Be the Best Bad Presenter Ever

Ignore the Rules

To become a great presenter, forget everything you’ve been told about public speaking. Don’t mimic distinguished orators or popular entertainers. Stay away from the speaking classes with all their confusing do’s and don’ts. Ignore any rules about public speaking. These Presentation 101 memes are out of date, including: “Always stand to the left of the screen,” “Never cross the beam of the projector” and “Remain detached during the presentation.” Trying to abide by these archaic axioms will make you uncomfortable and give you more to worry about than simply getting up there and speaking in front of others.

When you speak in public, be “your authentic self.” Your nervousness and mistakes endear you to your audience and will disappear as you gain confidence. This simple philosophy about public speaking fits in six words: “Be human, be you, make mistakes!” Audiences dislike slick packaging and love authenticity: “the real deal – lumps, imperfections and all.”

Audiences respond positively to sincere passion that engages their attention and emotions. In her essay, “How to Fascinate,” Sally Hogshead advises, “Think back to a time...when you were leading...