How to effectively present in English in the 21st Century

Over at the Duarte blog (a must read for anyone serious about presenting) Nancy Duarte writes about Steve Ballmer’s Windows 7 launch presentation.

Personally, I think Steve Ballmer did a great job. Nancy evaluates the language he used, and I agree that some of his words, sentences and expressions could have been improved, but this is Steve Ballmer and he has his own unique style.

The performance might not be as polished as a Steve Jobs’ presentation, but it does get the message across that Windows 7 is better, faster and more efficient than Windows Vista.

I like Steve Ballmer’s style, it is full of passion and enthusiasm and he does not pretend to be someone he is not. I personally think because he never sounds too polished or cautious he actually comes across genuine and believable.

However, you can see for yourself, here is a clip from the launch.