Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes - The Goodman ...

Improving Your Delivery
Just Be Yourself. Only Better.
Platform skills – e.g., eye contact, vocal control, how and where you stand on a stage – were
the subject of some debate among our expert commentators. On one side was the “Just Be
Yourself” camp. Marc Freedman captured the sentiments of this group when he told us,
“One of the main lessons I’ve learned is that the goal is to have your true personality, or a
slightly better version, shine through – not to try to be somebody else or use classic public
speaking techniques.”
On the other hand, several experts asserted that public speaking was a skill that could be
learned like any other, which means mastering specific techniques. That goes for novices
and veterans alike, says Kristen Grimm. “Bill Clinton did media training as often as he
could,” she points out. “If it’s something that’s a major part of your job, you can always be
working on it.”
As in many such debates, there are elements of truth in both arguments. When public
interest professionals get behind the podium, all too often they are “constricted by either
their own or a societal sense of professionalism,” as Eda Roth puts it. In short, they are not
themselves, and their presentations suffer for it. Simply relaxing and letting their genuine
personalities shine through would undoubtedly be a vast improvement. (Okay, for some
people it might be a disaster, but let’s stay focused on the larger picture.)
At the same time, a presenter who is comfortable with herself but who doesn’t make eye
contact with the audience, talks in a whisper, and stands rooted to the podium is not going
to win any prizes either. In this case, a little training could quickly polish a diamond in
the rough.
I believe that the key word here is confidence. When you know your material and also know
the best ways to transmit that knowledge from the stage to the audience, it is easier to
relax and be yourself. Mastering platform skills can raise your level of confidence, so they
are worth studying, practicing, and making your own.
pg. 39
“In terms of platform style,
I make sure I go in the room
feeling really clear and really
centered. It reminds me of
what Tom Cruise said once.
He said that he knows his
lines so clearly that all he has
to do in the moment is react.
I am so prepared and I know
the subject, so my job is to
stay in the moment and stay
present. I’m not worried
about what to say next. ”
– Dynell Garron
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