🎤 This month: You don't need a stage to be a public speaker

When we hear the words public speaking, it's easy to picture someone standing on a stage, microphone in hand, addressing hundreds of people.

But most public speaking happens somewhere far less glamorous.

A meeting room. A Teams call. A client presentation. An interview. A training session. Or simply that moment when someone says:

“Kate, what do you think?”

Speaking confidently isn't only about delivering a polished presentation. It's about being able to organise your thoughts, communicate them clearly and trust yourself enough to speak when you haven't had hours to prepare.

And for many people, that's actually harder than standing up with a prepared presentation.

💡 Something to try this month

If you tend to stay quiet until you've worked out exactly what you want to say, try lowering the bar from perfectly formulated to clear enough to contribute.

Before a meeting, think of three things:

What do I know?
What do I think?
What might I be asked?

You don't need to script your answers. You're simply giving your brain a few starting points.

Then, when an opportunity to contribute comes along, you're not starting from a completely blank page.

🎤 Prepared vs spontaneous speaking

Preparation is brilliant. I love structure, and knowing where I'm going gives me confidence.

But we can't prepare for everything.

Someone asks an unexpected question. The conversation goes in a different direction. A colleague asks for your opinion. Your carefully prepared slide suddenly isn't relevant.

Learning to speak confidently in those moments is a skill, and like any other skill, it gets easier with practice.

One of the best ways to practise is surprisingly simple:

Give yourself permission not to answer immediately.

A short pause feels much longer to you than it does to everyone else.

Take a breath. Think. Then answer.

Confidence doesn't always look like having an instant response. Sometimes it looks like being comfortable enough to take a moment before you speak.

🔎 Behind the scenes at M Coaching

I've continued exploring what people believe makes a great presenter as part of my research for the 2026 M Coaching Presenter Report.

I'm interested in the experiences of real presenters, not just professional speakers.

If you present in meetings, train colleagues, pitch to clients, run webinars, deliver updates or occasionally find yourself standing in front of an audience, I'd love your input.

The survey takes less than three minutes, and every response helps build a better picture of what people really value in a speaker.

Take Part

💍 A little thought for wedding speakers

There's a temptation when writing a wedding speech to think you need to perform it.

You don't.

The people in the room aren't waiting to judge your presentation skills. They're waiting to hear from you.

The best wedding speeches don't necessarily have the cleverest jokes, the most elaborate stories or the most polished delivery.

They feel genuine.

So if you're writing a speech, start with what you genuinely want the person, or people, you're speaking about to know.

You can build everything else around that.

✨ One thought to take away

You don't need to have the perfect words before you start speaking.

Know your point. Trust what you know. Take your time.

The words will come.

See you in October,

Kate
Speech & Presentation Confidence Specialist

M Coaching

Now go and be fabulous!