When you step into the boardroom to close a $50 million deal, pitch to investors, or rally your executive team through uncertainty, you bring your strategy, your data, and your expertise.
But are you bringing your breath?
Are you making sure the audience is comfortable with your pitch?
Breathing Is The One Public-Speaking Skill That Separates Commanding Presenters from Nervous Ones
Over 25 years of coaching Fortune 500 executives, C-suite leaders, and top physicians in public speaking and executive presence, I’ve identified a pattern that consistently distinguishes powerful communicators from those who merely get through their presentations: strategic breath control.
Not slide design. Not vocal volume. Not even the quality of their content.
The difference in effective public speaking comes down to something far more fundamental—and far more trainable.
What Happens When Executive Speakers Don’t Breathe Properly
Picture this: You’re delivering critical information to your board. The stakes are high. You’ve prepared meticulously for this public speaking moment. But somewhere between your first sentence and your conclusion, something shifts.
You start speaking faster. Your chest tightens. Words tumble out in rapid succession, one thought bleeding into the next without pause.
Here’s what your audience perceives during your presentation:
They sense urgency—but not the strategic kind. They pick up on anxiety—the kind that makes them feel anxious too. They get the message that you want to finish and move on, not that you’re confident enough to stay present with them all day if needed.
And in high-stakes leadership communication and public speaking, that perception is everything.
When you don’t catch your breath during presentations, you’re breathing from your upper chest—shallow, rapid, insufficient. You’re signaling to everyone in the room (or on the screen) that you want to get this done and over with.
That’s not executive presence or leadership communication. That’s survival mode.
The Psychology Behind Breathing Techniques in Public Speaking
The executives, medical society leaders, and Fortune 500 communicators we coach at Janicek Performance Group understand a critical truth about public speaking: making your audience comfortable is the foundation of influence.
When you rush through your presentation without breathing properly, you transfer your nervous energy directly to your stakeholders. They begin to feel your anxiety. Their stress response activates. Their attention fractures.
Conversely, when you demonstrate controlled, intentional breathing techniques during public speaking, you communicate something entirely different:
- Confidence: You’re not racing to the finish line because you have complete command of your content and your executive presence
- Authority: You have the executive gravitas to pause, reflect, and give weight to your words
- Calm: Your physiological state tells them there’s no crisis here—only strategic leadership communication
- Comfort: You’re so at ease that you could discuss this topic indefinitely, making them relax into the conversation
This is the subtle but profound difference between a presentation that informs and one that transforms. Between a pitch that’s heard and one that’s acted upon.
The Sales Impact of Strategic Breathing in Presentations
For sales executives and business development leaders, breath control in public speaking isn’t just about comfort—it’s about conversion.
When you’re presenting a solution to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise client, every micro-signal in your leadership communication matters. Your breathing pattern becomes part of your value proposition.
Strategic breathing techniques communicate:
- You’re not desperate for this deal (even when it’s your largest prospect)
- You have the confidence that comes from knowing your solution delivers
- You’re a trusted advisor with executive presence, not a vendor trying to rush through talking points
- You have the leadership skills to partner with their C-suite
The clients who invest in executive coaching and public speaking training for their sales teams see this transformation repeatedly: the same salesperson, with the same product knowledge, closes significantly larger deals once they master the fundamentals of breath control and executive presence. Learn about public speaking coaching services >
The Medical Leadership Advantage of Proper Breathing Techniques
For physicians presenting at medical conferences, leading hospital committees, or communicating complex clinical findings to patients and colleagues, breathing techniques serve an additional critical function in public speaking: they signal clinical competence.
Patients and peers alike associate calm, measured communication with expertise and sound judgment. When a physician speaks with controlled pacing and natural pauses during presentations, they reinforce the trust that’s essential to medical leadership.
Rushed, breathless delivery—even of technically accurate information—undermines credibility and creates unnecessary doubt in any public speaking scenario.
We’ve coached numerous medical society leaders and top physicians who’ve discovered that mastering breath control doesn’t just improve their presentations. It fundamentally changes how they’re perceived as clinical experts and thought leaders in public speaking.
Professional Public Speaking Coaching: The Janicek Performance Group Approach to Breath Mastery
At our Chicago-based executive coaching firm, we take a holistic approach to executive presence and public speaking training that integrates breath work with strategic messaging, body language, vocal training, and mindset coaching.
Our Emmy Award-winning public speaking coaching methodology includes:
→Physiological foundation work: Understanding how breath impacts your nervous system and leadership presence during presentations
→Situational breath strategies for public speaking: Different breathing techniques for investor pitches versus media interviews versus board presentations
→Real-time feedback on presentation skills: Identifying exactly when and where you lose breath control during high-pressure communication
→Integration practice: Ensuring breath control in public speaking becomes automatic, not something you have to think about consciously
We’ve provided executive coaching and public speaking training to over 1,000 executives from organizations including McDonald’s, UPS, and numerous Fortune 100 companies. The consistent feedback? Breath training delivers disproportionate returns on leadership communication impact. Explore executive presence coaching >
The Practical Framework: Three Breathing Techniques for Executive Communicators
If you take nothing else from this public speaking coaching article, implement these three breathing techniques in your next high-stakes presentation:
1. Catch Your Breath Between Thoughts During Presentations
This seems obvious in public speaking, yet most executives violate this principle under pressure. Create intentional pause points in your delivery where you take a complete breath. This isn’t wasted time—it’s strategic pacing that allows your message to land and your audience to process.
2. Master Diaphragmatic Breathing for Public Speaking
Upper chest breathing is shallow and visible—it broadcasts anxiety during presentations. Diaphragmatic breathing is deeper, calmer, and signals control in leadership communication. Place your hand on your abdomen. If it’s not expanding when you breathe, you’re doing it wrong.
3. Use Breathing Techniques to Create Comfort in Public Speaking
Your goal in any presentation isn’t simply to get through your material. It’s to create an environment where your audience feels safe, engaged, and receptive. Every breath should serve that larger strategic purpose in your leadership communication.
When Breath Becomes Your Competitive Advantage in Executive Communication
The executives who rise to the highest levels of leadership share a common trait in public speaking: they’ve mastered the fundamentals of executive presence so thoroughly that they become invisible advantages.
They don’t think about breathing during their board presentation any more than an elite athlete thinks about their footwork during competition. It’s integrated. Automatic. Powerful.
That’s what we build at Janicek Performance Group through executive coaching.
Whether you’re a Fortune 500 C-suite executive preparing for an earnings call, a sales leader pitching to a major enterprise client, or a physician building your national speaking platform, we provide the customized public speaking coaching that transforms your natural abilities into commanding executive presence.
Comprehensive Executive Communication Services
At Janicek Performance Group, we offer a comprehensive suite of leadership development and communication services tailored for Fortune 500 executives, medical professionals, and enterprise leaders.
Executive Presence Coaching
Develop the magnetism and authority that inspires trust and builds influence. Our executive presence coaching helps C-suite leaders command attention, project confidence, and lead with impact in every interaction. We work with executives to refine their body language, vocal delivery, strategic messaging, and overall leadership presence. Learn more >
Public Speaking Training for Executives
Master keynote presentations, conference speaking, board meetings, and all-hands communications. Our public speaking coaching goes beyond basic presentation skills to develop the commanding presence that drives action and inspires teams. We provide customized training for speeches, investor presentations, earnings calls, and high-stakes speaking engagements. Learn more >
Leadership Development Programs
Build high-performing cultures and lead teams with clarity and vision. Our leadership training helps executives at all levels develop the communication skills, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence needed to drive organizational success. Programs are customized for individual leaders or entire leadership teams. Learn more >
Media Training for C-Suite Leaders
Control your narrative and communicate with confidence in media interviews, press conferences, and crisis situations. Our Emmy Award-winning media training prepares executives for television interviews, podcast appearances, print media, and social media engagement. We provide message development, interview preparation, and on-camera coaching. Learn more >
Sales Executive Training and Coaching
Elevate sales performance through executive presence and strategic communication. Our sales leadership coaching helps business development executives close larger deals, build stronger client relationships, and present solutions with confidence and authority. We work with individual sales leaders and entire sales teams. Learn more >
Brand Management and Social Media Strategy
Build a powerful professional brand that attracts opportunities and establishes thought leadership. Our personal branding services help executives develop their LinkedIn presence, social media strategy, and overall professional image to enhance visibility and credibility. Learn more >
Video Production and Content Strategy
Create professional video content that showcases your expertise and amplifies your message. From spokesperson videos to thought leadership content, we provide full-service video production that positions executives as industry authorities. Learn more >
Training Format Options for Every Leadership Need
Individual Executive Coaching
Private, confidential one-on-one coaching sessions with Emmy Award-winning coaches, customized to your specific goals. Available virtually or in-person in Chicago. Ideal for C-suite executives, board members, and senior leaders preparing for critical communication moments.
Team Leadership Training
Half-day, full-day, or multi-day intensive workshops for leadership teams. We train up to 25 participants per session with custom curriculum designed for your organization’s specific needs and industry. Available worldwide, virtual or in-person.
Ongoing Development Programs
Six-month transformation programs with regular coaching sessions, practice opportunities, and continuous feedback. Perfect for executives committed to sustained improvement in leadership communication and executive presence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breathing Techniques and Public Speaking Coaching
Proper breathing techniques for public speaking directly impact your vocal quality, pacing, and perceived confidence. When you breathe correctly using diaphragmatic breathing, you project calm authority rather than anxiety. Strategic breath control allows you to pause between thoughts, giving your message time to land with your audience. This creates the executive presence that distinguishes commanding speakers from nervous presenters. Additionally, controlled breathing reduces visible signs of nervousness and helps you maintain vocal strength throughout long presentations.
Diaphragmatic breathing (also called belly breathing) is a technique in which you breathe deeply into your abdomen rather than shallowly into your chest. For executive communication, this breathing method is crucial because it creates a deeper, more authoritative vocal tone, reduces visible signs of stress, provides better breath support for longer sentences, and signals confidence and control to your audience. Upper chest breathing broadcasts anxiety, while diaphragmatic breathing projects leadership presence.
Most executives see measurable improvements in their presentation skills within the first 2-3 coaching sessions. However, developing true mastery of breathing techniques and executive presence typically requires 6-12 sessions over several months. The timeline depends on your starting skill level, the frequency of coaching sessions, and how often you practice between sessions. Our clients report immediate confidence boosts after their first session, with sustained transformation occurring through our comprehensive coaching programs.
Public speaking training focuses specifically on presentation delivery, vocal techniques, body language, slide design, and audience engagement for speeches and presentations. Executive presence coaching is broader and includes how you show up in all professional situations including one-on-one meetings, video calls, media interviews, and casual interactions. Executive presence encompasses your overall leadership magnetism, authority, and influence. At Janicek Performance Group, we integrate both approaches because commanding public speaking requires strong executive presence as a foundation.
We offer both virtual executive coaching and in-person training to serve leaders worldwide. Our virtual coaching sessions are highly effective and include the same real-time feedback, personalized attention, and transformational results as in-person sessions. Many of our Fortune 500 clients prefer virtual coaching for scheduling flexibility. For team workshops and intensive training programs, we travel anywhere worldwide or deliver comprehensive virtual programs. Based in Chicago, we’re available for in-person coaching at our offices or at your location.
Every executive coaching engagement at Janicek Performance Group is customized to your industry, role, and specific communication challenges. For medical professionals and physicians, we focus on translating complex clinical information for diverse audiences and building thought leadership platforms. For sales executives, we emphasize closing techniques, client relationship building, and high-stakes pitch presentations. For Fortune 500 C-suite leaders, we concentrate on board communications, earnings calls, media interviews, and crisis communication. We invest time understanding your industry context before designing your coaching program.
Our Emmy Award-winning team brings real media experience from Chicago’s competitive broadcast market, not just coaching theory. Founder Kathryn Janicek has over 25 years of experience training executives at McDonald’s, UPS, and Fortune 100 companies. We take a holistic approach that integrates breathing techniques, vocal training, body language, strategic messaging, mindset coaching, and even executive styling when needed. Our methodology is proven with over 1,000 executives trained, and we provide ongoing support between sessions, not just one-time workshops.
Absolutely. Strategic breathing techniques directly impact how clients perceive your confidence, authority, and trustworthiness during sales presentations. When you demonstrate controlled breathing and executive presence, prospects view you as a strategic advisor rather than a desperate vendor. Our sales executive coaching clients consistently report closing larger deals and shortening sales cycles after mastering breath control and executive communication fundamentals. The physiological calm you project through proper breathing creates psychological comfort in your prospects, making them more receptive to your solution.
Consider executive presence coaching if you experience any of these challenges: speaking too quickly during high-stakes presentations, feeling nervous before important meetings or speeches, receiving feedback that you need more “gravitas” or “leadership presence,” struggling to command attention in meetings with senior stakeholders, wanting to close bigger deals or advance to C-suite roles, or preparing for increased visibility through media interviews or conference speaking. Most successful executives invest in coaching not because they’re failing but because they want to elevate from good to exceptional.
Your first public speaking coaching session begins with a detailed assessment of your current skills, specific goals, and upcoming high-stakes communication opportunities. We’ll have you deliver a short presentation or practice your upcoming speech so we can identify exactly where you lose breath control, vocal power, or executive presence. You’ll receive immediate, actionable feedback and practice new breathing techniques with real-time coaching. Most executives leave their first session with tangible improvements they can implement immediately. We’ll also design a customized coaching plan tailored to your timeline and objectives.
Professional Executive Coaching and Public Speaking Training in Chicago and Worldwide
The difference between executives who command attention and those who simply deliver information often comes down to mastery of fundamentals like breath control in public speaking.
The question isn’t whether you have the potential to develop this level of executive presence. You absolutely do.
The question is whether you’re ready to invest in the professional coaching that unlocks it.
Ready to transform your public speaking and leadership communication skills?
We offer both individual executive coaching and team public speaking training programs, delivered virtually or in-person in Chicago and worldwide. Every engagement is customized to your specific goals and challenges in leadership development.
Schedule a confidential consultation with our team to discuss how we can help you develop the executive presence and public speaking skills that drive measurable business results.
Transform Your Executive Presence with Professional Public Speaking Coaching
Don’t let poor breathing techniques undermine your leadership communication. Contact Janicek Performance Group today to schedule your executive coaching session and master the breathing techniques that separate good presenters from commanding ones.
Call us at 312-566-8216 or email Team@TeamJPG.com to discuss your public speaking training needs.
About Janicek Performance Group: Premier Executive Coaching in Chicago
Based in Chicago and serving leaders worldwide, Janicek Performance Group is an Emmy Award-winning executive coaching firm specializing in leadership development, public speaking coaching, executive presence training, media training, and sales executive coaching. For over 25 years, we’ve helped Fortune 500 executives, medical society leaders, top physicians, and C-suite communicators develop the presence and leadership communication skills that define influential leadership.
Our public speaking training programs serve Fortune 500 companies, multi-billion dollar enterprises, medical societies, and executive teams across industries. We provide customized executive coaching that delivers measurable improvements in presentation skills, leadership communication, and executive presence.
