Greatest Speakers Serve as Examples for Presentation Skills Training

HOUSTON, October 4, 2007 - DPK Public Relations, a leading public relations firm serving clients in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas, has made it easy for people preparing for public speaking to learn from the best. The firm''s interactive Web site features video and audio of the 10 greatest speeches of the 20th Century at www.dpkpr.com/bestspeakers.  

The top 10 were rated by more than 135 leading scholars who were asked to recommend speeches on the basis of social and political impact, and rhetorical artistry. The project was guided by Professors Stephen E. Lucas and Martin J. Medhurst. Dr. Lucas is Evjue-Bascom Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Medhurst is Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at Baylor University.

"When training public speakers how to deliver more powerful presentations that demand their audience''s attention, it''s great to let them observe and learn from the very best," said Dan Keeney, APR, who designed DPK Public Relations'' Presentation Skills Training methods. "While these speeches are all available online, this is the first time that I am aware of that audio and video has been presented for free in a single convenient user-friendly place."

The ten greatest speeches of the 20th Century featured at www.dpkpr.com/bestspeakers  include the following:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have A Dream"
  • John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address
  • Franklin Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address
  • Franklin Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
  • Barbara Jordan, 1976 DNC Keynote Address
  • Richard Nixon, "Checkers"
  • Malcolm X, "The Ballot or the Bullet"
  • Ronald Reagan, Shuttle ''Challenger'' Disaster Address
  • John F. Kennedy, Houston Ministerial Association Speech 
  • Lyndon Johnson, "We Shall Overcome"
"These speeches illustrate how body language, voice inflection, facial expression and the speech itself work together to deliver a message powerfully," said Keeney.

DPK Public Relations'' immersive full-day and half-day Presentation Skills Training services are tailored for the unique needs of participants. The intimate sessions, which are limited to no more than four per class, address all aspects of speech preparation, practice and performance. Through videotaped speaking scenarios and constructive critiques, the sessions are designed to build upon the presenter''s strengths and break down areas that can be improved. More information is available at www.dpkpr.com/presentationskills.

About DPK Public Relations
Established in 2003, DPK Public Relations helps organizations of all sizes protect and enhance their reputations by strategically defining, packaging and communicating their stories. Clients include Brazos Electric, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Rafte & Co., RT Sourcing, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. and Schipul - The Web Marketing Co., among others. For more information, visit www.dpkpr.com.