What You Need to Remember: How to Get Better
If you are new: "I must share everything I know about this." If you are an expert: "What is the one thing I want them to actually do or feel differently after I finish?" Next Step: Decide your "Most Important Goal" before you start writing anything.
If you are new: Trying to memorize every word so you don't mess up. If you are an expert: Knowing the main flow of your story so you can speak naturally and stay present. Next Step: Use 3–5 main "Checkpoints" instead of a full script. Practice moving between these points, not the exact sentences.
If you are new: Using complicated slides and lots of data to look smart. If you are an expert: Only using data to back up an important human idea. Next Step: Ask "So What?" for every piece of data. Clearly explain why this fact matters to the audience's real problems.
If you are new: "I hope I look good and don't make a mistake" (Worrying about yourself). If you are an expert: "I have valuable knowledge that can really help this audience" (Focusing on them). Next Step: When you get nervous, stop thinking "How do I look?" and start thinking "How can I help?" This quickly calms nerves.
If you are new: Waiting for your turn to talk and answering questions exactly as asked. If you are an expert: Using questions as a way to steer the talk toward the big picture strategy. Next Step: Don't just answer the moderator; use the "Bridge Technique." Answer the question quickly, then move the focus: "But the bigger point for our entire industry is..."
The Way People See You
Talking in public is not a show; it is about using Your Story Structure to Shape What People Think & How You Influence Them. Many leaders treat a big speech or panel like a test they just need to pass. They focus on making sure all their facts are right and reading their notes, treating the stage like a place to unload information. This is a mistake. Just surviving the talk means you miss the chance to gain real influence and political power. By only trying to "get through it," speakers miss out on important opportunities.
To become truly skilled, you must change your goal. You need to move past Step 1—just sharing facts—to Step 3: Controlling the Story. While beginners aim to make zero mistakes, experts use the stage to build their standing as leaders and lower future risks.
Being successful means creating a "Room Effect": the power to set what the industry talks about and create changes that last long after you leave. Every minute you spend on stage is either an investment in your reputation or a waste of valuable time. To do better than the usual approach, you need to change from someone who just does tasks to someone who directs strategy.
Check Yourself: The Way People See You & Controlling the Story
| What You Focus On | Warning Sign (Normal / Step 1) | Good Sign (Step 3 Mastery) |
|---|---|---|
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How You Measure Success
Just getting through it: Success means "no mistakes"—finishing exactly on time, not stumbling, and reading every point on the slides. Feedback talks about how "clear" it was or how "nice the slides" looked.
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The Lasting Effect
Success is measured by what happens next. Within two days, important leaders are using your key ideas, and your talk is being used as a basic document for a new company plan or budget shift.
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The talk is seen as just one thing to finish on the calendar. The main goal is to avoid risk (not looking bad). The talk is mostly about old news—reporting on what has already happened. |
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Working with People
Just doing what's asked: People see Q&A as a fight to survive. The speaker thinks the audience is just one big group to "convince," focusing too much on the "average" person instead of the key decision-makers in the room.
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Getting an Advantage
The stage is used to send messages to the top few people in the room. You intentionally leave "gaps in your story" that encourage specific, important people to talk to you later. You don't just answer questions; you figure out the hidden worry behind the question to become a trusted helper.
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The talk helps get "Company Permission." By describing the future, you give your team the political safety needed to take risks. You aren't just talking; you are "Creating a New Type"—making yourself the only person who can guide the future you just described. |
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How You Talk
Too much detail: Using fancy words to look smart. Relying on "dumping information" where data is the hero. The speaker is stuck to the slides; if the screen failed, the whole point of the talk would disappear.
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Story Structure That Shakes Things Up
You control the main story by intentionally using "Status Shifting." You use quiet moments, pacing, and surprising ideas to clearly present the problem so that your solution seems like the only right choice.
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The talk is seen as just one thing to finish on the calendar. The main goal is to avoid risk (not looking bad). The talk is mostly about old news—reporting on what has already happened. |
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Future Plans
Thinking only about the event: The talk is seen as just one thing to finish on the calendar. The main goal is to avoid risk (not looking bad). The talk is mostly about old news—reporting on what has already happened.
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Setting Goals & Giving Approval
The talk helps get "Institutional Permission." By describing the future, you give your team the political safety needed to take risks. You aren't just talking; you are "Creating a New Type"—making yourself the only person who can guide the future you just described.
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The talk helps get "Institutional Permission." By describing the future, you give your team the political safety needed to take risks. You aren't just talking; you are "Creating a New Type"—making yourself the only person who can guide the future you just described. |
A Quick Check for Yourself
- Step 1 Sign If you see yourself in the Red Flags: You are currently in Step 1 (Just Sharing Facts). You are reliable, but your speaking isn't currently building you political or brand power. People see you as someone who just provides information.
- Step 3 Sign If you see yourself in the Good Signs: You have reached Step 3 (Controlling the Story). Your talks are not performances; they are planned actions. You don't just share content—you change the "Way People See Things" to match your long-term goals.
The Basics (New to Junior Level)
At this level, being good is not about being charming or fancy with words. It is about Following the Rules. You must meet the "Must-Do Requirements" of the event. If you fail these basic checks, what you say won't matter, no matter how good your ideas are.
The Time Rule
What to do: Practice until you always finish within 2% of your time limit. Why it matters: Event schedules are set in stone. If you go over, you ruin the whole schedule and make others look bad.
The Topic Rule
What to do: Make sure every slide and point connects directly to the title and goals you promised. Why it matters: The audience agreed to listen based on the title. If you talk about something else, you break that agreement and people stop listening.
The Tech Check
What to do: Test everything—your computer, the software, the connection—a full day before the event. Why it matters: Tech problems stop your message completely. The venue system doesn't care if you had good ideas; if the sound or screen fails, you fail.
The Pro (Mid-Level to Senior)
At this stage, your speech isn't just about you; it's about making problems go away. You use the stage to solve issues inside the company, reduce risks on big projects, and get different groups to agree on one story. You aren't just giving a talk—you are fixing things strategically, but making it look like a presentation.
Business Impact: Linking Story to Money
Every slide must help a key business goal. If you talk about a technical project, frame it around saving money or making money. You must prove you understand the big picture, even when talking about small details.
How Things Work: Dealing with Reality
Pros don't just present ideas; they present the "how-to." Talk about the real problems, the budget limits, and the process changes needed. This shows you are not just a dreamer, but a leader who understands the hard work involved.
Team Context: Connecting Departments
Use your talk to publicly thank or mention how other teams (like Sales or Engineering) are connected to your work. This prevents future fights and builds goodwill. You are showing your topic is the key link for the whole company to win.
Mastery (Lead to Executive Level)
At this highest level, public speaking is not a presentation—it is a powerful tool to control what the company does. Your goal is no longer about how you look on stage, but about making the whole organization achieve certain results. You are not just sharing facts; you are setting up a story to gain an edge, calm the markets, or announce the next big company direction. For top leaders, the stage acts like a substitute for the meeting room.
Using Political Power
Treat every major talk like a diplomatic meeting. Use the stage to show who you support or to gently push for certain industry rules or standards. At this level, mentioning a partner’s success or pointing out a new technology acts as a formal stamp of approval, spending your influence to make real things happen in the market. Your words must be chosen carefully for their power to unite groups, even those who aren't there listening.
Switching Between Growth and Safety
Mastery means changing your style based on the company’s current risk level. If the company is in a Growth Mode, you should talk about de-risking the future, using your vision to make exciting possibilities seem like sure things. If the company is in a Defense Mode (like during market trouble), your job is to be the calm center. You must reduce worry, take outside pressure, and look completely steady to keep investors and shareholders confident.
Planning for the Future and Your Legacy
True mastery includes planning for who will lead after you. Use big speeches to bring your key team members into the spotlight or weave the company’s main goal into your story so tightly that it seems bigger than just you. By separating the company's vision from your personal role, you turn a simple talk into a tool for planning your exit and making sure your work lasts.
Get Better at Talking in Public: How to Prepare for a Talk or Panel with Cruit
To Be Genuine
Story Writing ToolUse this tool to look through your work history and automatically pull out the best stories and skills for your talk.
To Be Confident
Interview Practice ToolStructure your answers to tricky questions using the STAR method and make digital note cards for confident delivery.
For Getting Opportunities
Networking HelpWrite messages to event hosts and follow-up emails to people who attended to build long-term career contacts.
Common Questions: Mastering How People See You
I am already very busy. Isn't planning the "Story Structure" more work than just making slides?
Actually, planning the Story Structure saves you time. The "just dump the facts" way makes you manage too much information, which means you have to memorize a script and feel stressed. When you plan your main story first, you create a filter that automatically throws out what isn't needed. You spend less time memorizing lines and more time perfecting the three or four "Main Points" that truly matter. You are not doing more work; you are doing smarter work that makes your time on stage pay off.
How can I focus on looking like an "Institutional Authority" when I still get nervous before speaking?
Nervousness often comes from worrying about remembering every single fact or messing up a word. When you switch your focus to Step 3: Controlling the Story, you shift the attention away from your own performance to changing how the audience thinks. It is easier to stay calm when you are focused on a mission (shaping the room's view) rather than on a small task (reciting a script perfectly). Being an authority isn't about never being nervous; it's about having a purpose that is bigger than your worry.
My audience is full of technical experts who prefer data over "stories." Won't this method seem too slick or like I'm hiding something?
This is a common misunderstanding. Story Structure isn't about tricking people; it's about making things easier to understand. Even the most technical audience needs a roadmap to know why your data is important and what they should do next. By using The Perception Engine, you are actually helping your technical audience by turning complex numbers into a clear plan. Influence isn't about trickery; it's about giving people the clarity they need to agree with your view.
Focus on what matters.
To be good at public speaking is to know that the stage is not a place to just get by—it is a tool for Shaping What People Think & How You Influence Them. By moving from a Step 1 speaker who just tries not to make mistakes, to a Step 3 leader who controls the room, you turn every talk into a major asset. Changing from a 'Doer' to a 'Strategist' means you stop seeing your talk as a chore and start seeing it as a system you design. When you control the story structure, you don't just give a speech—you become a recognized leader.
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