As we’ve learned in the previous blogs, the basics of how to be a great presenter–or rock star speaker–never go out of style.<\/p>\n

Need proof? \u00a0We’re reviewing the techniques of a Brooklyn preacher in the 1850s named Henry Ward Beecher. \u00a0In his day, he was arguably the most famous man in America.<\/p>\n

Show, Don’t Tell<\/h5>\n

“He was theatrical, using his whole body to communicate the whole range of human emotion, with dramatic gestures and subtle facial expressions. Audiences were startled by his imitation of a sailor taking a pinch of chewing tobacco and wiping his hands on his pants, of a fisherman casting, or a young girl flirting.”<\/p>\n

These descriptions of Beecher indicate that not only did he tell stories, he acted them out. He had a well-developed kinesthetic sense. Most of us have the same ability when talking to our friends, although we may tighten up in front of a crowd. I was waiting in a doctor’s office the other day when I saw two teenage girls seated across from me leaning close together and looking into an iPhone. One of them said, “And when I saw the picture, I was like–Oh my God–and then I went like–I’m getting out of here,” and you can imagine the mad, comedic gestures of horror she was making.<\/p>\n

Depending on the circumstances and your own personality, such enactments are not out of place. They can be memorable and engaging if they are done with a degree of moderation. In fact, I have seen world class scientists demonstrate with elaborate hand gestures how a protein nestles into a receptor on the surface of a cell.<\/p>\n

[ctt tweet=”We are animated, lively speakers in real life. Why not bring this to your next presentation? @simswyeth” coverup=”7Cfg3″]<\/p>\n

Someone once said that, “Abraham Lincoln emancipated men’s bodies; Henry Ward Beecher emancipated their minds. He was phenomenal in his ability to make people love him.”<\/p>\n

He wrote his sermons at the last minute on Sunday morning. “Some men like their bread cold,” he said. “I like mine hot.”<\/p>\n

Each to his own. I like to thaw out my frozen bread in the toaster of rehearsal.<\/p>\n

But these techniques that enchanted America more than 150 years ago are available to all of us. In fact, we do them all the time in real life. Why not bring them to your next presentation?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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