Stop Sounding Boring And Start Speaking Like a Leader

By Patrina Pellett, PhD

On a recent training alignment call, we were trying to figure out exactly why a Medical Affairs team wanted help with presentation skills.

What was the real issue?

When Sarah and I know the specific challenge, we become snipers and can build exactly the training a team needs. But on this call, the language was vague. Polite. Careful. Which made it hard to get to the root of the problem.

→ “They’re not really bringing the data to life.”
→ “They’re just so... ugh.”
→ “There’s no energy.”

Finally, I said what everyone else was avoiding:

“They sound boring.”

There was a beat of silence. Some nervous laughs. Then the MSL lead nodded and said, “Yes. That’s it.”

The problem wasn’t that the MSLs lacked knowledge. The science was solid. The content was clear. But the way it was delivered was flat. Forgettable. Easy to tune out.

And when no one wants to listen to you, your impact disappears, no matter how good your message is. This isn’t about being more polished. It’s about showing up with presence. When you don’t bring energy, executive presence, and enthusiasm (whatever you want to call it), you’re not speaking like a leader.

Keep reading to learn how to stop sounding boring and start speaking like a leader.

The Way Most MSLs Prepare Is Backwards

Most MSLs approach presentations like a pop quiz:

→ Know the data.
→ Memorize the endpoints.
→ Rehearse data dumping the slides.

But almost no attention goes to how the message is delivered. And that’s where everything breaks down. Because research shows that 38% of communication is vocal. Not your words, but how you say them. Tone, pacing, energy, pauses.

When you don’t train for that, your message suffers. And so does your credibility.

Boring Delivery Is Costing You Influence

When MSLs deliver important data in a flat, rushed, or monotone voice, it doesn’t matter how good the content is.

It doesn’t land.
It doesn’t connect.
And it definitely doesn’t lead.

This shows up in small but significant ways:

• You get skipped over in discussions

• Your ideas get ignored or re-explained by someone louder

• You walk out of meetings thinking, “I'm not being seen by my manager and team.”

And it’s even more visible when you’re side-by-side with a field colleague from commercial. They speak with power. You fade into the background. Not because you’re less capable. But because you haven’t been trained to speak like a leader.

Great Communicators Aren’t Born. They Train.

The biggest myth in communication skills? That some people are just “naturals” when it comes to presenting. They’re not.

They’ve trained. A lot.

→ They’ve practiced eliminating filler words.
→ They’ve learned to use silence instead of rushing.
→ They’ve figured out how to make their voice match their message.

That’s exactly what we built the Elite Presentation Lab to do.

The Elite Presentation Lab: Training Built for MSLs Who Want To Be Power Presenters

The Elite Presentation Lab is an AI-powered training experience designed specifically for MSLs. It combines real-world scenarios with personalized feedback to help you sound more confident, clear, and compelling, wherever you speak. You'll:

• Learn how to vary your pace to hold attention.
• Practice projecting without sounding forced.
• Track your growth with personalized delivery metrics.

We also integrate foundational exercises from our Presentation Mastery program for those who need to strengthen core skills before advancing to AI-driven training.



We offer training for individual MSLs ready to level up and for Medical Affairs teams who want to raise the bar across the field. Because in this role, communication is the job. And better delivery drives better outcomes.

Want to Lead? Train Like It.

Leadership in Medical Affairs doesn’t start with a title. It starts with how you show up in a room, virtual or otherwise.

If your voice doesn’t reflect your expertise, people won’t hear the value in what you’re saying. And that’s a silent career killer.

So let’s fix it.

Because when you stop sounding boring and start speaking like a leader, everything changes.

👉 Learn more about the Elite Presentation Lab →