Why most public speaking advice is wrong—and how to finally overcome your speaking anxiety | Tristan de Montebello (CEO & co-founder of Ultraspeaking)

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

Tristan is offering a limited-time discount to Ultraspeaking. Both codes are valid until November 14, 2024:

→ $500 off an Unlimited Membership with code UNLIMITEDLENNY500

→ $200 off a Rapid Tier pass for a single cohort with code RAPIDLENNY200

—

Brought to you by:

• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

• Command AI—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users

• Brave Search—A smarter way to search

—

Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/master-public-speaking-tristan-de-montebello

—

Where to find Tristan de Montebello:

• X: https://x.com/Montebello

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristandemontebello/

• Website: https://ultraspeaking.com

• Free email course: https://ultraspeaking.com/lenny/

—

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

—

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:

• Michael Gendler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgendler

• Alienor playing Conductor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmholFWwHro

• Triple Step: https://ultraspeaking.com/triple-step-game/

• Rapid Fire Analogies: https://ultraspeaking.com/rapid-fire-game/

• Joe Rogan Experience #1309 — Naval Ravikant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHkcs3kG44

• The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361

• Tall poppy syndrome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_poppy_syndrome

• Peaky Blinders on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80002479

• The Nice Guys on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Nice-Guys-Russell-Crowe/dp/B01FV1GLR8

• Ember temperature control smart mug: https://www.amazon.com/Ember-Temperature-Control-1-5-hr-Battery/dp/B07NQRM6ML

• How I got to the World Championships of Public Speaking in 7 months: https://medium.com/the-mission/3000-people-staring-c2cbd14c6d6c

—

Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

—

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe