Q: Why is it hard for most people to improve their presentations?
A: Most people don’t give formal presentations often enough to improve through repetition alone. If speaking opportunities only come once in a blue moon, progress is slow. Presentation skill needs regular practice, and without enough chances to speak, it is difficult to build confidence, polish delivery, and strengthen impact.
Mini-summary: Infrequent speaking opportunities slow improvement because repetition is the engine of presentation growth.
Q: What should you do instead of waiting for invitations?
A: Don’t sit back and wait for someone to ask you to speak. Go out and look for opportunities yourself. Many groups regularly feature speakers, and organisers often have a hard time finding good ones. In Japan, where preparation and credibility matter, taking the initiative helps you become visible before others do.
Mini-summary: Proactive outreach creates speaking opportunities faster than waiting to be discovered.
Q: How do you decide what topics to present on?
A: Focus on the overlap between your experience, expertise, and knowledge and the subjects people already want to hear about. If there is a natural alignment, there will be groups interested in having you speak. A practical way to find this is to compare the themes organisations cover with your own range of strengths and interests.
Mini-summary: The best speaking topics sit where your expertise meets audience demand.
Q: How do organisers know you can actually speak well?
A: They need proof. A simple way to demonstrate your ability is to give speeches on relevant subjects, record them, and post them on YouTube and your website. Once you have spoken to a live audience, record that too. Video gives organisers a direct sense of your speaking ability and helps them decide with more confidence.
Mini-summary: Video evidence makes your presentation ability visible and easier to trust.
Q: What happens when you keep building presentation visibility?
A: You become a known face. As more speaking content circulates, people begin to notice you and contact you. That creates a virtuous cycle where one opportunity leads to another. Over time, repeated visibility strengthens both your personal brand and your company brand.
Mini-summary: Consistent visibility turns presentation practice into brand momentum and future opportunities.
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.
