The Sound of Success: Mastering the Technical Elements of the Conference Stage

(Readers are encouraged to review the excellent blog on stagecraft by Kassy Laborie before diving into this one.)

There you are, sitting in a conference session (or company all-hands meeting), and the presenter clicks to slide one. For the next 20 minutes, they deliver what should be valuable insights in a monotone stream—no pauses for emphasis, no variation in pace, just an endless narration of bullet points. By minute five, you’re checking your phone. By minute ten, you’re mentally writing your grocery list.

I’ve seen this scenario play out countless times across conference halls and meeting rooms. Vital messaging gets diluted by poor delivery mechanics. The presenter might know their material but failed to grasp that how you say something is just as critical as what you say.

In this piece, I want to share some of the performance lessons I’ve learned over the course of my own L&D career, and also from my days as a young musician.

The Rhythm Method – Deliberate Pacing

I’ll let you in on a secret: Even after more than 35 years of teaching and presenting, I still get nervous before stepping on stage. I’ve learned that nerves make you want to rush—and rushing kills comprehension. When you’re anxious, you may find that you have two speeds: fast and faster.

Effective pacing isn’t about maintaining one steady tempo—it’s about the intentional variation that serves your message, not your nerves.

• Slow for impact: When you hit key concepts, deliberately slow down. Give important information time to land.

• Moderate for explanation: Complex processes need steady, measured delivery—like giving directions to somewhere completely new.

• Strategic acceleration: Brief bursts of faster delivery can create energy, but only when contrasted against your baseline.

• The comma test: Practice treating every comma as a mandatory pause. Yes, you’ll sound a bit like William Shatner initially, but it reveals where you naturally rush past important transitions.

• International tip: Slower pacing also helps nonnative speakers process both accents and complex concepts.

Remember that pacing serves your audience’s comprehension.

The Sound of Silence

We have somehow evolved to the point where we perceive silence in a presentation as a kind of failure. At the same time as your audience is processing your last thought, your brain is screaming, “fill the void!” so you rush to the next point or pepper your delivery with “um” and “uh.” The wise presenter knows that silence is actually a precision tool.

• Silence creates emphasis: After delivering a key statistic or important finding, stop. Pause and count—two seconds in small rooms, three to four in larger venues. That pause gives weight to what you just said and signals it matters. Without it, important information gets buried.

• Silence scales with space: In a small conference room, a brief pause feels substantial. In a large auditorium, you need longer—sound travels and audiences need time to process. The bigger the venue, the more generous your pauses should be.

• Silence amplifies pacing: Remember those strategic pacing variations from the previous section? Silence is what makes them work. A pause after accelerated delivery creates dramatic contrast. A pause before slowing down signals “pay attention—this matters.”

• Silence replaces fillers: Instead of “um” or “uh,” train yourself to pause. Recording practice sessions reveals how often you fill natural breath points with unnecessary sounds.

• The challenge: Learning to feel comfortable with those few seconds of quiet. Practice at home—deliver a key point, then count “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi” before continuing in smaller venues, adding another count for larger spaces.

Your audience needs those moments of silence as much as you need the words between them.

You’re the Voice

While research shows people may naturally use different vocal patterns for emphasis, the most effective presenters—regardless of background—master the full range of vocal tools: volume, pitch, pace, and pause.

For all speakers:

• Use variations in both pitch and volume for emphasis rather than relying on just one element.

• Avoid vocal habits that distract from your message—whether that’s trailing off at sentence endings, uptalk that makes statements sound uncertain, or filler sounds that break your flow.

• Be particularly careful not to unconsciously adopt an upward inflection at the end of sentences because it makes your statements sound like questions. This nervous habit undermines your authority and projects uncertainty about your own expertise. When rehearsing your talk, practice ending declarative sentences with a slight downward inflection that signals confidence.

• Keep your breath flowing and your voice clear through complete thoughts.

The key is expanding your vocal toolkit and experimenting with what works for your content and your authentic style.

The Body Electric

I get asked constantly, “What do I do with my hands when I’m talking?” The short answer? Why not let them help you tell your story?

Face it, we all have nervous habits. I’ve seen speakers rock back and forth like they’re on a boat, pace like caged tigers, or fidget with clickers and jewelry. All that nervous energy must be channeled purposefully.

When transitioning between sections, movement helps signal the shift—but scale it to your space. In large venues, take several steps. In small rooms, even shifting your weight or changing your stance works effectively.

About your hands: They should feel natural, not forced. If you’re describing something big, let your hands show “big.” If you’re listing three points, count them on your fingers. Remember that gestures should complement your words, not replace them—some audience members may not be able to see your movements clearly.

Know your space: A small conference room is a lot different than a hotel ballroom. In tight quarters, controlled movement prevents overwhelming your audience. In larger spaces, use the full width to connect with everyone, but always have a “home base” to return to for key moments.

Remember that your body language should support your voice, not fight it.

Come Together

Here’s the thing about great vocal delivery: it’s not about perfecting one technique—it’s about making all of them work together.

Think of it like any complex skill you’ve mastered. At first, you’re consciously thinking about each individual element. Eventually, it becomes one fluid system, and the same thing applies to presentation skills.

Start with the basics: Before any presentation, I’m often in a quiet place somewhere in the venue, mentally and physically walking through my talk. Arrive early when possible— walk the room, stand on the stage, introduce yourself to the space. This preparation helps transform inevitable nerves into focused energy.

Read the room in real time: Sometimes your carefully planned pacing needs to speed up because you’re losing people. Sometimes you need longer pauses because you’re presenting to nonnative speakers. The best presenters adjust on the fly while maintaining their core message. This includes being aware of accessibility needs—speaking clearly into microphones, describing visual elements briefly, and checking if anyone needs accommodations. As Kassy Laborie puts it, when you’ve truly learned your material, “you can flex with whatever’s in front of you.”

Practice deliberately: Record yourself practicing, then listen for the things we’ve talked about. Are you speaking to the back row? Are you varying your pace? Are your pauses intentional? Where do you rush?

Build gradually: Don’t try to fix everything at once. Pick one element—maybe eliminating filler words—and focus on that for a few presentations. Then add another.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s ensuring your technical delivery serves your expertise, not the other way around. Remember Kassy’s guiding question from her article: “What did I just say or do that I could have let my audience say or do instead?” When your technical skills are solid, you can focus on creating that connection and making your audience the hero of the story.

Your Stage Awaits

Here’s my challenge to you: Pick one element from this piece—maybe it’s speaking to the back row, maybe it’s embracing strategic silence, or maybe it’s channeling that nervous energy into purposeful movement. Focus on just that one thing for your next presentation.

Record yourself practicing. Listen back. Notice the difference.

Then, when you’re comfortable with that element, add another. Before you know it, these technical skills will become as natural as breathing, freeing you to do what you do best: share your expertise with the people who need to hear it.

Your content deserves to be heard. Your audience deserves to be moved. And you deserve to feel confident and connected on that stage.

Now get out there and make some noise—the good kind.