At the core of every insightful presentation is a story. Human beings naturally seek out a narrative.

But the process of becoming a storyteller doesn't start with writing and rehearsing the presentation; it begins in observations of everyday life.

What to do with the hands baffles most presenters. There are many schools of thought that offer conflicting advice. A recent leadership article in The Washington Post spotlighted what’s most impactful when it comes to presenters’ gestures. Below we summarize the recommendations:

Imagine yourself standing with over 200,000 others on the steps and grounds of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, as Martin Luther King repeats the hypnotic refrain, “I have a dream!” You are swept away by the power of the message and the impact of that historical moment.

All the key ingredients for the making of an unforgettable speech were there: the substance, the style and the staging. All speakers who must make an impact on their audiences need to pay attention to these three factors.