Fix This. Now.

We had 45 minutes until the next run-through of a $300MM+ media pitch.

The specialist on stage that day knew her stuff. Data, insights, strategy, execution plan, outcomes — all mapped out. But somewhere between the slide and the room, it fell apart.

She'd start a section, run out of breath halfway through. Then the MMMs crept in, one

before every other thought. The CEO and the pitch lead started picking apart her content, and the more they picked, the more she unraveled. She stopped making eye contact. She stopped processing feedback and just repeated it back, word for word. But not consistently. And her voice was cracking.

Her story was gone. Heartbreaking and nerve-wracking, all at once — we've all seen it happen to someone.

45 minutes on the clock. Here's what I did.

·      Gave her a partner. An experienced co-presenter to share the load — being part of a duo is a lot less terrifying than standing alone, and she could feed her content the moment she lost the thread.

·      Simplified her story. Broke it into memorable sections, each anchored by a trigger word — what I call a Keyword Script. Memorization doesn't hold up under pressure. Muscle memory does.

·      Improved her presence. Not by telling her to "calm down" — that only cranks up the anxiety. We used posture, breath control, and progressive muscle relaxation instead.

·      Found the source of her bad habit. Determined that the MMMs were being used to avoid silence, and replaced them with real words and purposeful pauses.

She walked into the next rehearsal a different person. Steadier. Prouder. She avoided the kind of moment that ends careers.

I saw her again seven years later. Fantastic presenter. A revered senior manager. Someone people go to for advice now

This is why I love what I do. Show people the ropes and they will climb up.

I would love to help you tune up your storytelling skills. Reach out to me at mark@voyageurtraining.com, and let's have a chat.