Three common mistakes I’ve seen #FOSS people and other #introverted geeks make in #PublicSpeaking…well, as an introverted #FreeSoftware geek myself, these also things I have to keep in mind when I speak.
Slow…down. Speak at a consistent, slow speed. This ensures people don’t miss things, you get time to think, and people get time to absorb the information.
Speak loudly. There’s a limit to how much the microphone will do for you. Sometimes you won’t even have a microphone (e.g. when hosting outdoor #OpenStreetMap mapping parties) - learn to make yourself heard without one.
Don’t trail off. End your sentences with a consistent volume and pitch.
So how slow, and how loud? In a lot of cases I’d say WAY slower than what you call slow, and WAY louder than what you call loud 😅
There’s more, but this is the foundation of any talk. The best content in the world means nothing if it doesn’t actually reach your audience.
A lot of this is useful in everyday life too. Start practicing! 🙂
#talk #conference #teaching