Some days we wake up inspired, ready to take on any presentation challenge that comes our way, and some days it feels tough to do anything at all, let alone prepare a presentation. The following quotes are designed to give you a spark of motivation and insight when you need it most, so be sure to keep ‘em close for those days when you’re feeling less than inspired.
1. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain
2. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg
3. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters
4. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White
5. “The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson
6. “Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer
7. “You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged.” – Seth Godin
8. “Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across.” – Guy Kawasaki
9. “The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time, it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned.” – John Maxwell
10. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” – Dale Carnegie
11. “My best advice is to not start in PowerPoint. Presentation tools force you to think through information linearly, and you really need to start by thinking of the whole instead of the individual lines.” – Nancy Duarte
12. “Humans are completely incapable of reading and comprehending text on a screen and listening to a speaker at the same time. Therefore, lots of text (almost any text!), and long, complete sentences are bad, Bad, BAD.” – Garr Reynolds
13. “You don’t have to change who you are, you have to become more of who you are.” – Sally Hogshead
14. “If you don’t want to preach, put stories in your speech.” – Andy Harrington
15. “Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking.” – Richard Branson
16. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?’” – Jim Rohn
17. “A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam.” – M.F. Fensholt
18. “It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” – Tony Robbins
19. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” – Michael H Mescon
20. “No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” – Ira Hayes
21. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher
22. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carl W. Buechner
23. “There are good leaders who actively guide and bad leaders who actively misguide. Hence, leadership is about persuasion, presentation and people skills.” – Shiv Kera
24. “Always give a speech that you would like to hear.” – Andrii Sedniev
25. “Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears.” – Gerald C Myers
Looking for more presentation inspiration? Then check out our Badge Assessment to discover your unique presentation persona.
