The New World of Public Speaking & Presenting

Welcome to the new world of public speaking and presenting.

Mindful presenting is the future of high-impact communication and business presenting. Today, more than ever, we need to present our ideas with confidence, clarity, presence and impact.

Every day, in businesses across the globe, people sit attentively, hoping the speaker will tell them something they don’t already know that will make their lives better, easier, happier, or positively different in some way.

Mindful presenting equips us to engage audiences in ways they aren’t often connected with. 

It won’t be long at all before you find yourself presenting or being presented to again in the monthly senior management team review, quarterly update, team meeting, board meeting, and project review.

What is mindful presenting?

I’m often asked what mindful presenting is and why it’s different from ‘normal’ presenting. When I explain, the following question usually comes up: if it’s so great, why doesn’t everyone do it?

Reflect on one of the most recent business presentations you attended: How much do you remember? What were your feelings when the presenter finished speaking? How did you feel on your way back to your desk or car? What did you do with the information you invested your valuable time in?

At Mindful Presenter, we believe that after a typical business presentation, many people forget most of what they heard by the time they return to their car or desk.

At best, they may feel indifferent.

It’s a whole new world. 

The world has undergone radical changes in recent decades, particularly in technology, education, medicine, transportation, engineering, and psychology.

Everything has changed, except how many professionals speak and present to one another in business.

Even within many of the world’s most successful and influential brands, highly creative, intelligent, and talented professionals often find themselves reading slides densely packed with bullet points, text, and data, speaking in a monotone voice, and leaving their colleagues feeling bored, numb, indifferent, or disinterested.

It doesn’t have to be that way  – that’s the old way of presenting

Mindful presenting represents the future of high-impact public speaking, characterised by speaking with purpose, power, and humility. It emphasises adding value and making a difference with every presentation. This approach cultivates an emotional and intellectual connection with your audience, encourages the discovery of your authentic voice, and supports confident, clear, and impactful communication. In addition, it promotes the effective use of your voice to challenge the status quo and drive real, positive change.

The following thoughts will give you some insight into mindful presenting, although I hasten to add that the answers lie in the experiential journey, rather than a list of points. 

1. Laptop vs. mind

In the old world, presenters immediately turned on their laptops and started typing. 

In the new world, the laptop is the last thing the mindful presenter turns on. Mindful presenting begins by opening our minds. Finding the time and space just to be present, think and feel; long before populating templates.

2. Process v clarity

In the old world, presenters shared the data and details first, leaving the audience wondering whether they were in the right room and what could be so important.

In the new world, presenters make it clear from the start why they are all there and why they should care. Their audience quickly understands how the presenter can help and make a difference in their lives, and what they need to do to see the benefits.

3. Logic vs Emotion 

In the old world, presenters focused primarily on facts and data, often designed to impress their audience and show how hard they had worked. In the new world, presenters understand that we are emotional beings and that our feelings often override logic. They deliver facts, data, and evidence, but do so in a way that triggers the audience’s emotions, helping them feel and remember the facts. 

4. Complexity v simplicity

In the old world, presenters often believed that the more complex the message, the more knowledgeable they would appear. They used jargon and text-heavy slides, and their presentations were far too long. 

In the new world, presenters keep it simple by using clear, powerful headlines and compelling images, and they make sure everyone gets it.’

They subscribe to the idea that ‘less is more’.

5. Me v you? 

In the old world, presenters told their audience everything they, as the speaker, wanted them to know and hear; after all, it was their show. 

In the new world, presenters are only interested in what their audience wants and needs to hear to make a difference and help them move forward. 

6. Reading v impact

In the old world, presenters read their slides out loud to their audience. That’s why they wrote so much on them; it’s their script to help them remember what to say to their audience. 

In the new world, presenters never, ever read slides. They know exactly what they want to say, and every slide has been carefully designed to help the audience understand the message more clearly and with greater impact. They never make their audience read slides either.

7. Practising v internalising 

In the old world, presenters believed they could run through their presentation a couple of times beforehand and, if it made sense to them, it would be fine for their audience. 

In the new world, presenters do everything they can to make their content part of themselves, so they spend time rehearsing. 

Not memorising, just rehearsing. 

They know their content very well. Most importantly, they are absolutely clear on their message.

They ensure that everything they craft and the way they deliver their message are significant to their audience. 

Mindful presenting is about internalising our message. That means that if we leave our notes on the train or the screen breaks down, we can still speak.

8. Arriving v being

In the old world, presenters believed that once they had built their slides or written their script, they could turn up and deliver their message. Once they checked the audio and visuals, they dived straight into their presentation because they just wanted to get it done. 

In the new world, presenters also arrive early at the venue to check the AV, but they do much more. Where the situation allows, they spend time just absorbing the room. They stand for a few minutes at their speaking location, then take a few minutes to sit in a few audience seats to see the room from the audience’s perspective. 

Once they have made friends with the AV team, they spend a few minutes meditating before the audience arrives to clear their minds and create a safe space. They then meet and greet as many audience members as possible. 

Mindful presenting is about ‘being,’ before speaking.

9. Assumptions v truth

In the old world, presenters often made judgments about their audience. If someone yawned, whispered to the person sitting next to them, or checked their phone, they were labelled as bored or uninterested. 

In the new world, presenters recognise their audience as human beings first and foremost. 

They understand human behaviour and accept that, occasionally, someone may do something that makes them appear slightly disinterested, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are.

Unless the whole room is behaving in similar ways, they don’t jump to conclusions. 

10. Speaking vs. pausing

In the old world, presenters often held the view that, because they had done the work, their job was to ‘speak it’ as quickly as possible. 

In the new world, presenters slow down. They take regular moments to pause, breathe and allow themselves and their audience to think

11. Dashing v staying

In the old world, presenters often couldn’t wait to get straight back to work once they finished speaking. Sometimes they even sneaked out unnoticed. 

In the new world, presenters know it’s not finished the moment they’ve answered the last question. They make a point of spending as long as possible with their audience after the presentation to answer personal questions and clarify points.

After they leave the venue, they follow up with their audience and always fulfil their promises quickly. In other words, if they promise to send them something, they ensure they do.

12. Corporate v credible

In the old world, presenters often believed that, to be effective, they had to become the ‘corporate spokesperson’. When they stood to speak, you may not have recognised the person you knew for years or just had a coffee with. 

In the new world, presenters don’t try to be someone else or act their way through the presentation. They speak their truth, knowing precisely who they are, with the pure intention of giving their best and connecting with their audience.

13. Head v heart 

In the past, many presenters focused more on their thoughts than on truly connecting with their audience. They often fell into routines without considering the emotions and reactions of those they were speaking to.

In the new world, presenters make a conscious effort to connect with their audience’s hearts. They not only acknowledge their own thoughts and feelings but also attune themselves to the emotions of their listeners, adapting their approach to create genuine connections and deliver a more resonant experience.

14. Objective v journey 

In the old world, presenters were often focused on the ‘end game’ and result. They worked hard; they just wanted to be liked, get what they came for and get out as quickly as possible. 

In the new world, presenters are more interested in the journey than the result. They work hard to stay present moment by moment. They achieve this by breathing and remaining conscious of their words, actions, and reactions. 

‘Easier said than done’

That’s a phrase we hear every week in our workshops and coaching sessions. It’s true, of course, but isn’t everything easier said than done?

I’m mindful that some people may consider this article incurable and unrealistic optimism.

What I’m suggesting isn’t easy, but it is definitely achievable and within everyone’s reach.

It takes time, focus, commitment and energy.

This isn’t an article about perfection; it’s about impact.

Public speaking and presenting are challenging, and mindfulness isn’t effortless. Perhaps that’s why we haven’t seen much of it used in business presentations over the last decade. The world is changing, and in communication, attention spans, and how we connect with others are evolving. 

Are you equipped for the new world of public speaking and presenting?

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” ― Eric Hoffer

If you need help with public speaking and presenting in ‘the new world’:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some excellent one-to-one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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