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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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