Find Your Voice...Not Someone Else's!

A message from Chris...

There’s an old joke that when it comes to public speaking, most people would rather be the person in the casket than the one delivering the eulogy.

A little hyperbolic? Sure. But there’s some truth in there. For many people, the thought of standing in front of a room full of people, all staring at them, waiting for something brilliant to come out of their mouth, is downright terrifying.

I love this quote: “The mind is a wonderful thing. It starts working the minute you’re born and never stops working until you get up to speak in public.” -Unknown

Sound familiar? You prepare. You practice. You know your stuff. Then you stand up to speak, and suddenly your brain decides to take an unscheduled PTO.

So, naturally, we look for ways to get better. And one of the first things we often do is look at someone who’s already great at it. You know the person. They step onstage and absolutely captivate the audience. Their stories flow effortlessly. Their humor lands. Their message is perfectly structured, their visuals are beautiful, and they have this commanding voice that somehow can shift from powerful and authoritative to soft, thoughtful, and empathetic at just the right moment.

They make it look easy, and we sit there thinking, “Wow. That was incredible!” Followed by the thought... “I KNOW! FOR MY NEXT PRESENTATION, I’LL JUST DO THAT!”

Here’ where our well-intentioned plan can go sideways. We admire someone’s presentation style, so we start borrowing their cadence, their rhythms, their gestures….And maybe even their jokes and stories.

And what happens? We end up doing a bad Saturday Night Live impersonation of that person. Instead of becoming a better presenter, we’ve created a caricature of someoneelse. And more often than not, our audience can tell. 

Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with learning from people who are great at their craft. In fact, we should! But there’s a big difference between learning from someone and trying to become them. 

You can admire someone’s storytelling and learn to tell better stories. You can appreciate how someone uses silence and become more intentional with your pauses. You can learn from how someone engages an audience without trying to replicate their entire personality. 

At Game On, we spend a lot of time helping people understand how they show up, how they communicate, and how their presence impacts the people around them. 

One of the things we emphasize is that great communicators don’t all look or sound alike. 

Some presenters are energetic, animated, and naturally funny. Others are calm, thoughtful, and deliberate. Some lead with stories and emotion. Others lead with facts, data, and insight. And guess what? All of those approaches can work. 

But keep in mind, being charismatic doesn’t automatically make someone an effective communicator. And being quieter or more reserved doesn’t mean you can’t have a tremendous impact on an audience. The key is understanding your natural strengths and learning how to use them intentionally. 

Ask yourself: 

• Are you naturally a storyteller, an educator, a motivator, or an analytical thinker? 
• Do you love making people laugh? 
• Are you someone who can take complicated information and make it easy to understand? 
• Do you love data, research, and diving into the details? 
• Do you get so excited about a topic that you forget your audience might not be nearly as excited about it as you are? 

Sometimes our greatest strengths, when overused, can become our biggest struggles. 

The storyteller can get lost in the story leaving the audience wondering, “Where is this going?”. The comedian can force a bunch of jokes making the audience feel this is just playtime. The analytical thinker can bury the audience in data. And the passionate subject matter expert can get so deep into the minutiae that everyone else glazes over and gets left behind. 

But sometimes we hear people say, “Well, that’s just my style.” Fair enough. But knowing your communication style is only half the battle. Understanding how that style lands with your audience is where the real growth happens. And sometimes that requires making a few adjustments. 

Maybe you need to slow down, bring more energy, or turn that brilliant five-minute explanation into a 30-second takeaway. If you’re naturally quiet, you don’t need to become the loudest person in the room, but a little vocal variety can go a long way. If you’re animated, embrace it, but remember that sometimes a well-placed pause speaks volumes. And if you’re funny, great! Just don’t feel like every presentation needs to become a stand-up routine. 

As 2026 winds down, many of us will start thinking about our goals for the new year. Maybe you’re looking to become a better leader. Maybe you want to be more confident speaking in meetings. Maybe you have a big presentation on the horizon, or perhaps you just want to stop feeling like your brain is going to abandon you every time someone hands you a microphone. 

Whatever your motivation, now is a great time to start. Here’s a simple challenge. 

1. Take inventory of your strengths. What do you already do well when communicating? When do you feel most comfortable and confident? What do people consistently appreciate about your style? 

2. Identify your opportunities for growth. Where do you struggle? Is it organizing your message, managing nerves, engaging an audience, or responding to unexpected questions? 

3. Find someone you admire. Think about a presenter whose style resonates with you. What specific techniques do they use that you could learn from? Remember, we’re borrowing techniques, not personalities. 

4. Ask for feedback. Connect with someone who has your back and ask for their perspective on your communication strengths and opportunities for improvement. 

5. Put it into practice. Choose one thing to work on during your next presentation, meeting, or conversation. Don’t try to overhaul your entire approach overnight. Small, intentional adjustments can lead to meaningful growth. 

And don’t wait for a keynote opportunity or a room full of 500 people to practice. Every team meeting, project update, and conversation is an opportunity to sharpen your skills. 

At Game On, we believe great communication is about more than delivering information. It’s about creating connection, building confidence, and helping people move from understanding to action. 

So, as you think about your presentation goals for 2027, remember: You don’t need someone else’s personality, someone else’s voice, or someone else’s stage presence to become a great presenter. 

The goal is to make sure the best of who you are comes through when it matters most. And hopefully, the next time you’re asked to deliver a eulogy, you’ll feel a little better about being the one standing at the podium. 

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In the spirit of being intentional about our growth, why wait until the new year to take the first step?

The Game On team is hosting a Presentation & Storytelling Workshop on January 22, 2027! If you or someone you know is looking to strengthen their presentation and storytelling skills, now is a great time to get something on the calendar.

Learn More & Register Here