Links to those who "present different"

Are you looking to take your presentation skills to a higher level? Links to traditional "PowerPoint help" and "presentation tips" sites getting you down? Maybe you are looking in the wrong place. Here are a plethora of links to different styles of presentations you can actually watch online. We can learn a lot about presentation design and delivery by exposing ourselves to many different kinds of styles, Including (especially?) unconventional presentation styles.

Wikis, podcasting, blogging, business management, and other CRAP
Checkout ZDNet.com. This is a credible, professional website with a loads of free, short video presentations on such topics as: "What is wiki?" "How to podcast." "How to effectively use a whiteboard." "Network-centric computing" and many more. Besides the great content available here, there are some good examples of how using a whiteboard can actually work better than slides (especially the kind of slides your CEO is probably using). While the content may be largely introductory in these presentations, many of them are good examples of why a whiteboard used well can be a breath of fresh air. Now, why can't someone invent a cool four-color clickable whiteboard pen that won't dry up in ten seconds?

Here are some good ones (there are many more; scroll down to see videos available by category on the ZDNet site):

• Tagging 101
• Podcasting 101
• A load of CRAP
• LCDs cut energy costs
• Using RSS

Steve Jobs introduces new Apple products
Here is a short 12-minute clip of Steve (on ZDNet) presenting the new Apple products yesterday to the media in the Town Hall Auditorium located in building #4, Infinite Loop (and here's another clip). This is a really great little theatre. I've presented on that stage 4-5 times myself. Very nice setting for both the presenter and audience. I loved attending presentations there. The blue lighting looks like a temporary thing for this event. I think the room looks better without the artificial, cool, blue lighting (but no big deal). Here's a cool QTVR of the Town Hall Auditorium at #4 Infinite Loop. And here are some photos from the Apple media event from the ZDNet site.

Guy Kawasaki Live on the "art of innovation" at UCLA
Someday, Guy may have such powerful name recognition and authority that his keynote addresses may be no longer than these two simple words: "Guy Kawasaki." Until then, though, Guy can continue to enlighten, inspire, and educate audiences across the globe with his experience, wit, and candor. Although I have seen Guy do similar talks and know the material well, I still enjoyed watching him online (and learned a thing or two as well). His struggles with the PC are an amusing plus. If you are easily offended by non-conventional presentations, you may not like this one. And by Guy's own admission, he may have used the words "sucks" and "crap" more than in any previous keynote presentation in the history of keynote presentations. Get Guy's slides and the link to the online video.

Comedy Central
What the...? OK, I know what you are saying: "What do standup comedians have to do with presentation skills?" Standing up before an audience with nothing between you and the crowd except a microphone stand — and an audience expectation that you will make them laugh — has got to be one of the hardest things in the world to do. I do a lot of presentations and keynotes, but I do not think I have the grapes to do what some of these men and women do.

Great standup comedians are accomplished story tellers. We can learn a lot by observing their talents. I'm not suggesting that you be funny or that you tell jokes. For us non-comedians in professional settings, jokes or forced humor are usually disastrous. But what we have in common with professional stand-up comedians is that we too aim to evoke something from our audience. We hope, even in the tiniest of ways, to make a difference.

Take a look at this one by Lewis Black. Lewis has had it with Starbucks: "When you put a Starbucks across from another Starbucks — that's it! Game over! A sure sign that the end of the universe is here. I like this bit from Carlos Mencia (sorry, may be offensive to some people)  I also like the UK's Jimmie Carr. Simple one liners, good timing. Good use of the dramatic pause here and here. Mitch Hedberg has a unique style. The Daily Show and The Colbert report are also worth checking out for examples of how visuals and narration can be synched in harmony to evoke emotion (in this case, laughter).

I'd love to hear from you. Have any links to good examples of different presentation styles we can see? Please send me a note or add the link in the comments section.

"Presentation Zen" is increasingly becoming part of the vernacular it seems. Checkout the third line on the left of the table here. I love Kathy Sierra's writing and I am honored to be mentioned on the Creating Passionate Users website. Rock on, Kathy!

Comments

[transposition]

Using comics as an example certainly makes sense -- at least for presentations in which the goal is evoking as emotion rather than imparting information.

I would also add that Mitch Hedberg _had_ a unique style.

[Garr]

>I would also add that Mitch Hedberg _had_ a unique style.

I loved Mitch's act the few times I saw him while in the States. I did not realize he passed last year (he was only 37). I'm very, very sorry to hear this. Very sad.

http://www.mitchhedberg.net/

[glad]

if you want a example of a really poor presentation then try and check out (via bit torrent) epsiode 2 season 2 of the UK's version of the Apprentice. No powerpoint to be seen but it did make me cringe.

[Ben Buchanan]

Although there's no video, the presenters at Web Essentials 2005 were recorded for audio podcasts - http://we05.com/program.cfm and their slides are available as well.

Basically all the presenters were excellent, an inspiring standard not just on their topics but in their presentation abilities as well. Jeff Veen probably stole the show with his presentations, although Doug Bowman's "Zooming Out.." was a defining moment for the event. Molly and Kelly were notable... but as I said, all the speakers were amazing. Two days and not a dud in any session!

[Kevin Bjorke]

Check out the Jerry Seinfeld movie "Comedian" -- great to see him (& others) doing rehearsals CONTINUOUSLY - on the street,m the cab, different clubs....

[niti bhan]

The Second City has classes, and for a corporate presenter, improv training often adds more value than straight stand up, which is often prescripted material. It preps you for Q & A's as well as presence of mind and off the cuff thinking onstage.

[met]

For those who think Jobs can't make a mistake, see him get upset in the 2nd link that Garr has posted for this article.

At the end of the hi-fi presentation, when he announces the price, there isn't a single sound from the audience, no applause, appreciation from the audience.
He is visibly upset and goes on to comment that he is replacing his home stereo to drive home how huge it is....

It is this statement of his is being ripped apart all throughout blogosphere.

Do you think that was rehearsed too? or am I right when I think, he was upset about the turn of events ?

[glad]

I am a big fan of the show '24' and I keep thinking that Jobs has an ear piece with someone feeding him the info, as his last presentation looked so stilted unlike his other earlier presentations.

[martinperlin]

Are there links to videos of other great presenters. I've seen a lot of Jobs' Keynotes already and I really like them, but I want to compare and see some other styles. Please post. Thanks!!!

[Dave Althoff]

In the article I see a mention of the people on Comedy Central who present with nothing but a microphone. Why not take that a step further. I saw an example of this in Florida back in February. Imagine if you will an environment filled with noise and distraction and yet one man is still able to command the attention of a random audience, and in the space of a few minutes convince...even command...that audience to do his bidding through the careful application of a practiced sales pitch. The man in question is one of a disappearing breed of presentation professionals: the sideshow bally talker.

It's not exactly Presentation Zen, but here's an article that describes the craft and explains the technique in some detail. I suggest that the article itself reads a bit like a bally script; try reading it aloud:
http://www.sideshowworld.com/tgodgbt.html

[kiran]

just nothing rather than to thank