Does listening make you a better speaker? What I saw in a friend’s presentation
By Yogesh Pandey · 22 October 2026 · 2 min read
In my experience, yes. You become a better speaker by listening better first. A friend in my MBA became one of the best presenters I had seen after two days, and the only thing I did was listen to him for thirty minutes. I did not give him a single tip.
The friend on the hostel balcony
There was a guy in my MBA. Every night he sat alone on the hostel balcony. He told me his parents had spent so much money sending him there, and he asked whether he was even worth it.
I am a coach, so I wanted to give him tips, books and frameworks. But I stopped. I just listened, for thirty minutes, and he opened his whole heart.
Two days later
Two days later it was his presentation, and I was in the audience. My coaching brain started counting his filler words and awkward pauses while my face looked interested.
After two minutes I stopped counting, because I saw it in his eyes. Hope. It was one of the best presentations of his life, and I had not given him a single tip.
What I took from it
He is not bad at talking. Most people are scared of being judged. When one person really listens, that fear drops. This is what I saw in one person, not a controlled study.
Only a good listener can become a good speaker. If you do not listen to people, why should they listen to you?
- In your next meeting, do not plan your reply.
- Just listen until the other person finishes.
This started as a talking-head reel. See more at @theyogeshpandey.