Confessions of a Public Speaker

by Scott Berkun

obsessing about perfection stops you from growing.

your response to a mistake defines the audience’s response.

Good speakers usually find when they finish that there have been four versions of the speech: the one they delivered, the one they prepared, the one the newspapers say was delivered, and the one on the way home they wish they had delivered.

The best speakers know enough to be scared…the only difference between the pros and the novices is that the pros have trained the butterflies to fly in formation

“There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.”

The best theory from scientists is that primates, creatures who climb things, have greater dexterity if their hands are damp.

I also think it would be good if salaries were made public, which is why I offered my fees and income. If more people did this, the overpaid and underpaid would be visible and more likely to be corrected. Or, total anarchy would ensue and civilization would end. Either way, it would be fun to watch.

Considering how much we like to talk, we suck at both being honest with others and at listening openly and nondefensively when others are honest with us.

Here’s some of the real feedback speakers need: How did my presentation compare to the others? What one change would have most improved my presentation? What questions did you expect me to answer that went unanswered? What annoyances did I let get in the way of giving you what you needed?

A savvy speaker must ask the host, “What effect do you want me to have on this audience?”, and a good host will think carefully about that answer.

Better questions to ask attendees include: Was this a good use of your time? Would you recommend this lecture to others? Are you considering doing anything different as a result of this talk? Do you know what to do next to continue learning? Were you inspired or motivated?[43] How likeable did you find the speaker? How substantive did you find the speaker’s material?

One of my most popular essays ever is “How to detect bullshit”: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/53-how-to-detect-bullshit/.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand

When people watch a football game (or an axe-murderer), their neurons fire in exactly the same way they would if the observers were actually playing football (or being chased by an axe-murderer).

If you can find great, relevant stories to tell or show in short movies, you can get people’s brains firing actively, even if they’re still just seated in the audience.