TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

by Chris J. Anderson

Tell anecdotes relevant to your subject matter, where humor is natural. The best humor is based on observation of things occurring around you and then exaggerating or remixing them. Have a funny remark ready if you flub your words, the A/V goes awry, or if the clicker doesn’t work. The audience has been there and you instantly win their sympathy. 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. Use satire, saying the opposite of what you mean, then revealing your intent, though this is really hard to get right.

story from the stage, remember to emphasize four key things: Base it on a character your audience can empathize with. Build tension, whether through curiosity, social intrigue, or actual danger. Offer the right level of detail. Too little and the story is not vivid. Too much and it gets bogged down. End with a satisfying resolution, whether funny, moving, or revealing.

How to tell a story on the stage

different people want very different things but often don’t have the language to say what they want, until you find the right questions to ask them.

Voice coaches speak of at least six tools you can use: volume, pitch, pace, timbre, tone, and something called prosody,

6 voice tools