How to Speak

These are my notes for the lecture How To Speak by Patrick Winston. I suggest you check it out if you have the time.

When you speak you will be judged by (in that order):

The quality of communication is determined by:

Do not start with a joke because at the beginning people are still getting adjusted and not ready for your joke.
Start with an empowerment promise. What they would gain at the end of the presentation. E.g. by the end of this talk you will learn new speaking techniques you do not know now and some of these techniques will make a difference in your life.

Cycle around the subject: at any given moment 20% will be spaced out so cycling increase probability that the maximum number of people will get your ideas.
Build a fence around it: so that it does not get confused with someone’s idea. i.e. show how your idea might be similiar to something else but different.
Verbal punctuation because people will occasionally space out. You need some landmarks in your speech to announce that it is time to focus again because it is a nee point. E.g. enumerating items so they can join in for a new idea
Ask a question to help people refocus Choose it carefully. It cannot be too obvious otherwise people will be embarrassed to answer and it cannot be to hard otherwise no one will answer.

A good time to have a lecture is 11 am becasue most people are awake by then and it is not after a meal so people are not tired.
A place needs to be well lit. When the room is dimmly lighted it signals that we should go to sleep.
The place should be cased so that there are no surprises.
The place should be reasonably populated if the hall is too big and there are few people everyone will be wondering what is happening that is more interesting that no one is here.

Board it is best when your purpose is informing.

Slides it is best when your purpose is exposing.

boards have a graphic quality (can easily draw)
boards have the right speed. The speed you write on the blackboard is approximately the speed people can absord information. Going through slides nobody can go that fast.
it can be a target for your hands. It helps you not to put your hands in your pocket or behind you. It can be insulting in some cultures. i.e. you can write and point at stuff.
you can also use props to illustrate points or concepts.
boards are effective because of empathetic minorring you feel yourself writing on the board.

few words and large font so that it is visible from back of hall.
do not just read your slides because people in your audience know how to read.
clipart, icons or complicared images can be distracting to your audience.
do not stand too far away from slides so that people do not have to keep moving their heads between you and the slides.
do not use a background pattern as they are distracting.

someone who tells you that you can do it- - someone shows you a problem in a new way.
someone who exhibits passion for what they are doing.

In order for your presentation and your work to become memorable you need to answe the following questions:

why: getting famous can help you get better funding
your ideas are like your children and you do not want them to go into the world in rags you want to present them so that they are valued.
How: (Winston star)
1. Symbol associated with your work e.g. icon
2. Slogan phrase that provide a handle on the work
3. Surprise about the work that makes it worthwhile
4. Salient idea an idea that sticks out.
5. Story tell the story how you did it, how it works and why is it important

questions slide is the worst possible way to end a talk. It can stay up there for a long time
links also are wasted opportunity
“thank you” slides waste opportunity
it should have contributions

could tell a joke. This could be ok and makes people think they had fun the whole time.
could say “thank you” but not recommended, it is a weak move. It indicated that people wanted to be somewhere else.
could salute audience e.g. it has been big fun being here and I look forward to coming back.

June 4, 2020 by Mostafa Abdelrahman