The lights dim and the chatter fades. In the next 10 minutes, your voice will set priorities, shape budgets and shift minds.
Whatever the setting – from town hall updates to investor pitches, boardroom briefings to industry keynotes – today’s leaders must transform complex strategies into stories that stick.
And yes, even experienced executives still feel their pulse race when the spotlight locks on and all eyes turn their way.
The good news? Public speaking is a learnable workplace super-skill. And when you master it? Visions come to life, messages resonate – and your words linger long after the room has cleared.
Don’t risk the lingering costs of a forgettable speech
Lukewarm presentations aren’t merely harmless misses. At the senior leadership level, they can prove to be very expensive to your business’s bottom line.
When your words fall flat, strategies stall, morale declines and reputations erode.
Deals delay when stakeholders don’t feel your conviction. Plans lose traction because teams can’t repeat your vision in the corridor. And investors are left listless and uninspired.
The good news? With clear intent, tight structure and confident delivery, your speeches can be remembered for all the right reasons.
Set yourself up for (speaking) success
Preparation turns loose ideas into sharp messages that your audience will grasp in seconds – and remember hours after you leave the stage.
This early groundwork lets you stay agile in the moment because you’ve already mapped the route ahead and can handle detours without losing your destination.
So before you plan your talking points, begin by answering these three questions:
- Who’s in the room? Segment by assumed knowledge, key needs and decision-making power.
- What action do you want? Anchor every anecdote, slide and stat to build towards this ask.
- Why should they care now? Tie the talk to the must-know message – ensure your audience will grasp the relevance to them.
Only after you’re clear on who, what and why should you outline your talking points. (Read: not a wordy script.)
Then, practise out loud. Thoroughly. Committing to rehearsals converts raw adrenaline into controlled energy. It shows you respect your audience’s time – and helps strip out the fluff to pack value into every minute.
Rehearse at least three times. First for flow. Second for timing. Third for polish.
Then, after rehearsing, ask a colleague to repeat your core pitch in one sentence. If they can’t? Simplify until they can.
Nail your narrative
Start your speech with an opener that grabs attention and sparks curiosity. Tell a personal story, pose a bold question or share a startling fact.
Never underestimate the power of storytelling. Humans are primed to recall narratives. So frame your talk around a proven story structure like: Challenge → Insight → Action.
- Challenge/need: Set the stakes with a relatable example: Our busiest branch lost five hours a week chasing errors.
- Insight: Reveal the moment you discovered a better way: We traced 80 percent of issues to one outdated form.
- Action/result: Describe the next step and paint the possible future: Approve the new digital workflow to recoup two full workdays each month.
Build flow through your narrative arc by connecting sections with seamless transitions: Here’s what that means for you… And remember to balance logic (data) with emotion (quotes).
Lead with strong body language
You start communicating well before you say a word – through posture, presence and pace.
Here’s how to command the room with purposeful body language:
- Plant your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your knees soft to project calm confidence.
- Pivot your torso – don’t shuffle across the stage – to address different sections of the room.
- Use ‘eye-contact zones’ by looking at one listener for a full sentence, then move on. This feels conversational, not scatter-gun.
- Gesture at chest height. Anything higher? Too frantic. Anything lower? Too timid.
Similarly, how your voice sounds carries as much weight as the words you’re saying.
- Aim for a measured pace: slower for complex ideas, quicker for summaries.
- Pause after important numbers or decisions so minds can process and catch up.
- Lower your pitch to add gravitas. And raise your volume when you’re passionate.
Make nerves work for you
When the room falls silent and hundreds of eyes are staring back at you, it’s only natural to feel a pulsing rush of adrenaline. You want to deliver a standout speech and don’t want to disappoint.
Harness these tactics to channel your energy and stay in control of your message:
- Prepare with a tongue-twister: Repeat it slowly, then faster to loosen and ready your mouth muscles: Red leather, yellow leather…
- Focus with box breathing: Inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for three cycles to reduce stress and sharpen your focus before you begin.
- Pause with purpose: After you deliver a major point, close your mouth and silently count to two, then continue. It projects composure and gives ideas time to sink in.
Turn passive listeners into active participants
Your listeners will retain more when they participate and play an active role.
You might hold a simple hands-up poll: Show of hands – who’s ever felt unsure how their role connects to the bigger picture? Or sprinkle rhetorical questions to keep internal dialogue alive: What might that mean for your team next quarter?
And if you do engage in an open Q&A? Handle tough questions with confidence by:
- Listening fully and letting the question land – people notice patience.
- Thanking the asker and answering succinctly.
- Bridging back to your key message.
If the question is wildly off-topic? Park it politely: Important point. Let’s explore it one-on-one after the session so we keep today’s talk on track.
Harness the impact of powerful public speaking
Masterful public speaking isn’t a gift bestowed on a talented select few. It’s a trainable communication capability (and an essential skill for modern executives and senior managers).
When leaders speak with polish, ideas land faster and teams execute sooner. Multiply that across every presentation, pitch and board briefing – and you’re looking at tangible commercial gains.
Clients rave about clarity, questions get sharper, audiences become rallied to act – and ideas travel further than any email thread.
That’s the promise of powerful public speaking.
Ready to turn your leaders into confident, charismatic speakers? Explore our Public Speaking for Impact workshop and watch your leaders own every room.