Stop Performing, Start Connecting | Rebecca Williams on Presenting That Moves People

Most presenters polish slides and still feel the room slip away. In this conversation with Rebecca Williams, co-author of Presenting Presenting: The Art of Public Speaking and How to Do It Better, we delve into why performance blocks connection and how to address it quickly. You’ll learn Rebecca’s First Five Formula to open any talk, how to reframe nerves into excitement, and why you should build your talk off the laptop and on the wall before you ever touch slides. We cover connecting with your audience first, storytelling that lands, and the mindset shift from “make me look good” to service. We also get practical for analytical presenters in tech, science, and blockchain who rely on data and jargon. If you speak at work, on stage, or on video, this will help you open stronger, deliver with heart, and be remembered. What you’ll learnThe First Five Formula to hook any audience in minutesHow to lead with a question and read the roomA repeatable prep process using paper, Sharpie, and structureReframing nerves into excitement so delivery feels naturalWhy emotion drives persuasion and “robot talks” failHow to stop over-performing and start connectingDressing and presence choices that support your messageFixing common corporate communication traps About Rebecca Rebecca Williams is a communication coach and co-author of Presenting: The Art of Public Speaking and How to Do It Better. She helps leaders and technical teams present with clarity, story, and genuine connection. Grab Rebecca’s book Search Amazon for “ Presenting presenting the Art of Public Speaking and How to Do It Better. Rebecca Williams” or visit https://rebecca-williams.com/book/ If this helped, subscribe for weekly tools on influence, storytelling, and professional speaking. Share it with one person who presents often. Created in association with #podmatch the best podcast guest & host matching service. Visit presentinfluence.com/quiz to take the Speaker Radiance Quiz and discover your Charisma Quotient. For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email john@presentinfluence.com or find me on LinkedIn You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluence Thanks for listening, and please give the show a 5* review if you enjoyed it.