Why most public speaking advice is wrong—and how to finally overcome anxiety | Tristan de Montebello

Tristan de Montebello is the co-creator of Ultraspeaking, the most effective method I’ve come across for rapidly improving communication and presentation skills. In 2017, Tristan became the fastest person ever to reach the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking, achieving this feat in just seven months with no prior experience. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Why public speaking is a meta skill that can transform your life
• Practical games and exercises to improve your speaking skills
• The “Accordion Method” for preparing talks without memorization
• The “Bow and Arrow Technique” for crafting memorable presentations
• Tristan’s journey to the World Championship of Public Speaking finals
• Lenny doing some of the exercises live on-screen

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Where to find Tristan de Montebello:

Where to find Lenny:

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction to Tristan de Montebello and Ultraspeaking
(01:42) Personal experiences with public speaking
(05:35) Misconceptions and meta skills in public speaking
(08:56) Enjoyment as a barometer for effective speaking
(15:30) Tactical tips for public speaking
(29:15) The importance of practice and games
(34:50) Game 1: The Conductor (Accessing different emotional states)
(45:54) Mindset shift: playing the game
(51:07) Game 2: Triple Step (Staying focused amid distractions)
(01:07:51) Quieting the noise
(01:09:46) Game 3: Conviction Prompts (Building executive presence)
(01:17:27) The Accordion Method explained
(01:37:57) The Bow and Arrow technique
(01:43:43) Final thoughts and encouragement
(01:44:55) Lightning round

Referenced:

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

[aj]

Lenny, THIS is by far my absolute favorite episode of your podcast. Ever. And I watch all of your episodes multiple times, geek out, break it apart and take notes. Thank you so much for this wonderful episode. As an introvert this was a very emotional episode for me, since speaking with conviction has been hard.

[StephSmithio]

Two years ago I started getting paid to speak (my FT job is now a podcast host) and went in search of several programs to help me feel more comfortable -- even a 1:1 coach. All of them ended up getting me more stuck in my head, except Ultraspeaking. Tristan and Michael are absolute magicians. Very cool to see them getting the attention they deserve!

[gaurav]

Absolutely loved the podcast. I am taking a bow for Tristan!!

[MariePoulin]

I took Ultraspeaking last year with Tristan and Michael and honestly they've created something EXCEPTIONAL and unique. I've learned so much from them, and still continue to. Great episode!

[Ultraspeaking]

51:10 loved seeing Lenny + Tristan play Triple Step!

[nikoskipper]

Lenny, I super appreciate you putting yourself out there and playing those games live! You are awesome man!
Thanks Tristan, I'm gonna start playing these games with my friends!

[Thomas-Maximus]

If you watch Lenny's podcast episodes, you will come to the conclusion that all of his BEST ones are NOT about PMs and Product Management. They're about design, leadership, business, VC stuff and this. THIS is a great one.

[paulvigg]

I've been a teacher of college Public Speaking for 30 years and it's really great seeing the younger generations seeing the value this important skill has for everyone. Thanks!

[PWatsonable]

Yo kudos to Lenny for being vulnerable and actually playing the games! You rock Lenny ❤

[hcubill]

What an awesome podcast! You keep upping your game Lenny!

[NeptuneDesign]

Tristan improved my on camera game so much!! Learn as much as you can from him!

[aytan.gadiyeva]

I loved the episode! Thanks Lenny and Tristan!!

[divyads]

Hey Lenny, thanks so much for bringing him and making this unique episode ❤ I will definitely save this for lifetime and embark my speaking skills journey

[andreab]

9:12 speaking should be fun, if you dislike it, you are doing it wrong, 10:35 overthinking what you’re about to say becomes counter productive

16:23 instead of looking down for your thoughts, 16:56 look up instead to gain more certainty in your body language

20:16 summarize as an ending point of your speech, say 20:23 “so just remember that…” or “to wrap up…”

21:35 insecurities 21:01 like rambling, 22:47 no one sees this but you, 24:10 stay in/don’t break character

1:23:47 accordion method for prepared speech, 1:26:04 organize by speech not by writing, 1:27:22 1:27:37 have a timer then take the timer shorter to simply everything you say (1:26:20 furniture example)

1:37:35 focus on what your audience should remember rather than what you are trying to say, 1:39:22 arrow: sentence that people will remember from what you have said then add weight with 1:39:48 a bow with a notion, story, evidence, etc

1:46:12 ember mug

[mhauzeur]

This episode is amazing, jumping from theorical to tactical is much easer to understand.

[Zagen]

Great episode! Thanks for doing the games live 🔥

[mayanka]

Energy leads.. Emotions follow.. and Words fill in the gap... just

[IDIOTEQTube]

Halfway through listening, I can totally see the potential these games have. If they added some sweet, addictive gamification elements, you could really get hooked on those exercises.

[Kreiss]

The pilot in the cockpit part was hilarious 😂

[qyqcszj]

Lenny!! Very good that you didn’t leak!