How to Speak Clearly & With Confidence | Matt Abrahams

Summary of How to Speak Clearly & With Confidence | Matt Abrahams

by Scicomm Media

2h 26m•November 17, 2025
Listen to Episode

Overview of How to Speak Clearly & With Confidence | Matt Abrahams

This Huberman Lab episode (guest: Matt Abrahams, Stanford GSB) focuses on practical, evidence-informed ways to improve communication in public speaking, one‑on‑one conversations, spontaneous interactions, and online formats. Abrahams emphasizes mindset, structure, rehearsal practices, anxiety management (breath + NSDR), improvisation drills, and real‑time recovery tools — all aimed at increasing clarity, credibility, and connection without forcing memorization or inauthentic performance.

Key takeaways

  • Don’t memorize scripted speeches — memorization increases cognitive load and raises the chance of blanking out. Use structure and a roadmap instead.
  • Connection beats credentialing as an opener. Hook the audience, show relevance, then demonstrate credibility (career credentials + “Costco credibility” via samples of value).
  • Authenticity = knowing what you stand for and communicating that clearly; it requires introspection and practice.
  • Manage anxiety via physiology (exhale‑emphasized breathing, cooling, movement), mindset (rationalize odds, imagine positive outcomes), and rehearsed contingency plans.
  • Practice deliberately: record yourself, do improv drills, rehearse starts, and get feedback. Repetition + reflection + feedback = improvement.

Practical tools & exercises

Mindset & preparation

  • Define your audience + clear goal: “What (info) — So what (meaning) — Now what (action)?”
  • Use structures: problem → solution → benefit, or beginning → middle → end, or “What? So what? Now what?”
  • Hook first (provocative fact, question, story). Delay credentialing until you’ve engaged people.

Rehearsal drills

  • Record presentations and review three times: audio only, video only, then audio+video.
  • Read your daily schedule out loud once/day, “landing” each phrase (be out of breath at phrase end) to reduce filler words.
  • Tongue‑twisters to get present and warm up the voice.
  • Improv drills (pointing game / name something else for 15s; random object monologues; partner Q&A) to train spontaneity and reduce internal judgment.
  • Role‑play high‑stakes conversations (raise, feedback, Q&A).

In‑moment fixes & recovery

  • If you blank: retrace your last sentence; repeat what you just said to get back on track.
  • If that fails: ask the audience a question (pauses + redirection buys thinking time).
  • Don’t pre‑apologize or announce nerves (that primes the audience to watch for errors).
  • Use paraphrasing to regain control when someone interrupts: synthesize their point, then move on.

Managing anxiety & physiology

  • Exhale‑emphasized breathing (longer exhale than inhale) slows heart rate and calms quickly.
  • NSDR / Yoga Nidra (10–30 minutes) helps recover sleep loss and trains the mind to be relaxed yet alert.
  • Small physical cooling (hold something cold) reduces blushing/sweating; pacing/movement disperses excess autonomic energy.
  • Warm up by having a short conversation just before presenting (a “speech warmup” — gets you out of your head).
  • Avoid beta blockers as a first resort; they can slow cognition — prefer behavioral and breathing strategies.

Speaking style, rhythm & visuals

  • Vary cadence and rhythm — pattern disruption engages attention (analogy: Lego manual designers create rhythm to sustain engagement).
  • Movement rules: move during setup/transitions; stand still for punchlines/key lines to “stick the landing.”
  • Slides/drawings: aim for a “sweet spot” — enough detail to be meaningful but sparse enough to support (not overwhelm) the spoken message.
  • Storytelling: “parachute in” — start with the story/point, then add context; keep it concise (tell the time, don’t build the clock).

Audience, credibility & authenticity

  • Credibility has two parts: documented credentials and immediate demonstrable value (“Costco credibility”).
  • Lead with curiosity in conversation (ask questions, “tell me more”) — people talk easily about themselves and that builds rapport.
  • Adapt to audience cultures/generations: younger audiences may expect faster, more frequent changes of pace; older audiences may prefer slower build.
  • For neurodiversity and non‑native speakers: focus on getting the message across (use repetition, examples, analogies), and play to strengths (detail, different prosody).

Common listener Q&A — concise answers

  • Should I memorize? No. Know your structure and key phrases; rehearse starts; use note cards for exact data.
  • How to stop filler words (“um”, “like”)? Practice “landing phrases” (be out of breath at phrase ends), read aloud daily to train pauses.
  • How to handle interruptions? Set expectations up front; paraphrase interrupter’s point, then move the agenda along.
  • How to ask for a raise? Pick the right time/context; frame value from your boss’s perspective; rehearse the ask and anticipate responses.
  • How to prepare quickly when sleep deprived? Use NSDR/yoga nidra, breathe (exhale emphasis), cool yourself, and do a short warmup conversation.

Actionable checklist (start here)

  • Before a talk/meeting:
    • Identify audience + goal (info, emotion, action).
    • Create a simple structure (3 main points or What/So what/Now what).
    • Rehearse start aloud until comfortable (don’t memorize full script).
    • Prepare contingency: tech fail, blanking, interruptions.
    • Do a short warmup (tongue twister, quick convo, breath exercises).
  • Daily practice:
    • 1 minute nightly: jot 1–2 things that went well + 1–2 to improve.
    • Weekly: 5-minute review; pick one micro‑skill to work on.
    • Read your schedule aloud daily, landing phrases.
    • Do an improv/description drill once a week.
  • Recording & feedback:
    • Record yourself (audio only; video only; both).
    • Get trusted critique from 1–2 people.
    • Iterate based on reflection + feedback.

Notable quotes & short mnemonics

  • “Don’t memorize.” (Use a roadmap instead.)
  • “Costco credibility” — let the audience sample your value.
  • “Tell me more.” — three words that unlock small‑talk and draw people out.
  • “Landing the phrase” — tool to reduce filler words.
  • “Repetition + reflection + feedback” — the triad for improvement.

Final note

Matt Abrahams emphasizes that communication skills are learnable and trainable: mix planning (structure, slides, goal), rehearsal (recordings, role plays, improv), and in‑moment tools (breath, movement, paraphrase). Small daily practices compound into substantial improvements in clarity, confidence, and connection.