Early in my career, my boss once came up to me after a client presentation and said, "You put people to sleep." I was surprised. I'd thought of myself as a good presenter—I was articulate, I avoided filler words, I didn't read off PowerPoint slides. The feedback irked me—until I began to reassess.
My boss suggested that I hear myself speak. Sure, why not? So behind closed doors, I recorded the presentation I gave earlier. It was true! I sounded boring, monotone, and much less confident than I'd thought.
