A talk about talks

How my first public talk went and the lessons I learnt from it and why more of us should conquer our fears and try speaking

Transcript

1. A talk about talks Second Wednesday - Nottingham October 2013 Thursday, 10 October
2. Creative Director @Offroadcode I tweet a lot from @welcomebrand I also sell kitchen knives @cutedgeknives James Young Thursday, 10 October
3. What is this about? • What I remember from my first talk • Why I now actually quite like talking • Why lots of people don’t • Why you should give it a go Thursday, 10 October
4. My first talk The things you learn when you’re the client Hybrid Conference - August 2013, Cardiff Thursday, 10 October
5. Oh the nerves .... • 6 months to worry • 20 minute talk • 150+ attendees • Sharing a conference with some very experienced speakers • Worrying about all the tech and setup Thursday, 10 October
6. Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpower/sets/72157635123084067/ The longest 20 minutes of my life Thursday, 10 October
7. Afterwards • Total elation and relief • Facepalm at not checking my slides were fullscreen • Thrilled people took something from the talk • Meeting some amazing attendees and fellow speakers Thursday, 10 October
8. So why don’t more of us talk? Thursday, 10 October
9. Never spoken at a web conf/event/meetup? Are there any fears/reasons you've not tried yet? Thursday, 10 October
10. The fears are all pretty common Thursday, 10 October
11. Mainly the fear of not being able to properly explain what I'm talking about. https://twitter.com/kaelifa/status/383183922000973824 Concern #1: Not being clear enough Thursday, 10 October
12. Lack of confidence in front of crowds and sounding like a complete idiot. https://twitter.com/FreelanceNathan/status/383224867455516672 Concern #2: Making a total balls of it Thursday, 10 October
13. Impostor syndrome. I wouldn't have the confidence to believe I know what I'm talking about. https://twitter.com/samshupac/status/383185554378354688 Concern #3: Impostor syndrome Thursday, 10 October
14. I stutter / slur a bit when nervous, plus my accent. https://twitter.com/thecodezombie/status/383190390695661568 Concern #4: Something wrong with my voice, accent or appearance Thursday, 10 October
15. https://twitter.com/benhowdle/status/367964684093513728 Thursday, 10 October
16. Not so much ... Thursday, 10 October
17. Most of these things can be overcome with practice Don’t worry! Thursday, 10 October
18. You can be one by sharing your experiences and stories. The Expert • Outline a problem or share a story personal to you • Share your solution or attempts at a solution • People like hearing about success, but love failure stories! • “It depends” Thursday, 10 October
19. Selling chef knives • Know more than most of customers • Accept that some people know more than us • Keep learning! Thursday, 10 October
20. I’d rather [_______________________] than speak in public Thursday, 10 October
21. 61 miles.... I’d rather run here instead of talk in public Thursday, 10 October
22. I need a volunteer... Thursday, 10 October
23. That went well! / Oh dear ... Thursday, 10 October
24. What can you take from this? • Speaking can be scary but those fears can be managed • It’s a great way to expand your horizons and make new contacts • It’s easier to socialise at a conference when you’ve done a talk • It’s up to a conference organiser to decide if your talk is suitable • Give it a go, you’ll feel awesome after! Thursday, 10 October
25. Thank you James Young @welcomebrand & @Offroadcode Thursday, 10 October
26. Some resources & reading On Speaking - http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/on-speaking/ Speaking & Me - http://www.robertmills.me/speaking-and-me/ Feeling of Speaking - https://medium.com/this-happened-to-me/10dee43951d5 Giving your first talk - http://chadtomkiss.co.uk/post/56966187874/giving-your-first-talk Life on the other side - http://www.sazzy.co.uk/2011/01/life-on-the-other-side/ “Glossophobia” - The fear of public speaking - http://www.glossophobia.com/ Some more good news .... No real evidence people are more afraid of speaking than dying - http://www.quora.com/Is-there- Thursday, 10 October