How can a good presenter get better? That’s something many people would like to know.
I believe that we stand on the shoulders of people who came before us.
So, one of the golden rules of public speaking–at least in my mind–is to cheat and steal whenever possible.
Of course, I’m not being literal about that, and I’m not talking about plagiarism.
For a good presenter to get better, I’m talking about finding a hero or a mentor to revere or to emulate. Then, take what you can from them and and make it your own.
T.S. Eliot said that the minor poet borrows, but the great poet steals.
Beethoven built on Mozart.
Picasso stole from African masks and Bob Dylan stands on the shoulders of Woody Guthrie.
So, I urge anyone who wants to get better at anything–but this is particularly about public speaking–to borrow from from a hero, from a mentor, or from somebody that you revere.
In conclusion, I would say beg, borrow, cheat, and steal until–through trial and error–you make it your own.