Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a leader, a visionary and a hero.

He was also one of the greatest communicators of the past century. Dr. King was always relentlessly on message, and always spoke with passion and energy.

This clip is important for a number of reasons.  It is the conclusion of his final speech, given at Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3rd — he was assassinated the next day.

He was speaking in support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis, however as was usually the case when Dr. King spoke, his message was consistent regardless of who he was addressing, and he was always on message.

The sheer energy that this clip contains is unbelievable. One can feel the power through the small clip on a computer — imagine the energy that must have been in the room that day in Memphis!

Dr. King’s use of tempo, inflection and pause during this speech are masterful. It is not possible to sleep through this speech. It was not possible to drift away into another thought if you were watching. It is not possible to walk away indifferent after hearing this speech.

How many times have you witnessed presenters or speakers fail to make eye contact, speak in a monotone or rush through each thought? How often have you walked away from a presentation unable to remember hours later what the speaker said? How many times have you witnessed a speaker that had absolutely no energy or passion, and seemed to be going through the motions?

The notion that it is better to say something than to say nothing is just false.  If you don’t believe in what you are saying, you are better off saying nothing.

If you think that you can fool an audience, think again.

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