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Salty · Mar 28, 2010, 08:37 PM

So, I was asked to speak briefly in Church this week (aprox 7 minutes) and afterward I had a couple people tell me it was nice to hear someone that not only had good things to say but was also, entertaining (Which I wasn't meaning to be, it was actually rather personal)

So the question I pose to MacNN forum members, any good stories about public speaking? Hate it? Love it? Keynote helps you be lazy?

I have the advantage of having taken improv in high school which made me pretty unflappable regardless of the size of the crowd.

ghporter · Mar 28, 2010, 08:50 PM

I have a large problem with most "speakers." They don't know how to speak in public, they treat their audience like morons by reading each slide aloud v e r y c a r e f u l l y, and they wouldn't know feedback from the audience (positive or negative) if it bit them on the nose. Yes, I do have public speaking experience, training even. Which tells me that if I can do it well, as shy as I am, that anybody can do it. If they would only try...

Sorry to vent, but you struck a nerve.

imitchellg5 · Mar 28, 2010, 09:02 PM

Public speaking is fine. Public reading of PowerPoint slides is not.

Salty · Mar 28, 2010, 09:09 PM

Haha well I promise mine wasn't bad, you can get the audio on my blog, Voice Recorder is a good app to bundle with the iPhone

besson3c · Mar 28, 2010, 09:24 PM

Salty: you really have your Reverend Lovejoy Zs down

Salty · Mar 29, 2010, 01:07 AM

What no I don't

besson3c · Mar 29, 2010, 01:19 AM

I hear lots of hard Zs!

Seriously, your presentation went well! I'm glad you found a liberal church that tolerates your existence, it is absolutely insane to me that any church would not.

Salty · Mar 29, 2010, 01:33 AM

They're honestly not that liberal, at least not by Canadian standards, they're just nice. To be honest most of them come from backgrounds where it's wrong to be gay, and a lot of them still aren't as comfortable with it, but both pastors are progressively leaning more and more into the direction where they leave it between you and God. Right now the Church based on denominational affiliation can't marry two dudes, but at the same time, I can totally see them in a few years telling the denomination we're a part of basically, we'd like to stay with you, but we're doing this, you can feel free to kick us out, but we hope you won't.

besson3c · Mar 29, 2010, 01:44 AM

Well they seem comfortable enough to get you to talk, and for you to feel welcome enough to do so. Sounds like a good situation for you!

Salty · Mar 29, 2010, 02:29 AM

Yah... there was a shouting match the first time the sr. pastor said that he had no issue with gay people attending the Church though... that guy's since stopped coming... which is too bad since he's actually pretty nice and I think he was starting to come around... probably why he left actually.

besson3c · Mar 29, 2010, 10:08 AM

I guess that guy missed those church days where he was supposed to learn about your God being loving and inclusive and stuff?

olePigeon · Mar 29, 2010, 10:38 AM

Loving and inclusive includes murdering children?

besson3c · Mar 29, 2010, 10:48 AM

Are you referring to the Catholic priest scandal?

turtle777 · Mar 29, 2010, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Are you referring to the Catholic priest scandal?

Murdering ?

You haven't exactly been paying attention, have you

-t

SpaceMonkey · Mar 29, 2010, 01:24 PM

I like the "imagine them in their underwear" trick. I use that one all the time, not just in public speaking.

turtle777 · Mar 29, 2010, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

I like the "imagine them in their underwear" trick.

Isn't that what the catholic priests did ?

*rimshot*

-t

SpaceMonkey · Mar 29, 2010, 01:34 PM

Ha, the joke's on you! Catholic priests don't wear any underwear!

turtle777 · Mar 29, 2010, 01:47 PM

I'm worried by the details of your knowledge about these matters.

-t

Salty · Mar 29, 2010, 02:03 PM

Let's just say he got a healthy settlement.

besson3c · Mar 29, 2010, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Murdering ?

You haven't exactly been paying attention, have you

-t

Oh yes I have, I was just looking to see if you were paying attention.

P.S. do you like birds?

Thorzdad · Mar 29, 2010, 04:46 PM

I still wish to apologize to the good people of Ft.Wayne for the two speaking engagements I did in their fair city, many, many moons ago.
(I hate public speaking.)

turtle777 · Mar 29, 2010, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

P.S. do you like birds?

Yes. I feed them to my snapper.

-t

ghporter · Mar 29, 2010, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Thorzdad

I still wish to apologize to the good people of Ft.Wayne for the two speaking engagements I did in their fair city, many, many moons ago.
(I hate public speaking.)

Don't sweat it-the corollary of "few people can speak well in public" is "few people in the audience are actually paying attention to the speaker." 'Course if I was speaking, that would be a different thing. With experience a decent speaker can make sure most of the audience is listening, and a good one can ensure all of 'em are listening-intently.