3 ms·

Just a quick thought: does YC provide any presentation coaching before DD? I can't think of one topic that sends people into fits faster than public speaking! I

by parker 19y ago

Just a quick thought: does YC provide any presentation coaching before DD? I can't think of one topic that sends people into fits faster than public speaking! IMO, it's a skill that should be practiced as much as possible, but real opportunities are rare...

rms 19y ago
My best tip for public speaking: speak loudly. Don't scream, but it makes you stand out and seem incredibly confident if you're just speaking louder (more loudly?) than everyone else. This, of course, takes a certain amount of confidence to do.
- Goladus 19y ago
  Personally I'd recommend "deeper" (if possible) and "more relaxed" before "louder." At least, that is what you want for an English-speaking audience. If you're loud but your voice is nasal or shrill then you may have the opposite effect. A deep, relaxed, resonant voice conveys the assurance and confidence you're looking for. People associate it with maturity, wisdom, and masculinity (Think Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones). People associate a shallow, shrill, nasal voice with a whining child. Most people can also recognize tension unconsciously. The key to speaking with resonance is slow, relaxed, deep breathing (sort of like Yoga breathing). This has the nice side effect of helping you stay relaxed.
  - parker 19y ago
    This is very true -- I always have an amazing tendency to talk faster than normal when presenting, and I find that taking the time to calm yourself before talking is effective. But you can always seem to catch people's eccentricities too; I always seem to end up scratching my right ear while talking, and have no idea I was doing it until people ask why my ear was so itchy. I'll try deeper tones in the future. Darth Vader gets respect, period.
  - rms 19y ago
    That is definitely good advice, the loud thing doesn't work if you're uncomfortably tense.
    - Goladus 19y ago
      The word my vocal directors always used for what I think you mean is "project." (As in "project your voice to the back of the auditorium") A quick google turned up: http://www.paulmason.com/Support.html http://www.paulmason.com/Support.html http://www.paulmason.com/Resonance.html http://www.paulmason.com/Resonance.html
pg 19y ago
We spend the week before working mainly on that.

by parker 19y ago

rms 19y ago

My best tip for public speaking: speak loudly. Don't scream, but it makes you stand out and seem incredibly confident if you're just speaking louder (more loudly?) than everyone else. This, of course, takes a certain amount of confidence to do.

Goladus 19y ago
Personally I'd recommend "deeper" (if possible) and "more relaxed" before "louder." At least, that is what you want for an English-speaking audience. If you're loud but your voice is nasal or shrill then you may have the opposite effect. A deep, relaxed, resonant voice conveys the assurance and confidence you're looking for. People associate it with maturity, wisdom, and masculinity (Think Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones). People associate a shallow, shrill, nasal voice with a whining child. Most people can also recognize tension unconsciously. The key to speaking with resonance is slow, relaxed, deep breathing (sort of like Yoga breathing). This has the nice side effect of helping you stay relaxed.
- parker 19y ago
  This is very true -- I always have an amazing tendency to talk faster than normal when presenting, and I find that taking the time to calm yourself before talking is effective. But you can always seem to catch people's eccentricities too; I always seem to end up scratching my right ear while talking, and have no idea I was doing it until people ask why my ear was so itchy. I'll try deeper tones in the future. Darth Vader gets respect, period.
- rms 19y ago
  That is definitely good advice, the loud thing doesn't work if you're uncomfortably tense.
  - Goladus 19y ago
    The word my vocal directors always used for what I think you mean is "project." (As in "project your voice to the back of the auditorium") A quick google turned up: http://www.paulmason.com/Support.html http://www.paulmason.com/Support.html http://www.paulmason.com/Resonance.html http://www.paulmason.com/Resonance.html

pg 19y ago

We spend the week before working mainly on that.