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In this episode, we welcome Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek, to discuss the critical need for developing speaker training programs for technical staff within an organization. Neil shares his personal story of struggling with public speaking as an engineer and how it inspired him to help other technical professionals improve their communication skills. He breaks down the common challenges technical experts face when presenting to non-technical audiences and offers practical strategies HR departments can implement to foster better communication across the organization.
[0:00] Introduction
Welcome, Neil! Today’s Topic: Developing Speaker Training Programs for Technical Staff
[6:59] Why is it so important for technical staff to be strong public speakers?
How a lack of communication skills can lead to being overlooked for promotions and raises. The benefit of having the person with the expertise communicate it directly, rather than risk information getting lost in translation.
[13:33] What are the biggest challenges for technical people presenting to non-technical audiences?
The importance of remembering what it was like before becoming a technical expert and tailoring the presentation accordingly. The challenge of making assumptions about what the audience already knows. Strategies for understanding the audience before
