Win the room: How to prep for presentations, with Martin Barnes

Welcome to Episode 159. If you’ve ever walked into a client meeting (or a pitch… or a QBR… or onto a stage) and thought, “I’ve got so much to cover - how do I say it without losing people?” - you’re going to love this one. I'm joined by Martin Barnes, Founder of 8 Seconds 2 Connect and Leadership Communication expert. Martin help leaders communicate at the moments that matter. When a big idea needs to land, shift a room, or spark momentum. His background spans 25 years in design, advertising, and film across the UK and China. He's pitched to Hollywood producers, coached C-suite teams at Mercedes, ByteDance, VW, and Cartier, and helped founders raise millions and step onto TEDx stages. In this episode, Martin and I talk about why stories build trust faster than “look how much I know” - and how to share your expertise without sounding like you’re selling, name-dropping, or talking about yourself too much. We also get into the “data dump” problem: what to do when you’ve got loads ...