Best Presentations Ever

Great Presentations Are a Thing of Joy

I've been endlessly fascinated with great presentations. And it wasn't without a lot of thought, and viewing of hundreds of presentations, that we came up with KnowHR's list of the Top 10 Best Presentations Ever.

That list on KnowHR Blog generated thousands and thousands of hits. That was fun and the traffic just keeps coming. There must be something about watching the great ones in action. The inital list is below.

We also got a lot of feedback about the Top 10 Best Presentations Ever. And we're close to publishing "10 More Great Presentations." I thought this lens would be a great place to solicit even more ideas about the great presentations. After all, who doesn't like to be entertained?

Photo credit.

Steve Jobs Introduces the Macintosh in 1984

Hello, Steve.

Steve Jobs introduces the Macintosh in 1984. Back then, Steve dressed like Tucker Carlson circa 2006, but black tee shirts and jeans or double-breasted jacket and bow tie, this Macintosh unveiling rocked the house. Steve has perfected the sense of theater, and none is better than this one. Check out how he pulls the 3.5-inch floppy from his jacket pocket. Flair, baby.

Dick Hardt and Identity 2.0

Watch fast, listen faster. You'll know Dick.

Dick Hardt's Identity 2.0 presentation at OSCON 2005. Hardt's preparation and energy sets the standard for presentation quality. He uses hundreds of slides in this 20-minute, high buzz work. Heck, I didn't even care about virtual identity and still watched this one five or six times. It has a chance of becoming my presentation Dirty Dancing (which I've seen 100 times), where "nobody puts baby in the corner."

Guy Kawasaki and The Art of the Start

Create meaning.

Guy Kawasaki's Art of the Start speech at TiECon 2006. In the 40-minute presentation (PDF of slides here), Kawasaki talks about innovation and business evangelism. When he talks about "Make Mantra" it's well worth listening to. The beauty of his speech is that he uses a Top 10 approach and is unafraid to speak plainly and with great humor (which is sadly lost in public speaking).

MLK and I Have a Dream

Let freedom ring.

Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech in 1963. Who can argue that Dr. King's speech in Washington on August 28, 1963 was anything but brilliant and changed the trajectory of America? But the rheotrical beauty of this speech is also unparalleled. At a time when our language has been reduced to the common, it's essential to look upon the preparation and thought that Dr. King used for this monumetal speech.

Lawrence Lessig and Free Culture

Think Open.

Lawrence Lessig's Free Culture talk at the 2002 Open Source Conference. The master of the simple slides shows us how it's done. And since, as he says, this is his 100th time for this talk, he has this bad boy down solid. Even though this talk is from 2002, his slide presentation style is still as fresh today as Axe Body Spray.

Malcolm Gladwell and Blink

You'll get it in an instant.

Malcolm Gladwell's Blink presentation at SXSW 2005. I've seen Gladwell talk a couple of times in person, and he's brilliant. He talks fast and he makes points by telling stories. He doesn't lecture, he paints a picture. All this from one of the foremost thinkers of our age. Gladwell makes the points, "We can do more with less. And there are real dangers in giving people too much information." Hey, that reminds me, Where are his slides? Oh, he's presenting without slides. How about that?

Tom Peters and a Ham Sandwich

Thriving on high energy.

Tom Peters presents A Ham Sandwich in 1990. Okay, this isn't a Peters presentation, but the guy has so much passion that he can make a ham sandwich sound compelling. I saw him a few times in the late 80s during the height of the Thriving on Chaos days, and that was some rallying cry. In the link here, Peters outlines what makes a great presentation. No one can leave a Tom Peters presentation saying they weren't energized and entertained.

Seth Godin at Google

Mark his works.

Seth Godin talks about Marketing at Google in 2006. "Technology doesn't win, but it sure gives you a chance at marketing." Godin knows the story, lived it, and tells it. He also uses slides to his advantage to persuade his audience that he's right. Check out the slide he calls "No one cares about you." Is there anything wrong with getting people to laugh and think at the same time?

Andy Kaufman and Here I Come to Save the Day

Mighty Mouse is on his way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1-mO_craRsAndy Kaufman sings along to Mighty Mouse on SNL in 1975. Mies van der Rohe would have been proud, because Kaufman showed the essence of "less is more" in this Saturday Night Live skit. I'm not suggesting that your presentations should be filled renditions of superhero songs, but negative space is important, and this presentation was both ahead of its time and pointed in its simplicity.

Rupert Everett and Say a Little Prayer

The moment I wake up...

Rupert Everett sings I Say a Little Prayer for You in MBFW in 1997. Okay, this is just one of our favorites and isn't exactly a "presentation." In fact, it's from a movie - My Best Friend's Wedding. But isn't a lot of what we do a "presentation" designed to persuade people to believe our story? The beauty of this one is the lead-in and then the music. Oh, the power of music. And if you haven't seen this movie, the last scene is just fantastic.

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How to Give a Great Presentation

Tips from the masters.

Great presenters are not born..they are prepared. Here are some tips from a selection of the best.

A Few More Presentation How-To's: Kathy Sierra's from Passionate talks about what could "turn a 'regular' person into an excellent presenter."
How to Get a Standing Ovation: Guy Kawasaki gives 11 points on how to give great speeches. Number 1: Have something interesting to say.
The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint: Another Guy Kawasaki classic. He says, "It's quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points."
PowerPoint is Evil: Edward Tufte says, "PowerPoint Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely" in this Wired article. Read what the author of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information has to say about PPT.
The Best Presentation...: Seth Godin says the best presentation may just be no presentation at all. He says, "So, here's what I'd like you to consider: Skip straight to the part that people seem to like the best, and that you're the best at: the Q&A."
My Best Presentation Tricks: Chris Brogan talks about how you need to bring out "your inner David Lee Roth" and be both a storyteller and entertainer in this Lifehack.org article.
Now That We Have Your Complete Attention: This article is subtitled "Here's Fast Company's eight-point program for presentations guaranteed to keep your listeners on the edge of their seats." Perform, don't present is one of my favorites.
How To Give Great Oscar Speeches: Ah, such agony, sitting there waiting for the great Academy Award speech, only to hear an actor prattle on about their agent. Ugh. Great advice: Be honest, be authenitc, and be concise.
Tom Peters; If you don't fall over, then you weren't going hard enough: Video produced by HSM - I't a one minute interview to management uber-guru Tom Peters

Presentation Resources

There are people who write about presentations every day.

A cross-section of presentation blogs.

Presentation Zen: If you're looking for presentation tips and resources, Garr Reynolds's Presentation Zen is your gold mine.
Beyond Bullets: Death by Bullet Point is something Cliff Atkison would like to see eradicated in his lifetime. The author of Beyond Bullet Point makes some powerful points about presenting for impact. (Note: I'm note sure what's happened recently, and Cliff's blog hasn't been updated in a while...but it's still worth examining for content.)
Top 100 American Speeches: From American Rhetoric. Listening to great speeches - the word choices, the cadence, the emphasis - is one way to tune your presentatin approach. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
Riesenmaschine - Powerpoint Karaoke: 24.01.2006 | 16:03 | Berlin | Nachtleuchtendes | Zeichen und Wunder
Powerpoint Karaoke
Weil es geht. Morgen ist Powerpoint Karaoke im NBI. Das NBI ist ein Veranstaltungsort in der Kulturbrauerei in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg, Schönhauser Allee 36. Powerpoint Karaoke dagegen ist das, wonach es sich anhör.

Okay, here's the simple translation, as if you can't get it: PowerPoint Karaoke is taking place in Berlin at the cultural center. PowerPoint Karaoke. Make me laugh.
Information Design And PowerPoint Presentation Skills, Tools and Resources.: MasterViews International: For International Presenters. This is a one-stop shop for everything PowerPoint. Amazing organization and collection of articles. Links galore. Present away!
Creative Presentations: Enliven your presentations. This set of pointers from The Fertile Unknown encourages you to use your right brain.
Behind the Curtain with Steve Jobs: How Steve Jobs prepares for a Keynote. Preparation matters. Um, cool products do too.
Your best tip on doing presentations: Tips on doing your presentations...73 comments on 43 folders.

When Good Presentations Go Bad

Don't try this at home, kids. These are trained professionals.

The Ten Worst Presentation Moments: Sometimes presentations aren't all they're cracked up to be.

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