TED Talks: The official TED guide to public speaking: Tips and tricks for giving unforgettable speeches and presentations

by Chris J. Anderson

There is no one way to give a great talk. The world of knowledge is far too big and the range of speakers and of audiences and of talk settings is far too varied for that.

Your only real job in giving a talk is to have something valuable to say, and to say it authentically in your own unique way.

As a leader — or as an advocate — public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream.

The only thing that truly matters in public speaking is not confidence, stage presence, or smooth talking. It’s having something worth saying.

A good exercise is to try to encapsulate your throughline in no more than fifteen words. And those fifteen words need to provide robust content. It’s not enough to think of your goal as, “I want to inspire the audience” or “I want to win support for my work.” It has to be more focused than that. What is the precise idea you want to build inside your listeners? What is their takeaway?

You should then build a structure so that every element in your talk is somehow linked to this idea.

Introduction — getting settled, what will be covered Context — why this issue matters Main Concepts Practical Implications Conclusion

Build humor into your visuals. You can also have the humor be the contrast between what you’re saying and what you’re showing. There are lots of great possibilities for laughter.

You have to expose your drafts to friends or colleagues and beg for ruthless feedback on anything they don’t understand.

Another simple but super-compelling wonder walk was science writer Mary Roach’s talk on orgasm.

You want an opening that grabs people from the first moment. A surprising statement. An intriguing question. A short story. An incredible image.

DRAMATIC PROPS

“The secret of happiness is: find something more important than you are, and dedicate your life to it.”