Listen to recordings of your own speech, and then course correct
What do you do when the sound of your own voice being played back terrifies you?
That's the whole point :) it happens to all of us
Fix it so that it doesn't terrify you
Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
41–50 of 106 posts
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#42An important part of the first step is to add the distinction _under pressure_. I don't consider myself to be an expert persuader by any means, but I have found the ability to find clarity under pressure.
Others have mentioned getting experience through public speaking classes or Toastmasters events. That kind of direct experience is great, and I think there's also a benefit that comes indirectly from formal meditation practice. In my experience that means committing to sitting for a period of time, holding my attention on the sensation of my breath, and returning it there whenever I'm distracted. Those distractions include thoughts and feelings, but also environmental stimuli like loud noises. It develops the ability to rest in discomfort and to maintain concentration.
I've found meditation to be the ultimate tool for enhancing metacognition all-around. It's definitely a long-term investment though, in my experience.
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#43I used to take the Chicago Metra and ride in the vestibule to exit the train quickly. The same 8 people would always be there every day but this gentleman, "Gary", would always carry the conversations.
People were just drawn to him and I was in awe of how he captivated us with his stories. I was able to study him for a couple of years and came up with a list of how he was able to hold our attention:
1) Gary spoke loud (he had to since we were in the train entryway) but did not shout.
2) He adjusted his tempo of speaking to match the urgency of his story. Just like a good song, he had noticeably different ways of expressing himself.
3) Just as he adjusted his speaking, his hand movements and facial expressions also supported his story telling.
4) He was older (maybe early 60s) so he had a lot of life experience.
5) He was not condescending or patronizing. He was very empathetic with his audience and the stories he told. You could tell that he really cared about the subjects of his stories and how we could relate to them.
6) He knew everyone's name. So when he talked to you he would use your name a lot.
7) He always was to the point. He didn't meander or deviate from his train of thought. Every story had a build-up and a conclusion.
8) He was very funny without being mean. Sort of like Cosby before we found out what Cosby was really like.
9) He was always happy. He loved his job and his family and he was nearing retirement (he told us this). His happiness was infectious.
10) He was always asking questions. Sometimes, I'd get to the train early and it would just be me and him. He'd always ask about my day, any interesting projects, etc. He would then comment on what he had for lunch ("Have you ever had the Chicken Vesuvio?" he asked) and go on about an experience he had at an awesome restaurant.
After two years I had to stop taking the train, but I'd sometimes hear about Gary from a friend. He did retire a couple of years later and moved somewhere warmer. I've always read articles about excellent speakers, but then I always think that I was fortunate to learn from Gary.
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#44Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#45IF you only have a couple minutes, this video actually sums up a lot of the comments present here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#46[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#47[dead]
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#48The steps outlined don't go far enough in my opinion. They stop at 'deliver' as if that was the goal. I've had several roles that involved a lot of presentations and public speaking. I've also been subjected to hundreds of terrible talks. I think I'm reasonably good at it, and my best advice is to start from a place of "think of the audience first". Clarity of the message isn't just an ordering of facts, but people's…
To those people I tend to recommend to draw their talk as a flow chart of thoughts which depend on each other. If one thing leads to another draw an arrow. If it does not, don't. If there is a tangent mark it as a tangent (going 90 degrees to the side).
You can do this with your own talks, or talks you really liked or disliked. You'd be surprised of the structural differences
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#49That's how Narendra Modi fooled 1.5 billion people and became prime minister of India.
Re: Ask HN: Exercises to think, then speak, more clearly?
#50I used to take the Chicago Metra and ride in the vestibule to exit the train quickly. The same 8 people would always be there every day but this gentleman, "Gary", would always carry the conversations. People were just drawn to him and I was in awe of how he captivated us with his stories. I was able to study him for a couple of years and came up with a list of how he was able to hold our attention: 1) Gary spoke lou…
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