From the book The Seven Minute Star:
I remember once I had to organize a presentation for my former boss dealing with the evolution of the global insurance market from the perspective of Mergers & Acquisitions. I love my mentor, but the insurance market was clearly not one of his top priorities. The speech was a calamity. The self-explanatory slides could have balanced out the way he didn’t understand what he was talking about, but he just simply looked bored and annoyed. It was painfully obvious, and it was not a good attitude to have in front of 500 MBA students. […]
The insurance speech given by my former boss was, of course, prepared by someone else. Fabian was a young go-getter and a true professional. He loved the presentation he put together, and would have given it with passion.
Time is our most precious commodity, so you might believe that you should have other people prepare your speeches. I could not disagree more. When you speak in public, you expose yourself completely, as well as the company you represent. Isn’t crafting the perception you’ll create more important than spending a few more hours planning the budget?
You should always find the time to prepare your own speeches — on the plane, in the taxi, in your hotel room somewhere in Charlotte, North Carolina. The simple fact is, you will always exude more passion when you show your own emotions, use your own words, and be yourself.
In the end, self-made dishes taste better.