Far too many presenters are controlled by their fear.  They worry about making a negative impression so they create slides they can hide behind and wind up making no impression on their audience at all.

Creating a presentation that’s truly memorable requires courage;  you have to step out from behind your PowerPoint slides and find a way to really engage your audience.  What I like most about this valedictory speech from high school senior Alaine Caudle is that she manages to be highly effective even though she isn’t perfect.  She gets the beginning or her song wrong and starts over and the whole thing probably goes on a little too long.  But it’s clear that the risks she takes and her enthusiasm have totally won over the crowd.  Maybe it’s not the “Greatest Valedictorian Speech Ever!” but it’s probably the best one most of the people in the audience have seen.

Next time you need to put together a presentation ask yourself what you can do to make your presentation stand out.  Rapping may not be a good idea for most of us, but surely there’s something you can do to make an impression.