In 2022, I delivered a 45-minute talk at the Develop Conference to a room full of game developers, during which I had a very real crisis of confidence. Let me set the scene: an hour and a half earlier, I walked to the venue, the Metropole hotel in Brighton. It was a hot day (Develop […]
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When people think of confident speakers, they often imagine big gestures, strong voices, or powerful words. However, the real power often sits in the silence between the words. Most people rush. They speak too fast because their brain is racing ahead: worrying about what’s coming next, how they sound, or how people are judging them.
I love Batman/Bruce Wayne (especially the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy). Batman’s brilliant as a comic book hero because he has no superpowers. He’s just a chap with gadgets, questionable bedtime habits, and an intense prep routine (a contingency plan for taking down Superman is not paranoia; that’s preparation). Most speakers seem to avoid preparation:
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What makes you tick?What makes you uncomfortable?What do you love?Why are you speaking? Share some or all of these things in the first minute and you’ll create a connection with your audience. Good communication is all about rapport, empathy, relatability, authenticity, humility, and humour. Stand-up comics often start with the most important thing people need
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Standing behind a microphone in front of an audience can feel intimidating and very disconcerting. There’s the build-up, the pressure of expectation, and the theatre of the whole thing; a stage, a host, there may even be bright lights. Your instinct tells you that this is a dangerous situation, and that’s completely normal – you
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