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A talk about talks

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

welcomebrand

October 10, 2013
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  1. Creative Director @Offroadcode I tweet a lot from @welcomebrand I

    also sell kitchen knives @cutedgeknives James Young Thursday, 10 October
  2. 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
  3. My first talk The things you learn when you’re the

    client Hybrid Conference - August 2013, Cardiff Thursday, 10 October
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. Selling chef knives • Know more than most of customers

    • Accept that some people know more than us • Keep learning! Thursday, 10 October
  12. 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
  13. 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