All of us have some sense of a natural speaking style, regardless of whether we recognize and utilize it or not. This is our natural style of speaking, our most comfortable way of communicating, and most often, the most effective way of persuading. Unfortunately, some debaters do not trust their natural style, and instead, resort to adopting a “debating persona.” Often, this looks like a completely different speaking style that emerges solely for debate, with forced gestures, an uncomfortably rigid stance, and a painfully careful over-enunciation of words. Ultimately, this approach is extremely weak, as rather than being persuasive, it appears insincere. Instead, you should always strive to keep your unique style alive, and honor it. It is what separates the way I speak from the way you might, and molding that style to become more effective. However, this does not give free permission for speakers to dismiss bad speaking practices, and say, “Of course I mumble quietly and only make eye contact with inanimate objects—that’s my natural style!” But it does mean that you should use these techniques in a way that feels natural and sincere to you.