TECC 113: 5 Things I Learned about Effective Presentations from my Engineering TEDx Talk

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In this episode, I give you five things I learned about effective presentations from my Engineering TEDx Talk.  Click above to watch my TEDx talk and click below to listen to this podcast episode.

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Engineering Success quotes:

Here are the key points:

1. Short is good

• Short and powerful messages are easy for remember to and act upon.
• Put an engaging summary upfront.

2. Rehearsing is the Key to a Successful Presentation

• Rehearse as much as possible as this makes such a big improvement to the quality of the presentation.
• Always take the time to rehearse the exact talk in a similar setting to the one in which you will deliver it.  Longer talks give you more room for changing things on the go, but shorter talks like TEDx have to be 100% dead on.

3. Photos over Bullets

• Using photos in your presentation slides will have a much higher impact on people than just simply putting bullets on your slide.

4. Memory Palaces can be Used to Memorize a Speech

• In your mind, you can actually create memory palaces where you store words so that you can recall those words as needed.
• You can set it up the palaces which are locations you are familiar with (like your house) and then start with 10 stations in that palace.
• You then go through a process and you literally place these words into the palace with some kind of a phrase and a picture.

5. Stories, acronyms & examples works really well when you are doing talks

• People love stories, they hook on to them and they follow them as they want to hear the ending to the story.
• Using acronyms and examples can be very helpful and I recommend using them whenever you are doing a presentation.

More in this episode…

In the Take Action Today segment of the show, I am going to give you the one big take away I had from my Engineering Tedx Talk.

At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a noble profession. – Queen Elizabeth II

Books mentioned in this session include:

How to Learn and Memorize Italian Vocabulary

Resources and links mentioned in this session include:

The Engineering Career Summit
How Engineers will save the World – Tedx Talk by Anthony Fasano
TECC 57: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Five Tips for Drastically Improving Your Engineering Presentations with Melissa Marshall
TECC 53: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – The Importance of Becoming a Visible Expert as an Engineer
Magnetic Memory Method

How will preparation effect your public speaking?

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on effective public speaking tips and also what you think of my talk….

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success