Stage 3 · Lesson 1 of 7
Start with one message
Before opening any slide tool, write the one sentence you want people to remember. "Our app cuts the time to book a lab slot from a day to a minute." Or "Caching made our API five times faster, but it brings stale data risks."
Everything in the talk should support that sentence; anything that does not can go. Most weak presentations try to say everything the presenter knows. Audiences remember very little, so make that little count. Ask yourself who is listening and what they need to decide or understand.
Common trapstarting with slides and filling them, then discovering at the end that the talk has no point.
A question to check yourself and an AI practice session come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
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
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).