The 20th of January. It is now an official holiday marking the birthday of an incredible speaker, Martin Luther King Jr. Many would refer to him as ”the guy who came up with that famous speech I Have a Dream” but this is not the entire story. There is definitely more to that...
Now, this time let’s take a look at him as one of the most influential public speakers of all times. What can we learn from him? He has been and still is an influential leading figure whose impact cannot be summarized and narrowed down to a civil movement activist, Christian minister or the advocate of “Black America”. You don’t necessarily have to be familiar with the scriptures to ace a speech with a stunning opening line as he did, though there is one thing that was central to his approach and is worth for everyone to remember: establishing the context for your message and finding your own authentic voice! Just think about the fact that his most famous speech, I Have a Dream, started up as a regular, pre-written piece then it magically turned into an improvised, stunning flow of words backed by power and faith that left a soul-stirring impact behind.
His public speaking techniques as a Baptist Preacher had already been well polished and practiced by the time he joined the public arena though he reached his rhetoric climax for real by finding a life-altering mission worth fighting for. As an influential leader and advocate of the black civil rights movement he delivered many speeches on a wide variety of topics though his recipe for a distinctive and inspiring speaking style has always been alike. But what are the secret ingredients to that?
Keep your posture rock solid and confident!
You have to find a way to radiate confidence in order to become memorable to your audience. Reach down into yourself and try to find the value that you would like the people listening to you to take home with themselves. As soon as you can find that inner solidity your body language will change instantly.
Let your voice carry the message!
You don’t necessarily need to mimic the commanding voice of a Baptist preacher but don’t underestimate the impact of a preacher-like tone. Feel the confidence your knowledge on the topic gives you and translate it into a steady, non-shivering voice and compelling tone.
Build on repetition and rhythm!
In his most often cited speech, I Have a Dream, there are recurring statements like ”We can never be satisfied”, ”Let freedom ring” or ”With this faith” that add up and increase the notion behind your words. Don’t overuse them, though, and try not to blow out of proportion.
Don’t be afraid of ditching your script!
And finally, be that confident to be able to ditch your script any time throughout your speech. Practice, videotape your performance and push yourself up to your limits to be able to impress everyone even if you don’t remember any of the lines you prepared.
And in case you'd suffer from public speaking anxiety, here's a fun fact to keep in mind: Martin Luther King got a C in public speaking back in the seminary school. So, there's really no need to be anxious.
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