Ep 12 Public speaking: Understanding your presentation style and becoming a better storyteller

Show notes

In this milestone episode, Stephen reflects on The Crazy One podcast breaking into the iTunes Top 200 and launches the first of a three-part series on presentation skills. He unpacks the foundational concepts that separate great presenters from good ones and lays out the framework to develop authentic, effective, and strategic presentation capabilities.

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Why Presentation Skills Matter

From Execution to Leadership

Stephen explains how transitioning from a creative executor to a leader requires more than just technical skill—it demands the ability to present, share, and earn buy-in for your ideas. He cites a Carnegie Mellon stat showing that 85% of financial success comes from personality, communication, and leadership, not technical expertise.

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Presentation vs. Selling

The Creative Trap

Stephen distinguishes between “presenting” and “selling,” arguing that creatives must sell their work because it’s subjective. Unlike objective data, creative work requires:

• A compelling narrative

• Emotional resonance

• A recommendation—not just options

What Are You Really Selling?

You’re not selling the design or deliverable. You’re selling:

• Trust

• Confidence

 

He uses a metaphor about pilots arguing before takeoff to illustrate how a lack of unity erodes trust—paralleling what happens when creative teams aren’t aligned in front of clients.

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Foundational Pillars for Selling Trust and Confidence

1. One Voice

   • All team members must show alignment.

   • Disagreements must be resolved before the presentation.

   • Even hand signals can be used for subtle internal coordination during client meetings.

    

2. Help the Client Visualize

   • Don’t assume clients can mentally transpose ideas like creatives can.

   • Use visual aids or mockups so they can “see” the work.

   • Draw inspiration from how he helped his wife visualize furniture in their home.

    

3. Everything Communicates

   • Non-verbal cues, typos, disengagement, posture—everything matters.

   • Passion, focus, and attention to detail build trust.

   • Avoid distractions like phones or inattentive body language.

    

4. Be Authentically Passionate

   • Personality and emotion matter.

   • Clients want to buy into your excitement and belief in the work.

   • Don’t hide behind corporate neutrality—let your enthusiasm shine.

    

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Discovering Your Presentation Persona

Stephen outlines three presentation archetypes popularized by TED Talks:

1. The Educator

   • Wants to teach and explain how things work

   • Often scientists, inventors, or teachers

    

2. The Entertainer

   • Shares secrets or craft insights

   • Often comedians, magicians, or artists

    

3. The Change Agent

   • Wants to inspire transformation

   • Often entrepreneurs, activists, or thought leaders

    

The most powerful presenters blend all three throughout their delivery. Stephen suggests you identify your default and then build fluency in the others.

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Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Fear and Self-Awareness

• Fear is self-imposed; there’s no physical threat.

• The key is to become self-aware of what triggers your anxiety and what makes you feel confident.

Embrace Silence

• Silence is better than filler words like “um” or “you know.”

• Learn to pause instead of panicking.

Practice and Experimentation

• Scripts don’t work for everyone. Stephen uses minimal bullet points and visual cues to riff and sound authentic.

• Test different formats: scripting, bullet points, conversational tones.

Get Over the First Minute

• The hardest part is the beginning. Let someone else start the meeting if that helps.

• Consider a “safety word” for teammates to jump in if things go south.

The Power of Practice

• Rehearse at least 7 times to develop confidence and command.

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Storytelling as a Superpower

Why Storytelling Wins

• 85% of people will remember a story.

• Only 15% will remember stats or facts.

How to Build a Story with the Hero’s Journey Framework

Stephen adapts Joseph Campbell’s classic storytelling arc into a presentation format:

 

Act 1: The Setup

• Ordinary World: Intro and welcome

• Call to Adventure: Creative brief or project inspiration

• Refusal of the Call: Initial doubts or resource constraints

• Meeting with the Mentor: Team alignment, inspiration

• Crossing the Threshold: Start of the actual work

 

Act 2: The Journey

• Tests, Allies, Enemies: Initial ideas, research, exploration

• Approach the Cave & Ordeal: Hardest challenges and iterations

• Reward: Final recommendation backed by rationale

 

Act 3: The Return

• Road Back: How the recommendation solves the problem

• Resurrection: Recap of the journey

• Return with the Elixir: Next steps and final thoughts

 

This structure helps clients feel involved, aligned, and more likely to trust and approve your work.

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Episode Recap

• Presenting is really about selling trust and confidence.

• Align your team to present with one voice.

• Know your presentation style and build on it.

• Build self-awareness and practice with intention.

• Embrace storytelling to bring your work to life.

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What’s Next

 

In Episode 13, Stephen will cover:

• How to actually build and deliver a presentation

• Practical tips for structure, flow, and engagement

 

In Episode 14, he’ll focus on:

• Understanding your audience

• Managing the aftermath and keeping the idea sold

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Call to Action

Stephen closes with a request:

• Leave a review on iTunes to help the show rise in the rankings.

• Visit podcast.stephengates.com for show notes, Episode 12 references, and past episodes.

• Send feedback or topic ideas to ask@stephengates.com

Tagged as:
audience engagem client presentations creative pitching effective communication engaging storytelling idea advocacy presentation skills presentation style presentation techniques selling ideas storytelling in presentations The Crazy One podcast