Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

To expand on that with "obvious" advice: Know your audience. Present accordingly.

Are you an expert or a beginner relative to your audience? If I'm explaining something technical, I might take a more assertive tone when glossing over details with a novice but speak with more deference to an expert. (e.g. Throw in a few "I think ..." or "My understanding was that ...")

Getting a quick grasp of where the speaker is coming from helps the listener really engage at the right level. Should I double check what the speaker is saying or are they the authority on the matter? Nothing get's eyes rolling faster than someone making blatantly wrong factual errors overconfidently.



This x10. Being aware of "who" / "what" is in the room - and then (the tricky part) self-aware of how they may see you.

Use this ance-data to shape your tone and phrasing.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: