Think communication coaching is only for executives? Here’s why that’s keeping you stuck in entry-level roles
You’re smart. You’re capable. Your work is solid.
So why does it feel like the people around you keep getting bigger opportunities while you stay stuck proving yourself over and over again?
If you’re an ambitious woman working in SaaS, especially in an entry-level or early-career role, there’s a good chance you’ve been told, either directly or indirectly, that public speaking coaching is something you worry about later. After you’re already leading a team, giving presentations at all-hands meetings, or speaking on panels.
But that thinking is backwards.
The truth is, strong professional communication skills are often the thing that helps early-career women become obvious choices for promotion in the first place.
Because promotions rarely happen based on hard work alone. They happen when people can clearly see your leadership potential. And how you communicate at work plays a huge role in whether they do.
In this post, we’re going to talk about why this myth is so common, how it may be slowing down your career growth, what strong workplace communication actually looks like before the executive level, and what you can start doing differently now to position yourself for bigger opportunities.
Let’s unpack.
Why it’s been so easy to believe this myth
If you search for communication coaching or public speaking training online, most of what you’ll find is geared toward senior leaders and executives.
You’ll see phrases like:
“Lead the boardroom”
“Command executive meetings”
“Influence at the C-suite level”
And while those skills matter, there’s almost no conversation about how you actually get there.
No one really talks about the communication skills you need before you become an executive:
How to advocate for yourself in performance reviews
How to speak up confidently in meetings
How to handle difficult conversations with peers and clients
How to pitch yourself for stretch projects
How to communicate your ideas clearly enough that people trust you with more responsibility
So naturally, a lot of ambitious women assume communication coaching is something they’ll invest in once they’ve already “made it.”
But that’s exactly the problem.
Because the women who move up fastest usually aren’t waiting until executive level to learn how to communicate like leaders. They start developing and showcasing those skills much earlier.
And if no one has told you that before, you’re not alone.
How this myth keeps ambitious women stuck in entry-level roles
One of the biggest misconceptions in the workplace is the idea that great work speaks for itself.
And sometimes it does.
But more often? People get promoted when they can both do the work and communicate their value effectively.
That’s especially true in SaaS organizations where collaboration, visibility, client communication, and cross-functional relationships matter so much.
You can be incredibly capable and still get overlooked if:
You struggle to articulate your ideas clearly
You shy away from difficult conversations
You downplay (or never acknowledge) your achievements
You wait for your manager to notice your potential on their own
You don’t communicate interest in growth opportunities
Unfortunately, this is where a lot of high-performing women get stuck.
I’ve seen it with peers and clients over and over again: women who are absolutely capable of leading, but who only show that leadership in smaller, safer spaces. They know how to do the work, but they haven’t learned how to consistently show up as someone ready for the next level.
And in many cases, they assume their manager will connect the dots automatically. But managers have a lot on their plates and leaving your growth up to them both gives away your agency and leaves your success up to chance. It’s the “hard way” to get where you want to be in your career.
The best way to get what you want is to ask for it. And being able to make that ask effectively matters.
If you don’t know how to advocate for yourself, position yourself strategically, or communicate your thinking with confidence, people may continue to see you as “junior” even when your performance says otherwise.
That disconnect can slow your career advancement for years.
The good news? It’s a skill gap, not a capability gap. And that puts you back in control.
Enter communication coaching.
The truth about communication coaching
Communication coaching goes beyond preparing for keynote speeches or executive presentations. In fact, it goes beyond public speaking training.
At its core, communication coaching helps you become more effective in your current role while also strategically positioning you for your next one.
Especially in client-facing roles, sales, onboarding, customer success, or collaborative SaaS environments, strong communication creates leverage.
When you can explain yourself clearly and confidently:
Your ideas are more likely to be heard
Leadership trusts your judgment faster
You stand out in meetings
You become easier to picture in higher-level roles
All of this helps build your case for promotion, but it’s not a guarantee you’ll be considered if you can’t take it a step further and advocate for yourself.
That might look like:
Pitching yourself for a stretch project
Speaking confidently about your accomplishments
Building stronger internal relationships
Demonstrating leadership potential before you officially have the title
This is what executive presence actually looks like in the early stages of your career.
And this doesn’t mean you have to be someone you’re not or be the loudest person in the room. You can be an introvert and still advocate for your career growth. But you have to be able to understand and articulate your value and your goals to make it from Point A to Point B.
And when you do that consistently, opportunities start opening up much faster.
What to do differently now
If you’ve been treating professional communication as something you’ll work on later, this is your sign to stop waiting.
Even if communication doesn’t feel like a major weakness for you, working with a communication coach can help you identify blind spots you may not even realize are affecting how others perceive your leadership potential.
Because even if you’re speaking confidently at your current level, you may not be positioning yourself effectively for the next level.
If your focus appears limited, you’re asking the wrong kinds of questions, or not saying the quiet part out loud when you’re explaining ideas that tie into larger business goals, you may not be coming across as strategic enough for a leadership role.
A coach can help you practice both the skills you need to excel at your current level and how to adjust them to make it to the next level. So that by the time your opportunity arises, you’ll be ready to leverage them instead of second-guessing yourself.
It’s exactly what I work with clients on inside my coaching program, Director-Level Communication.
How to make it happen - fast
In Director-Level Communication, we focus on building the skills required to demonstrate your leadership ability before anyone hands you the opportunity to do so. And that looks different when you are in the weeds doing the work than it does when you are focused on managing people and driving strategy for your team.
We talk about how to communicate with leaders in a way that signals leadership and doesn't signal a junior mindset. We dig deep into the inner work that must be done so that my clients can embody the versions of themselves that can demonstrate their potential from within the roles that they hold right now.
You might be thinking ‘okay, but what does this actually look like in practice’?
We start by discussing the foundations of what makes for effective public speaking:
How to prepare a presentation
How to deliver it effectively
How to speak on the fly in a meeting
Then we hone in on fixing their specific habits like:
Using tons of filler words
Undermining themselves with phrases like “does that make sense?”
Rambling on without making their point really stick
The next layer down focuses on turning this skillset into action:
We get clear on what they’re trying to achieve
We practice speaking their value without apology
We strategize on how to position and pitch themselves for the opportunities they’re after
This isn't just where to put your hands when you speak or how to give off gravitas. We discuss those, they're important, but they're not everything.
The heart of the work that we do together is in the lasting mindset shifts that come from knowing you can speak your ideas clearly, that your voice deserves to be heard, and that the way you experience yourself is reflected in the way you present yourself.
Real world results
“I had the pleasure of working with Mara at a time when I was considering a role pivot and trying to gain clarity on my professional goals and potential opportunities. Working with her was invaluable and aided tremendously in charting my path forward.
We focused on addressing imposter syndrome, self-advocacy in the workplace, executive presence with authentic communication, and leadership skill development.
I highly recommend that any professional work with Mara, whether you’re looking to develop professional skills, hone in on your personal values and strengths, or working toward a career advancement or pivot.”
-Lindsee, Growth Executive
In the year after our time working together, Lindsee pivoted from Customer Onboarding to Sales. She then grew in her Sales role from niche, low commission deals, to a Growth Executive title and a high-commission portfolio. AKA a huge return on her investment that led to meaningful change for her and her family.
And it didn’t come out of nowhere.
These were the results of learning how to communicate her value more effectively and position herself for bigger opportunities.
Ready to stop letting growth opportunities pass you by? I can help with that.
If this post helped you realize that communication skills have been the missing piece between where you are and where you’re going in your career, you’re in an exciting spot.
That clarity? It matters. But clarity alone doesn’t make it happen.
Inside Director-Level Communication, I’ll help you:
✔️ Set the foundations for strong public speaking, presentation, and workplace communication
✔️ Get clear on how to articulate your strengths & the value you bring and how to position yourself to be a no-brainer choice when the opportunity presents itself
✔️ Actually follow through (because you’re not doing it alone anymore)
Let’s close the gap between where you are… and where you actually want to be.
