Stage 3 of 7 · 7 lessons · ~2 weeks
Preparing and giving a presentation
From a five-minute class presentation to a demo at work, a good talk is mostly preparation. Find one message, build a simple structure, rehearse out loud and handle questions calmly.
Start: Start with one messageLessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
Do this
- Write the one sentence you want your audience to remember
- Outline the talk in four lines: problem, what you did, evidence, what it means
- Cut every slide to a few words and one idea
- Rehearse out loud at least three times and time it
- Record the first minute and watch it once
- Draft answers to the three questions you fear most
- Give the talk and write down one thing to improve next time
Start with· follow one of these
- CourseFreeIntroduction to Public Speaking (University of Washington, Coursera)
University of Washington on Coursera · Beginner
A free-to-audit University of Washington course on preparing and giving talks
- VideoFreeHow to Speak So That People Want to Listen (Julian Treasure, TEDGlobal 2013)
Julian Treasure (TEDGlobal 2013)
Short, practical talk on voice, pace and habits that make people stop listening
Practise
Keep handy
Before moving on: A short presentation (5 to 10 minutes) with a one-sentence message, a four-part structure and simple slides, rehearsed out loud at least three times, given to an audience, with prepared answers to three hard questions and notes on one thing to improve.
Nobody remembers a presentation because the presenter looked perfectly calm. They remember it because it had one clear point and the speaker clearly knew it. Put most of your time into the message and the rehearsal, not the slide design, and treat every talk as practice for the next one.
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).