Giving Talks Across The Years
I gave my first talk 1998 at the behest of a colleague and friend who threw me into the stage. My first delivery was about The Inner Circle, Andrei Konchalovsky’s film about the life of Alexandr Ganshin, Stalin’s private projectionist.
A lifetime has passed since then. I have lost count of how many lectures I have given in tiny auditoriums and large ones, where I have spoken to few or many people. I still panic about the stage: I still respect it, which excites me.
Recently, my students have asked me about the guidelines for a lecture that will stick with the tube; here are my principles for a good talk.
- It’s storytelling, so it needs a structure.
Talks are stories created to change something: a point of view, a piece of knowledge, or even a behavior; always notice that. As stories, they require structure. I usually create mine based on three acts: a first act of personal narrative (why do I care about what I’m going to tell?), a second act of gems (the treasures I have to deliver, the profound insights I offer to bring about change) and a third act of call to action, metacognition, and farewell. The order may change depending on the effect I seek, but I never forget that it is a story.
2. Audience-centered
There is no such thing as a general audience. Each story must be adapted to a potential public: teachers, students, vice presidents, and users of a product or service. The plot must be built around this, and there is no such thing as a small audience.
3. Gifts with soul
The public usually enjoys giveaways: postcards, digital books, and goods with soul, adding value to the narration. So I always ask myself, what will I give away for the viewer to remember this moment? And it’s never, ever a slide deck. For god sake, we all know you’ll never see them again! Let’s stop pretending.
4. Respect the exposure time!
There’s nothing more unpleasant than a speaker who doesn’t stick to the exposure time. Rehearse, damn it! You don’t have to learn a script, but you do have to ensure you’ll tell everything you need to in the time you’ve been given. If it’s a keynote (you’re the rockstar of the event), you’ll have up to an hour; if it’s a keynote (you’re a run-of-the-mill speaker), 20–30 minutes; if it’s a TED talk (fast track disclosure), 10 minutes. If they don’t offer you a timer, get one and stick to the time.
5. Visual aids, yes; slides, no
We don’t need more ugly slides in this world. Try to make a few beautiful images, not full of text. They are a guide for you and a visual support for the audience, nothing more. Suppose you can avoid them, even better. If I am going to give an online conference, I try to support myself with cardboard cards instead of slides. Stop feeding the slide fetish (especially if they are ugly unless they are disgusting for a specific purpose).
6. Presentations at specialized conferences
If you present an academic paper, don’t forget to explain the research question, the context, the method, the results, and, if you have time, your recommendations.
7. Knowledge to share
Good conferences provide you with information you can use to surprise your acquaintances. So ask yourself: what can I say that is relevant enough to make you want to tell someone else?
8. Interact
If you present the conference online, take advantage of Zoom, Streamyard, and YouTube and incorporate the audience into the experience. If your audience is large, ask them to share keywords, emojis, and questions, as you won’t be able to hear them all. If you are presenting online, you can use Mentimeter, Slido, and other solutions to engage the audience, always with a purpose.
9. Dressed to kill
Even while giving a talk at home, I always remember that my garments are part of the story. In recent years, my husband has helped me design and produce specific t-shirts with hidden messages related to the topic I’ll be addressing. It’s helpful to add that layer of information to the experience. That’s my giveaway.
What have I learned from my worst and my best conferences? From the worst ones, I must always, ALWAYS rehearse to make sure the story flows so much that I’m having fun because when I’m not having a good time, the audience senses it immediately.
From the best ones, I’ve learned that even if I revisit a topic I’ve already covered, I can find a new angle that makes that story unrepeatable and memorable, first and foremost, for me.
The best lecture I’ve ever given hasn’t come yet, and that’s fortunate. It means I have more stories to tell.
What suggestions need to be added to this list?
