We all can learn a lot from TED*, and not only from the content but also by watching the speakers perform and how they wow and inspire the audiences. Here are 3 lessons I have learned speaking myself on two TEDx conferences and coaching several TEDx speakers.
#1 Become quotable
TED talks are very short and they often spread fast over the Internet. One reason for this is that the speakers are quotable. They make it easy for you to tell your friend about a key message, or to send a 'tweet' about the topic or quote.
Niall Ferguson speaks for instance about the '6 killer apps for prosperity'. Susan Cain, the author of "Quiet" speaks on The Power of Introverts and mentioned the following sentence: "There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas." In my TEDx talk on virtual interaction, I have coined the phrase that virtual presenters should facilitate "guided single-tasking". That struck a chord, and I had many conversations on this afterwards.
The key tip therefore for you: every time before you speak, check if you have at least 1-2 quotable messages.
#2 Dance with data: Big picture analogy first
We often have to communicate data. However, people frequently turn off when they hear about complex problems and especially when they see charts and graphs. One reason (besides bad chart design) in my view is that we are often missing the big picture and relevance of e.g. a data set.
What we see often at TED is the following way. First, there is a connection made with the audience: a picture or an analogy of what people already know is shown. Once this connection is made, a deeper dive into the data is shown and the audience can then follow.
Physicist Brian Greene fo
r example does this brilliantly in his talk on the super string theory. He shows a picture and video of a cable supporting a traffic light from Manhattan park to demonstrate in a tangible way how perception of dimensions can be different depending on size and viewpoint (watch from 6'45''). He then goes deeper into the super string theory.
So the next time you give a presentation why not show a picture, full page, about your research/complex topic first? And then move on to explain how your data explains the picture. This gives meaning to your audience.
#3 Dream Big
TED and TEDx organizers send out 'ten commandments' to speakers. The first commandment is: Dream big! Whatever it is that speakers speak about, it is recommended to look at the broader context, how your topic and idea can help change the world and have an impact.
My favorite example for this is a 3-minute talk on how to use a paper towel by Joe Smith. Watch it and you will likely not only get an idea not only about a passionate performance but also how a broader theme is linked into practical advice. That kind of combination of a "big idea" together with very concrete tips/data is often what inspires people - so dream big and weave this dream into your talk.
What is your favorite TED-talk, and how has it inspired you? I'd love to hear from you.
* TED is an offline and online phenomenon. Offline, the conference has attracted great thinkers, leaders and shapers such as Bill Gates, Bono of U2 fame, Bill Clinton Nobel prize laureate Daniel Kahneman and many more. TEDx events are the regional events. I spoke at TEDxFlanders and TEDxGhent. Watch them here: Link to LS video page. Online, the videos of the speeches have been viewed by hundreds of millions of people and counting. TED has a special format 3, 9 and 18 minute speeches. Everybody is forced to be in this time, even if you talk about the Big Bang theory. Go to
www.ted.com to watch the talks (I can send you a list of suggestions and will post one in the future as well).
