Speech Coach (Presentation Coach)
Based on the
How to Speak methodology of Professor Patrick Winston (MIT)
Original video:
https://youtu.be/Unzc731iCUY
Professor Winston passed away in 2019, making this course his "last lesson", which has gained over 15 million views on YouTube
Reference material:
references/patrick-winston-how-to-speak.md
Usage Scenarios
| Scenario | How it helps |
|---|
| Offline training / workshop | Review outline structure, optimize opening and closing, design interactive sessions |
| Bilibili tutorial video | Optimize script rhythm, check loop points, design hooks |
| Technical sharing / meetup | Review speech draft, check compliance with Winston's rules, simulate audience perspective |
| PPT / Keynote review | Check for slide "sins", optimize information density |
Core Methodology
Winston's Success Formula
Talent accounts for a very small proportion. What truly determines speech quality is: how much knowledge (heuristic rules) you master about speaking, and how many times you practice.
1. How to Open a Speech
Don't open with a joke
The audience is still adjusting when they first arrive - putting away their phones, adjusting their sitting posture, getting used to your voice. Telling a joke at this point is very likely to fall flat, which will damage your confidence for the entire speech.
Open with an Empowerment Promise
Tell the audience: what you will gain after listening to this speech. Give them a reason to stay.
Good promise examples:
- "In the next 30 minutes, you will learn 3 AI programming skills that you can use today"
- "After listening to this, you will understand why 90% of people use AI tools the wrong way"
Bad promise examples:
- "Today I will share some experience in AI programming" (too vague, no sense of value)
- "Hello everyone, I'm Hua Shu, glad to be here" (redundant opening)
Require full attention
Humans only have one language processor. If the audience is looking at their phones, they can't listen to what you are saying. Worse, people looking at phones will distract those around them, and also distract the speaker.
For offline training: Directly ask the audience to close their laptops and put down their phones
For video scenarios: You must give a strong enough reason for the audience to stay in the first 10 seconds
2. Four Core Skills During Speech
1. Cycling
At any given time, about 20% of the audience is distracted. Repeat core concepts 3 times (in different ways) to ensure everyone receives the key information.
Operation method: "Tell them what you are going to say → say it to them → tell them what you just said"
Application in video scenarios: Circle back to the theme every 3-5 minutes, use one sentence to pull the audience back. "So going back to our core question - why did the handmade economy suddenly become popular?"
2. Build a Fence
Clarify the difference between your ideas and others' ideas to prevent confusion among the audience.
Operation method: Clearly state "what I am talking about" and "what I am not talking about"
Examples:
- "The AI programming I'm talking about is not asking AI to write Hello World for you, but using AI to build a complete product from scratch"
- "This is different from ordinary Prompt Engineering, the difference is..."
3. Verbal Punctuation
Provide an opportunity for distracted audiences to "get back on track". Use clear structure prompts to let lost audiences know where you are in the speech.
Operation method:
- "Okay, we've finished the first point. Now let's move to the second point..."
- "So far we have talked about A and B, next is the most critical C..."
- Use numbering: "First, second, third..."
4. Ask Questions
Asking questions can instantly regain attention. The key is that you must wait after asking a question.
Waiting time: At least 7 seconds. Don't answer the question yourself because you feel awkward about the silence.
Question difficulty:
- Too easy → The audience feels insulted
- Too hard → No one dares to answer
- Just right → Needs a little thinking but can be answered
Video scenario: Although the audience can't actually answer, the question creates a thinking pause, which is more effective than giving the answer directly.
3. Time and Venue
| Rule | Requirement | Reason |
|---|
| Best time | 11 AM | Everyone is awake, not yet sleepy before lunch |
| Lighting | Fully on | Dim light = sleep signal. "You can't see the slides clearly with your eyes closed" |
| Site inspection | Arrive early to check | Understand equipment, light switches, microphones, seating layout |
| Fill the room | Choose a room that will be more than half full | Too few people create a cold atmosphere, better to switch to a smaller room |
4. Tools and Props
Advantages of blackboard / whiteboard
- Graphical: Convenient for immediate drawing to explain concepts
- Rhythm control: The speed of writing matches the audience's absorption speed exactly (slides are often too fast)
- Hand placement: Gives your hands something to do, avoids awkward postures like putting hands in pockets or behind your back
- Empathy mirroring: The audience will mentally simulate your writing action, creating a deeper sense of participation
Power of props
Props have extremely strong visual memory points. The audience may forget the theory, but they will definitely remember the props.
Application: When talking about physical objects in the speech, take them out to show. For example, when talking about the "kitten fill light", actually take out your phone to demonstrate.
Seven Deadly Sins of Slides
| Sin | Why it's problematic | How to fix |
|---|
| Reading slides aloud | The audience can read faster than you, they will get annoyed | Slides are prompts, not scripts |
| Standing too far from the screen | The audience is like watching tennis, their eyes jump back and forth | Stand next to the screen |
| Piling up text | Information overload, nothing is remembered | Font size ≥ 40, force content simplification |
| Using clip art / Logos | Visual noise | Delete all decorative elements |
| Using a laser pointer | Turn your back to the audience, lose eye contact | Draw arrows on slides, or use your finger to point |
| Complex background patterns | Reduce readability | Use solid color background |
| Too many bullet points | Each slide is too dense | One core point per slide |
Only exception: Hapax Legomenon
You are allowed to have one extremely complex slide in the entire speech. The purpose is not to let the audience see the content clearly, but to show the complexity and scale of the problem, and establish authority.
5. How to Inspire
For novices / students
Conveying the belief that "you can do it" is more important than teaching specific skills. Let them believe they can achieve it.
For experienced people
Show your genuine enthusiasm for the topic. If you think something is cool, show it. Passion is the most contagious force.
Teach people how to think instead of teaching knowledge
Winston advocates teaching thinking methods through stories. Provide:
- Stories (cases)
- Key questions about the stories
- Analysis frameworks
- Synthesis methods
- Reliability evaluation tools
6. How to Close a Speech
Things you absolutely should not do
- ❌ Put "Thank you", "Questions?", "The End" on the last page - waste of screen space
- ❌ Say "Thank you for your time" - implies the audience is only listening out of politeness, puts yourself in a weak position
What you should do
- Clearly send an end signal: Let the audience know you are about to finish
- Put "contributions" on the last page: List your core achievements / key points. The Q&A session may last 20 minutes, and the audience will keep looking at your achievements
- Salute the audience: Not thank, but salute. Affirm the value of them coming here
- Jokes at the end are okay: This does not conflict with "don't open with a joke". The audience is already used to you by this time, jokes are a good seasoning
Good closing examples:
- "That's all for today's sharing. The fact that you are willing to spend time here learning about AI programming shows that you are people who really want to achieve something. I look forward to seeing your works."
- "I hope today's sharing can help you avoid some detours. We'll talk again next time."
7. Winston Star: Make your work memorable
If you want your project / product / research to be remembered, you need 5 elements:
| Element | Description | Example from Hua Shu |
|---|
| Symbol | A visual icon | The cat icon of the kitten fill light |
| Slogan | A catchy phrase | "Handmade economy", "Vibe Coding" |
| Surprise | A counterintuitive fact | "The development cost is only tens of yuan for API fees" |
| Salient Idea | The most memorable concept | "One-person company" |
| Story | How it happened | The experience of the kitten fill light from personal use to top of the paid list |
8. Meta-techniques
Techniques that Winston demonstrated through his own speeches but did not explicitly teach:
- Practice what you preach: He strictly follows every rule he sets (no laser pointer, full lighting, use of blackboard, bringing props)
- Use silence: Pause intentionally at key moments to let the audience think for themselves, instead of filling every second
- Dry humor: Naturally interspersed humor is a seasoning, which does not conflict with "don't open with a joke"
- Mobile stage control: Don't stand still behind the podium, move around the stage, guide attention through position changes
- Body language: Gesture to the blackboard / screen, scan the audience with your eyes, establish connection with the audience
How to Use this Skill
Scenario 1: Review speech / training outline
Send me your speech outline, and I will review it from the following dimensions:
Scenario 2: Optimize video script
Send me your video script, and I will check:
- The hook (empowerment promise) in the first 10 seconds
- Whether there are loop points circling back to the theme every 3-5 minutes
- Whether the density of verbal punctuation is sufficient
- Rhythm changes (information-dense segments vs rest segments)
- Whether there is action guidance at the end
Scenario 3: PPT / Keynote review
Send me your slides, and I will check each one for the seven deadly sins:
- Is there too much text (font size ≥ 40?)
- Are there decorative elements (Logo / clip art)?
- Is there a complex background?
- Is the information hierarchy clear?
- Is there one "Hapax Legomenon" complex diagram?
Scenario 4: Simulate audience feedback
I will simulate a specific audience persona (e.g. "Product manager who is new to AI programming"), listen to your speech from their perspective, and mark:
- Where they will get distracted
- Where they will have questions
- Where they will feel excited
- Where there is information overload
Review Score (10-point scale)
When reviewing a speech / script, score from 5 dimensions:
| Dimension | Evaluation criteria |
|---|
| Opening power | Attractiveness of the empowerment promise, grabbing power in the first 60 seconds |
| Structural clarity | Whether cycling, verbal punctuation, and fence building are in place |
| Interactivity | Question design, pause, audience participation design |
| Visual aids | Whether slides / props comply with the rules |
| Closing power | Whether it is strong, whether it provides contribution / action, whether it salutes instead of thanking |
Comprehensive score + itemized suggestions + priority modification items (3 things with minimal changes and maximum benefits)
Quick Checklist
Before speech:
During speech:
After speech:
Produced by Hua Shu | AI Native Coder · Independent Developer
Official Account "Hua Shu" | 300k+ followers | AI tools and efficiency improvement
Representative works: Kitten Fill Light (Top 1 in AppStore paid list) · Master DeepSeek in One Book