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Developing a Commanding Presence: One Consultant's Development Path to Partner

  • Writer: Stephanie Bickel
    Stephanie Bickel
  • Sep 4
  • 3 min read

Senior presence starts with sound. A steadier pace, grounded pitch, and purposeful silence will change how clients read your judgment, before they ever read your slides.


Leadership Communication

The Situation


An emerging leader at a top consulting firm told me: “I crush internal meetings, but in client rooms I speed up, fill space, and sound… younger.”


We built a two-week plan to make her voice match her expertise. Here's the exact framework so you can do the same.


1) Reset the Mindset (your voice follows your thoughts)


Adopt these four beliefs before you speak:


  • I love these people. (Warmth on entry.)

  • I know more than they do, about this problem. (Calm authority, not arrogance.)

  • I’m fighting to solve a serious problem. (Energy with purpose.)

  • We’re going to make progress today. (Forward momentum.)


Future-Self Drill (60 seconds): Close your eyes and picture yourself as an AP on the verge of partner. How do you sit? How slow is your first sentence? Keep that movie running while you talk.


2) Tune the Instrument (low effort, high return)


Morning 5-Minute Warm-Up


  • :10 Posture reset: feet flat, hips level, sternum tall, jaw loose.

  • :60 Diaphragm wake-up: inhale 4, exhale 6 on an “s”; repeat 5x.

  • :60 Hums & lip buzzes: gentle mmm → oh slides.

  • :60 Pitch glide (“sirens”): glide down to a comfortable lower speaking note, don’t push it; just find it.

  • :60 Power words on one breath: read a sentence and underline 3 words with weight. Drop your tone on the last word.

  • :50 Projection check: speak slower + louder (counter-intuitive but easier on the cords than whispering).

Pro tip: A slightly louder voice at a lower pitch reduces strain and signals steadiness.

3) Sound Senior (delivery rules you can do today)


  • One idea per breath. If you can’t say it on one breath, it’s two ideas.

  • 15% slower than your habit. (You’ll feel slow. It will sound perfect.)

  • Three bold words. Per sentence, choose 3 words to land; everything else is connective tissue.

  • Downbeat endings. Finish statements with a gentle downward inflection.

  • Own the pause. Beat of silence after the key point; let clients digest.


Before/After


  • Before: “We looked at supply risk across vendors and we think we should...”

  • After: “Here’s the risk. Two vendors. Here’s the exposure. Eight weeks. Here’s the plan. Dual-source by Q4.” (Downbeat. Pause.)


4) Let Your Body Do Half the Work (nonverbals that read senior)


  • Chair discipline: Back in the chair, use armrests to stay open; no fold-over or knee tuck.

  • Eye contact: One eye at a time, 3–5 seconds. Then move. (Feels focused, not staring.)

  • Gesture set:

    • Serving platter (palms up, shoulder-width) when presenting options.

    • Micro-gestures at collarbone height for analytical points.

    • Release hands back to stillness; don’t leave gestures “hanging.”

  • Face: Neutral-to-warm at rest; eyebrows for emphasis, not surprise.

  • Signalers: Clean lines in clothing, crisp frames on glasses, visual shorthand for order and intellect.


Fast Wins You’ll Feel This Week


  • Start lower. Your first sentence sets your baseline pitch, choose it.

  • Speak to names. “Chris, here’s the risk.” Names slow you down and focus authority.

  • Shorter sentences. Periods are power.

  • Release the gesture. Ending movements communicates decisiveness.


Self-Coaching


  • Vocal Warm-Ups: Speak by Design Podcast, Lesson #13 (morning routine).

  • One-minute scripts to rehearse:

    • Recommendation: “We recommend Dual-Sourcing, because cost, resilience, timing.”

    • Status Update: “Green on throughput; amber on staffing; risk on Week 7.”

    • Success Story: “Client cut lead time 22% by standardizing changeovers.”

    • Picture of the Future: “By Q4, you’ll see a steadier line, fewer expedites, and a 5-point margin lift.”


Clients don’t promote voices, they promote judgment. But judgment is heard through sound: grounded pitch, deliberate pace, confident silence. Train the instrument. Align the mindset.


Run the plays. Your voice will convey “Partner” before your title does.


If you want feedback on your delivery, work with one of our private coaches. We’ll help you tighten pace, land bold words, and dial in that downbeat. Inside Speak by Design University, we practice the same skills: building the sound, presence, and delivery that make people hear ‘Partner’ before they see the title.

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