How to speak more confidently in front of the media, public and during presentations

You can be the smartest person in the room and still completely lose your message the moment a microphone appears. Sometimes, it’s not even losing the message through nerves, but through lack of concise messaging when presenting too. 

Think of any time you’ve seen an experienced executive stumble through a media interview, or a technical expert bury important insights under jargon. Leaders who are articulate in meetings suddenly sound robotic on stage and communicators who spend their careers coaching others still dread being the one standing in front of the room.

The problem usually isn’t actually the expertise of the person, but rather the pressure of presenting their expertise. Whether that’s speaking to journalists, presenting to senior leaders, pitching an idea, or answering difficult questions during a crisis - high-pressure communication changes the way people think, speak and respond. Plus now we have the added pressure of a world where every interaction can be recorded, shared and scrutinised online within minutes, the stakes will feel even higher.

So… what actually separates confident communicators from nervous ones, and how can we use these traits or skills to become more confident in speaking to the media, public or even just during a presentation? We’ve got some tips.

Expertise doesn’t automatically equal clarity

One of the biggest misconceptions about communication is that if someone knows their topic well enough, they’ll naturally explain it well. Unfortunately, the opposite is often true.

Experts frequently struggle to communicate clearly because they’re too close to the subject matter. They rely on industry jargon, overcomplicate explanations, or focus on technical details instead of outcomes. Which becomes a problem when speaking to audiences outside your field, especially the media. If people don’t understand what you’re talking about, they’ll switch off.

Not to mention that journalists are under their own pressure to perform and won’t always stop to ask for clarification. In fact, sometimes they’ll misunderstand the point entirely or simply leave the comment out because it’s too confusing or difficult to translate for a general audience.

A large part of our roles as communicators involves translating complexity into something meaningful and usable for everyday audiences.

Why media fear still exists

Even seasoned professionals often fear media interviews or public presentations, not necessarily because they lack knowledge, but because they fear losing control. As in: what if the journalist asks something unexpected? What if they forget their key point? What if they say the wrong thing? What if the audience judges them?

These fears are amplified by today’s media environment, where interviews can quickly become social clips, headlines or online commentary. But… What if organisations are actually missing an opportunity by avoiding media engagement altogether?

At a time when misinformation and disinformation are spreading rapidly online, credible experts have never been more important. If organisations want to build trust, protect reputation and contribute meaningfully to public conversations, leaders need to be willing, and prepared, to speak up.

Great communicators are made, not born

Strong presenters and media spokespeople are developed through practice, not personality. Confidence is built through preparation, repetition and structure.

One of the most practical techniques Theresa Miller, our latest podcast guest and expert, teaches is preparing key messages before any interview or presentation. A media interview is not the time for an original thought, so instead of improvising under pressure, experienced communicators prepare two or three clear messages they want audiences to remember.

They also use simple frameworks to keep their responses focused. For example, Point, Reason, Example, So what? It sounds simple, but structure helps people stay calm and coherent when nerves kick in and this preparation also reduces one of the biggest risks in communication: rambling.

When people are anxious, they often overexplain and they fill silence with unnecessary detail, drift away from the main point, or accidentally create new issues by speaking without direction. Clear structure keeps communication grounded, especially when your audience is likely thinking one thing: “Why should I care?”

Another mistake experts and leaders make is focusing too heavily on features instead of benefits when audiences are already overloaded with information. They quickly filter messages based on relevance.

• How does this affect me?

• Why should I care?

• What problem does this solve?

A presentation to investors will require different language and priorities than an interview on commercial radio, much like a town hall with employees needs a different tone than a media conference during a crisis. The most effective communicators don’t just share information, they translate information into meaning for a specific audience - by making it simple and accessible.

Communication is far more than words

One of the strongest key points we’ve covered in many blogs previously is that communication doesn’t begin when someone starts speaking, but from the moment people see you. Body language, tone, pace, facial expressions and even silence all shape how messages are interpreted.

Leaders sometimes underestimate how much audiences notice the non-verbal signals around communication, especially things like overly polished answers because people are constantly assessing authenticity. 

Which is why we encourage you to stop trying to sound perfect, and instead, focus on sounding human. Audiences don’t expect flawless delivery, just honesty, clarity and composure and sometimes, the moments that feel imperfect actually create the strongest connection.

The best communicators prepare more than they perform

There’s a tendency to think confident speakers are naturally charismatic or gifted under pressure, but behind most polished interviews and presentations is significant preparation.

• Researching the audience.

• Anticipating difficult questions.

• Practising key messages.

• Testing delivery.

• Refining examples.

• Removing jargon.

• Preparing call-to-actions.

The visible performance is only the final layer, and for communicators supporting leaders or subject matter experts, that preparation process is where the real value lies.

In an era shaped by misinformation, shrinking attention spans and increasing scrutiny, communication skills are business-critical and the ability to speak clearly under pressure, explain complex ideas simply and connect authentically with audiences has become one of the most valuable capabilities professionals can develop.