Business Presentation Lessons from Joe Biden’s Debate Performance — Avoiding Low Energy, Rambling, and Lack of Preparation

Joe Biden’s debate was widely criticized as “low energy.” While cultural norms in Japan encourage not standing out, low energy presentations fail to hold attention. Audiences now compete between the speaker and their smartphones. If presenters fail to inject energy and highlight key words, listeners will quickly disengage.

Mini-summary: Low energy delivery loses audience focus — presenters must emphasize keywords and use vocal variety.

Biden has struggled with a stutter his whole life but adapted enough to succeed in politics — an inspiration for others with speech challenges. For business speakers, the common cousin is “umming and ahing.” A technique: hit the first word of each sentence strongly, then pause instead of filling silence with “um.” Over time, filler words reduce naturally.

Mini-summary: Replace filler words with pauses — confidence grows and clarity improves.

Another criticism of Biden was rambling — a fault often shared by CEOs. Common causes include:

1. Not taking public speaking seriously (viewing it as fluff).

2. Poor navigation — failing to structure arguments clearly.

3. Lack of rehearsal — relying only on slide decks.

Rambling confuses audiences and dilutes authority. Structure, clarity, and practice prevent this.

Mini-summary: Clear navigation and rehearsal stop rambling and strengthen delivery.

Most business speeches are delivered only once. Time is usually consumed by building slides, not practicing delivery. Rehearsal ensures pacing, fluency, and cohesion. Feedback should be structured as “good/better” advice to protect confidence while improving performance.

Mini-summary: Rehearsal builds confidence and cohesion — and must not be skipped.

It’s easy to criticize Biden, but many business leaders share the same flaws: low energy, filler words, rambling, poor rehearsal. The lesson: observe, reflect, and correct. Without training, “but for them, there go I” applies to every executive speaker.

Mini-summary: Biden’s mistakes are cautionary reminders for all leaders to sharpen presentation skills.

• Low energy undermines engagement — elevate key words and show vitality.

• Replace filler words with pauses for clarity and authority.

• Avoid rambling through structure, navigation, and planning.

• Rehearse fully — slides alone won’t save you.

• Learn from weak speakers as much as from strong ones.

Request a Free Consultation with Dale Carnegie Tokyo to master energy, clarity, and structure in your presentations — and avoid the pitfalls that damage credibility.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.