Presentation Tips from the Masters

Enhance your presentation delivery skills by taking a few lessons from the greatest speakers who ever lived. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite nuggets, along with some tips on practical application. Let the pros show you how it’s done.

I never was happy, never could make a good impromptu speech without several hours to prepare it.” – Mark Twain

Practice” is our favorite word, followed shortly by “practice” when it comes to delivering a great presentation. Anything that looks effortless, from parkour to tap dancing, has a secret: many hours of deliberate preparation and rehearsal. Mark Twain also famously  overcame his extreme stage fright by having his friends laugh loudly to his first big speech, which encouraged the audience to laugh along with them.

Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” – Dionysius of Halicarnassus

A little “tough love” from Dionysius about speechmaking from around 30 BC. This is also a great maxim for creating content before your presentation; would you be better off saying nothing? How can you edit the unnecessary lest Dionysius come back from the grave and boo your speech?

If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.” – Winston Churchill

The Rule of Three is a classic writing/presenting technique, but no one describes its strength better than Churchill. In order for your audience to retain your message, it needs to be straightforward, powerful, and repeated. The rule is so effective, in fact, that we just used it in that last sentence.

Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wisely using The Rule of Three, Emerson lays out the goals we should all aspire to in a presentation. Compelling speeches appeal to our emotions and show us where to go next. Consider a strong opening and conclusion to make your presentation as emotionally impactful as this quote.

Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” Franklin D. Roosevelt 

Finally, with another great quote that uses the Rule of Three, Roosevelt cuts to the core of what it means to be a great public speaker. To give meaning to your words through sincerity, to edit the unnecessary through brevity, and most importantly: to sit down and let your message remain in the audience’s memory.

Question: What tips can you take away from these powerful orators? 





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