9 Public-Speaking Lessons From The World's Greatest TED Talks

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9 Public-Speaking Lessons From The World's Greatest TED Talks

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Popularity of Ted talks

TED talks are watched by more than two million times every day. They have become the standard in public speaking and presentation skills.

So probably your next public speech will be compared to a TED talk. But having to raise your game to the TED-style is not a bad thing; adopting some of the techniques that have brought TED speakers global acclaim will make it much more likely that you will persuade your audience to act on your ideas.

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Passion leads to mastery

And mastery is the foundation of an extraordinary presentation. So express an enthusiastic, passionate, and meaningful connection to the topic you are presenting in your public speech.

You cannot be an inspiration to your peers if you are inspired yourself.

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Tell stories through your presentation

Stories connect us. Stories stimulate and engage the human brain.

Stories help the speaker connect with the audience and make the audience more agreeable with the speaker's point of view.

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Practice your speech relentlessly

Practice and internalize your content so that you can deliver the presentation as comfortably as having a conversation with a close friend.

For example, Dr. Jill rehearsed her presentation 200 times before she delivered it live.

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Teach your audience something new

The human brain loves novelty.

An unfamiliar, unusual, or unexpected element in a presentation jolts the audience out of their preconceived notions, and quickly gives them a new way of looking at the world.

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Deliver breathtaking moments

It grabs the listener’s attention and is remembered long after the presentation is over.

Use anything in your presentation that elicits a strong emotional response such as joy, fear, shock, or surprise.

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Humor makes an audience more receptive and less defensive

Use humor in your speech, but without telling a joke. You will seem more likeable, and people are more willing to do business with or support someone they like.

For example, Sir Ken Robinson\ makes humorous, often self-deprecating, observations about his chosen field, education._

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Stick to the 18-minute rule

A TED presentation should be 18-minutes. **Researchers have discovered that too much information prevents the successful transmission of ideas. **

TED curator Chris Anderson states that 18 minutes is "long enough to be serious and short enough to hold people's attention."

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The picture superiority method

There are no bullet points on the slides of the best TED presentations. There are pictures, animations, and limited amounts of text.

Use the “picture superiority” technique. Your audience is much more likely to recall an idea when a picture complements it.

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Public speaking and vulnerability

The most inspiring TED speakers are open, authentic, and, at times, vulnerable.

Brené Brown gave a TED talk on the topic of vulnerability and how her own research led to her personal journey to know herself. Opening up paid off for Brown in a big way. Oprah discovered Brown on TED, invited Brown to be on her show, and today Brown is a bestselling author and regular contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine.

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"Your mission in any presentation is to inform, educate, and inspire. You can only inspire when you give people a new way of looking at the world in which they live."