How Great Speakers Win Over Any Audience: The Proven Formula You Can Master

By Mark Westbrook – Public Speaking Coach

It was a Thursday afternoon in Glasgow when I watched something remarkable unfold. A softly spoken man—an IT consultant with no stage presence to speak of—stood in front of fifty colleagues at a company retreat. Ten minutes later, the room was in tears. Not because he was tragic—because he was truthful. He’d told a story of failing publicly, learning, growing, and now leading.

No gimmicks. No fireworks. Just presence. Structure. Humanity.

Public speaking is not reserved for the charismatic few. It’s a discipline. And the best speakers? They follow a formula. Today, I’m going to share that formula with you.

This article is your guide—whether you're nervously preparing your first presentation, or seeking to refine your performance at board level. We’ll break down the psychology, the practical tools, and the little-known techniques that help you not just speak to audiences—but move them.

Why Some Speakers Sparkle—and Others Sink

We’ve all seen it. A confident-looking speaker steps up, launches into a sea of statistics or stilted phrasing, and loses the room within moments. The issue isn’t content. It’s connection.

What separates great speakers from forgettable ones is not volume or polish. It’s their ability to create a shared momentwith the audience. The best speakers don't present at you—they take you with them.

Here’s what typically gets in the way:

• Fear and nerves that tighten the voice and cloud the mind.

• Overstuffed or poorly structured content.

• A robotic delivery lacking energy or vocal texture.

• Body language that contradicts or confuses the message.

• Disconnection from the audience’s real interests or emotions.

And these are exactly the problems we’ll solve today.

Introducing the R.E.A.C.H. Method: The Winning Formula for Audience Connection

I teach a framework called R.E.A.C.H., a five-part model used by top speakers across business, education, and entertainment.

• Relate

• Engage

• Anchor

• Colour

• Hold

Let’s dive into each part—and how you can use it to transform your public speaking.

1. Relate: Start Where They Are

You can’t take people on a journey if you don’t start from their side of the river.

Great speakers know their audience. They understand their hopes, frustrations, interests, and objections.

Scenario:
Imagine opening a keynote with, “I’m going to share five strategic imperatives for Q3.” Now imagine starting with, “Most of us feel we’re sprinting into Q3 without catching our breath from Q2. If that’s you—you’re not alone.”

One sounds like a memo. The other sounds like you see them.

Try this:

• Begin with a shared challenge, question, or moment of humour.

• Use language that mirrors theirs—don’t speak like a manual.

• Offer a small vulnerability or confession to show you’re human.

Practical Exercise:
Write the first two sentences of your next talk. Ask: “Does this start with me, or them?” Rewrite to begin from their experience.

2. Engage: Invite Them In

Even the most informative talk will fall flat if it feels like a monologue. Engagement is about interaction—not necessarily in words, but in attention.

Psychology tip:
The average adult attention span for passive listening is around 10 minutes—less when tired or distracted. You must reset attention through contrast, energy, and variation.

Ways to engage:

• Ask rhetorical questions.

• Shift your pacing and tone.

• Use real-life examples they can see, hear, or feel.

Client example:
I coached a sales director who opened with a list of numbers. We switched it to: “What’s the one thing our clients tell us they want more than price cuts? It’s speed.” The room leaned in.

Practical Exercise:
Take one key point from your talk. Now turn it into a story, a question, or a challenge.

3. Anchor: Give Them Structure

Structure isn’t just tidy—it’s essential. Audiences trust and follow speakers who are clear on where they’re going.

The brain craves structure. Without it, we become distracted and disconnected.

Great speakers use:

• Signposting: “Let’s look at three causes…”

• Simple frameworks: “Past, present, future” or “Problem, solution, result.”

• Repetition of key ideas using the same language.

Practical Exercise:
Create a ‘roadmap slide’ or verbal outline of your talk. Make sure it includes no more than three main points. If you can’t summarise it in one breath—it’s too complex.

4. Colour: Speak in Technicolour

What’s the difference between “It went well” and “It soared like a kite in a summer breeze”? Colour.

This is about how you say things: your voice, your phrasing, your imagery.

Common pitfalls:

• A flat, emotionless voice that drains energy.

• Over-reliance on slides instead of evocative language.

• Understatement where impact is needed.

Techniques:

• Use metaphors and vivid comparisons.

• Change your volume and speed at key moments.

• Allow emphasis and silence to shape your message.

Practical Exercise:
Find one paragraph in your script. Rewrite it using metaphor or sensory detail. Then practise saying it aloud with exaggerated tone and pause.

5. Hold: Finish With Power

Many speakers start strong and fizzle. But the ending is what people remember. Endings must be memorable, emotional, and meaningful.

Avoid:

• “Well, that’s all I’ve got.”

• Rushing to finish.

• Thanking people instead of leaving them with a message.

Instead:

• Loop back to your opening story or idea.

• Issue a call to action.

• Deliver a final line with punch and pause.

Example:
A client ended her TED-style talk with this: “If we want change, we can’t wait for perfect. We have to begin—imperfectly, immediately, together.” The applause was instant.

Practical Exercise:
Craft your final sentence to stand alone. Say it aloud. Does it land with force—or does it trail off?

Tackling the Fear: From Panic to Presence

None of this matters if nerves overtake you. Let’s deal with the root cause.

Why we panic:
Your brain treats public speaking like a threat to social safety. It floods your system with adrenaline, causing shallow breath, racing thoughts, and even memory blanks.

What works:

• Breathe low and slow. Try box breathing: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4.

• Prepare physically. Movement before a talk can release nervous energy.

• Ground yourself. Feel your feet. Look at one person. Speak to them.

Mindset tip:
You are not there to perform perfection. You are there to create connection.

Why Personal Coaching Speeds Everything Up

You can read books and watch videos—and you’ll improve. But progress is slow without feedback. Coaching accelerates your growth by:

• Identifying blind spots quickly.

• Customising strategies to your natural strengths.

• Practising under pressure with real-time support.

Whether you want to master confidence, storytelling, persuasion, or presence—coaching collapses the timeline.

Let’s Talk About Your Speaking Goals

Are you ready to stop second-guessing and start speaking with confidence and clarity?

Let’s work together to build your message, your delivery, and your impact. My coaching programmes are built for real professionals, with real ambitions—and a desire to speak with real power.

👉 Reach out today to book a no-obligation discovery session. You bring the ideas. I’ll help you bring the voice.

Every audience is waiting to be moved. You’ve got the message. Let’s make sure they feel it.