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Getting into public speaking

Getting into public speaking

jbrooksuk

Comments (45)

  • somethingsome
    I'm always surprised by the amount of advises in rehearsal.I like to give public speaches, but I organize myself completely differently. I spend much time making Slides that are easy to follow and logically ordered, and in each I know that I can say a little more or a little less without disrupting the message. I know that I can count on 1 slide = 1 min. Unless lots of images.I don't rehearse as I know that I prepared well my slides. Then during the talk I add more or less informations naturally depending on the time left and on the facial expressions of the audience. I usually finish exactly on time.Usually I read my slides and think about what exactly to say only just before the talk.I find this way more natural, and less scripted, and I usually get compliments on my presentation and naturalness. I think rehearsing removes much of the naturalness of a talk, unless that aspect is worked extensively, but that could sound a little too scripted for my taste.One trick that I use often if I tend to forget some information that is important to say, is to put one word that trigger the information IN the slide, but in very light Grey, and in a natural place, like close to an image. So if I ever forget what to say, I have my landmarks in each slide to guide me.
  • david_shaw
    In my experience, getting over the fear of public speaking is really just an exercise in exposure therapy. There are no silver bullets.But my advice to current and future public speakers is this: never, ever add fluff to fill the engagement time. Every audience everywhere would rather you take 33 minutes instead of 50 if those 17 minutes would have been filled with, basically, garbage information designed to fill time.It's awful how often people think giving a talk is some kind of speech class homework. It's not. You're not graded on filling the time.
  • captn3m0
    Good advice. One of the things I suffer from is speaking too fast, and yet to find a good solution for it. I put a sticky note on my screen reminding me to slow down these days, but it only helps so much.Another comprehensive guide for tech-speakers is https://speaking.io/ by Zach Holman.
  • tanin
    For an absolute beginner in public speaking who has fear of public speaking, I'd recommend joining Toastmasters.A Toastmasters club is like a simulated environment for public speaking where everyone is extremely supportive. I was still anxious even I knew that at the beginning... even when everyone insisted anything was okay.After 100+ speech giving at a club in Bellevue, now I don't feel anxious anymore speaking in front of 50+ people in a real-world situation where everyone might not be supportive. I can just get up and speak.It's funny how our minds even work. It turns out simulation is good enough for training our minds.The quality of public speaking is a separate aspect. Toastmasters do help with that but I can't claim I am good at it yet. But, for anxiety, I now feel almost nothing.
  • Jnr
    How to speak from Patrick Winston at MIT is my go to. A must watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY
  • macintux
    A collection of related resources: https://gist.github.com/macintux/5354837
  • drsim
    I love public speaking, think I'm above average at it, and am aiming to do more of it. Has anyone here tried Toastmasters?Went to my local group last week and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of speaking.
  • ColinWright
    I gave nearly 100 talks this calendar year ... most are repeats where I'm invited to give a talk that people have seen elsewhere. There were about 25 different talks.Some of the advice given in this post is universal, some is very, very specific and should be taken with a huge fistful of salt.So assess it for yourself. Does it feel like it applies to you? Then adopt it.Does it feel odd, alien, or simply wrong? Don't dismiss it immediately. Give it some attention, try to understand why the author is suggesting it, then decide whether or not to give it a go.
  • rednafi
    It’s different for everyone. I love public speaking but tend not to over-rehearse. Also, I prefer smaller conferences and meetups than large sprawling ones.
  • csswizardry
  • lucidplot
    if you don't fancy toastmasters, sign up for a beginner's improv class in your area.
  • mnky9800n
    I love to give talks but I find I only do them at science conferences where I’ve submitted things out as an invited speaker at universities. How do I find new places to give talks about my interests?
  • joshu
    i gave a TED talk once. endless practice and repeated testing to make sure every line was good enough. it wasn’t great but better than any talk i had done previously.
  • fxwin
    as for #6: I also like to keep my intro light-hearted, but wouldn't straight up start with a joke. Let the audience settle in a bit, actually start listening to you and make them laugh "on slide 2" so to speak.