How to Become a Truly Great Speaker and Presenter

From courtroom advocacy to the C-suite, Benjamin Thiele-Long shows why great speaking and presenting is a system, not just a script. If you want to build trust, clarity, and real influence, you need to learn fundamentals that you can use anywhere.

Anne Green talks with Benjamin about his new book on public speaking, presenting, and talking to the media, and why these skills must be viewed – and cultivated – more holistically. He traces how a barrister’s mindset maps to communications, shares the three golden rules that sharpen any message, and explains why adaptability across audiences is the mark of a top communicator. Anne and Benjamin dig into training approaches that actually stick, the limits of AI without human judgment, and the “say-do” habits that build credibility. Benjamin also makes a case for kindness and clarity in how we teach and coach, so busy leaders can apply the right move in the right moment.

In this episode:

• The three golden rules for any presentation, interview, or speaker opportunity, and how to apply them in minutes.
• Why adaptability beats polish, and how to adjust the same message for a range of stakeholders – whether investors, employees, customers or the media.
• Training that works, from point-proof-anecdote structure to feedback you can reuse.
• Trust as a practice, including the say-do ratio, good governance, and leaning into a little more kindness.
• Other key insights from his new book: How to Be Utterly Brilliant at Public Speaking, Presenting and Talking to the Media