Most presentation problems are not technical. They're internal.

Speakers obsess over slides, structure, and delivery mechanics while the real issues -- self-awareness, mindset, and genuine focus on the audience -- go unaddressed. Fix those, and the technical problems often resolve themselves.

Michael Delisser is an executive communication coach who has spent his career helping leaders and speakers identify the blind spots that are quietly undermining their impact. His approach is direct, practical, and grounded in a simple truth: you cannot improve what you cannot see.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why most presentation problems are internal rather than technical, how a humiliating early experience with filler words changed Michael's entire approach to coaching, why recording yourself is one of the most powerful self-awareness tools available, how to reduce distracting habits without sounding robotic or over-rehearsed, why perfectionism actively harms your development as a speaker, how to identify your strengths and minimise your fatal flaws, why starting with outcomes rather than content changes everything about how you prepare, the most common presentation pitfalls Michael sees repeatedly, how to build genuine emotional connection with an audience, the trust-logic-emotion framework for persuasive communication, why you must address the audience's pain before presenting your solution, and how communication skills will matter more not less in the age of AI.

About Michael Delisser

Michael Delisser is an executive communication coach and author of Leadership Accelerators, which covers emotional intelligence, communication habits, and personality-based leadership. Connect with Michael to find out more about his coaching work.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: Why Nice Feedback Is Killing Your Speaking Growth

Mentioned in this episode:

SPGFS - Hiro.fm

Becoming known will always make it easier to get booked and podcast guesting is one of the easiest ways to make that happen, when you have the right strategy.

The Strategic Speaking Business Audit

Take this quick quiz to find out where and why your speaking business is leaking opportunities.

Should you start a podcast? If you're a speaker, coach, or expert it can feel like the obvious next step. Visibility. Authority. Credibility. Influence.

But is it actually the smartest move right now?

In this solo episode John Ball takes a balanced, honest look at podcast hosting -- the real advantages, the hidden costs most people underestimate, and why sequencing matters more than following trends.

Podcasting can absolutely become a powerful business asset. It can sharpen your thinking, strengthen your authority, expand your network, and generate enquiries. Done well it becomes a content engine and a long-term brand builder. But it demands time, focus, energy, and consistency. And if your positioning isn't clear, a podcast won't fix that. It will simply amplify whatever is already there.

What you'll learn in this episode

The real advantages of hosting a podcast for speakers and experts, the hidden time cost most people dramatically underestimate, why most niche podcasts don't monetise directly, when hosting actually makes strategic sense, why guesting often builds authority faster than hosting, how podcast guesting strengthens your clarity and confidence as a speaker, the difference between building a content library and building a reputation, and why sequencing matters more than momentum.

The key principle

Clarity first. Platform second. If your business foundation is strong, a podcast can amplify your impact. If it isn't, guesting is almost certainly the smarter first move.

Mentioned in this episode

Strategic Podcast Guesting for Speakers -- first three lessons free at presentinfluence.com/podcastguest

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: How to Use Podcasting to Build Professional Authority with Mark Asquith

Mentioned in this episode:

SPGFS - Hiro.fm

Becoming known will always make it easier to get booked and podcast guesting is one of the easiest ways to make that happen, when you have the right strategy.

Julian Treasure has given five TED talks, with a combined audience of hundreds of millions of views. His message is simple and counterintuitive: the most important skill for speakers is not speaking. It's listening.

Audiences don't hear your message as delivered. They hear it through filters -- culture, mood, expectations, the speaker before you, the acoustics of the room, even the time of day. If you're not listening to their listening in real time, you're speaking into a void and hoping for the best.

This is one of the most thought-provoking conversations the show has produced, and essential listening for any speaker who wants to truly land their message rather than just deliver it.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why speaking and listening form a circle rather than a straight line, the listening filters that shape how audiences receive your message, how to handle the graveyard slot and other attention dips, what to do when the speaker before you has poisoned the room, the gift visualisation that instantly improves your on-stage presence, why sound affects physiology, focus, behaviour, and buying decisions, practical advice on microphones, acoustics, and why lavalier mics can betray you, the role of silence and humility in real listening, and how the three intentions -- yours, the audience's, and their intention for themselves -- shape every speaking engagement.

About Julian Treasure

Julian Treasure is a sound and communication expert, author, and one of the most-watched TED speakers in the world. He is the founder of the Listening Society, which offers free resources and membership at thelisteningsociety.community. Speaking and listening assessments for individuals and organisations are available at juliantreasure.floot.app. Find out more at juliantreasure.com.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: The Language of Leadership with Simon Lancaster

Mentioned in this episode:

SPGFS - Hiro.fm

Becoming known will always make it easier to get booked and podcast guesting is one of the easiest ways to make that happen, when you have the right strategy.

The Strategic Speaking Business Audit

Take this quick quiz to find out where and why your speaking business is leaking opportunities.

Rhetoric is one of the oldest and most powerful communication tools in existence. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Most speakers think it's something politicians do. Simon Lancaster knows it's something every effective communicator does -- whether they realise it or not.

Simon Lancaster is a political speechwriter with over 20 years of experience writing for heads of state, CEOs, and some of the most influential communicators in the world. In this conversation he breaks down the mechanics of persuasive language -- rhetoric, metaphor, emotional framing -- and explains how professional speakers can use these tools to become genuinely more compelling without sounding manipulative.

What you'll learn in this episode

What rhetoric actually is and why it matters for modern speakers, why emotion persuades more reliably than logic, how metaphor shapes perception, behaviour, and belief at a subconscious level, why corporate language dehumanises audiences and destroys engagement, practical ways to become metaphor-aware in your own communication, the responsibility leaders and speakers carry when using persuasive language, why rhetoric isn't taught and why that gap is genuinely dangerous, and how the most effective political communicators use emotional framing to create trust and momentum.

Key ideas from the episode

Leadership is an emotional contract. Metaphor speaks to the subconscious. Rhetoric is morally neutral -- like a pen, it can be used for good or bad. The company-as-car metaphor and why it backfires. Why switching to human metaphors -- family, journeys, belonging -- transforms how audiences respond.

About Simon Lancaster

Simon Lancaster is a political speechwriter, author, and TEDx speaker. His books include Winning Minds, The Expert's Guide to Speechwriting, and You Are Not Human. Watch his TEDx talk at youtu.be/bGBamfWasNQ and find out more at bespokespeeches.com.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: The Language of Leadership with Simon Lancaster

The professional speaking world and the personal development industry have been intertwined for decades. That overlap has created energy, inspiration, and genuine transformation. It has also created hype, pseudoscience, and borrowed authority.

In this solo episode John Ball explores where persuasive speaking becomes manipulation, why anecdotes are powerful but weak evidence, and how emotional intensity in a room can quietly lower the audience's critical thinking. This is not an attack on personal development. It is a call for healthier boundaries, intellectual humility, and higher standards from everyone who takes a stage.

If you are building a serious speaking career and care about long-term credibility, this episode is for you.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why persuasive speaking is inherently powerful and inherently vulnerable to abuse, how pseudoscience and science-sounding language spread on stages, the role of TEDx in transferring perceived authority to speakers who may not have earned it, why anecdotes move audiences but do not prove causation, how high emotion lowers scepticism in a room, the difference between confidence and competence, what intellectual humility actually looks like in a keynote, and how integrity protects both your reputation and the profession long term.

The key idea

Certainty sells. Nuance builds careers. If you want short-term applause, oversimplify. If you want long-term authority, raise your standards.

References mentioned

Carl Sagan -- "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," How to Have a Beautiful Mind by Edward de Bono, and Elizabeth Loftus on memory distortion research.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Being a good speaker and being a bookable speaker are not the same thing. Most speakers confuse the two -- and it costs them.

Maria Franzoni is a former speaker bureau owner and author of The Bookability Formula. She has spent her career on the other side of the table -- deciding which speakers get hired and which get passed over -- and her view of what actually drives bookings in the UK and European markets is blunt, practical, and essential listening for any speaker serious about building a sustainable career.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why "follow your passion" is often terrible business advice for speakers, the real differences between the UK and European speaking markets versus the US, why relevance to a paying market matters far more than polishing your keynote, what actually builds credibility and what immediately signals "fake," the networking mistake almost every speaker makes, why speakers who overrun damage not just their own reputation but the entire event, what really drives bookings for the highest-paid speakers, what makes organisers and bureaus reject a speaker instantly, why a weak demo video is worse than having no video at all, whether your full keynote should be publicly available, and why plagiarism is more common in the speaking industry than most people admit.

Key principles from the episode

Relevance is the filter -- if the market doesn't care, your passion won't save you. Proof beats claims -- testimonials, outcomes, and case studies do the heavy lifting. Bookability is a business -- relationships, follow-up, and sales habits matter more than most speakers want to admit. Great speakers are often not the highest paid -- the most bookable speakers usually run the best business.

About Maria Franzoni

Maria Franzoni is a former speaker bureau owner, speaker consultant, and author of The Bookability Formula. Connect with Maria on LinkedIn or visit mariafranzoni.me.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: How to Get Corporate Speaking Gigs with Jackson Ogunyemi

Why do so many capable speakers never gain momentum or consistent bookings?

It's not talent. It's not confidence. It's not credibility. It's the habit of overthinking and under-acting.

In this sharp solo episode John Ball breaks down the single biggest block that stops speakers from becoming successful professionals -- and why the planning that feels productive is often procrastination in disguise. Drawing on years of coaching speakers and working inside the speaking industry, John explains why real progress only begins when action meets reality.

If you want to treat speaking like a business rather than a hobby, this episode will give you a reset.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why overthinking is the primary obstacle for most capable speakers, how planning becomes a comfort zone that masquerades as progress, why being ready is usually procrastination in disguise, how to navigate the imperfections and challenges that come with taking real action, and what it actually means to build a speaking business rather than maintain a speaking hobby.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: Why Smart Speakers Get Stuck

A hot market does not guarantee hot bookings.

In this live coaching session John Ball works with tech and emerging-tech speaker Cortney Harding to diagnose the real reasons her calendar isn't matching her credibility. They unpack why prestige signals and busy content don't automatically create demand, how to position around an expensive problem, and why simplifying outreach beats post-and-pray when you want reliable bookings.

You'll also hear a strong warning for speakers who chase trending topics. It looks strategic until you realise you're rebuilding your positioning every six months and still not becoming the obvious choice.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why high-demand topics can still leave you with a cold inbox, the difference between credibility signals and actual buyer demand, how to turn a framework into a clear message that makes buyers think "we need this," why your prospecting should start with a simple response-getting question rather than a pitch, what to prioritise if you feel permanently stuck in launch mode, why social media is often a nice-to-have rather than the main lever for bookings, and how to reframe sales as relationships so it stops feeling grim.

Key principle from the episode

Hope is not a business strategy. Sales is relationships. One focused hour a day of prospecting beats a full content calendar that converts no one.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: How to Get Corporate Speaking Gigs with Jackson Ogunyemi

Virtual presentations are not going away. Job interviews, client meetings, and hybrid work all mean your first impression is increasingly happening through a webcam -- and most people are still presenting like it's 2020.

Jelmer Smits is a virtual presentation specialist who argues that most organisations are stuck in survival mode: poor setups, flat delivery, and zero audience care. The result isn't professionalism. It's the awkward middle ground where both competence and warmth collapse simultaneously.

In this practical, wide-ranging conversation Jelmer shares what it actually takes to present with credibility and energy in a virtual environment -- without becoming an over-caffeinated game show host.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why Zoom fatigue is usually a boredom problem rather than a platform problem, how the competence plus warmth framework applies to virtual delivery, practical ways to create energy and engagement without performing, why helping people feel safe and heard online is the foundation of effective virtual presenting, how micro breaks reset audience attention, why you should ask more questions including chat prompts, polls, and rhetorical questions, how to baseline participation early so sessions become interactive by default, the difference between presentation slides and handout slides and why less slides and more face usually wins online, why camera angle, lighting, sound, and background choices affect trust more than most speakers realise, why practising with feedback beats practising alone, and how improv skills save you when technology fails.

About Jelmer Smits

Jelmer Smits is a virtual presenting specialist and founder of Complete Presenter. Find out more at completepresenter.com and connect with Jelmer on LinkedIn. Message John directly if you'd like access to Jelmer's virtual presenting cheat sheet and workbook for listeners.

Are you a speaker facing challenges in your business? Get coached for free on the show: apply here

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: Self-Awareness and Mindset for Speakers with Michael Delisser

Most leaders avoid conflict. Not because they are weak, but because they want to be liked, respected, and seen as reasonable.

The problem is that conflict aversion quietly erodes the very authority, credibility, and influence they are trying to protect.

Julie Holunga is a leadership expert who works with leaders and professional speakers on the communication skills that matter most in high-stakes situations. In this conversation she introduces the concept of lazy leadership -- the habit of avoiding hard conversations because it feels easier in the moment -- and explains exactly what it costs over time.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why conflict aversion quietly undermines authority and credibility, what lazy leadership actually looks like in practice and why it feels reasonable from the inside, how language and tone shape perceived authority in difficult conversations, the specific challenges women face in asserting themselves in male-dominated environments, why constructive conflict leads to better outcomes and stronger relationships, the spectrum of conflict engagement and where most leaders sit on it, Julie's three C's of conflict competence, why the Titanium Rule -- speaking to others as they need to be spoken to -- beats the Golden Rule in leadership contexts, and how authenticity and deliberate communication build the trust that avoidance destroys.

About Julie Holunga

Julie Holunga is a leadership communication expert who helps leaders develop clarity, credibility, and confidence in high-stakes situations. Find out more at julieholunga.com or connect with Julie on LinkedIn.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: Self-Awareness and Mindset for Speakers with Michael Delisser