5 books that will make you a better presenter. And some that won't.
After each Drop The Mic workshop, I like to circulate a reading list for the attendees. Unlike many reading lists though, this one isn’t a punishment - the books on it are brilliant, intriguing, and a good read even if you’re not that interested in the subject matter.
It helps that all the authors don’t really have an excuse to be boring; their books after all, are all about how to hold an audience. From granular, science-driven insights to hilarious true-life disasters, these books have it all, and are the ones I turn to when I’m in need of inspiration.
The Naked Presenter
Garr Reynolds.
Despite not having a proper first name, Garr has written two brilliant books on presenting effortlessly; The Naked Presenter and Presentation Zen.
Both books espouse the value of stripping away everything unnecessary to really connect with an audience.
Covering everything from slide design to optimum mind state, nothing in either book is revolutionary, but Reynolds guides the reader elegantly through all the steps needed to blow an audience away with a simple, powerful presentation.
“Most books don’t tell you what to do in the moments when you are made, as a woman, to feel small. This one does.”
How to Own The Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking
Viv Groskop
Viv Groskop is a writer and journalist with a background in stand up comedy, and in this book she expertly tackles a question I get asked a lot - How can a woman speak up and be heard authentically in a male-dominated environment. Exploring the the idea of “achieving happy high status” and manoeuvring around cultural challenges, Groskop writes lightly and engagingly around a difficult and complicated subject. Well worth a read no matter your gender.
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo
Sure, it helps if you have droolworthy products to sell to an army of die-hard fans who lap up your every utterance about improved GPUs, but there’s no denying that Steve Jobs was a polished presenter who knew the power of carefully-chosen words, structure and storytelling.
Gallo’s book is forensic in its dissection of his speeches - word for word, pause for pause, all of his techniques are highlighted and explained in great depth. Possibly too much depth. Depends how much you like Steve jobs. A brilliant book if you’re interesting in the marketing, structural and narrative elements to a great speech or product launch.
Gravitas
Caroline Giyder
Something everyone wants, yet eludes many, gravitas is a mysterious, compelling quality.
Here, performance and voice coach Glyder explains how to tap into the gravitas lurking inside you. Helpful no matter if you’re a CEO or just struggling to be taken seriously by the man in the off license.
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
Chris Anderson
Being the “Head of TED”, Anderson has the inside track to some of the best speeches and speakers in the world. This book explores what the best TED speeches have in common and quickly dismissed the idea there’s a formula - just key tools and authentic voices. Jon Ronson and Jamie Oliver are among the voices who pop up to offer advice, in what’s a fascinating book regardless of whether you’ll be delivering a TED talk anytime soon.
Pitch Anything
Oren Klaff
Professional pitchman Klaff goes deep into the neuroscience of how ideas are received by our “croc brain.”
Although the book, is brash and fairly self-congratulatory, it does a great job of breaking down how to get complex messages across in a way that has real impact for your audience. It also explores the concept of “framing” - how worldviews clash every time two people meet and the dominant worldview then dictates the rest of the encounter, with some great tips on how to disrupt the dynamics in your favour.
Some books I’ve read so you don’t have to.
Speak to Win
Brian Tracy
Hugely well-reviewed book. Contains such gems as “Check the lighting”, and “Plan your material”. On the cover Brian is resplendent in braces.
This book is not for you.
Confessions of a Public Speaker
Scott Berkow
You’d expect this to be mildly scandalous, right? Or at least juicy. Somehow Berkow’s books gets across the tedium of being a professional speaker - the admin, the flights, the soundchecks… without shedding any real light on how to communicate well, and despite the “Confessions” angle, it’s about as tame as a beige DFS 3-piece sofa.
Resonate
Nancy Duarte
I feel bad for writing this, because many people hold this book up as their Bible of communicating - and Nancy Duarte is hugely accomplished and obviously passionate about the subject. However, I just couldn’t get into it. The formatting and design makes it tricky to parse, the detailed structural diagrams of famous speeches, the granular dissections of the “contours of communications” all just become a bit overwhelming.
There’s no denying this is probably a brilliant book.
I’m just too stupid for it.