Episode #171: Who Are You Presenting For

When executives speak in front of busy leaders, every minute must earn its place. Yet even in prestigious venues like the Imperial Hotel in 東京 (Tokyo), we still see celebrity speakers and senior leaders ramble, go overtime, and forget the most important rule of communication: the talk is for the audience, not for the speaker.

At a recent Rotary meeting in Tokyo, a well-known speaker in his eighties gave a long, wandering talk that went nowhere and went overtime. The audience was full of captains of industry — senior executives whose most valuable asset is time. Instead of delivering a sharp, purposeful message, the speaker indulged himself, drifting across unrelated topics and clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice.

This is a common trap. Japan loves its celebrities, and over decades many of them are given extra tolerance. That indulgence often becomes a habit: no clear structure, no respect for time, no real focus on what the audience needs.

Mini-summary: Even famous or senior speakers can fall into self-indulgent speaking — drifting, rambling, and running long — when they forget that the talk exists for the audience, not for their own enjoyment

In both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies), executives are often treated like rock stars when they present. People fawn over them, schedules adjust around them, and their presence becomes a big internal event. After a few years of this, it’s easy for a leader’s sense of proportion to drift.

The danger: when leaders speak, they are the brand in that moment. If they seem impressed with themselves, overly proud of their expertise, or disconnected from the audience’s reality, people feel it immediately. The talk becomes a performance of superiority, not a conversation built on respect and value.

This is not a “brand plus” — it quietly erodes trust, especially in cultures like Japan where humility and respect for others’ time are core expectations.

Mini-summary: When executives let ego drive their speaking, they weaken their personal and corporate brand, because audiences feel the self-focus and lose trust.

Not all self-focused talks come from ego. Sometimes they come from genuine passion.

A leader or expert may be deeply committed to a project, product, or mission. They love the details. They care about the innovation. They know the data. This is powerful — but it can lead to a subtle shift in focus:

• From the audience’s needs → to the speaker’s love of the topic

• From clarity → to complex detail

• From what this means for them → to what this means for me

In プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), we see this often: the more passionate the speaker, the more tempted they are to talk for themselves, not to communicate for the audience.

Mini-summary: Passion is an asset only when it is channeled toward the audience’s needs; otherwise it becomes another form of self-focus that loses the room.

What is the real objective of any executive talk?

From start to finish, the purpose of your talk is simple:

Get your key messages into the minds of the audience and sell them on why those messages matter.

You are not the main act. You are the vehicle.

This means:

• Every story, example, and slide must serve the audience’s understanding.

• Every minute must justify itself in terms of value delivered.

• Every transition should move them closer to a clear decision, insight, or action.

As you become more confident on stage and start to enjoy the feeling of “holding sway over a crowd,” a real danger appears: your talk becomes a stage for your ego or your technical brilliance. The moment the focus shifts away from the audience — toward your own importance or toward unnecessary detail — you are going in the wrong direction.

Mini-summary: The true purpose of a talk is not to showcase the speaker but to move the audience — their thinking, decisions, and actions — in a meaningful direction.

To design and deliver a talk that respects your audience — especially time-pressed executives in Japan — you need a disciplined process:

1. Start with the audience profile

   • Gender balance

   • Age range

   • Job titles and seniority

   • Company names and industries (日本企業 (Japanese companies) vs 外資系企業 (multinational companies))

   • Why they are here today

2. Mingle before the session
   Talk to early arrivals. Ask what brought them here, what challenges they are facing, and what outcomes they hope for. This real-time intelligence is often more powerful than any pre-event brief.

3. Design your structure for them, not for you

   • Open with their problem, not your biography.

   • Limit the number of key messages (usually 3 is enough).

   • Use concrete examples and stories set in 東京 (Tokyo) and Japan’s business context to make it relatable.

4. Use Q&A strategically
   The Q&A section isn’t just a formality. It lets you address specific interests that weren’t fully covered in the main body. For both 営業研修 (sales training) and リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), this is often where the most valuable insights emerge.

Mini-summary: Audience-first design means knowing who is in the room, why they are there, and structuring your message and Q&A to deliver specific value to them in their real context.

Dale Carnegie Training has over 100 years of global experience — and more than 60 years in Tokyo — helping leaders turn speeches from ego-driven performances into audience-centric communication that drives results.

Through リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), 営業研修 (sales training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training), we help executives:

• Respect time like a precious asset and always finish on time.

• Build clear structures that make messages easy to follow and remember.

• Shift focus from “how do I look?” to “what does my audience need now?”

• Communicate in a way that strengthens the brand and respects Japanese business culture.

Mini-summary: Dale Carnegie Tokyo enables leaders to replace self-focused, rambling talks with sharp, audience-centered communication that reflects well on both the individual and the brand.

• Your talk is not about you — it’s about the people who gave you their time and attention.

• Ego and unfiltered passion both create self-indulgent speaking that quietly damages your brand and your company’s credibility.

• Audience-first design starts with understanding who is in the room, what they care about, and what decisions or actions you want to influence.

• Dale Carnegie Tokyo helps leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) turn every talk into a disciplined, respectful, and effective communication opportunity.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.