Best Public Speakers Series: Susanna Pollack

by David Prete

We included Susanna Pollack on our "Best Public Speakers" list because of her ability to be a persuasive and poised speaker. She comes across as extremely invested in the work she does and how it is affecting people.

Susanna is the President of Games for Change, a global nonprofit and community dedicated to using video games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.

In this video Pollack introduces the 2020 Games For Change Festival; an international, virtual meeting for the global gaming community.

What are the main communication takeaways?

• Energy - Pollack has a way of allowing her enthusiasm for the festival and the larger scope of her work to come through. Her words are infused with a kind of energy that shows she believes in her cause and what she is saying about it, and the kind of change it is creating.

  
  

• Polish - Her articulation is clear and her word choice/content is very well worked out. She has a way of being simple and complex in her phrasing.

  
  

• Variation in her voice - The changes in tone and pitch of her voice vary as she switches from subject matter to subject matter. This is one of the reasons that she’s able to hold attention throughout the entire talk.

How could she improve?

• Balance being polished and relaxed - Being polished can of course can be a strength, but there is something about the way she delivers this talk that makes it seem like she is reading to instead of speaking directly to the viewer. At times, this creates a distance between herself and her intended audience.

  
  

• Incorporate more variety in gestures - For the most part, she either holds her hands clasped in front of her or on the surface in front of her. This comes across as her not quite knowing what to do with her hands and evokes some self-consciousness.

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