5 Unexpected Strategies for Giving a Great TED-Style Talk
Description: Are you preparing to give a TED-style talk and looking for powerful strategies to make your presentation stand out? Look no further! In this article, we will share 5 unexpected tactics that will help you deliver a great talk. From clarifying your idea to building a persuasive argument, these tips will ensure that your talk is both memorable and impactful. So read on to discover how you can elevate your talk to the next level and go make a dent in the universe.
Congratulations! You've been invited to speak at a TED-style conference.
You're excited, on top of the world, over the moon!
But then... uh oh.
panic
How in the world are you going to write this thing?
How do you avoid wasting the biggest opportunity of your life, delivering a talk that only gets 400 views (thanks, mom and mom's book club) and immediately falls into obscurity?
Common TED-Style Advice
If you ask Google, these are the 5 most common pieces of TED-like writing advice:
Start with a strong opening: Grab your audience's attention right from the start with an interesting story, a surprising statistic, or a bold statement.
Use compelling visuals: Use slides, videos, or other visual aids to help illustrate your points and keep your audience engaged.
Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your talk multiple times to ensure that you are comfortable with the material and that you can deliver it smoothly.
Engage with your audience: Ask questions, make eye contact, and invite your audience to participate in your talk by clapping or answering questions.
End with a strong closing: Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a memorable take-away message that they can apply to their own lives.
These are great tips...
If you want to deliver a run-of-the-mill talk that stalls out at 1,000 views and barely makes a ripple in a the sea of thought leadership.
But that's not you. Your idea is not run-of-the-mill. And your audience deserves better.
So, what should you do instead?
5 Tips for Writing TED-Style Talks that Actually Work
At Conquer the Red Dot™ we've spent nearly 5 years coaching folks just like you to book, write, and deliver the talk of their dreams. Our clients have gone on to build 6 and 7 figure careers, get featured in prestigious publications like People and Forbes, and founded international movements on critical issues.
In that time we've discovered a handful of unexpected strategies for delivering truly exceptional talks that grab people's attention and actually move them to action.
Tip 1: Clarify Your Big Idea
Reduce your Big Idea down to the core components, until you can state it in a single sentence. This sentence must answer these three questions: What is your idea? Who is it for? Why does it matter?
Example: "To practice the skill of asking for forgiveness on a regular basis, so that we truly own our screw-ups when relationships are on the line."
(All examples in this article are from Peder Tellesfdal, a recent Conquer the Red Dot™ graduate. Watch his TEDx talk here. It was the 5th most viewed new TEDx talk in the world for December 2022)
We call this The Filter. It's the core message of your talk, and does two important things for you.
First, it's a North Star, keeping your entire script on track towards a singular destination. Second, it's a filter, helping you cut out everything that isn't immediately and obviously relevant.
Great TED-style talks can be summed up in one sentence, which means your audience can easily share your idea with others. That's how talks spread.
Tip 2: Define the Problem
The only reason people are going to watch, engage, and share your talk is because it solves a problem for them. You must answer the question, "What's in it for me?" for your audience.
Example: "We all know, deep down, that taking responsibility for our actions is the key to long-lasting relationships. But, taking responsibility is hard. Especially when we know we screwed up. So, how do we do it?"
Take time to identify and clearly define the problem towards the beginning of your talk, if not the very first words out of your mouth. This is especially important for the YouTube viewers, whose attention is being constantly pulled to cat videos and short-form content like reels.
Great talks solve a problem for their audience.
Tip 3: Tell the Right Story
The audience really doesn't care about your background, your credentials, your experiences... unless it obviously qualifies you to solve their problem.
Example: Peder told the story of going on a "forgiveness road trip" in order to learn and practice the art of asking for forgiveness. The audience didn't need to know his work history or credentials to trust him on this topic.
Remember, the audience cares about their problem before they're interested in your solution. And in order to trust your solution, they have to trust you. Build that trust by telling them a story. But not just any story. Tell the story of how you became the person qualified to speak about your idea.
Great talks earn the trust of their audience when the speaker demonstrates understanding and establishes authority.
Tip 4: Make Your Case
It's painful how many otherwise great speakers forget to make a persuasive argument for their idea, and instead simply deliver a series of interesting or entertaining but ultimately disconnected points.
Example: Here is the argument we built the entire talk around. "We all want to be forgiven for our screw-ups. But the real problem is that we no longer use the language of morality, like ‘guilt’, ‘sin,’ or ‘shame.’ The truth is: we are what we do, not what we say. Once we have reclaimed the language of morality, we need to put it into practice. We will never be prepared to ask for forgiveness in the big, important moments if we aren’t consistently practicing in the small, daily moments."
If a story engages the audience, an argument persuades them to take action.
Great talks take an audience from interested or even skeptical to the point of real action.
Tip 5: Begin with the End
When speakers sit down to write a script from scratch they usually begin at the beginning, with their opening lines. And it's really hard. It's hard because you don't yet know where you're going. Instead, write the last few lines of your talk. Then write your intro, setting up the audience to go on a journey from where they are to where you want to take them by the end.
Example: Peder's closing was, "Own your screw-ups. Ask for forgiveness. Go all-in." So his opening line became, "None of us want to hurt the people we love. However we have a tendency to act against our best intentions."
Storytelling expert Matthew Dicks teaches us that the beginning of a story should be the exact opposite of the ending, or as close as possible. We adopt this strategy for TED-style talks as well.
Great talks take the audience on a transformative journey, and the best way to do that is to know where you're going to end.
You can watch Peder's TEDx talk to see how these 5 strategies played out in a viral talk.
Go Make a Dent in the Universe
By following these 5 unexpected strategies, you can give a TED-style talk that will be both memorable and impactful. Remember to clarify your idea, define the problem, tell the right story, build a persuasive argument, and begin with the end.
With these tips in mind, you can confidently take the stage and move your audience to action. So go out there and conquer the red dot!
