Why Quiet Professionals Struggle to Be Heard And How to Change That

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Insights from Niamh O'Brien's Quiet Power Workshop | September 29, 2025

Your expertise is solid. You've earned your place at the table. But when it's time to speak up in that meeting, pitch your idea, or advocate for yourself—something stops you.

You're not alone. And here's the good news: the skills to communicate with quiet confidence are completely learnable.

Last week, Niamh O'Brien—communication coach and former management consultant—shared her journey from socially anxious and barely able to speak, to becoming a top-performing industry leader. Her secret? Learning to engage with her whole self: how she speaks, shows up, and carries herself with authenticity.

Click to download the slides from the workshop in here:

NOBrien_Unlock-Your-Quiet-Power_250925-PMI-NSW.pdf

The Four Pillars of Quietly Powerful Communication

Niamh broke down her framework into four actionable areas that any professional can apply immediately:

1. Know Yourself and Others

Communication starts with self-awareness. When you understand how you speak best—and recognize patterns in others—everything shifts. People listen more. You connect better.

The key question: When do you feel most comfortable speaking? Identify those conditions and recreate them intentionally.

2. Conversational Mastery

Your voice changes when you're nervous. It might speed up, get quieter, or lose steadiness. But small adjustments create massive impact.

Niamh's practical tips: Pause before answering. Speak slightly slower. Use simple, clear words. Think through your main point first. These micro-changes help you sound calmer and more assured—even when pressure's high.

3. Personal Presence Activation

Here's what most people miss: your body language communicates before you say a word. How you sit, whether you make eye contact, your facial expressions—they all signal confidence.

Choose 2–3 qualities you want others to notice (confident, approachable, credible) and show them through your physical presence.

4. Be Your Own Champion

Under pressure, patterns emerge: talking faster, speaking quietly, forgetting your point, looking down. Recognize these in yourself.

Then build your pre-conversation toolkit: deep breaths, one prepared question, practicing key points out loud. Small preparations create relaxed, ready confidence.

Take These Skills Further

If you've ever felt like your expertise outshines your ability to communicate it, Niamh's created something specifically for you.

Download her free workbook: "Become a Quietly Powerful Communicator" walks you through reflection questions and practical exercises for each of the four pillars. It's designed to help you take meaningful steps starting immediately.

[Download the Workbook Here]

For those ready to go deeper, Niamh offers the Quiet Power Pathway—an 8-week hybrid program combining self-paced modules with live coaching. You'll get personalized feedback on your vocal delivery from a professional actor, plus six one-on-one coaching sessions where you'll work through real challenges in a judgment-free space.

The program includes:

  • 4 self-paced modules with short videos (3-15 min each)
  • 30 minutes/week for exercises
  • 75-minute live coaching sessions every two weeks
  • Personalized vocal feedback and techniques you can rely on

Your Next Step

You don't need to become someone you're not. You need skills that work with who you already are.

Start with the workbook. Reflect on the questions. Apply one small change this week.

Your expertise deserves to be heard. Let's make sure it is.

Download Niamh's Free Workbook

Quietly-Confident-Communication-Formula_workbook-0925.pdf

Want to connect with Niamh? Visit NiamhOBrien.au or reach out to explore how the Quiet Power Pathway can transform your communication.