Two self-described introverts from Hong Kong shared how they learned to command attention and own any room. Treena Nairne and Angela Cheung delivered a workshop packed with practical techniques for marketers who want to make memorable impressions, whether pitching to clients, networking, or leading team updates.
Their message: presentation skills are 100% learnable and small shifts in how you communicate can transform your professional impact.
5 Key Points
from the session
Start with you, not I
The first three words you say should focus on your audience. Ask "How are you?" or "How's everything going?" before launching into business. This simple switch from "I" to "you" creates instant engagement and shows you value the relationship over the transaction.
Use a memorable self-introduction formula
Replace boring job titles with impact statements. The formula: "I help [people] do [something] so they can [achieve result]." This positions you as someone who solves problems, not just fills a role. It makes you instantly more memorable at networking events and client meetings.
Prepare for failure, then use it
Technology will fail. PowerPoint will crash. Microphones will cut out. The professionals who own the room are those who prepare backup plans and have icebreaker questions ready. Keep a list of conversation starters in your notes. Practice presenting without any tech at all.
Embrace the underdog story
People engage with struggle and resilience, not perfection. Share stories of setbacks, rejections, and comebacks. These human moments create connection and demonstrate character. Whether it's sending 200 CVs or failing out of journalism school, audiences root for those who kept going.
Break the pattern
When everyone defaults to PowerPoint for weekly updates, suggest a coffee chat instead. Ask stakeholders what matters most to them before you present. Mirror their language back to them. Small disruptions to routine communication create memorable moments and show you care about their time.
Turn nerves into confidence
Treena Nairne and Angela Cheung know what it feels like to be overlooked. As introverts early in their careers, they kept their heads down and assumed good work would speak for itself. It didn't.
They watched others get promotions and plum assignments while their own contributions went unnoticed. So they taught themselves how to present with impact, learning through trial and error what actually works when you need to own a room.
Their Learning Lab offered a masterclass in turning nerves into confidence. The session opened with their first tip: make your opening words about the audience, not yourself. "Owning the room starts with owning the relationship," Treena explained.
When nerves push us into business mode, we forget we're dealing with humans who need that personal connection first. The workshop introduced three self-introduction formats that stick in people's minds. The most powerful repositions your role as a problem-solver: "I help [people] do [something] so they can [achieve result]." Angela described herself as someone who "helps companies develop their in-house video capabilities at scale so they can grow their brands and make more money." That's far more memorable than "video consultant."
But presentation skills go beyond introductions. Treena and Angela tackled the reality every presenter faces: things will go wrong. Technology fails. Slides don't load. Microphones cut out. The difference between professionals and amateurs shows in how they handle these moments. Barack Obama doesn't panic when a microphone fails because someone hands him another one while he stays calm. That composure comes from preparation.
Angela shared a story about pitching to Adidas when her slides completely failed. Rather than apologising profusely, she engaged the room in conversation about what they wanted from an agency. She asked questions, listened carefully, and when the slides finally worked, she pointed out that their presentation hit the exact balance the clients had mentioned wanting. They hadn't even realised they'd said it, but hearing their own words reflected back made the pitch irresistible.
Underdog stories resonate most powerfully
We root for Peter Parker, not Spider-Man. We connect with Luke Skywalker, not the Empire. Every Hollywood story follows this pattern because humans love resilience. Treena shared how she failed out of journalism school, delivered an impassioned speech to get back in, then graduated and got her dream job teaching the class. That failure point became her triumph. Marketing the struggle makes you relatable.
Routine updates present their own challenge. Team meetings where everyone uses the same monotone voice drain energy from the room. The solution sits in remembering why you're sharing information in the first place.
What value does your update give colleagues? What will make their work easier this week? That mindset shift changes everything.
Pattern interrupting works brilliantly for breaking monotony. Angela asks bosses on Friday afternoons if they're "PowerPointed out" and suggests grabbing coffee instead. She's never once planned this casually, by the way. She's scouted the coffee shop, prepared a no-slides version of her update, and calculated every detail. But the act of asking makes the other person feel valued. They might still want the PowerPoint, but they'll appreciate that you cared enough to offer an alternative.
Give yourself a role
The workshop tackled a question many marketers face: how to facilitate conversations when you're not the subject matter expert. One senior executive was criticised for staying quiet in meetings because she managed projects rather than owning the technical content. Treena's advice transformed her approach: give yourself a role. Walk in and say "I'm the super connector who gets all the subject matter experts in the room together." That positioning made her contribution visible and valuable without requiring her to be the expert on everything. Hybrid meetings came up as particularly challenging. Treena and Angela's answer was blunt: they refuse to do hybrid presentations because the experience suffers for everyone involved.
Sometimes the best presentation choice is setting clear boundaries about what works. Throughout the session, they returned to one message: all these skills are learnable. You don't need to be a natural extrovert or born performer. You need frameworks, preparation, and the courage to focus on your audience instead of your nerves. Small shifts create big impact.
3 Take-aways
Switch your focus from "I" to "you"
Do this in every interaction; lead with questions about the other person before talking about yourself or your business. This small change creates instant rapport and positions you as someone who values relationships.
Keep a backup plan for every presentation
Prepare a list of icebreaker questions, practice presenting without slides, and scout locations if suggesting alternatives to formal meetings. Professionals who handle failure smoothly do so because they've planned for it.
Reframe your struggles as underdog stories
The setbacks, rejections, and failures that feel embarrassing are actually your most powerful material for building connection. Audiences root for people who kept going despite the odds.
2 Action Items
Write your self-introduction
Use the impact formula: "I help [people] do [something] so they can [achieve result]." Practice this version at your next networking event or client meeting and notice how differently people respond.
Create a note in your phone titled "Icebreakers"
Add 10-15 conversation starters you can use when presentations go wrong or meetings need energy. Build this list over time until you have 200 options ready for any situation.
"Owning the room starts with owning the relationship."