My podcast this week is from the Effective Public Speaking book. Yes, since I'm close to the end, I'm iterating through the Introduction and the early chapters. That's because I now know what I wanted to say.
Just like software product development, I only learned what I wanted to say after I wrote it down. That's why I iterate in each chapter and then through the book.
Enjoy!
The Podcast:
The Transcript:
I’m Johanna Rothman, and this is Johanna’s 60 Seconds of Writing WIP for December 13, 2024, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Do you fear public speaking? If so, you're not alone. When I researched the number of people who fear public speaking, I saw estimates that range from 20% to an astounding 77%.
Some people say they fear public speaking more than they fear death.
Yet, we all speak in public every day, assuming we have the physical ability to do so. Sometimes, that's as informal as what occurs when we get coffee or the informal conversations before and after meetings.
And then there are the more formal conversations that help us market ourselves and our expertise.
What's different about those informal conversations and the expertise-based presentations? We rarely have any specific expectations for that informal kind of public speaking.
And the formal public speaking? Everyone—the speaker and the audience—expects that the speaker will offer something useful. Maybe even insightful or delightful. And that requires the speaker design, practice, and deliver a useful and effective presentation.
If you prefer to see me, here's the video.