Michael Sinnhuber: public speaking coach, speaker and author

The moment that changed everything

At school and at university I hated speaking in front of others. I trembled all over and never volunteered. Then came a Saturday sociology seminar at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. After the first group exercise, I put my hand up first. Just to get it over with.

The professor gave me positive feedback. At the next opportunity I volunteered again, and then again and again. That small step changed everything. It showed me that speaking isn’t a talent, it’s something you can learn. Or, as Demosthenes put it: “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”

Every sales conversation is a presentation

I spent almost seven years in sales at Hewlett-Packard, first for retail chains such as Libro, Pagro and MediaMarkt, then for B2B resellers. That is where I learned that every sales conversation is a presentation in miniature. Speak clearly and really listen to the other person, and you will win them over.

MCPREZI: presentations that move decisions

In 2012 I founded MCPREZI. Since then I have worked on pitch decks and presentations that have secured contracts and funding worth six, seven and eight figures. The largest contract was worth 95 million euros.

What made the difference was never the product alone, but how it was presented. And in the end, it always came down to the person at the front of the room.

I have been a Prezi Expert since 2013, and in 2019 I was named a Prezi Certified Diamond Expert, one of the top 7 worldwide.

In 2016, the international platform Presentation Guru published three articles I wrote as a guest author:

• “Those Crucial Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring Your Next Keynote Speaker”
• “When it Comes to Presentations – Less is More”
• “Presentation is a High Performance Sport – There Are NO Miracles”

Leading and finding solutions together

Since 2019 I have been managing director of Mittersill Plus, the regional marketing and tourism organisation for Mittersill, Hollersbach and Stuhlfelden. I am often on stage and work with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, from local businesses and municipalities to partners across the region. It isn’t just about persuading them, but about finding solutions together. That only works if you are clear about where you want to go, and you listen well.

I also lead my own team. So I know from experience what really matters when speaking as a leader: not the perfect speech, but a team that understands where things are heading and comes with you.

Why I focus on speaking today

AI can build slides in seconds. What it can’t do is stand in front of people, build trust and win them over. That is why today I focus on people: in coaching, in workshops for teams and as a speaker.

Everything I have learned in more than 14 years has gone into the House of Speaking method and in my book “3, 2, 1… Reden ist jetzt Deins” (in German).