, how he found ways to acquire languages in a relative short time, and how he has mastered ballroom dancing. Watch the video and get inspired. You can learn anything, even if it seems scary at first, like giving remarkable presentations or product demonstrations.

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting Carmine Gallo. Well, kind of… I attended a Sliderocket webinar, in which Carmine took a full hour to present the highlights of his book The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and answer questions from the audience.

Although my local time was already past midnight, Carmine kept me alert and at the edge of my seat throughout his fast paced and informative talk. He not only teaches how to expertly pitch, present, and communicate the vision behind your brand…he does it himself in a masterful way.

Carmine started out with the premise that a person can have the greatest idea in the world, but if that person can’t convince enough other people, it doesn’t matter. This clearly resonated with me, and most likely with the majority of the other attendees. After all, knowing just how important presentation and communication skills are in this world is what led me to this event in the first place.

The main points Carmine made about the Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs:

First: Jobs Creates a Story

• He maps out each presentation first.
  Before Steve Jobs even start his presentation software, he plans his presentation first with pen and paper. He wants to have a story to tell before he creates the first slide. He visualizes the entire presentation first: the story, the look and feel, the flow of your information, and the main messages.
• He creates an antagonist.
  In every classic story, the hero fights a villain. Steve Jobs uses this formula and positions Apple as the protagonist in all his stories. When creating his presentations, Jobs thinks of Apple’s products as the hero that is here to save the world. Every story Steve Jobs creates has a villain, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a competitor. It can be a problem in need of a solution. What’s important to him is to have an identifiable enemy.
• He sticks to the rule of three.
  Three is the magic number. Each of Steve Jobs’ presentation is divided into three points. When he introduces new products, he focuses on three features. There is a reason for this: scientists have found that people cannot keep more than three or four chunks of information in their short term memory easily. If you give people too much information, they won’t remember a thing. Jobs knows this and focuses on the three key points he want the audience to remember.
• He creates Twitter-friendly headlines.
  • iPod: 1000 songs in your pocket.
  • iPhone 3G: It’s twice as fast at half the price.
  • MacBook Air: The world’s thinnest notebook.
• He sell dreams, not products.
  Jobs knows that customers don’t care about Apple, or its products. They care about themselves. They care about their dreams and their hopes. Steve Jobs doesn’t sell computers. He sells tools to unleash your creative potential. Jobs is driven by a desire to create experiences and to change the world. This desire leads to passion and emotion that will attract and motivate other people.

Second: Jobs Delivers an Experience

• He keeps things very simple
  “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Steve Jobs
  Jobs doesn’t use any bullet points on his slides. He knows that bullet points are not all that effective. He rather shows one powerful slide for each of his points than grouping them together on just a single slide. He uses his slides a simple (but powerful) backdrops to support one message each.
• Picture Superiority
  Steve Jobs uses extremely powerful visual slides with just one word or short headline. He uses the slides as a backdrop to support his words — and not the other way around. He only uses high resolution photography, not clipart. Jobs understands that ideas are better remembered when they are presented with an image and his slides are a reflection of that knowledge.
• He dresses up numbers
  Jobs gives meaning to numbers by putting them into a context we can all understand. Instead of talking of Giga Bytes when he discusses storage capacity, he talks about the number of songs a device can hold. He always breaks down numbers to make them more visual.
• He makes his own metaphors
  Steve Jobs creates his own analogies and metaphors to put his information into a context that people understand:
  • “Using Keynote is like having a professional graphics department create your slides.”
  • “AppleTV is like a DVD for the 21st Century.”
  • “Genius Mixes is like having a professional DJ mix songs in your iTunes library that go well together.”
• He reveals a holy smokes moment
  Steve Jobs does this like nobody else! Like the writer of a great novel, he never reveals the entire plot on the first page. Rather, he creates moments that leaves everyone in the audience in awe. When he introduced the MacBook Air, for example, he unveiled the product by pulling it out of an envelope to demonstrate just how thin this new computer really was. It’s moments like these that everybody remembers.

Third: Jobs Refines and Rehearses

• He masters stage presence
  63% of the impression that you leave is based on non content related factors, like body language, gestures, and verbal delivery. Jobs uses his body and face to deliver his story:
  • Eye Contact
    Even when Jobs is demonstrating a product, he only pays brief attention to the navigation of it, and then immediately returns to eye contact with his audience.
  • Open Posture
    Jobs very rarely stands behind a podium. There is nothing between him and the audience to create a more intimate setting, even in large venues.
  • Hand Gestures
    Scientists have found that complex thinkers use complex gestures. Jobs seems to know that this increases the audience’s confidence in the speaker and uses big, clearly identifiable gestures.
• He practices, practices, and practices…
  Steve Jobs rehearses over many hours, days, and weeks. He expects excellence from himself and those around him. He takes nothing for granted. Every slide he uses is written like a piece of poetry…and he carefully practices to deliver it as such.

After a close to one hour presentation, Carmine summed up the presentation with the following words:

“Have fun and genuinely enjoy your presentations!”

Great advice, because your own enjoyment in your presentation will come across as passion and enthusiasm. And those are the type of emotions that will lead your audience to action.

Thanks again, Carmine and Sliderocket!

When I was browsing through Slideshare today, I found this gem. It’s simply too good not to share, because it offers some real solid advice on how to make your PowerPoint slides work for you instead of against you.

Alexei Kapterev gives some solid and practical advice:

• Present to make meaning:

  Without providing the necessary meaning about the subject, why it matters to you, and why it should matter to your audience, your presentation will be kept at a level too abstract to really attract attention. You will make your presentations real when you put your content in the appropriate context through stories and real life examples. That’s when people can relate; that’s when people will give you their full attention.

• Significance leads to Passion attracts Attention leads to Action.

  When you present with meaning, you are presenting with enthusiasm and give significance to your topic. Such passion automatically  will get you attention, which in turn will lead to action in your audience. It becomes easier to guide them to the action you would like them to take.

• Give only 3 to 4 reasons supporting your point.

  It doesn’t really matter, how you structure your presentation, as long as you keep in mind that 3 to 4 discussion points are the most your audience will realistically remember.  A structure that always works is a Memorable Opening and Closing with 3 to 4 arguments in between. Each of these arguments should be supported by 2 to 3 details. This is an easy and practical format to scale your presentation without losing focus of your 3 or 4 main points.

• Less text, more imagery, wild imagery.

  When you design your slides, forget about the words initially. What kind of image could you use to symbolize your message? Just one image that’s powerful enough to convey enough meaning even without words. Then find that image and think of just one word that describes the point you are making. Then put that word on the slide. Just that one word. Less is more.

• Rehearse to get feedback.

  You will never get it right the first time. Rehearse your presentation early and often. If at all possible, rehearse in front of your colleagues, friends, and family to get valuable feedback that will make your presentation all that better.

• Simple Design Rules:

  • One point per slide
  • Few matching colors
  • Very few fonts
  • Photos, not clipart

Jonathan Altfeld is an internationally known trainer of communication skills. He recently released his latest creation, the 4-CD set “Creating the Automatic YES”. In this program, Jonathan teaches how to elicit and influence emotional states in elegant and natural ways. Although the program focuses on one-on-one communication, all of the skills and knowledge taught can be applied to product demonstrations and group presentations as well.

The program starts out with the two modules The Power of Context and People Only Take Action in Action States. The listener will quickly understand why emotional states in communication are key to getting a message across. The course then continues to educate the listener about the importance of emotional awareness in all of our communication — and especially in our persuasive communication.

Listen to this sample track from CD 1, Our Ability to Influence is Proportional to EQ. In it, you will hear Jonathan say: “Lead your audience to an Action State in a way that aligns with their values and beliefs.” With that sentence, Jonathan sums up what you will get from the program: the ability to elicit and influence emotional states in your audience.

“Creating the Automatic YES,” not surprisingly, is all about emotional states. You will learn how to lead someone from an Encounter State to an Action State — not in one big step, but through the chaining of smaller state changes in between. This is a skill that will set you apart from other presenters. Thinking about how your audience will feel when they watch your product demo will most certainly help you add great stories — and sequence them for maximum impact — when preparing your demo script.

Although I didn’t plan on it, I listened to the entire course in one sitting. It takes a little under four hours and the quality and logical order of information, bundled with Jonathan’s entertaining presentation style, makes this program seem shorter than it actually is.

For me, this program is a keeper! I recommend it to any product demonstrator as a secret weapon. Armed with it, you will be able to elicit and change the emotional states of your audience with elegance. I consider this the main ingredient that will lead to truly memorable demos. Here’s a link to Jonathan’s product page.