Thread by @WalterStephanie

#WTMsummit #waw there are only 2 types of speaker in the world: 1. The nervous 2. The liars.
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and it's perfectly normal 🤗

#WTMsummit #waw Everyone has a story to tell, something you build, something you tried, etc.
If the audience is large and mixed you can do maybe 20% for beginners, 60% for middle and 20% for experts?

#WTMsummit #waw some advice
One month before
- Follow a structure
- Write down what you want to talk about (hah I have 14pages of gdocs for each talk)

3 weeks before the talk
- start doing the slide design
- avoid bullet points, it also gives you more freedom to make slides shorter if needed
- be consistent on the text and design.

- be careful about the visual area
- be careful about the contrast, try to have a 4.5:1 contrast ratio
- bring some hierarchy on the slides

- you can use carbon.now.sh to colorcode your code for your slides
- add line numbers to help people follow the code you present
- use animations to highlight some parts (but be careful some people get motion sick)

- transitions and animations can be tricky. It's generally not a good idea to add them especially if you are not super confortable on stage.
- it might also get wrong if you can't use your keynote. So prepare the talk to be PDF ready ^^

Standing on a stage is hard
- do the tree with your feet, you are rooted down on stage and look way more confortable and it helps you breath
- use your hands to communicate the ideas
- try avoiding runikg back and forth on stage m

2 weeks before
- know what you are talking about: can you do your talk without your slides?
- try to use inclusive language: avoid guys, use plural it's easier, don't generalise, explaine the accronyms, always put the people first, avoid stereotypes

Work with weaknesses, we all have those. Most people will not care about your accent (expect for that guy who said during my first talk that I was killing Shakespeare and should never be allowed to speak English in public, maybe?)
Also, practise the words that might be issues.

Technical setup, we are creatures of habits. Make sure your computer won't go to sleep. Close apps you don't need. Make sure nothing can disturb your computer on stage.
Also try to have an offline version of your talk. And baaaackups (so many of them)

5 minutes before the talk:
- take time for yourself, to calm down or get pumped up, it depends on who you are and even the day.
- do the power pose (the same wonder women does, the super woman, etc.)
- music can help too: use your favorite song!

3,2,1, gooo on stage.
The first seconds on stage can make the success, make an awesome first impression.
Wear whatever makes you feel confident!!
Remove the badge, the phone in your pocket, everything that will get anoying.
You will go warmer on stage so wear something comfy

Don't tell your whole biography in 6 slides with all the logos of all you freelance clients, conferences tell about the speaker on the site. (Also some confs will introduce you)
You could also take something relatable from your personal life and connect it to your topic.

2 minutes in the talk.
- move with propose: move when you don't talk, talk when you don't move.
- move when you want to land an important point, give people the time to reflect
- try looking people in the eye. Try to find the people smiling and nodding at you

- try to be in the middle of the stage
- jokes help you connect with people
- your voice is an instrument, try to speak a little bit slower if you have a higher pitched voice

If you are co-presenting it's complex
- if you don't speak, be in the back and look at your Co speaker, give them all your attention
- divide content, you can have some visual cue to help you for example a small hint in the slides

Mouth muscles need to relax as well, do some exercises like "splish and splat" to relax them before the talk

Before leaving the stage
- thank you
- twitter handle, contact details to engage afterwards
- q and a
- ressources and action items
- etc.

How do you handle questions if the person just wants to show that they are smarter than you? "Let's discuss this after during the coffee break /send me an email and I can answer more details"
Don't let the people in the audience take control.

If you are in the audience, try to be respectful and ask questions relevant to all the audience. If you have a really specific question, ask it maybe afterwards by email? It's frustrating for the other participants otherwise ^^

After the talk, try to show up to the party so that attendees can talk to you and ask questions.
Sharing the slides afterwards if also really nice.