Speaking

[NOTE: material based on original documents from Lloyd Jenkins]

The process of a talk

Think

This is the most intellectual aspect of giving a talk. You need to think very well what is the core message you want to deliver and build around it as much detail as the time you have for the talk allows (never more). The following tips might be of use:

• Very explicitly come up with the core message/punch line of your presentation. Having it clear in your mind will help through the preparation and delivery of the talk
• Write an outline of the talk. Start very general and fill in details. At the end it should look close to the outline of your slides.
• Allocate expected times to each parts of the outline. This will help you be realistic and stay within the time boundaries you need to.

Prepare

Once you have a pretty clear idea of what you are going to say comes the preparation stage. This involves design, writing and, above all, practicing.

• Spend enough time on the slides. Crafting the perfect materials to accompaign your talk will not only create a good set of visuals but will also force you to spend a lot of time thinking and internalizing the main elements of your talk.
• Every word, image or resource you use in a talk is precious because it takes a large share of the final product. Get convinced that everything you put in needs to be there. More is almost never better when it comes to speaking.
• Once you have a first draft of your presentation, practice it to get the timings right.
• Iterate on the previous point until convergence to happiness and content.

Talk

The actual talk should be the part you spend the least time of the entire process. If you have done enough preparation, you should feel comfortable and ready to speak. You have spent a lot of time for this moment, allow yourself to enjoy it.

• Get to know where the talk will place, what technology will be available (e.g. beamer) and, if you can, have a look at it before the day of the talk. Feeling comfortable is key for good speaking.
• Try to be as calm as possible. Breath, relax and cherish the moment to tell the world about something you know very well. Have water ready for the talk (your mouth is likely to dry while you speak).
• Be confident and enthusiastic about what you are presenting. Both are contageous (and so are the lack of them).
• Aim to be entertaining too. A talk is not a text read aloud. Take advantage of it.
• Design the talk as self-contained as possible. Expect people to know as little as possible about what you are going to talk.
• Engage with the audience, try to look and connect with them. There is nothing worse than listening to somebody talking to a wall.
• Emphasize what is important by repeating it over the talk or spending more time on it.

Resources

• How to Prep for a Presentation, by Clay Johnson
• Your body language shapes who you are, TED talk by Amy Cuddy

Hilary Mason has several posts on speaking that are all well worth reading. Some of the more relevant posts include:

• Two Questions to Ask Before You Give a Talk
• Spend at least 1/3 of the time practicing the talk
• Pick a Vague and Specific Title for Your Talk

See a complete and updated list here.

Example clips

• Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days

• Hans Rosling: 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes