Better Public Speaking with Chad Fowler

We explore how to engage an audience with public speaking veteran Chad Fowler. We talk the art of storytelling, how to surprise an audience and the pros & cons of scripted versus free style public speaking. Show Notes 1:13— We introduce our special guest for this episode, Chad Fowler. 4:16— Chad describes how he first began becoming aware of the importance of public speaking from watching his grandfather, who was an electrifying Assembly of God preacher. 6:07— We discuss the training that preachers go through that helps them learn how to best deliver a public speech using techniques like physical movement and one’s position on stage to enhance the message they intend to convey. 7:35— Chad recounts an experience where his history of writing and speaking about programming in Ruby caused others to consider him “the best Ruby programmer in the world” even though they had not seen at any of the code he’d personally written.  8:50— “If you speak around a topic, you tend to be perceived as one of the leaders in that topic.” — Chad Fowler 19:02— Chad compares the experience of creating a public speaking performance to creating an improvised jazz track and how you never really know how it went you can gauge audience reaction. 20:16— Chad shares a tip about how he prepares a speech. He creates a basic outline but gives himself the freedom to improvise during the talk itself. 27:51— March discusses the difference between being under-prepared and over-prepared for a speech and Chad agrees with a comparison to creating an improvised musical piece. 31:15— We explore the tactics that stand-up comics use to prepare their material for a performance and rigorously study their audience’s reactions. We also mention a few of our favorite stand-up comics and explore the unique styles they have for their performances. 35:42— Chad discusses some advice he outlined in an essay he wrote titled “On Having Something to Say”. 39:20— On getting the nerve to speak on a topic: “If you don’t think you have anything to say, then you can think about what you wish you had something to say about.” — Chad Fowler 47:48— Chad explains why he never rehearses his public speaking performances. 49:45— Ian shares a trick that Rosie O’Donnell used to elevate the energy of her audience prior to a show. 54:35— We discuss the power of silence as a tactic that speakers can use to captivate audiences. 58:20— Chad shares the names of a number of speakers that he admires for their great storytelling ability. 1:01:58— Ian shares a few of his tips about how to get more comfortable with the room prior to getting on stage for a speech and Darren shares a trick that politicians use to make an audience feel more empathetic to them. 1:05:59— Ian shares the differences between speaking to large audiences versus smaller audiences and March recounts his anxiety in presenting to Bill Gates on several occasions. 1:08:47— Ian asks Chad for his advice on how to get started with public speaking.  1:13:27— Ian decides to experiment by picking one of his passions and  1:14:13— March decides to dive deeper into the talks by Sandi Metz, Katrina Owen, and Dave Thomas to get better at storytelling. 1:14:45— Darren decides to practice employing the use of silence as a tool to better engage audiences during his presentations. 1:15:19— We talk a bit about Chad’s earlier decision to step back from public speaking.  Mentions Netflix comedy special: Gad Elmaleh Improv comic: Todd Barry Post: On having something to say by Chad Fowler Author & book: Michael Pollan Public speakers that Chad admires for their storytelling ability: Sandi Metz, Katrina Owen, Dave Thomas, Michael Lopp Post: How to get your conference talk accepted; inspired by Ben Orenstein Follow Us Instagram Facebook Twitter Subscribe iTunes RSS Weekly email newsletter Full Episode Transcript Better Show Blog Feedback Email: [email protected] Enjoy the show? Leave a review in iTunes! Tell two friends about the show!