Being good at your craft doesn’t mean you’ll be good at other things. Just because you’re a great developer, designer, or product manager doesn’t mean you’ll be good at presenting complex and technical ideas to an audience.
The fact is, public speaking is a skill just like any other. You only get better by doing it.
This week, Neil Thompson, author, and host of Teach the Geek joins the show to offer some insights into how to be a better speaker. He also discusses some things to avoid so that you don’t end up a sweaty mess on stage.
Neil also answers the age-old question: Does picturing the audience in their underwear really work?
Topics:
• 02:06 – About Neil
• 05:24 – Being good at a technical skill doesn’t make you good at other things
• 05:52 – What are the benefits of being a good public speaker?
• 11:18 – How do we know if we’re bad speakers?
• 12:43 – Talk to the executive’s assistant to know what their priority is
• 14:33 – Get your audience comfortable
• 15:49 – How do we create a psychologically safe environment when presenting?
• 19:14 – Use stories and analogies to frame context
• 20:56 – Advice for becoming a better speaker
• 22:14 – Does visualizing the audience in their underwear actually work?
• 22:51 – How do we practice speaking?
• 25:44 – How do we stop using filler words?
• 27:34 – Record yourself to practice
• 36:54 – Stop doing these things when presenting
Helpful Links:
• Find Neil on LinkedIn
• teachthegeek.com
• Teach the Geek Podcast
• Buy the Teach the Geek Book
About Neil
After one too many failed presentations, Neil Thompson, an engineer, knew he had to improve. He did so, and now he works with technical professionals like himself to improve their communication skills.
He hosts a podcast, the Teach the Geek podcast, interviewing technical professionals about their public speaking journeys. He is also the author of the book, Teach the Geek to Speak: a No-fluff Public Speaking Guide for STEM Professionals
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