An effective speech or presentation can raise the hopes of your audience and give them something to believe in.

FORBES: Barack Obama: A Master Class in Public Speaking [Video]

The goal of your speech or presentation is to give the audience the opportunity to hear your thoughts, comprehend your message, and act upon them.

FORBES: Three Tips for a Successful Debate or Presentation

It is true that if you try to memorize your speech or deliver your presentation the exact same way every time, you will set yourself up for failure (exceptions for any reader who is a trained Broadway actor).

FORBES: Should I rehearse, and for how long? -Presentation Training

As much as our speech is the best and that our presentation is the most shocking of all we need to support all of that with a superb body language, eye contact with our listeners and showing confidence and security at all times.

FORBES: The Three Basic Secrets of All Successful Presentations

So it may be that part of Mr Powell's speech which will prove to be the most important element of his presentation.

BBC: Americans weigh Iraq evidence

"Obama sounds like a commander delivering a speech to soldiers and Romney sounds like some office drone giving a PowerPoint presentation, " said one user.

WSJ: Chinese Watch Debate Online, Take to Sina Weibo With Commentary

But presentation specialist, Nancy Duarte, introduces a fresh approach to the great speech in her book, Resonate.

FORBES: A Presentation Guru's Take on MLK

"Halfway through my speech I told them, 'Oh, by the way, this entire presentation is running on Westmere, '" the provisional name for Intel's first round of processor chips etched at 32 nanometers.

FORBES: Stimulating Technology