[PyCon Italy] Why you should pursue public speaking and how to get there

You can find the video on slide #5 at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VHHDtLbRTv83tAdz1skbEE1BMCP3G_Qk.

Fear of public speaking is the most common of all phobias. Want to speak confidently in front of the crowd? This talk shares tips on how to overcome the fear, and ways to get started. You will be prepared to brace presenting from a team meeting to a conference.

Transcript

1. Why You Should Pursue Public Speaking and How to Get There @yennycheung @pyconit
2. IMAGE @yennycheung @pyconit Yenny Cheung From Hong Kong Software Engineer at Yelp In Hamburg ABOUT ME
3. @yennycheung @pyconit Agenda for today Introduction Why should we pursue public speaking? How to get better at it? How to overcome our fear for public speaking? Where do we start?
4. @yennycheung @pyconit Introduction
6. @yennycheung @pyconit Why we should pursue public speaking
7. @yennycheung @pyconit Easier for me to talk in meetings and present at the company Benefits I got from public speaking Being a software engineer is much more than coding, it’s about communication too Have crucial conversations Great trick for introverts to meet people WHY PUBLIC SPEAKING
8. @yennycheung @pyconit How to overcome our fear for public speaking
9. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Our heart racing. 2. Forgetting what to say. 3. Being exposed as a fraud. 4. Not being good enough. HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR What is holding us back
10. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Our heart racing. 2. Forgetting what to say. 3. Being exposed as a fraud. 4. Not being good enough. What is holding us back HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
11. @yennycheung @pyconit COME TO TERMS WITH OUR NERVOUSNESS HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > OUR HEART RACING
12. @yennycheung @pyconit COME TO TERMS WITH OUR NERVOUSNESS FIND YOUR HARBOR HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > OUR HEART RACING
13. @yennycheung @pyconit COME TO TERMS WITH OUR NERVOUSNESS FIND YOUR HARBOR POWER POSE HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > OUR HEART RACING
14. @yennycheung @pyconit COME TO TERMS WITH OUR NERVOUSNESS FIND YOUR HARBOR HUMOR POWER POSE HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > OUR HEART RACING
15. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Our heart racing. 2. Forgetting what to say. 3. Being exposed as a fraud. 4. Not being good enough. What is holding us back HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
16. @yennycheung @pyconit COME TO TERMS WITH OUR NERVOUSNESS FIND YOUR HARBOR HUMOR POWER POSE HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
17. @yennycheung @pyconit HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
18. @yennycheung @pyconit We can rehearse for forgetting what to say: Practice your comeback if you forgot what to say Time yourself Q&A HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
19. @yennycheung @pyconit We can rehearse for potential problems: Rehearse the presentation without slides Try not to rely too much on speaker notes Wifi is bad? Local copies of video / links Bring your own adapters HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
20. @yennycheung @pyconit Q: What if I really blank out on stage? HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
21. @yennycheung @pyconit You can also try: Not telling the audience that you blanked out → your audience is supportive “Let’s skip this for now, and leave this for questions.” Drink water HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > FORGETTING WHAT TO SAY
22. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Our heart racing. 2. Forgetting what to say. 3. Being exposed as a fraud. 4. Not being good enough. What is holding us back HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
23. @yennycheung @pyconit The art of saying “I don’t know”. HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > BEING EXPOSED AS A FRAUD
24. @yennycheung @pyconit You don’t have to be the best on the topic to give a talk about it. HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > BEING EXPOSED AS A FRAUD
25. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Our heart racing. 2. Forgetting what to say. 3. Being exposed as a fraud. 4. Not being good enough. What is holding us back HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
26. Imposter syndrome is dangerous!!! HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
27. Imposter syndrome is dangerous!!! HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH Perceived ability Actual ability
28. @yennycheung @pyconit Set your expectations straight, “one of the best advice for public speaking, is that your first talk will suck. You will get over it!” - Mario Stallone HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
29. @yennycheung @pyconit Q: How good is good enough? HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
30. @yennycheung @pyconit Q: How good is good enough? Attend conference talks. You can use that as a reference. HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
31. @yennycheung @pyconit Not all the talks might be engaging to you → that’s great! The topic that you think will not interest anyone could actually be a hit! HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
32. @yennycheung @pyconit Q: Why would the organizer pick me? How do I standout from other applications? HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
33. @yennycheung @pyconit Common misconception: all meetup and conference organizers are swarmed with applications. Reality: “most organizers spend a lot of time sourcing for talks!” - Antoine Minoux HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
34. @yennycheung @pyconit To make your talk proposal stand out: Check the call for proposal form first HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
35. @yennycheung @pyconit “I recommend you mention in your proposal how you would modify your talk for a shorter slot. That way, the program WG might consider your talk for a shorter slot, should they run out of longer slots.” - Raphael Pierzina HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
36. @yennycheung @pyconit To make your talk proposal stand out: Who - your target audience HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
37. @yennycheung @pyconit To make your talk proposal stand out: Who - your target audience What - what is the takeaway HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
38. @yennycheung @pyconit To make your talk proposal stand out: Who - your target audience What - what is the takeaway How - how do you achieve that (e.g. showing code snippets, walk through examples, theories) HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
39. @yennycheung @pyconit To make your talk proposal stand out: Leverage on your own experience. HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
40. @yennycheung @pyconit Apply again to other places if it didn’t work out for one conference! HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR > NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH
41. @yennycheung @pyconit How to get better at public speaking?
42. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Build 2. Measure 3. Learn 4. Repeat HOW TO GET BETTER The Lean Startup model
43. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Build 2. Measure 3. Learn 4. Repeat HOW TO GET BETTER The Lean Startup model
44. @yennycheung @pyconit PICK TOPICS YOU ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN HOW TO GET BETTER > BUILD
45. @yennycheung @pyconit RUBBER-DUCKING HOW TO GET BETTER > BUILD PICK TOPICS YOU ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN
46. @yennycheung @pyconit RUBBER-DUCKING FIND A GOOD FEEDBACK CREW HOW TO GET BETTER > BUILD PICK TOPICS YOU ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN
47. @yennycheung @pyconit RUBBER-DUCKING KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE FIND A GOOD FEEDBACK CREW HOW TO GET BETTER > BUILD PICK TOPICS YOU ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN
48. IMAGE “Dry-run, Dry-run, Dry-run …” - Nicola Corti Most good speakers are not naturals, they practice. HOW TO GET BETTER > BUILD
49. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Build 2. Measure 3. Learn 4. Repeat HOW TO GET BETTER The Lean Startup model
50. @yennycheung @pyconit Gather feedback from your feedback crew and from the audience. Watch the presentation video. HOW TO GET BETTER > MEASURE
51. @yennycheung @pyconit Take notes on what questions are being asked. These are areas where people are interested in! HOW TO GET BETTER > MEASURE
52. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Build 2. Measure 3. Learn 4. Repeat HOW TO GET BETTER The Lean Startup model
53. @yennycheung @pyconit Brace yourself for taking feedback. HOW TO GET BETTER > LEARN
54. @yennycheung @pyconit Scenario: After the dry-run for my talk, my colleague gave me some suggestions to improve. HOW TO GET BETTER > LEARN
55. @yennycheung @pyconit Fixed mindset: Bummer, I totally messed it up. Now my colleagues must think I’m an idiot. HOW TO GET BETTER > LEARN
56. @yennycheung @pyconit Growth mindset: I’m thankful my colleague gave me those tips. Now my real talk is going to go better. HOW TO GET BETTER > LEARN
57. @yennycheung @pyconit What are the action items? Let’s tackle them one at a time. HOW TO GET BETTER > LEARN
58. @yennycheung @pyconit 1. Build 2. Measure 3. Learn 4. Repeat HOW TO GET BETTER The Lean Startup model
59. @yennycheung @pyconit And then you reuse your talk in different occasions. HOW TO GET BETTER > REPEAT
60. @yennycheung @pyconit Where do we start with public speaking
61. @yennycheung @pyconit Internal / external speaking opportunities Looking for speaking opportunities WHERE DO WE START Standups, team meetings, presentations at your company, giving a speech at a party Conferences: first-time-speaker friendly Local meetups, minority in tech groups Public speaking groups / classes?
62. @yennycheung @pyconit Here’s a quick recap Introduction Why should we pursue public speaking? How to get better at it? How to overcome our fear for public speaking? Where do we start?
63. @yennycheung @pyconit https://speakerdeck.com/lara/demystifying-public-speaking References https://www.slideshare.net/KarenCatlin/present-a-techies-gu ide-to-public-speaking-92870515 Raphael Pierzina’s twitter thread on public speaking https://twitter.com/hackebrot/status/1123188824631316480
64. @yennycheung @pyconit I encourage you apply for a public speaking opportunity within these 2 weeks and get started now!
65. @yennycheung @pyconit Thank you!
66. @yennycheung @pyconit Questions?