This was originally sent to tor-meeting@, but is being forwarded here by request. Hope it is useful! =)

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Hi all,

At the meeting, there was a discussion on how people can learn how to give talks -- particularly if they have some experience but want to refine their skills a bit. I'm not sure if there was a proper report-back on it, but here are some suggestions on getting experience:

1) Join Toastmasters or similar clubs Toastmasters costs money ($128/year in Boston), but there are lots of similar clubs on Meetup and around universities that don't cost anything and are a great way to get over fear of speaking and get feedback on technique.

2) Prepare and give a talk to your cat Or by yourself. Presenting your talk to yourself (out loud) is a great way to figure out what works and what doesn't, or what passages just need more work. It's also good to do this before giving a proper talk -- not just for practice, but also to make sure that your talk is within time limits.

3) Give talks at small events that aren't recorded Presenting a lightning talk at a hackerspace or small conferences can be a low-stress way to get experience.

4) Hard Mode Give talks that *are* recorded, and pick apart your performance later by watching that talk on YouTube. I wouldn't say I *recommend* this, but have definitely done it ;P

MOAR TIPS: http://web.mit.edu/urop/resources/speaking.html https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Public-Speaking-Tips