Picture this: You're part of a project team trying to come up with a solution to a critical challenge. Without a facilitator, the conversation jumps from topic to topic. Some voices are louder than others, and the team leaves without any clear consensus or actionable takeaways.

In the nearly 40 years since PowerPoint was released, there have been countless books, webinars, and workshops on how to use it (and other similar tools) to create eye-catching, effective presentations.

Decades ago, I worked with an incredibly articulate executive who was always cool and composed when he presented. He had a tendency, however, to click his heels periodically while talking. 

In her book, “Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective,” legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt said, 

“A great coach can lead you to places
you never thought you could reach.”

Clear, strategic, authentic communication in the workplace is more important than ever, and it’s at the heart of what will help you succeed when interviewing for your next job.

According to a 2023 Axios research report, the cost of ineffective communication (from leaders and across the organization) adds up to more than $15,000 per employee, per year—or $2 trillion annually across the U.S. alone.

The report goes on to highlight the cost of poor communication in human terms:

“Every executive we have interviewed has told us, ‘Get to the point quicker. It’s not a murder mystery.’”  - PowerSpeaking Master Facilitator and Coach John Warren

Making a technical presentation to your peers is one thing. Pitching an idea or request to senior executives, a product review to clients, or a speech to non-technical decision makers requires a different skill set.

As women continue to be more prominent on the world stage, we find powerful lessons in their inspirational speeches. PowerSpeaking, Inc. CEO Carrie Beckstrom introduces three women who demonstrate how to move an audience and have an impact.

The sound of your voice and the feeling you convey with it have a huge impact on your audience.  Listen to PowerSpeaking, Inc. Marketing Strategist and voice coach Donnie Hill talk about how you can overcome two common voice mistakes:   delivering in a monotone and using “up talk.”