What is presence and how do you develop it?
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
“Could you coach one of our people to have more presence?”
A prospective client asks me that question.
“Sure,” I reply. “What would more presence look and sound like? How would we recognise progress?”
There’s a pause.
“Well… you know. More presence.”
And there it is.
This is a common occurrence. People ask for “more presence” without being clear what they mean or how progress will be measured. The result is unmet expectations, little if any return on investment, and wasted budget.
Clarity matters. If we want to develop presence, we first need to define it.
Only then can we observe, coach and measure it in meaningful ways.
In this blog, I define presence, break it into four coachable pillars, and explain why voice is such a powerful part of it.
What is presence?
For me, presence is
"the state of being fully at ease with ourselves and others, and able to communicate with authenticity, confidence and impact".
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy defines it as “the state of being attuned to and able to comfortably express our true thoughts, feelings, values, and potential”, achieved “through self-nudges and small tweaks in our body language and mindset”.
My definition is strongly influenced by Cuddy’s, and I'm also inspired by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow: that feeling of being fully absorbed and operating at our best.
What I value most in Cuddy’s work though, is the idea that presence is achievable. It is not a gift reserved for a fortunate few. I also share her belief in the power of small tweaks and self-nudges. I would simply add that presence is shaped not only by mindset and body language, but also by speech and voice.
The four pillars of presence
In my work, I develop what I believe to be four connected pillars of presence:
Mental presence: building self-belief and a resilient, growth-oriented mindset by quieting the inner critic and amplifying the inner coach.
Physical presence: using posture, breath, eye contact, and gesture to inspire trust and confidence.
Verbal presence: communicating clearly and cutting through complexity with stronger structure, better questions, confident boundaries, and the flexibility to be brief or detailed.
Vocal presence: developing an expressive, flexible voice by learning to care for it, use it skilfully, vary it effectively, and feel more comfortable with how it sounds.
The first three pillars are widely discussed elsewhere. The fourth - the human voice - gets far less attention, yet in my view it is one of the most powerful.
Why does voice deserve special attention?
Three reasons:
People judge it quickly. Studies show that listeners form impressions of our confidence, credibility and competence very quickly from the sound of our voice.
It leaks information. When we are tired, unwell, hungover, or nervous, muscles and breathing tighten, and the voice may shake, speed up or rise in pitch, all of which can weaken our words.
It helps the message land. An expressive, flexible voice helps us connect with others, increasing the likelihood they’ll listen and remember both us and our message.
That is why voice work matters so much in the development of presence.
Which brings us to a bigger question...
Why does presence matter?
There are at least three good reasons.
Presence helps build trust. In a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI, presence helps communication feel human, relational and real. It is not just about what you know, but how you show up and connect.
Presence shapes first impressions. In meetings, presentations, interviews and coaching conversations, presence affects how others experience you. It can influence whether you come across as calm, confident, engaged and worth listening to.
Presence supports influence and progression. It does not replace substance, but it helps substance land. In high-stakes moments, presence can shape whether someone is seen as trustworthy, capable and ready for greater responsibility.
No surprise then, that presence comes up so often in leadership, talent and learning conversations. People know it matters. The challenge is defining it clearly and developing it intentionally and measurably.
What can we actually develop and measure?
Once we define presence clearly, it stops being a vague aspiration and becomes something we can develop, observe and strengthen.
In practice, that might mean helping someone to:
sound calmer under pressure
look more comfortable and connected in the room
speak more clearly and concisely
hold attention more effectively in meetings
project more authority, warmth and conviction
reduce visible and audible signs of nervousness
develop a voice that sounds steady and assured
These are coachable outcomes. They are observable. They are measurable. And they are far more useful than the vague instruction to “have more presence”.
That, for me, is the real shift. Once presence is defined properly, it becomes much easier to target development, give useful feedback and recognise progress.
Final thought
Presence is not about acting important, copying someone else or putting on a performance. It is about alignment: your mindset, body, speech and voice working together so that you come across authentically and others feel connected and respected.
If your organisation wants to develop presence in a way that is clear, observable and scalable, contact me to find out more about Make Your Mark for Teams, my new digital self-study programme.
The Business Voice Coach