I used to be very quiet (although not necessarily an introvert), had a difficult time speaking with people, and couldn't express my ideas properly. Now, I have spoken at local meetups, conferences and will be speaking again at a conference in April (~200 people in one room). I'd consider it a substantial improvement from who I was in past years.
What has worked for me?
Being genuine about my passions. What's my niche? Do I know something others don't? (Spoiler: yes, you do!)
Finding my strengths and weaknesses when communicating. In my case, I happen to be a fast speaker - This can make it hard for the audience to understand what I'm saying.
Practicing talks with other people (This can range from one person to a bigger group)
Much like tailoring your job applications, engaging storytelling is key to delivering a good speech - I read about the "STAR" method from Gayle McDowell's Cracking the Coding Interview book: Situation, Task, Action, Result, and started using it wherever possible. Learning and applying this method has had a major factor in my career success, from pitching ideas to explaining my thoughts further.
Addressing the elephant in the room: What do people think of me? / Am I being mocked, or not taken seriously?. You own your narrative. In cases like public speaking, how you see yourself (perception) will affect how you deliver a message. Don't let feelings of negativity (fear, bad judgement, mockery) tear you down.
Most importantly: Don't give up. I wish you all the best and hope you can achieve your goals! am personally routing for you, Bhumi.
I would add to your point about Addressing the elephant in the room: What do people think of me? / Am I being mocked, or not taken seriously? . Sometimes I take the piss out of myself to kind of disarm any kind of vibe like that in the room! Good to have a laugh with your audience aswell 😁
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I used to be very quiet (although not necessarily an introvert), had a difficult time speaking with people, and couldn't express my ideas properly. Now, I have spoken at local meetups, conferences and will be speaking again at a conference in April (~200 people in one room). I'd consider it a substantial improvement from who I was in past years.
What has worked for me?
Indeed, and listen to yourself speaking. Listen out for things you say.
Are you someone who gabbles when talking, or says "err" or "umm" after every sentence?
Find the thing you do, that others will be distracted by and try to stop doing it.
Thank you for sharing your experience and what has worked for you! I appreciate the detailed response and the words of encouragement!
Nice one Juan!
I would add to your point about Addressing the elephant in the room: What do people think of me? / Am I being mocked, or not taken seriously? . Sometimes I take the piss out of myself to kind of disarm any kind of vibe like that in the room! Good to have a laugh with your audience aswell 😁