Present Like You’re Chatting Over Coffee

The night before a recent workshop, I was driving and discovered Ted Talks Daily: “The Trick to Powerful Public Speaking” By Lawrence Berstein. I thought, Win! This is a bonus to help me feel more ready for tomorrow.

I expected to hear the usual public speaking tips, such as tone, posture, eye contact, and confidence. Instead, Bernstein shared a piece of simple yet surprising advice:

 "Have two cups of coffee."

I thought, "The last thing I need before a presentation is caffeine – it will make me anxious." But then it clicked.

Capturing people's attention these days is hard. We live in a noisy world, constantly distracted by social media, notifications, and packed schedules. When you present, you compete for your audience's attention, and the pressure to sound "professional" can cause you to lose your audience. We overthink, lose our authenticity, and may come off as robotic or unrelatable.

We've all seen it happen. A colleague, someone you know and admire, steps up to present, and suddenly you're thinking, Who is this person? And why are they so boring? It's like they flipped a switch and became mechanical, losing the warmth and personality they just had moments ago.

Bernstein's advice made sense: Instead of trying to sound "professional," aim to sound real. Imagine explaining your topic to a friend over coffee. You'd be relaxed and conversational, perhaps even telling a story.

When we are ourselves, we naturally connect with people. That connection holds others’ attention in a noisy, distracted world.

Next time you are preparing to present, use the "coffee shop test," as Bernstein suggests. 

Ask yourself:

• How would I explain this to a friend over coffee?

• What story could I share to make the information relatable?

Think about how you would give color to your points by sharing an example. Stories are powerful. They pull people in and help the audience remember your message. It’s worth the effort on your part to connect each of your points to a short anecdote.

Presenting isn't about rehearsing a script. It's about being in the moment. Take a deep breath, let go of the pressure to be perfect, and imagine you're just having coffee with your audience. 

Referenced in this blog: Bernstein, Lawrence. “The Trick to Powerful Public Speaking.” TED Talks Daily, January, 2024. Available here.