If you live in a tech-heavy area, you could probably setup (or join) a Toastmaster's chapter that was comfortable and interested in technical speech.
The typical meeting is:
- brief welcome / introductions
- Table Topics - a 20-30 minute activity, where one individual asks questions of various group members who must respond with a brief 1-2 minute speech
- Three planned speeches by three speakers
- Three spoken evaluations of the three planned speeches
- Some closing formalities.
It's a good, supportive way to get some experience.
Pauses are widely viewed as the ideal replacement to umm/uhh.
I took public speaking in college, attended Toastmasters for a while, and also attended an in-office public speaking class when was working in a corporate setting. All of these groups offered the advice to remove umm/err/uhh from your vocabulary.
They're noises that make the speaker seem less comfortable and competent, and that don't add value.
As a startup CEO, I routinely visit clients and potential clients, and often find myself facing a room with 10 or 20 people. I find that I perform much better than my CTO, in large part because my speaking skills give me a higher level of initial perceived credibility, allowing the rest of my words to be viewed through a more positive lens.
So like it doesn't matter if your writing or speaking skills aren't so great because content matters more than having really polished structure and delivery people can see the forest for the trees.
Personally I don't understand y some peopl get all uppity if there's an occasional spelling error or grammatical problem, I mean, they know what I want to say, so that's all that matters am i right? I think those "toastmasters types" who spend a little time practicing their techniques are just the equivalent of grammarnazis and they're just idiots who can't see the forest for the trees.
If I'm sayingsmart things it doesn't matter how I say them.
The typical meeting is: - brief welcome / introductions - Table Topics - a 20-30 minute activity, where one individual asks questions of various group members who must respond with a brief 1-2 minute speech - Three planned speeches by three speakers - Three spoken evaluations of the three planned speeches - Some closing formalities.
It's a good, supportive way to get some experience.