Sound Human Again
3 simple questions to stop presenting like everyone else
Are you worried about sounding boring or too robotic when delivering a presentation?
You’re not alone and this is a very real concern.
If you’ve ever feared sounding flat or fake, this is for you.
It’s easy to fall into a familiar cadence, or worse, start mimicking the last pitch or speaker you heard. Why does that happen? Because we absorb what’s modeled for us. We shape our message around what we think people want–without pausing to ask what we actually want to say.
Several years ago, I coached lawyers from across the country who spent serious money getting their law firms featured in daytime TV commercials. My job wasn’t just on-camera coaching, it was helping them sound like real people and not like every other lawyer commercial we’re all too familiar with (you’re welcome). I helped them bring their own voice to the screen.
And here’s what I asked them to consider (and you should too before your next pitch or presentation):
1. Who are you talking to?
Pick one person.
Ideally, it’s the decision-maker–or the person in the room who knows the least.
You’ve worked with them. You know their name. You understand their problem. And you’re here to help them solve it.
So speak to them.
Because when you try to convince everyone, you convince no one.
This was true on TV, and it’s true for your virtual and live audiences.
2. What do you want them to feel?
Get specific.
Does your opening need to stir curiosity, while your conclusion offers relief or urgency?
When you map out your talk or outline, ask:
Excited? Thoughtful? A little challenged?
Motivated? Informed? Moved?
The more clearly you guide the emotional flow, the less robotic you’ll sound–and the more human you’ll feel.
3. Speak from the heart
But to do that, you need to know your material well enough that it’s integrated.
Not memorized. Embodied.
Ask yourself:
How do these words land in my body?
Can I feel what I’m saying as I say it?
Because when you connect with how the message feels, for you and for them, you show up as a real person. Not a predictable presenter.
Do these 3 things. Watch what changes.