Many professionals make the mistake of presenting themselves too formally because they think a presentation requires formality. But that often projects a meaningfully unnatural version of them that clashes with what the decision-makers are looking for. So this begs the question, how formal should you be in your presentations? Pete explores this question in his latest post.
Back in college, I used to help people with their papers—rewriting, editing, typing, sometimes all of the above. And there was something I noticed over and over again.
Their writing voice sounded nothing like them.
When I’d read their paper, it was formal, stiff, and often unclear. But the moment I asked them to explain their idea out loud, everything changed. They became clearer. Simpler. More direct. More themselves.
And almost every time, their spoken version was better than what they had written.
Today, in our work with professionals—especially in AEC interview preparation, shortlist interview training, and project interview preparation—we see the exact same pattern.
People don’t just write in a “paper voice.”
They present in a “presentation voice.”
It’s more formal. More scripted. Less natural. And often, less effective.
In our group presentation coaching and interview skills training for professionals, a big part of what we do is help people get that voice out of their heads.
Because the truth is, you don’t need a special voice to be effective.
You need your voice.
When we talk about your voice, we’re not talking about being overly casual or unfiltered.
There’s a difference between your casual self and your professional self.
But for most people, their professional self is only one click different from their everyday self.
That’s what we’re after in leadership presence coaching and executive presence coaching—a version of you that is thoughtful and prepared, but still authentic and human.
Now, that doesn’t mean you walk into an interview or presentation unprepared.
You should absolutely have a plan. You should know your key points. You should understand the sequence of what you want to say.
That’s a core part of presentation skills coaching and sales pitch coaching.
But there’s a big difference between being planned and being scripted.
When you’re scripted, you sound stiff. Disconnected. Like you’re performing.
When you’re planned but natural, you sound like yourself—just at your best.
That’s where confident presence shows up.
Here’s something that often gets overlooked in shortlist interview coaching and AEC presentation skills work:
An interview is not just about your qualifications.
It’s about what it feels like to work with you.
Selection committees are asking themselves:
If you show up in a way that feels different from how you actually operate day-to-day, you create a disconnect.
And that disconnect shows up later—after you’re hired.
That’s not what anyone wants.
So instead of trying to sound “more professional,” start paying attention to when you’re at your best.
That’s your baseline.
That’s the version of you we want to bring into high-stakes moments like interviews, presentations, and client conversations.
This is the core of Presence Coaching and leadership confidence training—not becoming someone new, but becoming more fully yourself in the moments that matter most.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this:
You don’t need a “presentation voice.”
You need your natural professional voice—clear, intentional, and real.
So the next time you’re preparing for an interview or a pitch, don’t ask, “How should I sound?”
Ask, “How do I sound when I’m at my best?”
Then bring that version of you into the room.
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