Most Aspiring Speakers Fail: 3 Questions for Quitters
Description: Dreaming of delivering a life-changing talk? Hold on! Before you start, you need to be aware of “the dip” - the phase between the excitement of a project and its success. It's where the tough times hit and quitting becomes a temptation. So, should you quit working towards the Red Dot? In this post, we explore three crucial questions to determine if you should quit before starting your journey.
“I successfully defended a doctoral dissertation. And this TEDx talk is the hardest thing I have ever done.”
-Conquer the Red Dot™ client after delivering their talk
Dreaming of the Red Dot?
Standing on a prestigious stage, delivering a life-changing speech?
FINALLY getting to utter those oh-so-famous words, “Thanks for coming to my TED talk.”
Then, buckle up and get ready for “the dip.”
Marketing legend Seth Godin coined the phrase in his book, The Dip. It refers to the period of time between the initial excitement of a project and its ultimate success. It's when the going gets tough, and quitting becomes a real temptation.
But you should never quit in the dip.
There’s a myth about really successful people, that they never quit. It’s not true. As it turns out, successful people quit all the time! They just quit strategically.
What’s the best time to quit?
Before you’ve begun!
If you quit in the dip, you waste a ton of time, energy, and money only to end up quitting for reasons you should have seen coming a mile away!
Here are three simple questions to determine if you should quit before you start trying to land a TED-style talk.
3 Questions for Quitters
1. What do you want?
This seems like a dumb question, but take it from me: I’ve met hundreds of hopeful speakers, and most don’t have a clue what they want.
Either 1) they want to say that they’ve given a “TED talk,” but don’t really want to invest the time, energy, or money into doing it right.
Or 2) they want to quickly make more money and think that the Red Dot is the best way to do it.
These are both bad reasons to give any talk, but especially bad reasons to step on the Red Dot.
Pure Intentions
The best talks and most successful speakers are those who believe so deeply in an idea that they’re busting to get it into the world, come hell or high-water, and regardless of career outcomes.
When you know what you want, you are more likely to be motivated to see it through, even during the challenging times.
Like the first song in a Disney movie (affectionately called the “I Want” song by insiders), your ‘want’ sets the foundation for your journey. When you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you are better equipped to make a plan, set priorities, and stay focused.
And most importantly, knowing what you want allows you to assess whether your goal is aligned with your values and purpose.
Many people find that delivering a talk that is this difficult is not in line with what they truly want. That’s okay! But it’s better to discover this before you start the process.
2. What would it take to get it?
This question will help you understand the resources, effort, and time required to achieve your goal of delivering a world class TED-style talk.
Getting super clear on the answer means you can prepare and plan for the challenges ahead. And believe me, there are a lot of them.
You will need to invest a lot of time to researching, writing, and practicing your presentation. Based on the dozens of speakers we’ve coached, I estimate 200 hours all-in.
That’s. A. Lot.
You will also need to seek feedback and make revisions. Are you prepared to pull together test groups of friends, family, and colleagues to rehearse the talk? Does your dream conference require working with a coach or going through a formal training process?
Before beginning your journey to the Red Dot, be sure you need to know not just the minimum requirements, but the ideal conditions required to succeed.
And that brings us to the last question.
3. Are you willing to pay that price?
If the answer to this question isn't a resounding "heck yeah," then you're in for a rough ride.
Becoming a TED-style speaker takes a significant investment of time and energy. On average it takes 9 to 15 months and around 200 hours of your life to turn your idea into a 10-12 minute talk.
Do you have a day-job? Do you have a family?
Are you willing to commit the hours and energy required to do this thing right? If not, just do a livestream or record a YouTube video yourself.
It’s not worth it if you’re unable to commit properly.
So, are you all in?
“I needed a coach that would go “all in” with me. And I realized very quickly that Brian was such a guy.”
-Peder Tellefsdal, recent Conquer the Red Dot™ graduate (TEDxArendal 2022)
For the right person with appropriate expectations, the reward is super worth it.
Delivering a killer talk on the Red Dot can boost your confidence, make you an “instant expert,” open doors that you never knew exists, and skyrocket your mission.
Plus, a great showcase video like is very easy to leverage into income.
Embracing the dip and committing fully to the process are crucial traits of successful speakers. It takes hard work, dedication, and possibly a bit of craziness, but if you're willing to do the work, you can conquer the red dot.
The key is to recognize the dip in advance, make an informed decision, and commit fully to the process.
