I’m constantly amazed by how eager people are to improve their presentation and communication skills—regardless of where they live or what industry they work in. I recently returned from a remarkable week-long visit to Japan where I spoke to more than 1,000 people in a series of lectures sponsored by the Japanese publisher of my books, Nikkei BP. In one event, I shared the stage with resident design expert and author, Garr Reynolds.
Reynolds uses an interesting metaphor to teach presentation delivery – the concept of Japanese natural springs where people take public baths without clothes. Reynolds says “naked” presentations are simpler, less inhibited and more “exposed” to establish a closer connection to the audience. Although we didn’t compare notes ahead of time and we had never presented together in person before, both Reynolds and I presented “naked.” Here’s how.
- Naked presenters don’t use notes.
- Naked presenters don’t stand behind a lectern.
- Naked presenters move closer to the audience and are animated in voice and body.
- Naked presenters create slides that are heavy on visuals and light on text.
An effective naked presentation requires practice—something most presenters rarely do. It takes hours of rehearsal to deliver a captivating presentation without notes or the crutch of reading from slides. If it’s the first time you’ve delivered a particular presentation, a good rule is to run through your entire presentation out loud at least 10 times before you deliver it in front of an audience. This works well for a presentation that lasts anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour. Anything longer and you might want to practice in segments to make it less intimidating.
During my visit to Japan a number of people approached me after my presentations to tell me how much they enjoyed the “western” style of presentations. Because I’ve written books on great American leaders who also practice this style of communication, many Japanese readers have associated the naked style with American presenters. I quickly clarified that most Americans don’t present naked. What the Japanese consider ‘‘western’’ I simply consider “effective.”
I learned that in the area of communications, the Japanese are just like Americans—they’re tired of the same old, traditional, stiff, boring PowerPoint presentations. Stand out by going naked. It’s a style that works in any language.