How to talk like TED
TED Talks teach a great deal about best practice presenting. Here are some of the key lessons
How Do I Talk Like TED?
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) holds an influential position as a champion of great ideas and innovative thinking. From its early origins as a conference in 1984, TED has grown to become a global phenomenon that helps us gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. So much so, that we all want to talk like TED.
As an organisation, TED really took off in 2006 when it launched its first online TED Talks. Over the years, TED has hosted experts from a vast range of disciplines spanning science, business, art, literature and journalism to name a few. However, one characteristic that always stands out is the professionalism of the speakers. In fact, it’s worth watching a good TED Talk a couple of times to observe the wide range of excellent presentation skills on show.
No wonder TED Talks have become a benchmark that many presenters and public speakers aspire to. So here are seven simple ways to boost your own presenting style to help you talk like TED as well.
Keep it Short
Did you know that TED sets a maximum length of 18 minutes per talk? The theory behind this time limit is that 18 minutes is long enough to cover a subject in an engaging way, yet short enough to retain audience attention. However, bear in mind that some of the most powerful TED Talks are five minutes or under.
Setting a time limit is a good habit as it forces you to structure your presentation or speech carefully. It encourages you to craft sentences that convey as much as possible in the fewest number of words and eliminate messages that don’t add value to your core theme.
Keeping your presentations and speeches short also shows you appreciate your audience giving up their time to listen to you.
Keep it as Simple as it Needs to be
TED Talks also teach about the benefits of making subjects easy to understand. TED presenters gear their talks for a public audience, but that doesn’t mean they limit the subjects they speak about. Being able to communicate complex subjects such as string theory and blockchain technology in a simple way is a gift that audiences appreciate.
To talk like TED, think about who will be listening to your presentation or speech, and try to prepare it with everyone in mind. That means being sympathetic to those with less understanding, but without patronising those who know more.
The secret is to find fascinating ways to communicate the benefits of your subject for the individual. In other words, how will the knowledge change their life for the better?
Tell a Story
To create fascinating and beneficial talks, most TED presenters use the power of storytelling to make them more personal and emotive for the audience.
In many ways, TED Talks embody the great verbal storytelling tradition that still exists today. We may not be sitting around a tribal campfire as we listen to TED presenters, but the principle is the same.
Humans prefer to learn through behavioural observation, and stories align with this characteristic perfectly. We can illustrate the cause and effect of an idea, which enables the audience to understand the lesson and apply it to their own lives.
Learn more about storytelling in presentations.
Convey Passion
To talk like TED, you also need to be passionate about what you are saying. TED presenters are enthusiastic about their subjects, and this enthusiasm can be catching. When you see someone excited about an idea, it’s hard not to get excited as well.
Passion is so important that we made it one of our seven laws of successful presentation skills. We even give you a trick to help you convey passion about subjects you aren’t too passionate about.
Pauses Have Power
The term ‘pause for effect’ means stopping briefly after delivering a sentence to give it more impact. But there are far more fundamental reasons for pausing regularly as you speak. For example, pausing gives the audience time to absorb what you are saying, which is particularly important when conveying complex concepts.
Watch a few TED talks to see how presenters use pauses in diverse ways. You can also read our article on pause – an essential element of presentation training.
Move Around
Many TED presenters use the whole stage to deliver their talk. Not only does this add energy to a presentation, it also helps to counter one of the most important laws of presentations: audiences tend to sleep. Talk like TED by moving around your speaking area, which forces audience members to follow you with their heads, and even shift body position at times.
Moving around the speaking area is just one of our top tips on the art of public speaking.
Make Eye Contact
TED presenters tend to look around the audience as they speak and move. This is because they are using eye contact to enhance their connection with the audience.
To talk like TED, make eye contact with individual members of the audience for a few seconds at a time. This not only increases the level of engagement between you and the audience, but also enhances their feelings of participation and inclusion.
Eye contact also has many benefits for presenters, including enhancing your concentration. Check out our other presentation tips on effective eye contact.
