Unless we’re at work or school, we generally don't use PowerPoint for communicating about the big issues in life.

We sit down with people, face to face, and speak

So why don't we do that with other big issues - in our professional lives? With clients, customers, and stakeholders?

In those situations, we don't speak; we 'present'

I find that most people see 'presenting' as different to 'speaking'.

People find speaking difficult, because almost from the minute we learn to do it, we are taught not to value it as a skill. ‍ So why do so many high-status, high-stakes jobs require you to be an excellent speaker?

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January is my busiest time of year.

This is the month when many people decide it’s finally time to soften their accent, or improve their public speaking and communication skills.

Unconfident speakers, especially those nervous about public speaking in front of even a small audience, often focus heavily on their content to avoid addressing their delivery. This common public speaking challenge highlights the importance of balancing engaging content with confident presentation skills.

Discover how accents impact trust and communication. Learn accent reduction tips for clear British English and professional success in London and beyond

Chris Packham is a professional communicator with decades of experience of speaking on and off camera. The bar is high.

But I'm especially fascinated by the speech as an example of all the things I encourage speakers to do, when I talk about 'doing the listeners' work'.