I am given the opportunity to give talk about my work at the Beijing Center of Photography. I would really love to talk about non-technical things but lost where to start. I am writing down all the things I want to say and then arrange it later on. As of now, all of my thoughts are still scattered on a piece of paper. I am wondering if you have any thoughts on how to go about this.
— Red
Before we started LensWork in 1993, I had a management consulting company and spent 45 weeks a year on the road, for over ten years, giving public talks. It's something I know a bit about, so thanks for asking.
- First, never speak about something you don't know about. Restrict your comments to areas in which you have experience and first-hand knowledge. You are not all-knowing, so don't pretend to be. Just be yourself, talk about something you know about, and you'll be just fine.
- I've always found it best to have only a few major points in any given talk — typically 2-3 major concepts and that's it. Trying to say too much about too many things can overwhelm both the audience and your own mind. Clarity and depth are more important than shallow width.
- Speaking to a point generally means taking one of two directions: Start with the general idea and work your way down to examples and specifics, or: Start with examples and specifics and extract up to a general principle. Both ways work and you can even mix them in a single talk. Failure to do one or the other, however, generally results in a bunch of rambling that is difficult for an audience to wrap their minds around.
- Don't ever read your speech from a prepared text. Don't ever read your speech from a prepared text. Don't ever read your speech from a prepared text. And just in case you missed it the first three times, don't ever read your speech from a prepared text. The only people who can pull this off effectively are professional actors and politicians — but come to think of it this is actually one group.
- Props are your friends. By this, I don't mean slides or a Powerpoint presentation. These are good, too, but props are physical things that help the audience focus on the point you are making. They often add a touch of humor and entertainment value to the talk, too.
- The lectern in a safe zone, but it also separates you from the audience like a barrier. Don't ever forget that the audience wants you to succeed; they are rooting for you to give a good talk; they are your friends, not your judges. Engage them like the friends they are. Eye contact, walking out among them, asking them questions are all good things.
Have fun!