Presenting Skills - Personal Style

Presentation Skills

When we use our own words to express ourselves when we speak directly from the heart or the mind that is when we have the greatest impact on an audience.

Knowing your personal presenting style and having the confidence to go off script, allows you to respond directly to the needs of your audience; the stronger their engagement the greater your influence.

'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!'

Thursday, August 28th marked the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous speeches ever uttered.

Forty years ago, in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and issued a battle cry that stirred the American nation in the struggle for civil rights.

Interestingly from a presenting skills point of view the draft of this most famous public address, written the night before at Washington's Willard Hotel does not contain the key passage 'I Have a Dream'.

This was added extemporaneously as King spoke to the huge throng at the Lincoln Memorial.

What has since been heralded as a model piece of speech making or presenting was, in fact, well-prepared improvisation.

We can't all be great speakers, but with a little work, we can master presenting skills and the environment in which presenting is done.

When we feel more in charge of the presenting arena we begin to present with flair.

And, interestingly just developing a sense of our presenting skills and personal style helps us feel and therefore look better when presenting