In this live session, former White House speechwriter Terry Szuplat shares practical presentation skills and public speaking insights for business leaders. Learn how to prepare effectively, simplify your message, and communicate with clarity in high-stakes business conversations.
At a recent Ideas on Stage event in London, we hosted Terry Szuplat, who spent eight years writing speeches for Barack Obama.
During that time, he helped craft around 500 speeches and worked as part of a team responsible for thousands more.
The session focused on a simple question:
What does it take to communicate clearly when the stakes are high?
Here are some of the key ideas from the conversation, with practical relevance for business leaders.
Preparation is where communication starts
One idea came up again and again during the session: strong communication begins before you speak.
Terry shared a story from Obama’s early career. At the time, he had to present to a group of philanthropists. He went in without preparing well. He lost his train of thought and later described it as one of the worst speeches he had given.
Years later, he became one of the most effective communicators in the world.
The difference wasn’t natural ability. It was the work behind the scenes.
As Terry explained, becoming a strong speaker follows the same pattern as any other skill. Musicians practise. Athletes train. Speakers prepare.
He also shared a simple way to think about preparation:
- Start by taking time to think through your ideas
- Then write
- Then practise out loud
Many people skip the first step. They open a slide deck or a document and start writing straight away. That often leads to unclear messages and unnecessary content.
For business leaders, this has direct implications. Whether you’re preparing for a client meeting, a pitch or an internal presentation, the quality of your thinking shapes the clarity of your message.
Don’t rely on talent
Another point that stood out is how often people describe great speakers as “natural”.
Terry challenged this idea.
He explained that when people saw Obama deliver a powerful speech, they often assumed it came naturally. What they did not see was the work behind it.
Speeches were written, reviewed, edited and practised. Sometimes the President would sit down himself and rewrite parts to make sure the message was right.
At one point, Terry described a moment where Obama took over and worked on a speech personally because it wasn’t yet at the level he expected.
That level of attention is a useful reminder.
If you want to communicate well, you need to care about the words you use and the way you deliver them.
Clarity comes from reducing, not adding
A common challenge in business communication is the tendency to include too much.
When preparing a presentation, many people try to cover everything they know about a topic. The result is often a message that feels heavy and difficult to follow.
During the session, Terry shared examples of how even well-informed audiences can struggle when we present too much information at once.
The key is to make choices.
Focus on what matters. Remove what doesn’t support your message.
For business leaders, this is particularly important in client-facing situations. When you present a proposal or explain a solution, your audience doesn’t need everything you know. They need what helps them make a decision.
Speak to people, not roles
One of the most useful reminders from the session is that every audience is made up of individuals.
Even in highly technical environments, people respond to clarity and relevance.
Terry shared an example from his work with organisations that operate in scientific and medical fields. These audiences rely on evidence and data, but they still respond to communication that feels clear and grounded.
In business, it’s easy to fall into abstract language.
Phrases like “optimising performance” or “improving efficiency” may sound professional, but they don’t always help the audience understand the real impact.
A clearer approach is to describe what actually changes:
- What problem we solved
- Who benefits
- What the outcome looks like
This makes your message easier to follow and easier to remember.
The way you describe your work matters
At the beginning of his talk, Terry asked a simple question:
When someone asks what you do, how do you answer?
Most people have a standard response. Over time, that response can become automatic and generic.
The session encouraged people to revisit that answer.
If your explanation sounds similar to others in your field, it may not stand out. If it relies on internal language or jargon, it may not connect with someone outside your organisation.
For business leaders, this is a practical exercise.
Take a step back and look at how you describe your work:
- Is it clear?
- Is it specific?
- Would someone unfamiliar with your industry understand it?
Small changes here can make a significant difference in how others perceive your work.
Final thought
One idea captured the essence of the session:
Great communication is built through effort.
There’s no shortcut. There’s no moment where it suddenly becomes easy.
But there’s a process.
You take time to think. You shape your message. You practise.
And over time, you improve.
For business leaders, this is not a “soft” skill. It affects how you pitch, how you lead and how you influence others.
When communication improves, decisions become clearer and your ideas have a better chance of succeeding.
Watch the full event with Terry to hear the stories and insights behind these ideas.
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