In this talk, I will give an overview of how to approach the daunting task of giving a scientific talk to a seminar, colloquium, or conference audience. I will focus primarily on the disconnect between the idealized version of what a physics talk “should” be, and the reality enforced by the actual environment of most talks. I will discuss techniques that can be employed to give a successful talk in the latter context. After giving a relatively short overview, I will open the floor for discussion and questions (hoping to last about 20 minutes), to help answer (or get alternative ideas) on what works for other speakers.