TED Talks The Official Guide To Public Speaking By Chris J. Anderson

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CONTENTS
TitlePage
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
TheNewAgeofFire
Foundation
PresentationLiteracy
IdeaBuilding
CommonTraps
TheThroughline
TalkTools
Connection
Narration
Explanation
Persuasion
Revelation
PreparationProcess
Visuals
Scripting
Run-Throughs
OpenandClose
OnStage
Wardrobe
MentalPrep
Setup
VoiceandPresence
FormatInnovation
Reflection
TalkRenaissance
WhyThisMatters
YourTurn
Acknowledgments
TalksReferencedwithintheBook
Index
TEDontheWeb
AbouttheAuthor
Footnotes
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Copyright©2016byChrisAnderson
Allrightsreserved
Forinformationaboutpermissiontoreproduceselectionsfromthisbook,
writetotrade.permissions@hmhco.comortoPermissions,HoughtonMifflin
HarcourtPublishingCompany,3ParkAvenue,19thFloor,NewYork,New
York10016.
www.hmhco.com
TheLibraryofCongresshascatalogedtheprinteditionasfollows:
Names:Anderson,Chris,date.
Title:TEDtalks:theofficialTEDguidetopublicspeaking/ChrisAnderson.
Description:Boston:HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,2016.|Includesindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2015048798|ISBN9780544634497(hardcover)|ISBN
9780544809710(internationaleditionpbk.)
Subjects:LCSH:Publicspeaking—Handbooks,manuals,etc.
Classification:LCCPN4129.15.A542016|DDC808.5/1—dc23
LCrecordavailableathttp://lccn.loc.gov/2015048798
CoverdesignbyMikeFemia
eISBN978-0-544-66436-4
v1.0516
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InspiredbyZoeAnderson(1986–2010).
Lifeisfleeting.Ideas,inspiration,andloveendure.
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Prologue
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THENEWAGEOFFIRE
Thehouselightsdim.Awoman,herpalmssweating,herlegstremblingjusta
little,stepsoutontothestage.Aspotlighthitsherface,and1,200pairsof
eyeslockontohers.Theaudiencesenseshernervousness.Thereispalpable
tensionintheroom.Sheclearsherthroatandstartstospeak.
Whathappensnextisastounding.
The1,200brainsinsidetheheadsof1,200independentindividualsstartto
behaveverystrangely.Theybegintosyncup.Amagicspellwovenbythe
womanwashesovereachperson.Theygasptogether.Laughtogether.Weep
together.Andastheydoso,somethingelsehappens.Rich,neurologically
encodedpatternsofinformationinsidethewoman’sbrainaresomehow
copiedandtransferredtothe1,200brainsintheaudience.Thesepatternswill
remaininthosebrainsfortherestoftheirlives,potentiallyimpactingtheir
behavioryearsintothefuture.
Thewomanonthestageisweavingwonder,notwitchcraft.Butherskills
areaspotentasanysorcery.
Antsshapeeachother’sbehaviorbyexchangingchemicals.Wedoitby
standinginfrontofeachother,peeringintoeachother’seyes,wavingour
handsandemittingstrangesoundsfromourmouths.Human-to-human
communicationisatruewonderoftheworld.Wedoitunconsciouslyevery
day.Anditreachesitsmostintenseformonthepublicstage.
Thepurposeofthisbookistoexplainhowthemiracleofpowerfulpublic
speakingisachieved,andtoequipyoutogiveityourbestshot.Butonething
needsemphasizingrightatthestart.
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.Anyattempttoapplyasinglesetformulaislikelytobackfire.
Audiencesseethroughitinaninstantandfeelmanipulated.
Indeed,eveniftherewereasuccessfulformulaatonemomentintime,it
wouldn’tstaysuccessfulforlong.That’sbecauseakeypartoftheappealofa
greattalkisitsfreshness.We’rehumans.Wedon’tlikesameold,sameold.If
yourtalkfeelstoosimilartoatalksomeonehasalreadyheard,itisboundto
havelessimpact.Thelastthingwewantisforeveryonetosoundthesameor
foranyonetosoundasthoughhe’sfakingit.
Soyoushouldnotthinkoftheadviceinthisbookasrulesprescribinga
singlewaytospeak.Insteadthinkofitasofferingyouasetoftoolsdesigned
toencouragevariety.Justusetheonesthatarerightforyouandforthe
speakingopportunityyou’refacing.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.
Youmayfinditmorenaturalthanyouthink.Publicspeakingisanancient
art,wireddeeplyintoourminds.Archaeologicaldiscoveriesdatingback
hundredsofthousandsofyearshavefoundcommunitymeetingsiteswhere
ourancestorsgatheredaroundfire.Ineverycultureonearth,aslanguage
developed,peoplelearnedtosharetheirstories,hopes,anddreams.
Imagineatypicalscene.Itisafternightfall.Thecampfireisablaze.The
logscrackleandspitunderastarrysky.Anelderrises,andalleyesturnand
lockontothewise,wrinkledface,illuminatedbytheflickeringlight.The
storybegins.Andasthestorytellerspeaks,eachlistenerimaginestheevents
thatarebeingdescribed.Thatimaginationbringswithitthesameemotions
sharedbythecharactersinthestory.Thisisaprofoundlypowerfulprocess.It
istheliteralalignmentofmultiplemindsintoasharedconsciousness.Fora
periodoftime,thecampfireparticipantsactasiftheywereasinglelifeform.
Theymayrisetogether,dancetogether,chanttogether.Fromthisshared
backdrop,itisashortsteptothedesiretoacttogether,todecidetoembark
togetheronajourney,abattle,abuilding,acelebration.
Thesameistruetoday.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.
Indeed,thespokenwordhasactuallygainednewpowers.Ourcampfireis
nowthewholeworld.ThankstotheInternet,asingletalkinasingletheater
canendupbeingseenbymillionsofpeople.Justastheprintingpress
massivelyamplifiedthepowerofauthors,sothewebismassivelyamplifying
theimpactofspeakers.Itisallowinganyoneanywherewithonlineaccess
(andwithinadecadeorso,wecanexpectalmosteveryvillageonearthtobe
connected)tosummontheworld’sgreatestteacherstotheirhomesandlearn
fromthemdirectly.Suddenlyanancientarthasglobalreach.
Thisrevolutionhassparkedarenaissanceinpublicspeaking.Manyofus
havesufferedyearsoflong,boringlecturesatuniversity;interminable
sermonsatchurch;orroll-your-eyespredictablepoliticalstumpspeeches.It
doesn’thavetobethatway.
Doneright,atalkcanelectrifyaroomandtransformanaudience’s
worldview.Doneright,atalkismorepowerfulthananythinginwrittenform.
Writinggivesusthewords.Speakingbringswithitawholenewtoolbox.
Whenwepeerintoaspeaker’seyes;listentothetoneofhervoice;senseher
vulnerability,herintelligence,herpassion,wearetappingintounconscious
skillsthathavebeenfine-tunedoverhundredsofthousandsofyears.Skills
thatcangalvanize,empower,inspire.
Whatismore,wecanenhancetheseskillsinwaystheancientscouldnever
haveimagined:Theabilitytoshow—rightthereinbeautifulhigh-resolution
—anyimagethatahumancanphotographorimagine.Theabilitytoweavein
videoandmusic.Theabilitytodrawonresearchtoolsthatpresenttheentire
bodyofhumanknowledgetoanyoneinreachofasmartphone.
Thegoodnewsis,theseskillsareteachable.Theyabsolutelyare.Andthat
meansthatthere’sanewsuperpowerthatanyone,youngorold,canbenefit
from.It’scalledpresentationliteracy.Weliveinanerawherethebestwayto
makeadentontheworldmaynolongerbetowritealettertotheeditoror
publishabook.Itmaybesimplytostandupandsaysomething...because
boththewordsandthepassionwithwhichtheyaredeliveredcannowspread
acrosstheworldatwarpspeed.
Inthetwenty-firstcentury,presentationliteracyshouldbetaughtinevery
school.Indeed,beforetheeraofbooks,itwasconsideredanabsolutelycore
partofeducation,1albeitunderanold-fashionedname:rhetoric.Today,inthe
connectedera,weshouldresurrectthatnobleartandmakeiteducation’s
fourthR:reading,’riting,’rithmetic...andrhetoric.
Theword’scoremeaningissimply“theartofspeakingeffectively.”
Fundamentally,that’sthepurposeofthisbook.Torecastrhetoricforthe
modernera.Toofferusefulstepping-stonestowardanewpresentation
literacy.
OurexperienceatTEDoverthelastfewyearscanhelppointtheway.TED
beganasanannualconference,bringingtogetherthefieldsoftechnology,
entertainment,anddesign(hencethename).Butinrecentyearsithas
expandedtocoveranytopicofpublicinterest.TEDspeakersseektomake
theirideasaccessibletothoseoutsidetheirfieldbydeliveringshort,carefully
preparedtalks.Andtoourdelight,thisformofpublicspeakinghasproveda
hitonline,totheextentthat,asof2015,morethan1billionTEDTalksare
viewedannually.
MycolleaguesandIhaveworkedwithhundredsofTEDspeakers,helping
fine-tunetheirmessagesandhowtheydeliverthem.Theseamazingpeople
havecompletelychangedthewayweseetheworld.Overthepastdecade,we
havedebatedpassionatelyamongourselveshowexactlythesespeakershave
achievedwhatthey’veachieved.Fromourluckyringsideseats,wehavebeen
intriguedandinfuriated,informedandinspired.Wehavealsohadthechance
toaskthemdirectlyfortheiradviceonhowtoprepareanddeliveranamazing
talk.Thankstotheirbrilliance,we’velearneddozensofinsightsintohow
theyachievedsomethingsoextraordinaryinjustafewminutes.
Thatmakesthisbookacollaborativeeffort.It’sacollaborationwiththose
speakers,andwithmytalentedcolleagues,especiallyKellyStoetzel,Bruno
Giussani,andTomRielly,whocurateandhostthemainTEDeventswithme,
andwhohavehadacentralroleovertheyearsinshapingtheTEDTalk
approachandformatandbringingremarkablevoicestoourplatform.
Wehavealsotappedintothecollectivewisdomofthousandsofself-
organizedTEDxevents.2Thecontentemergingfromthemoftensurprisesand
delightsus,andithasexpandedourunderstandingofwhatispossibleina
publictalk.
TED’smissionistonurturethespreadofpowerfulideas.Wedon’tcare
whetherthisisdonethroughsomethingcalledTED,TEDx,orinanyother
formofpublicspeaking.Whenwehearofotherconferencesdecidingthey
wanttoputonTED-styletalks,we’rethrilled.Ultimately,ideasaren’towned.
Theyhavealifeoftheirown.We’redelightedtoseetoday’srenaissancein
theartofpublicspeakingwhereveritishappeningandwhoeverisdoingit.
SothepurposeofthisbookisnotjusttodescribehowtogiveaTEDTalk.
It’smuchbroaderthanthat.Itspurposeistosupportanyformofpublic
speakingthatseekstoexplain,inspire,inform,orpersuade;whetherin
business,education,oronthepublicstage.Yes,manyoftheexamplesinthis
bookarefromTEDTalks,butthat’snotonlybecausethosearetheexamples
we’remostfamiliarwith.TEDTalkshavegeneratedalotofexcitementin
recentyears,andwethinktheyhavesomethingtoofferthewiderworldof
publicspeaking.Wethinktheprinciplesthatunderliethemcanactasa
powerfulbasisforabroaderpresentationliteracy.
Soyouwon’tfindspecifictipsongivingatoastatawedding,ora
companysalespitch,orauniversitylecture.Butyouwillfindtoolsand
insightsthatmaybeusefulforthoseoccasionsand,indeed,foreveryformof
publicspeaking.Morethanthat,wehopetopersuadeyoutothinkabout
publicspeakinginadifferentway,awaythatyouwillfindexcitingand
empowering.
Thecampfiresofoldhavespawnedanewkindoffire.Afirethatspreads
frommindtomind,screentoscreen:theignitionofideaswhosetimehas
come.
Thismatters.Everymeaningfulelementofhumanprogresshashappened
onlybecausehumanshavesharedideaswitheachotherandthencollaborated
toturnthoseideasintoreality.Fromthefirsttimeourancestorsteamedupto
takedownamammothtoNeilArmstrong’sfirststepontothemoon,people
haveturnedspokenwordsintoastonishingsharedachievements.
Weneedthatnowmorethanever.Ideasthatcouldsolveourtoughest
problemsoftenremaininvisiblebecausethebrilliantpeopleinwhoseminds
theyresidelacktheconfidenceortheknow-howtosharethoseideas
effectively.Thatisatragedy.Atatimewhentherightideapresentedtheright
waycanrippleacrosstheworldatthespeedoflight,spawningcopiesofitself
inmillionsofminds,there’shugebenefittofiguringouthowbesttosetiton
itsway,bothforyou,thespeaker-in-waiting,andfortherestofuswhoneed
toknowwhatyouhavetosay.
Areyouready?
Let’sgolightafire.
ChrisAnderson
February2016
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PRESENTATIONLITERACY
TheSkillYouCanBuild
You’renervous,right?
Steppingoutontoapublicstageandhavinghundredsofpairsofeyes
turnedyourwayisterrifying.Youdreadhavingtostandupinacompany
meetingandpresentyourproject.Whatifyougetnervousandstumbleover
yourwords?Whatifyoucompletelyforgetwhatyouweregoingtosay?
Maybeyou’llbehumiliated!Maybeyourcareerwillcrater!Maybetheidea
youbelieveinwillstayburiedforever!
Thesearethoughtsthatcankeepyouupatnight.
Butguesswhat?Almosteveryonehasexperiencedthefearofpublic
speaking.Indeed,surveysthataskpeopletolisttheirtopfearsoftenreport
publicspeakingasthemostwidelyselected,aheadofsnakes,heights—and
evendeath.
Howcanthisbe?Thereisnotarantulahiddenbehindthemicrophone.You
havezeroriskofplungingoffthestagetoyourdeath.Theaudiencewillnot
attackyouwithpitchforks.Thenwhytheanxiety?
It’sbecausethere’salotatstake—notjusttheexperienceinthemoment,
butinourlonger-termreputation.Howothersthinkofusmattershugely.We
areprofoundlysocialanimals.Wecraveeachother’saffection,respect,and
support.Ourfuturehappinessdependsontheserealitiestoashockingdegree.
Andwesensethatwhathappensonapublicstageisgoingtomateriallyaffect
thesesocialcurrenciesforbetterorworse.
Butwiththerightmindset,youcanuseyourfearasanincredibleasset.It
canbethedriverthatwillpersuadeyoutoprepareforatalkproperly.
That’swhathappenedwhenMonicaLewinskycametoTED.Forher,the
stakescouldn’thavebeenhigher.Seventeenyearsearlier,shehadbeen
throughthemosthumiliatingpublicexposureimaginable,anexperienceso
intenseitalmostbrokeher.Nowshewasattemptingareturntoamorevisible
publiclife,toreclaimhernarrative.
Butshewasnotanexperiencedpublicspeaker,andsheknewthatitwould
bedisastrousifshemessedup.Shetoldme:
NervousistoomildawordtodescribehowIfelt.Morelike...
Guttedwithtrepidation.Boltsoffear.Electricanxiety.Ifwecould
haveharnessedthepowerofmynervesthatmorning,Ithinkthe
energycrisiswouldhavebeensolved.NotonlywasIsteppingout
ontoastageinfrontofanesteemedandbrilliantcrowd,butitwas
alsovideotaped,withthehighlikelihoodofbeingmadepublicona
widelyviewedplatform.Iwasvisitedbytheechoesoflingering
traumafromyearsofhavingbeenpubliclyridiculed.Plaguedbya
deepinsecurityIdidn’tbelongontheTEDstage.Thatwastheinner
experienceagainstwhichIbattled.
AndyetMonicafoundawaytoturnthatfeararound.Sheusedsome
surprisingtechniques,whichI’llshareinchapter15.Sufficeittosay,they
worked.Hertalkwonastandingovationattheevent,rocketedtoamillion
viewswithinafewdays,andearnedravereviewsonline.Itevenprompteda
publicapologytoherfromalongtimecritic,feministauthorEricaJong.
ThebrilliantwomanIammarriedto,JacquelineNovogratz,wasalso
hauntedbyfearofpublicspeaking.Inschool,atcollege,andintoher
twenties,theprospectofamicrophoneandwatchingeyeswassoscaryitwas
debilitating.Butsheknewthattoadvanceherworkfightingpoverty,she
wouldhavetopersuadeothers,andsoshejustbeganforcingherselftodoit.
Todayshegivesscoresofspeecheseveryyear,oftenearningstanding
ovations.
Indeed,everywhereyoulook,therearestoriesofpeoplewhowereterrified
ofpublicspeakingbutfoundawaytobecomereallygoodatit,fromEleanor
RoosevelttoWarrenBuffetttoPrincessDiana,whowasknowntoallas“shy
Di”andhatedgivingspeeches,butfoundawaytospeakinformallyinher
ownvoice,andtheworldfellinlovewithher.
Ifyoucangetatalkright,theupsidecanbeamazing.Takethetalkthat
entrepreneurElonMuskgavetoSpaceXemployeesonAugust2,2008.
Muskwasnotknownasagreatpublicspeaker.Butthatday,hiswords
markedanimportantturningpointforhiscompany.SpaceXhadalready
sufferedtwofailedlaunches.Thiswasthedayofthethirdlaunch,and
everyoneknewfailurecouldforcethecompany’sclosure.TheFalconrocket
soaredoffthelaunchpad,butrightafterthefirststagefellaway,disaster
struck.Thespacecraftexploded.Thevideofeedwentdead.Some350
employeeshadgatheredand,asdescribedbyDollySingh,thecompany’s
headoftalentacquisition,themoodwasthickwithdespair.Muskemergedto
speaktothem.Hetoldthemthey’dalwaysknownitwouldbehard,butthat
despitewhathadhappened,theyhadalreadyaccomplishedsomethingthat
daythatfewnations,letalonecompanies,hadachieved.Theyhad
successfullycompletedthefirststageofalaunchandtakenaspacecraftto
outerspace.Theysimplyhadtopickthemselvesupandgetbacktowork.
Here’showSinghdescribedthetalk’sclimax:
ThenElonsaid,withasmuchfortitudeandferocityashecould
musterafterhavingbeenawakeforlike20+hoursbythispoint,“For
mypart,IwillnevergiveupandImeannever.”Ithinkmostofus
wouldhavefollowedhimintothegatesofhellcarryingsuntanoil
afterthat.ItwasthemostimpressivedisplayofleadershipthatIhave
everwitnessed.Withinmomentstheenergyofthebuildingwentfrom
despairanddefeattoamassivebuzzofdeterminationaspeoplebegan
tofocusonmovingforwardinsteadoflookingback.
That’sthepowerofasingletalk.Youmightnotbeleadinganorganization,
butatalkcanstillopennewdoorsortransformacareer.
TEDspeakershavetoldusdelightfulstoriesoftheimpactoftheirtalks.
Yes,therearesometimesbookandmovieoffers,higherspeakingfees,and
unexpectedoffersoffinancialsupport.Butthemostappealingstoriesareof
ideasadvanced,andliveschanged.AmyCuddygaveahugelypopulartalk
abouthowchangingyourbodylanguagecanraiseyourconfidencelevel.She
hashadmorethan15,000messagesfrompeoplearoundtheworld,tellingher
howthatwisdomhashelpedthem.
AndyoungMalawianinventorWilliamKamkwamba’sinspiringtalkabout
buildingawindmillinhisvillageasafourteen-year-oldsparkedaseriesof
eventsthatledtohimbeingacceptedintoanengineeringprogramat
DartmouthCollege.
THEDAYTEDMIGHTHAVEDIED
Here’sastoryfrommyownlife:WhenIfirsttookoverleadershipofTEDin
late2001,IwasreelingfromthenearcollapseofthecompanyIhadspent
fifteenyearsbuilding,andIwasterrifiedofanotherhugepublicfailure.Ihad
beenstrugglingtopersuadetheTEDcommunitytobackmyvisionforTED,
andIfearedthatitmightjustfizzleout.Backthen,TEDwasanannual
conferenceinCalifornia,ownedandhostedbyacharismaticarchitectnamed
RichardSaulWurman,whoselarger-than-lifepresenceinfusedeveryaspect
oftheconference.Abouteighthundredpeopleattendedeveryyear,andmost
ofthemseemedresignedtothefactthatTEDprobablycouldn’tsurviveonce
Wurmandeparted.TheTEDconferenceofFebruary2002wasthelastoneto
beheldunderhisleadership,andIhadonechanceandonechanceonlyto
persuadeTEDattendeesthattheconferencewouldcontinuejustfine.Ihad
neverrunaconferencebefore,however,anddespitemybesteffortsover
severalmonthsatmarketingthefollowingyear’sevent,onlyseventypeople
hadsignedupforit.
Earlyonthelastmorningofthatconference,Ihad15minutestomakemy
case.Andhere’swhatyouneedtoknowaboutme:Iamnotnaturallyagreat
speaker.Isayumandyouknowfartoooften.Iwillstophalfwaythrougha
sentence,tryingtofindtherightwordtocontinue.Icansoundoverlyearnest,
soft-spoken,conceptual.MyquirkyBritishsenseofhumorisnotalways
sharedbyothers.
Iwassonervousaboutthismoment,andsoworriedthatIwouldlook
awkwardonthestage,thatIcouldn’tevenbringmyselftostand.InsteadI
rolledforwardachairfromthebackofthestage,satonit,andbegan.
Ilookbackatthattalknowandcringe—alot.IfIwerecritiquingittoday,
thereareahundredthingsIwouldchange,startingwiththewrinklywhiteT-
shirtIwaswearing.Andyet...IhadpreparedcarefullywhatIwantedto
say,andIknewtherewereatleastsomeintheaudiencedesperateforTEDto
survive.IfIcouldjustgivethosesupportersareasontogetexcited,perhaps
theywouldturnthingsaround.Becauseoftherecentdot-combust,manyin
theaudiencehadsufferedbusinesslossesasbadasmyown.MaybeIcould
connectwiththemthatway?
Ispokefromtheheart,withasmuchopennessandconvictionasIcould
summon.ItoldpeopleIhadjustgonethroughamassivebusinessfailure.
ThatI’dcometothinkofmyselfasacompleteloser.ThattheonlywayI’d
survivedmentallywasbyimmersingmyselfintheworldofideas.ThatTED
hadcometomeantheworldtome—thatitwasauniqueplacewhereideas
fromeverydisciplinecouldbeshared.ThatIwoulddoallinmypowerto
preserveitsbestvalues.That,inanycase,theconferencehadbroughtsuch
intenseinspirationandlearningtousthatwecouldn’tpossiblyletitdie...
couldwe?
Oh,andIbrokethetensionwithanapocryphalanecdoteaboutFrance’s
MadamedeGaulleandhowsheshockedguestsatadiplomaticdinnerby
expressingherdesirefor“apenis.”InEngland,Isaid,wealsohadthat
desire,althoughtherewepronouncedithappiness,andTEDhadbrought
genuinehappinessmyway.
Tomyutteramazement,attheendofthetalk,JeffBezos,theheadof
Amazon,whowasseatedinthecenteroftheaudience,rosetohisfeetand
beganclapping.Andthewholeroomstoodwithhim.ItwasasiftheTED
communityhadcollectivelydecided,injustafewseconds,thatitwould
supportthisnewchapterofTEDafterall.Andinthe60-minutebreakthat
followed,some200peoplecommittedtobuyingpassesforthefollowing
year’sconference,guaranteeingitssuccess.
Ifthat15-minutetalkhadfizzled,TEDwouldhavedied,fouryearsbefore
everputtingatalkontheInternet.Youwouldnotbereadingthisbook.
Inthenextchapter,I’llsharewhyIthinkthattalkendedupbeingeffective,
despiteitsevidentawkwardness.It’saninsightthatcanbeappliedtoanytalk.
Nomatterhowlittleconfidenceyoumighthavetodayinyourabilityto
speakinpublic,therearethingsyoucandototurnthataround.Facilitywith
publicspeakingisnotagiftgrantedatbirthtoaluckyfew.It’sabroad-
rangingsetofskills.Therearehundredsofwaystogiveatalk,andeveryone
canfindanapproachthat’srightforthemandlearntheskillsnecessarytodo
itwell.
THEBOYWITHTHELION-HEART
Acoupleofyearsago,TED’scontentdirector,KellyStoetzel,andIwentona
globaltourinsearchofspeakingtalent.InNairobi,Kenya,wemetRichard
Turere,atwelve-year-oldMaasaiboywhohadcomeupwithasurprising
invention.Hisfamilyraisedcattle,andoneofthebiggestchallengeswas
protectingthematnightfromlionattacks.Richardhadnoticedthata
stationarycampfiredidn’tdeterthelions,butwalkingaroundwavingatorch
didseemtowork.Thelionswereapparentlyafraidofmovinglights!Richard
hadsomehowtaughthimselfelectronicsbymessingaroundwithpartstaken
fromhisparents’radio.Heusedthatknowledgetodeviseasystemoflights
thatwouldturnonandoffinsequence,creatingasenseofmovement.Itwas
builtfromscrapyardparts—solarpanels,acarbattery,andamotorcycle
indicatorbox.Heinstalledthelightsand—presto!—thelionattacksstopped.
Newsofhisinventionspreadandothervillageswantedin.Insteadofseeking
tokillthelionsastheyhaddonebefore,theyinstalledRichard’s“lionlights.”
Bothvillagersandpro-lionenvironmentalistswerehappy.
Itwasanimpressiveachievementbut,atfirstglance,Richardcertainly
seemedanunlikelyTEDspeaker.Hestoodhunchedoverinacornerofthe
room,painfullyshy.HisEnglishwashalting,andhestruggledtodescribehis
inventioncoherently.ItwashardtoimaginehimonastageinCaliforniain
frontof1,400people,slottedalongsideSergeyBrinandBillGates.
ButRichard’sstorywassocompellingthatwewentaheadanywayand
invitedhimtocomegiveaTEDTalk.Inthemonthsbeforetheconference,
weworkedwithhimtoframehisstory—tofindtherightplacetobegin,and
todevelopanaturalnarrativesequence.Becauseofhisinvention,Richardhad
wonascholarshiptooneofKenya’sbestschools,wherehehadthechanceto
practicehisTEDTalkseveraltimesinfrontofaliveaudience.Thishelped
buildhisconfidencetothepointwherehispersonalitycouldshinethrough.
HegotonanairplaneforthefirsttimeinhislifeandflewtoLongBeach,
California.AshewalkedontotheTEDstage,youcouldtellhewasnervous,
butthatonlymadehimmoreengaging.AsRichardspoke,peoplewere
hangingonhiseveryword,andeverytimehesmiled,theaudiencemelted.
Whenhefinished,peoplejuststoodandcheered.
Richard’stalecanencourageusalltobelievewemightbeabletogivea
decenttalk.YourgoalisnottobeWinstonChurchillorNelsonMandela.It’s
tobeyou.Ifyou’reascientist,beascientist;don’ttrytobeanactivist.If
you’reanartist,beanartist;don’ttrytobeanacademic.Ifyou’rejustan
ordinaryperson,don’ttrytofakesomebigintellectualstyle;justbeyou.You
don’thavetoraiseacrowdtoitsfeetwithathunderousoration.
Conversationalsharingcanworkjustaswell.Infact,formostaudiences,it’s
alotbetter.Ifyouknowhowtotalktoagroupoffriendsoverdinner,then
youknowenoughtospeakpublicly.
Andtechnologyisopeningupnewoptions.Weliveinanagewhereyou
don’thavetobeabletospeaktothousandsofpeopleatatimetohavean
outsizedimpact.Itcouldjustbeyoutalkingintimatelytoavideocamera,and
lettingtheInternetdotherest.
Presentationliteracyisn’tanoptionalextraforthefew.It’sacoreskillfor
thetwenty-firstcentury.It’sthemostimpactfulwaytosharewhoyouareand
whatyoucareabout.Ifyoucanlearntodoit,yourself-confidencewill
flourish,andyoumaybeamazedatthebeneficialimpactitcanhaveonyour
successinlife,howeveryoumightchoosetodefinethat.
Ifyoucommittobeingtheauthenticyou,Iamcertainthatyouwillbe
capableoftappingintotheancientartthatiswiredinsideus.Yousimplyhave
topluckupthecouragetotry.
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IDEABUILDING
TheGiftinEveryGreatTalk
InMarch2015,ascientistnamedSophieScottsteppedontotheTEDstage,
andwithin2minutestheentireaudiencewashowlingwithuncontrollable
laughter.Sophieisoneoftheworld’sleadingresearchersonlaughter,andshe
wasplayinganaudioclipofhumanslaughingandshowingjusthowweirda
phenomenonitis—“morelikeananimalcallthanspeech,”assheputit.
Hertalkwas17minutesofpuredelight.Bytheendofit,everyonewas
baskinginthewarmglowofadeeplypleasurableexperience.Buttherewas
somethingelse.Noneofuswouldeverthinkoflaughterinquitethesame
wayagain.Sophie’scoreideaaboutlaughter—thatitsevolutionarypurposeis
toconvertsocialstressintopleasurablealignment—hadsomehowenteredour
heads.Andnow,wheneverIseeagroupofpeoplelaughing,Iseethe
phenomenonthroughneweyes.Yes,Ifeelthejoy,Ifeeltheurgetojoinin.
ButIalsoseesocialbonding,andastrangeandancientbiological
phenomenonatworkthatmakesthewholethingseemevenmorewondrous.
Sophiegavemeagift.Notjustthepleasureoflisteningtoher.Shegaveme
anideathatcanforeverbepartofme.3
I’dliketosuggestthatSophie’sgiftisabeautifulmetaphorthatcanapply
toanytalk.Yournumber-onemissionasaspeakeristotakesomethingthat
mattersdeeplytoyouandtorebuilditinsidethemindsofyourlisteners.
We’llcallthatsomethinganidea.Amentalconstructthattheycanholdonto,
walkawaywith,value,andinsomesensebechangedby.
ThatisthecorereasonthatthescariesttalkIeverhadtogiveturnedoutto
beeffective.AsIexplainedearlier,Ihad15minutestotrytoconvincethe
TEDaudiencetosupportitsnewchapterundermyleadership.Therewere
manythingswrongwiththattalk,butitsucceededinonekeyaspect:It
plantedanideainsidethemindsofthoselistening.Itwastheideathatwhat
wastrulyspecialaboutTEDwasnotjustthefounderIwastakingoverfrom.
TED’suniquenesslayinbeingaplacewherepeoplefromeverydiscipline
couldcometogetherandunderstandeachother.Thiscross-fertilizationreally
matteredfortheworld,andthereforetheconferencewouldbegivennonprofit
statusandheldintrustforthepublicgood.Itsfuturewasforallofus.
ThisideachangedthewaytheaudiencethoughtabouttheTEDtransition.
Itnolongermatteredsomuchthatthefounderwasleaving.Whatmattered
nowwasthataspecialwayofsharingknowledgeshouldbepreserved.
STARTWITHTHEIDEA
Thecentralthesisofthisbookisthatanyonewhohasanideaworthsharingis
capableofgivingapowerfultalk.Theonlythingthattrulymattersinpublic
speakingisnotconfidence,stagepresence,orsmoothtalking.It’shaving
somethingworthsaying.
Iamusingthewordideaquitebroadlyhere.Itdoesn’thavetobea
scientificbreakthrough,ageniusinvention,oracomplexlegaltheory.Itcan
beasimplehow-to.Orahumaninsightillustratedwiththepowerofastory.
Orabeautifulimagethathasmeaning.Oraneventyouwishmighthappenin
thefuture.Orperhapsjustareminderofwhatmattersmostinlife.
Anideaisanythingthatcanchangehowpeopleseetheworld.Ifyoucan
conjureupacompellingideainpeople’sminds,youhavedonesomething
wondrous.Youhavegiventhemagiftofincalculablevalue.Inaveryreal
sense,alittlepieceofyouhasbecomepartofthem.
Doyouhaveideasthatdeserveawideraudience?It’samazinghowbadwe
areatjudgingananswertothatquestion.Alotofspeakers(oftenmale)
appeartolovethesoundoftheirownvoiceandarehappytotalkforhours
withoutsharinganythingmuchofvalue.Buttherearealsomanypeople
(oftenfemale)whomassivelyunderestimatethevalueoftheirwork,andtheir
learning,andtheirinsights.
Ifyou’vepickedupthisbookjustbecauseyoulovetheideaofstruttingthe
stageandbeingaTEDTalkstar,inspiringaudienceswithyourcharisma,
please,putitdownrightnow.Instead,goandworkonsomethingthatis
worthsharing.Stylewithoutsubstanceisawful.
But,morelikely,youhavefarmoreinyouworthsharingthanyou’reeven
awareof.Youdon’thavetohaveinventedlionlights.You’veledalifethatis
yoursandyoursonly.Thereareexperiencesyou’vehadthatareuniqueto
you.Thereareinsightstobedrawnfromsomeofthoseexperiencesthatare
absolutelyworthsharing.Youjusthavetofigureoutwhichones.
Areyoustressedaboutthis?Maybeyouhaveaclassassignment;oryou
needtopresenttheresultsofyourresearchatasmallmeeting;oryouhavea
chancetospeaktoalocalRotaryaboutyourorganizationandtrytogaintheir
support.Youmayfeelthatyou’vedonenothingthatwouldbeworthgivinga
talkabout.You’veinventednothing.You’renotparticularlycreative.You
don’tseeyourselfassuper-intelligent.Youdon’thaveanyparticularly
brilliantideasaboutthefuture.You’renotevensurethere’sanythingyou’re
super-passionateabout.
Well,Igrantyou,that’satoughstartingpoint.Tobeworthanaudience’s
time,mosttalksrequiregroundinginsomethingthathassomedepth.It’s
theoreticallypossiblethatthebestthingyoucandofornowistocontinue
yourjourney,searchforsomethingthatreallydoesgrabyouandmakeyou
wanttogodeep,andpickupthisbookagaininafewyears’time.
Butbeforeyoucometothatconclusion,it’sworthdouble-checkingthat
yourself-assessmentisaccurate.Maybeyou’rejustlackingself-confidence.
There’saparadoxhere:Youhavealwaysbeenyou,andyouonlyseeyourself
fromtheinside.Thebitsthatothersfindremarkableinyoumaybe
completelyinvisibletoyou.Tofindthosebitsyoumayneedtohavehonest
conversationswiththosewhoknowyoubest.Theywillknowsomepartsof
youbetterthanyouknowthemyourself.
Inanycase,there’sonethingyouhavethatnooneelseintheworldhas:
Yourownfirst-personexperienceoflife.Yesterdayyousawasequenceof
thingsandexperiencedasequenceofemotionsthatis,quiteliterally,unique.
Youaretheonlyhumanamong7billionwhohadthatexactexperience.So
...canyoumakeanythingofthat?Manyofthebesttalksaresimplybased
onapersonalstoryandasimplelessontobedrawnfromit.Didyouobserve
anythingthatsurprisedyou?Maybeyouwatchedacoupleofchildrenplaying
inthepark,orhadaconversationwithahomelessperson.Istheresomething
inwhatyousawthatmightbeinterestingtootherpeople?Ifnot,couldyou
imaginespendingthenextfewweekswalkingaroundwithyoureyesopen,
beingawareofthepossibilitythatsomepartofyouruniquejourneycouldbe
ofinterestandbenefittoothers?
Peoplelovestories,andeveryonecanlearntotellagoodstory.Evenifthe
lessonyoumightdrawfromthestoryisfamiliar,that’sOK—we’rehumans!
Weneedreminding!There’sareasonreligionshaveweeklysermonsthattell
usthesamethingsoverandover,packageddifferentways.Animportantidea,
wrappedupinafreshstory,canmakeagreattalk,ifit’stoldtherightway.
Thinkbackoveryourworkofthelastthreeorfouryears;whatreally
standsout?Whatwasthelastthingyouwerereallyexcitedby?Orangered
by?Whatarethetwoorthreethingsyou’vedonethatyou’remostproudof?
Whenwasthelasttimeyouwereinconversationwithsomeonewhosaid,
“That’sreallyinteresting”?Ifyoucouldwaveamagicwand,whatistheone
ideayou’dmostlovetospreadtootherpeople’sminds?
PROCRASTINATENOMORE
Youcanusetheopportunityofpublicspeakingasmotivationtodivemore
deeplyintosometopic.Weallsuffer,toagreaterorlesserdegree,fromsome
formofprocrastinationorlaziness.There’salotwe’dliketogetintoin
principle,but,youknow,thatInternetthingjusthassomanydamn
distractions.Thechancetospeakinpublicmaybejustthekickyouneedto
committoaseriousresearchproject.Anyonewithacomputerora
smartphonehasaccesstoprettymuchalltheworld’sinformation.It’sjusta
matterofdigginginandseeingwhatyoucanuncover.
Infact,thesamequestionsyouaskasyoudoyourresearchcanhelp
providetheblueprintforyourtalk.Whataretheissuesthatmattermost?How
aretheyrelated?Howcantheybeeasilyexplained?Whataretheriddlesthat
peopledon’tyethavegoodanswersfor?Whatarethekeycontroversies?You
canuseyourownjourneyofdiscoverytosuggestyourtalk’skeymomentsof
revelation.
So,ifyouthinkyoumighthavesomethingbutaren’tsureyoureallyknow
enoughyet,whynotuseyourpublic-speakingopportunityasanincentiveto
trulyfindout?Everytimeyoufeelyourattentionflagging,justrememberthe
prospectofstandingonstagewithhundredsofeyespeeringatyou.Thatwill
getyouthroughthenexthourofeffort!
In2015,wetriedanexperimentatTEDheadquarters.Wegrantedeveryone
ontheteamanextradayoffeverysecondweektodevotetostudying
something.WecalleditLearningWednesdays.Theideawasthat,becausethe
organizationiscommittedtolifelonglearning,weshouldpracticewhatwe
preachandencourageeveryoneontheteamtospendtimelearningabout
somethingthey’repassionateabout.Buthowdidwepreventthatjust
becomingalazydayofsittinginfrontoftheTV?Therewasastinginthe
tail:Everyonehadtocommit,atsomepointduringtheyear,togivingaTED
Talktotherestoftheorganizationaboutwhatthey’velearned.Thatmeantwe
allgottobenefitfromoneanother’sknowledgebut,crucially,italsoprovided
thekeyincentiveforpeopletogetonwithitandactuallylearn.
Youdon’tneedLearningWednesdaystohavethismotivation.Anychance
atspeakingtoagroupyourespectcanprovidetheincentiveyouneedtoget
offyourbuttandworkonsomethinguniquetoyou!Inotherwords,youdon’t
needtohavetheperfectknowledgeinyourheadtoday.Usethisopportunity
asthereasontodiscoverit.
Andif,afterallthat,you’restillfloundering,maybeyou’reright.Maybe
youshouldturndowntheoffertospeak.Youmightbedoingyourself—and
them—afavor.Morelikely,though,you’lllandonsomethingthatyou,and
onlyyou,canshare.Somethingyou’dactuallybeexcitedtoseeouttherein
theworldalittlemorevisibly.
Formostoftherestofthisbook,I’mgoingtoassumethatyouhave
somethingyouwanttotalkabout,whetherit’salifelongpassion,atopic
you’reeagertodiveintomoredeeply,oraprojectforworkthatyouhaveto
present.InthechapterstocomeI’llbefocusingonthehow,notthewhat.But
inthefinalchapterwe’llreturntothewhat,becauseI’mprettysurethat
everyonehassomethingimportanttheycouldandshouldsharewiththerest
ofus.
THEASTONISHINGEFFICACYOFLANGUAGE
OK.Youhavesomethingmeaningfultosay,andyourgoalistore-createyour
coreideainsideyouraudience’sminds.Howdoyoudothat?
Weshouldn’tunderestimatehowchallengingthatis.Ifwecouldsomehow
mapwhatthatideaaboutlaughterlookedlikeinSophieScott’sbrain,it
wouldprobablyinvolvemillionsofneuronsinterconnectedinanincredibly
richandcomplexpattern.Thepatternwouldhavetoinclude,somehow,
imagesofpeopleguffawing,thesoundsthattheymake,theconceptsof
evolutionarypurposeandofwhatitmeanstoeasestress,andmuchmore.
Howonearthisitpossibletore-createthatwholestructureinagroupof
strangers’mindsinjustafewminutes?
Humanshavedevelopedatechnologythatmakesthispossible.It’scalled
language.Itmakesyourbraindoincrediblethings.
Iwantyoutoimagineanelephant,withitstrunkpaintedbrightred,waving
ittoandfroinsyncwiththeshufflingstepsofagiantorangeparrotdancing
ontheelephant’sheadandshriekingoverandoveragain,“Let’sdothe
fandango!”
Wow!Youhavejustformedinyourmindanimageofsomethingthathas
neverexistedinhistory,exceptinmymindandinthemindsofotherswho
readthatlastsentence.Asinglesentencecandothat.Butitdependsonyou,
thelistener,havingasetofpreexistingconcepts.Youmustalreadyknowwhat
anelephantandaparrotare,whatthecolorconceptsofredandorangeare,
andwhatpainted,dancing,andinsyncmean.Thatsentencehasprompted
youtolinkthoseconceptsintoabrand-newpattern.
IfIhadinsteadstartedoutbysaying“Iwantyoutoimagineamemberof
thespeciesLoxodontacyclotis,withproboscispigmentedPantone032U,
conductingoscillatorymotions...”youprobablywouldnothaveformedthat
image,eventhoughthisisthesamerequestinmorepreciselanguage.
So,languageworksitsmagiconlytotheextentthatitissharedbyspeaker
andlistener.Andthere’sthekeycluetohowtoachievethemiracleofre-
creatingyourideainsomeoneelse’sbrain.Youcanonlyusethetoolsthat
youraudiencehasaccessto.Ifyoustartonlywithyourlanguage,your
concepts,yourassumptions,yourvalues,youwillfail.Soinstead,startwith
theirs.It’sonlyfromthatcommongroundthattheycanbegintobuildyour
ideainsidetheirminds.
AtPrincetonUniversity,Dr.UriHassonhasbeendoinggroundbreaking
researchtotrytodiscoverhowthisprocessworks.It’spossibletocapturein
realtimethecomplexbrainactivityassociatedwithbuildingaconceptor
rememberingastory.Itrequiresatechnologycalledfunctionalmagnetic
resonanceimaging(fMRI).
Inoneexperimentin2015,Dr.HassonputagroupofvolunteersintofMRI
machinesandplayedthema50-minutefilmthattoldastory.Asthey
experiencedthestory,theirbrains’responsepatternswererecorded.Someof
thosepatternscouldbematchedacrossalmosteveryvolunteer,giving
concretephysicalevidenceofthesharedexperiencetheywerehaving.Then
heaskedthevolunteerstorecordtheirownrecollectionsofthefilm.Manyof
theserecordingswerequitedetailedandlastedaslongas20minutes.Now—
andthisistheastoundingpart—heplayedthoserecordingstoanothersetof
volunteerswhohadneverseenthefilm,andrecordedtheirfMRIdata.The
patternsshowninthebrainsofthesecondsetofvolunteers,thosewho
listenedtotheaudiorecollectionsonly,matchedthosepatternsshowninthe
mindsofthefirstsetofvolunteersastheywatchedthemovie!Inotherwords,
thepoweroflanguagealoneconjuredupthesamementalexperiencesthat
othershadwhilewatchingamovie.
Thisisamazingevidenceoflanguage’sefficacy.Itisapowerthatevery
publicspeakercantapinto.
YES,WORDSMATTER
Somepublic-speakingcoachesseektodownplaytheimportanceoflanguage.
Theymayciteresearchpublishedin1967byProfessorAlbertMehrabianand
claimthatonly7percentoftheeffectivenessofcommunicationisdownto
language,while38percentdependsontoneofvoiceand55percentcomes
frombodylanguage.Thishasledcoachestofocusexcessivelyondeveloping
aspeakingstyleofconfidence,charisma,etc.,andnotworrysomuchabout
thewords.
Unfortunately,thisisacompletemisinterpretationofwhatMehrabian
found.Hisexperimentsweredevotedprimarilytodiscoveringhowemotion
wascommunicated.Soforexample,hewouldtestwhatwouldhappenif
someonesaid“That’snice,”butsaidsoinanangrytoneofvoice,orwith
threateningbodylanguage.Sureenough,inthosecircumstances,thewords
don’tcountformuch.Butitisabsurdtoapplythistospeakingoverall(and
Mehrabianissosickofbeingmisappliedthathiswebsitecontainsabolded
paragraphbeggingpeoplenottodothis).
Yes,communicatingemotionisimportant,andforthataspectofatalk,
one’stoneofvoiceandbodylanguagedoindeedmatteragreatdeal.We
discussthisindetailinlaterchapters.Butthewholesubstanceofatalk
dependscruciallyonwords.It’sthewordsthattellastory,buildanidea,
explainthecomplex,makeareasonedcase,orprovideacompellingcallto
action.So,ifyouhearsomeonetellyouthatbodylanguagemattersmorethan
verballanguageinpublicspeaking,pleaseknowthattheyaremisinterpreting
thescience.(Orforfun,youcouldjustaskthemtorepeattheirpointpurely
withgestures!)
We’llspendmuchofthefirsthalfofthisbookdiggingintowaysinwhich
languagecanachieveitsmagic.Thefactthatwecantransferideasinthisway
iswhyhuman-to-humanspeakingmatters.Itishowourworldviewsarebuilt
andshaped.Ourideasmakeuswhoweare.Andspeakerswhohavefigured
outhowtospreadtheirideasintoothers’mindsareabletocreateripple
effectsofuntoldconsequence.
THEJOURNEY
There’soneotherbeautifulmetaphorforagreattalk.Itisajourneythat
speakerandaudiencetaketogether.SpeakerTierneyThysputsitthisway:
Likeallgoodmoviesorbooks,agreattalkistransporting.Weloveto
goonadventures,travelsomeplacenewwithaninformed,ifnot
quirky,guidewhocanintroduceustothingsweneverknewexisted,
inciteustocrawloutwindowsintostrangeworlds,outfituswithnew
lensestoseetheordinaryinanextraordinaryway...enraptureus
andengagemultiplepartsofourbrainssimultaneously.SoIoftentry
tofashionmytalksaroundembarkingonajourney.
What’spowerfulaboutthismetaphoristhatitmakesclearwhythespeaker,
likeanytourguide,mustbeginwheretheaudienceis.Andwhytheymust
ensurenoimpossibleleapsorinexplicableshiftsindirection.
Whetherthejourneyisoneofexploration,explanation,orpersuasion,the
netresultistohavebroughttheaudiencetoabeautifulnewplace.Andthat
tooisagift.
Whichevermetaphoryouuse,focusingonwhatyouwillgivetoyour
audienceistheperfectfoundationforpreparingyourtalk.
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3
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COMMONTRAPS
FourTalkStylestoAvoid
Therearecountlesswaystobuildagreattalk.Butfirstsomeessentialsafety
tips.Thereareuglytalkstylesoutthere,dangeroustobothaspeaker’s
reputationandanaudience’swell-being.Herearefourtosteerclearofatall
costs.
THESALESPITCH
Sometimesspeakersgetitexactlybackwards.Theyplantotake,notgive.
SeveralyearsagoafamedauthorandbusinessconsultantcametoTED.I
wasexcitedtohearhispresentationonhowtothinkoutsidethebox.What
happenedinsteadhorrifiedme.Hebegantalkingaboutaseriesofbusinesses
thathadapparentlymadeasignificantleapforwardasaresultofanaction
theytook.Andwhatwasthataction?Theyhadallbookedhisconsultancy
services.
After5minutesofthis,theaudiencewasgettingantsyandI’dhadenough.
Istoodupandbegantointerrupt.Everyeyeturnedmyway.Iwassweating.
Mymicrophonewason.Everyonecouldheareverything.
Me:Ihavearequesthere.Perhapsyoucouldtellusabouttheactual
typeofthinkingyourecommend?Wewanttoknowhowitactually
works,sothatwe’vegotatakeaway.Asis,it’sabittoomuchofan
ad.
[Nervousapplause.Awkwardpause.]
Speaker:Ittakesthreedaystogointoit.In15minutes,thereisno
wayIcantellyouallabouthowtodoit.Mypurposeistotellyouthat
thesethingscanworkandthereforemotivateyoutolookfurtherinto
them.
Me:Webelieveyouthattheywork.You’rearockstarinthisfield!
Giveusaninstance,orjustteaseuswiththefirst15minutesofit.
Please!
Atthispoint,theaudiencestartscheeringandthespeaker’sleftwithno
choice.Toeveryone’srelief,hefinallybeginstosharesomewisdomwecan
use.
Here’stheirony.Thisgreedyapproachtospeakingdoesn’tevenservethe
speaker’sinterest.I’dbeamazedifhegotasinglebookingfromanyonein
thataudience.Andevenifhedid,ithadtobeoffsetbyalossofrespectfrom
othersintheroom.Needlesstosay,weneverpostedthetalkonline.
Reputationiseverything.Youwanttobuildareputationasagenerous
person,bringingsomethingwonderfultoyouraudiences,notasatediousself-
promoter.It’sboringandfrustratingtobepitchedto,especiallywhenyou’re
expectingsomethingelse.
Usually,ofcourse,pitcheshappenmuchmoresubtly.Theslideshowinga
bookcover;thebriefmentionaboutthespeaker’sorganization’sfunding
shortfall.Inthecontextofanotherwisegreattalk,youmayevengetaway
withtheselittlenudges.(And,ofcourse,ifyou’vebeenspecificallyaskedto
talkaboutthebookortheorganization,that’sanothermatter.)Butyou’re
takingabigrisk.That’swhyatTEDweactivelydiscouragespeakersfrom
doingthesethings.
Thekeyprincipleistorememberthatthespeaker’sjobistogivetothe
audience,nottakefromthem.(Eveninabusinesscontextwhereyou’re
genuinelymakingasalespitch,yourgoalshouldbetogive.Themost
effectivesalespeopleputthemselvesintotheirlisteners’shoesandimagine
howtobestservetheirneeds.)Ataconference,peopledon’tcometoatalkto
besoldto.Assoonastheyunderstandthatmightbeyouragenda,theywill
fleetothesafetyoftheiremailinbox.It’sasifyou’veagreedtohaveacoffee
withafriendanddiscovertoyourhorrorthatallsheactuallywantedtodo
wasexplainhermust-investtime-shareschemetoyou.You’reoutofthereat
thefirstopportunity.
It’spossibletodisagreewherethelineisbetweensharinganideaand
pitching,buttheprincipleiscrucial:Give,don’ttake.
Andhere’sthething.Generosityevokesaresponse.Whenhuman-rights
lawyerBryanStevensonspokeatTED,hisorganizationwasinurgentneedof
$1milliontocontinuefightingakeycaseintheUSSupremeCourt.But
Bryandidn’tmentionthisonceinhistalk.Insteadhetransformedthewaywe
allthoughtaboutinjusticeinAmerica,offeringstories,insights,humor,and
revelation.Attheendtheaudienceroseasoneandapplaudedforseveral
minutes.Andguesswhat?Helefttheconferencewithcontributionsfrom
attendeesexceeding$1.3million.
THERAMBLE
InthefirstTEDIorganized,oneofthespeakersbegan,“AsIwasdriving
downherewonderingwhattosaytoyou...”Therefollowedanunfocused
listofobservationsaboutpossiblefutures.Nothingobnoxious.Nothingthat
wasparticularlyhardtounderstand.Butalsonoargumentsofpower.No
revelations.Noahamoments.Notakeaways.Theaudienceclappedpolitely.
Butnoonereallylearnedanything.
Iwasfuming.It’sonethingtounderprepare.Buttoboastthatyou’ve
underprepared?That’sinsulting.Ittellstheaudiencethattheirtimedoesn’t
matter.Thattheeventdoesn’tmatter.
Somanytalksarelikethis.Meandering,nocleardirection.Aspeaker
mightkidhimselfthatevenanunfocusedexplorationofhisbrilliantthinking
isboundtobefascinatingtoothers.Butif800peopleareplanningtodevote
15minutesoftheirdaytoyourwords,youreallycan’tjustwingit.
AsmycolleagueBrunoGiussaniputsit,“Whenpeoplesitinaroomto
listentoaspeaker,theyareofferinghersomethingextremelyprecious,
somethingthatisn’trecoverableoncegiven:afewminutesoftheirtimeand
oftheirattention.Hertaskistousethattimeaswellaspossible.”
Soifyou’regoingtogiftpeoplewithawondrousidea,youfirsthaveto
spendsomepreparationtime.Ramblingisnotanoption.
Asitturnedout,thisparticularramblingspeakerdidgiveTEDagiftof
sorts.Fromthattalkon,weredoubledoureffortsonspeakerpreparation.
THEORGBORE
Anorganizationisfascinatingtothosewhoworkforit—anddeeplyboringto
almosteveryoneelse.Sorry,butit’strue.Anytalkframedaroundthe
exceptionalhistoryofyourcompanyorNGOorlabandthecomplex-but-oh-
so-impressivewayitisstructured,andthefabulouslyphotogenicqualityof
theastonishinglytalentedteamworkingwithyou,andhowmuchsuccess
yourproductsarehaving,isgoingtoleaveyouraudiencesnoozingatthe
startingline.Itmaybeinterestingtoyouandyourteam.But,alas,wedon’t
workthere.
Everythingchanges,though,whenyoufocusonthenatureoftheworkthat
you’redoing,andthepoweroftheideasthatinfuseit,notontheorgitselfor
itsproducts.
Thiscanbeharderthanitsounds.Ofttimestheheadsoforganizationsare
bydefaulttheirspokespersons,alwaysinsellingmode,believingit’stheir
obligationtohonorthehard-workingteamthatsurroundsthem.Andbecause
theworktheywanttotalkabouthastakenplaceinsidetheorganization,the
mostobviouswaytodescribeitmaybetoanchorittoorganizationalacts.
“Backin2005,wesetupanewdepartmentinDallasinthisofficebuilding
[slideofglasstowerhere],anditsgoalwastoinvestigatehowwecouldslash
ourenergycosts,soIallocatedVicePresidentHankBorehamtothetask...”
Yawn.
Comparethatstatementtothisone:“Backin2005wediscovered
somethingsurprising.Itturnsoutthatit’spossibleforanaverageofficeto
slashitsenergycostsby60percentwithoutanynoticeablelossof
productivity.Letmesharewithyouhow...”
Onemoderetainsinterest.Onekillsit.Onemodeisagift.Theotheris
lazilyself-serving.
THEINSPIRATIONPERFORMANCE
Ihesitatetoincludethisexample,butIthinkImust.
Let’sagreeonthisfirst:Absolutelyoneofthemostpowerfulthingsyou
canexperiencewhenwatchingatalkisinspiration.Thespeaker’sworkand
wordsmoveyouandfillyouwithanexpandedsenseofpossibilityand
excitement.Youwanttogooutandbeabetterperson.TED’sgrowthand
successhavebeenfueledbythedeeplyinspirationalnatureofmanyofthe
talks.Indeed,it’sthereasonIwasdrawntoTEDinthefirstplace.Ibelievein
inspiration’spower.
Butit’sapowerthatmustbehandledwithgreatcare.
Whenagreatspeakerfinisheshertalkandthewholecrowdrisestoitsfeet
andapplauds,it’sathrillingmomentforeveryoneintheroom.Theaudience
isexcitedbywhatthey’veheard,andforthespeaker,it’sindescribably
satisfyingtoreceivesuchpowerfulrecognition.(Oneofthemoreawkward
momentswe’veeverhadatTEDwaswhenaspeakerleftthestageto
lukewarmapplauseandwhisperedtoherfriendbackstage,“Nobodystood
up!”Anunderstandablecomment.Itwasjustunfortunatethathermicrophone
wasstillon,andeveryonecouldhearthepaininhervoice.)
Whethertheyadmititornot,manypublicspeakersdreamofbeingcheered
astheyleavethestage,followedbyscreensfulloftweetsattestingtotheir
inspirationalprowess.Andthereinliesthetrap.Theintenseappealofthe
standingovationcanleadaspiringspeakerstodobadthings.Theymaylook
attalksgivenbyinspirationalspeakersandseektocopythem...butinform
only.Theresultcanbeawful:theruthlesspursuitofeverytrickinthebookto
intellectuallyandemotionallymanipulatetheaudience.
TherewasanupsettinginstanceofthisatTEDafewyearsago.4An
AmericanmaninhisfortieshadbecomeahugeTEDfan,andhesentusa
compellingauditionvideo,urgingustolethimgivehisowntalk.Histalk
premiseexactlymatchedthethemewewerefocusedonthatyear,andhe
camewellrecommended,sowedecidedtogivehimashot.
Thefirstmomentsofhistalkwerepromising.Hehadabigpersonality.He
beamedattheaudience.Hehadsomeamusingopeningremarks,aclever
video,andasurprisingvisualprop.Itwasasifhe’dstudiedeveryTEDTalk
indetailandwasbringingthebestofeachtohisowntalk.Sittingand
watching,Iwashopefulwemighthaveagianthitonourhands.
Butthen...Istartedtofeelalittlequeasy.Therewassomethingnotquite
right.Hewaslovingbeingonstage.Lovingitjustalittletoomuch.He’d
keeppausing,hopingforaudienceapplauseorlaughter,andwhenhegotit,
he’dstopandsay“thankyou,”subtlymilkingitformore.Hestartedinserting
ad-libbedcommentsintendedtoamuse.Itwascleartheyamusedhim,but
others,notsomuch.Andtheworstofitwasthepromisedsubstanceofthe
talkneverreallyarrived.Heclaimedtohaveworkedondemonstratingthe
truthofanimportantidea.Butthecasehebroughtwasallwhimsyand
anecdote.TherewasonemomentwherehehadevenPhotoshoppedanimage
sothatitappearedtosupporthiscase.Andbecauseofhisgettingcarried
awayandsoakingupthelimelight,hewasrunningwayovertime.
Towardtheend,hebegantellingpeoplethatyes,theyhaditintheirpower
toadopthiswisdom,andhespokeofdreamsandinspiration,endingwithhis
armsoutstretchedtotheaudience.Becauseitwasclearthetalkmeantso
muchtohim,aportionoftheaudiencedidindeedstandtoclaphim.Me?I
feltsicktomystomach.ThiswastheclichéofTEDthatwe’dtriedsohardto
eliminate.Allstyle,verylittlesubstance.
Thetroublewithtalkslikethisisnotjustthattheyflattertodeceive.It’s
thattheygivetheentiregenreabadname.Theymaketheaudiencelesslikely
toopenupwhenagenuinelyinspiringspeakercomesalong.Andyet,more
andmorespeakers,attractedtothedrugofaudienceadoration,aretryingto
walkthispath.
Pleasedon’tbeoneofthem.
Here’sthethingaboutinspiration:Ithastobeearned.Someoneisinspiring
notbecausetheylookatyouwithbigeyesandaskyoutofinditinyourheart
tobelieveintheirdream.It’sbecausetheyactuallyhaveadreamthat’sworth
gettingexcitedabout.Andthosedreamsdon’tcomelightly.Theycomefrom
blood,sweat,andtears.
Inspirationislikelove.Youdon’tgetitbypursuingitdirectly.Infact,
there’sanameforpeoplewhopursuelovetoodirectly:stalker.Inless
extremecases,thewordsweusearealmostasbad:cloying,inappropriate,
desperate.Andsadly,thisbehaviorpromptstheoppositeofwhatitdesires.It
promptsapullingback.
It’sthesamewithinspiration.Ifyoutrytotaketheshortcutandwinpeople
overpurelywithyourcharisma,youmaysucceedforamomentortwo,but
soonyou’llbefoundout,andtheaudiencewillflee.Intheexampleabove,
despitethepartialstandingovation,thatspeakerreceivedterribleaudience
feedbackinourpostconferencesurvey,andweneverpostedthetalk.People
hadfeltmanipulated.Andtheywere.
Ifyouhavedreamsofbeingarock-starpublicspeaker,pumpingupan
audienceasyoustridethestageandproclaimyourbrilliance,Ibegyouto
reconsider.Don’tdreamofthat.Dreamofsomethingmuchbiggerthanyou
are.Goandworkonthatdreamaslongasittakestoachievesomething
worthwhile.Andthenhumblycomeandsharewhatyou’velearned.
Inspirationcan’tbeperformed.It’sanaudienceresponsetoauthenticity,
courage,selflesswork,andgenuinewisdom.Bringthosequalitiestoyour
talk,andyoumaybeamazedatwhathappens.
It’seasytotalkaboutwhytalksfail.Buthowcantheybebuilttosucceed?It
allstartswithamomentofclarity.
OceanofPDF.com
Foundation
4
OceanofPDF.com
THETHROUGHLINE
What’sYourPoint?
“Ithappenswaytoooften:you’resittingthereintheaudience,listeningto
someonetalk,andyouknowthatthereisabetterandgreattalkinthatperson,
it’sjustnotthetalkhe’sgiving.”That’sTED’sBrunoGiussaniagain,aman
whocannotstandseeingpotentiallygreatspeakersblowtheiropportunity.
Thepointofatalkis...tosaysomethingmeaningful.Butit’samazing
howmanytalksneverquitedothat.Therearelotsofspokensentences,tobe
sure.Butsomehowtheyleavetheaudiencewithnothingtheycanholdonto.
Beautifulslidesandacharismaticstagepresenceareallverywell,butif
there’snorealtakeaway,allthespeakerhasdone—atbest—istoentertain.
Thenumber-onereasonforthistragedyisthatthespeakerneverhada
properplanforthetalkasawhole.Thetalkmayhavebeenplannedbullet
pointbybulletpoint,orevensentencebysentence,butnotimewasactually
spentonitsoverallarc.
There’sahelpfulwordusedtoanalyzeplays,movies,andnovels;itapplies
totalkstoo.Itisthroughline,theconnectingthemethattiestogethereach
narrativeelement.Everytalkshouldhaveone.
Sinceyourgoalistoconstructsomethingwondrousinsideyourlisteners’
minds,youcanthinkofthethroughlineasastrongcordorrope,ontowhich
youwillattachalltheelementsthatarepartoftheideayou’rebuilding.
Thisdoesn’tmeaneverytalkcanonlycoveronetopic,tellasinglestory,or
justproceedinonedirectionwithoutdiversions.Notatall.Itjustmeansthat
allthepiecesneedtoconnect.
Here’sthestartofatalkthrowntogetherwithoutathroughline.“Iwantto
sharewithyousomeexperiencesIhadduringmyrecenttriptoCapeTown,
andthenmakeafewobservationsaboutlifeontheroad...”
Comparethatwith:“OnmyrecenttriptoCapeTown,Ilearnedsomething
newaboutstrangers—whenyoucantrustthem,andwhenyoudefinitelycan’t.
LetmesharewithyoutwoverydifferentexperiencesIhad...”
Thefirstsetupmightworkforyourfamily.Butthesecond,withits
throughlinevisiblefromtheget-go,isfarmoreenticingtoageneralaudience.
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?
It’salsoimportantnottohaveathroughlinethat’stoopredictableorbanal,
suchas“theimportanceofhardwork”or“thefourmainprojectsI’vebeen
workingon.”Zzzzz...Youcandobetter!Herearethethroughlinesofsome
popularTEDTalks.Noticethatthere’sanunexpectednessincorporatedinto
eachofthem.
Morechoiceactuallymakesuslesshappy.
Vulnerabilityissomethingtobetreasured,nothiddenfrom.
Education’spotentialistransformedifyoufocusontheamazing(and
hilarious)creativityofkids.
Withbodylanguage,youcanfakeittillyoubecomeit.
Ahistoryoftheuniversein18minutesshowsapathfromchaostoorder.
Terriblecityflagscanrevealsurprisingdesignsecrets.
AskitrektotheSouthPolethreatenedmylifeandoverturnedmysense
ofpurpose.
Let’sbringonaquietrevolution—aworldredesignedforintroverts.
Thecombinationofthreesimpletechnologiescreatesamind-blowing
sixthsense.
Onlinevideoscanhumanizetheclassroomandrevolutionizeeducation.
BarrySchwartz,whosetalkisthefirstoneinthelistabove,ontheparadox
ofchoice,isabigbelieverintheimportanceofathroughline:
Manyspeakershavefalleninlovewiththeirideasandfindithardto
imaginewhatiscomplicatedaboutthemtopeoplewhoarenot
alreadyimmersed.Thekeyistopresentjustoneidea—asthoroughly
andcompletelyasyoucaninthelimitedtimeperiod.Whatisitthat
youwantyouraudiencetohaveanunambiguousunderstandingof
afteryou’redone?
ThelastthroughlineinthelistaboveisfromeducationreformerSalman
Khan.Hetoldme:
TherewerealotofreallyinterestingthingsthatKhanAcademyhad
done,butthatfelttooself-serving.Iwantedtoshareideasthatare
bigger,ideaslikemastery-basedlearningandhumanizingclasstime
byremovinglectures.Myadvicetospeakerswouldbetolookfora
singlebigideathatislargerthanyouoryourorganization,butatthe
sametimetoleverageyourexperiencetoshowthatitisn’tjustempty
speculation.
Yourthroughlinedoesn’thavetobeasambitiousasthoseabove.Butitstill
shouldhavesomekindofintriguingangle.Insteadofgivingatalkaboutthe
importanceofhardwork,howaboutspeakingonwhyhardworksometimes
failstoachievetruesuccess,andwhatyoucandoaboutthat.Insteadof
planningtospeakaboutthefourmainprojectsyou’verecentlybeenworking
on,howaboutstructuringitaroundjustthreeoftheprojectsthathappento
haveasurprisingconnection?
Infact,RobinMurphyhadexactlythatasherthroughlinewhenshecame
tospeakatTEDWomen.Here’stheopeningofhertalk.
Robotsarequicklybecomingfirstrespondersatdisastersites,
workingalongsidehumanstoaidrecovery.Theinvolvementofthese
sophisticatedmachineshasthepotentialtotransformdisasterrelief,
savinglivesandmoney.I’dliketosharewithyoutodaythreenew
robotsI’veworkedonthatdemonstratethis.
Noteverytalkhastostateitsthroughlineexplicitlyupfrontlikethis.As
we’llsee,therearemanyotherwaystointriguepeopleandinvitethemtojoin
youonyourjourney.Butwhentheaudienceknowswhereyou’reheaded,it’s
mucheasierforthemtofollow.
Let’sthinkonceagainofatalkasajourney,ajourneythatthespeakerand
theaudiencetaketogether,withthespeakerastheguide.Butifyou,the
speaker,wanttheaudiencetocomewithyou,youprobablyneedtogivethem
ahintofwhereyou’regoing.Andthenyouneedtobesurethateachstepof
thejourneyhelpsgetyouthere.Inthisjourneymetaphor,thethroughline
tracesthepaththatthejourneytakes.Itensuresthattherearenoimpossible
leaps,andthatbytheendofthetalk,thespeakerandaudiencehavearrived
togetheratasatisfyingdestination.
Manypeopleapproachatalkthinkingtheywilljustoutlinetheirworkor
describetheirorganizationorexploreanissue.That’snotagreatplan.The
talkislikelytoendupunfocusedandwithoutmuchimpact.
Bearinmindthatathroughlineisnotthesamethingasatopic.Your
invitationmightseemsuper-clear.“DearMary.Wewantyoutocometalk
aboutthatnewdesalinationtechnologyyoudeveloped.”“DearJohn.Could
youcometellusthestoryofyourkayakingadventureinKazakhstan?”But
evenwhenthetopicisclear,thethroughlineisworththinkingabout.Atalk
aboutkayakingcouldhaveathroughlinebasedonenduranceorgroup
dynamicsorthedangersofturbulentrivereddies.Thedesalinationtalkmight
haveathroughlinebasedondisruptiveinnovation,ortheglobalwatercrisis,
ortheawesomenessofengineeringelegance.
Sohowdoyoufigureoutyourthroughline?
Thefirststepistofindoutasmuchasyoucanabouttheaudience.Whoare
they?Howknowledgeablearethey?Whataretheirexpectations?Whatdo
theycareabout?Whathavepastspeakerstherespokenabout?Youcanonly
giftanideatomindsthatarereadytoreceivethattypeofidea.Ifyou’regoing
tospeaktoanaudienceoftaxidriversinLondonabouttheamazingnessofa
digitallypoweredsharingeconomy,itwouldbehelpfultoknowinadvance
thattheirlivelihoodisbeingdestroyedbyUber.
Butthebiggestobstacleinidentifyingathroughlineisexpressedinevery
speaker’sprimalscream:Ihavefartoomuchtosayandnotenoughtimeto
sayit!
Wehearthisonealot.TEDTalkshaveamaximumtimelimitof18
minutes.(Why18?It’sshortenoughtoholdpeople’sattention,includingon
theInternet,andpreciseenoughtobetakenseriously.Butit’salsolong
enoughtosaysomethingthatmatters.)Yetmostspeakersareusedtotalking
for30to40minutesorlonger.Theyfinditreallyhardtoimaginegivinga
propertalkinsuchashortperiodoftime.
It’scertainlynotthecasethatashortertalkmeansshorterpreparationtime.
PresidentWoodrowWilsonwasonceaskedabouthowlongittookhimto
prepareforaspeech.Hereplied:
Thatdependsonthelengthofthespeech.Ifitisa10-minutespeechit
takesmealloftwoweekstoprepareit;ifitisahalf-hourspeechit
takesmeaweek;ifIcantalkaslongasIwanttoitrequiresno
preparationatall.Iamreadynow.
Itremindsmeofthefamousquoteattributedtoavarietyofgreatthinkers
andwriters:“IfIhadmoretime,Iwouldhavewrittenashorterletter.”
Solet’sacceptthatcreatingagreattalktofitalimitedtimeperiodisgoing
totakerealeffort.Butthere’sarightwayandawrongwaytogoaboutit.
THEWRONGWAY
Thewrongwaytocondenseyourtalkistoincludeallthethingsthatyou
thinkyouneedtosay,andsimplycutthemallbacktomakethemalot
shorter.Funnilyenough,youmaywellbeabletocreateascriptthatachieves
this.Everymajortopicyouwanttocoveristhereinsummaryform.Your
workiscovered!Youmayeventhinkthere’sathroughlineconnectingitall,
somebroadunderpinningofyourwork.Toyouitmayfeellikeyou’vegiven
ityourallanddonethebestyoucantofitthetimeyou’vebeengivento
speak.
Butthroughlinesthatconnectlargenumbersofconceptsdon’twork.
There’sadrasticconsequencewhenyourushthroughmultipletopicsin
summaryform.Theydon’tlandwithanyforce.Youknowthefull
backgroundandcontexttowhatyou’resaying,andsotheinsightsyouoffer
mayseemprofoundtoyou.Butfortheaudience,whichiscomingtoyour
workfresh,thetalkwillprobablycomeacrossasconceptual,dry,or
superficial.
It’sasimpleequation.Overstuffedequalsunderexplained.
Tosaysomethinginterestingyouhavetotakethetimetodoatleasttwo
things:
Showwhyitmatters...what’sthequestionyou’retryingtoanswer,the
problemyou’retryingtosolve,theexperienceyou’retryingtoshare?
Fleshouteachpointyoumakewithrealexamples,stories,facts.
Thisishowideasthatyoucherishcanbebuiltinsomeoneelse’smind.The
troubleisthatexplainingthewhyandthengivingtheexamplestaketime.
Andthatleavesyouwithjustonechoice.
THERIGHTWAY
Toprovideaneffectivetalk,youmustslashbacktherangeoftopicsyouwill
covertoasingle,connectedthread—athroughlinethatcanbeproperly
developed.Inasense,youcoverless,buttheimpactwillactuallybe
significantlygreater.
AuthorRichardBachsaid,“Greatwritingisallaboutthepowerofthe
deletedword.”It’strueofspeakingtoo.Thesecretofsuccessfultalksoften
liesinwhatisleftout.Lesscanbemore.
ManyTEDspeakershavetoldusthatthishasbeenthekeytogettingtheir
talkright.Here’smusicianAmandaPalmer.
Ifoundmyegoreallytrappingme.IfmyTEDTalkgoesviral,Ineed
peopletoknowwhatagreatpianistIam!ThatIcanalsopaint!ThatI
writefantasticlyrics!ThatIhavealltheseOTHERtalents!THISIS
MYCHANCE!But,no.Theonlywaythetalkcantrulysoarisifyou
takeyouregooutofitandletyourselfbeadeliveryvehicleforthe
ideasthemselves.IremembergoingtodinnerwithTEDregular
NicholasNegroponteandaskedifhehadanyadviceformytalk.He
saidsomethingthatmyBuddhist-leaningmentorhasbeensayingfor
years:leavespaceandSAYLESS.
EconomistNicMarksrecommendstheadviceoftengiventofledgling
writers:“Killyourdarlings.IhadtobepreparedtoNOTtalkaboutsome
thingsIabsolutelyloveandwouldhavelikedtosqueezein,buttheywerenot
partofthemainnarrative.Thatwastoughbutessential.”
OneofthemostpopularTEDspeakers,BrenéBrown,alsostruggledto
meetTED’stighttimedemands.Sherecommendsthissimpleformula.“Plan
yourtalk.Thencutitbyhalf.Onceyou’vegrievedthelossofhalfofyour
talk,cutitanother50percent.It’sseductivetothinkabouthowmuchyoucan
fitinto18minutes.Thebetterquestionformeis,‘Whatcanyouunpackina
meaningfulwayin18minutes?’”
Thissameissueappliestotalksofanylength.Letmetryapersonal
examplewithyou.Let’ssayI’vebeenaskedtospeakforjust2minutesto
introducewhoIam.Here’sversion1:
AlthoughI’mBritish,IwasborninPakistan—myfatherwasa
missionaryeyesurgeon—andmyearlyyearswerespentthereandin
IndiaandAfghanistan.Atagethirteen,Iwassenttoboardingschool
inEngland,andafterthatIwenttoOxfordUniversityforadegreein
Philosophy,Politics,andEconomics.Istartedworkasalocal
newspaperjournalistinWales,thenmovedtoapirateradiostationin
theSeychellesIslandsforacoupleofyearstowriteandreadaworld
newsservice.
BackintheUKinthemid-1980s,Ifellinlovewithcomputersand
startedaseriesofmagazinesdevotedtothem.Itwasagreattimeto
belaunchingspecialistmagazines,andmycompanydoubledinsize
everyyearforsevenyears.Isoldit,movedtotheUS,andtriedagain.
Bytheyear2000mybusinesshadgrownto2,000employeesand
150magazinesandwebsites.Butthetechbubblewasabouttoburst,
andwhenitdid,itnearlydestroyedthecompany.Besides,whoneeds
magazineswhenyouhavetheInternet?Ileftattheendof2001.
Happily,IhadputsomemoneyintoanonprofitfoundationthatI
wasabletousetobuyTED,which,backthen,wasanannual
conferenceinCalifornia.That’sbeenmyfull-timepassioneversince.
Andhere’sversion2:
Iwantyoutocomewithmetoastudent’sroomatOxfordUniversity
in1977.Youopenthedoor,andatfirstitseemslikethere’snobody
there.
Butwait.Overinthecorner,there’saboylyingonthefloor,face
up,staringattheceiling.He’sbeenlikethatformorethan90minutes.
That’sme.Twenty-year-oldme.Iamthinking.Hard.Iamtrying...
pleasedon’tlaugh...Iamtryingtosolvetheproblemoffreewill.
Thatdeepmysterythathasstumpedtheworld’sphilosophersforat
leasttwomillennia?Yup,I’mtakingiton.
Anyonelookingobjectivelyatthescenewouldhaveconcludedthat
thisboywassomeweirdcombinationofarrogant,deluded,orperhaps
justsociallyawkwardandlonely,preferringthecompanyofideasto
people.
Butmyownnarrative?I’madreamer.I’vealwaysbeenobsessed
bythepowerofideas.AndI’mprettysureit’sthatinwardfocusthat
helpedmesurvivegrowingupinboardingschoolsinIndiaand
England,awayfrommymissionaryparents,andthatgavemethe
confidencetotrytobuildamediacompany.Certainlyitwasthe
dreamerinmethatfellinlovesodeeplywithTED.
MostrecentlyI’vebeendreamingabouttherevolutioninpublic
speaking,andwhatitcouldleadto...
Sowhichversiontellsyoumoreaboutme?Thefirstonecertainlyhasfar
morefacts.It’sadecentsummaryofbigpartsofmylife.A2-minuteresume.
Thesecondonefocusesonjustasinglemomentofmylife.Andyet,whenI
trythisexperimentonpeople,theysaytheyfindthesecondfarmore
interesting,andalsofarmorerevealing.
Whetheryourtimelimitis2minutes,18minutes,oranhour,let’sagreeto
thisasastartingpoint:Youwillonlycoverasmuchgroundasyoucandive
intoinsufficientdepthtobecompelling.
Andthisiswheretheconceptofathroughlinereallyhelps.Bychoosinga
throughlineyouwillautomaticallyfilteroutmuchofwhatyoumight
otherwisesay.WhenIdidtheaboveexperiment,Ithought,Whataspectofme
shouldIfocusonforalittlemoredepth?Thedecisiontogowith“dreamer”
madeiteasytoanchorversion2onmytimestudyingphilosophyatOxford
andslashbackmostoftheotherpartsofmylife.IfIhadchosen
“entrepreneur”or“nerd”or“globalsoul,”I’dhavemadedifferentcuts.
Soathroughlinerequiresyoufirsttoidentifyanideathatcanbeproperly
unpackedinthetimeyouhaveavailable.Youshouldthenbuildastructureso
thateveryelementinyourtalkissomehowlinkedtothisidea.
FROMTHROUGHLINETOSTRUCTURE
Let’spauseforamomentonthatwordstructure.It’scritical.Differenttalks
canhaveverydifferentstructurestiedontothatcentralthroughline.Atalk
mightbeginwithanintroductiontotheproblemthespeakeristacklingand
giveananecdotethatillustratesthatproblem.Itmightthenmovetosome
historicalattemptstosolvetheproblemandgivetwoexamplesthatultimately
failed.Itcouldcontinuetothespeaker’sproposedsolution,includingone
dramaticnewpieceofevidencethatsupportstheidea.Thenitmightclose
withthreeimplicationsforthefuture.
Youcanpicturethestructureofthattalkaslikeatree.There’sacentral
throughline,risingvertically,withbranchesattachedtoit,eachofwhich
representsanexpansionofthemainnarrative:oneatthebottomforthe
openinganecdote;twojustabovethatatthehistorysectionfortheexamples
thatfailed;oneattheproposedsolutiontomarkthenewevidence;andthree
atthetoptoillustratetheimplicationsforthefuture.
Anothertalkmightbesimplysharing,oneaftertheother,fivepiecesof
workthathaveaconnectedtheme,beginningandendingwiththespeaker’s
currentproject.Inthatstructureyoucanthinkofthethroughlineasaloopthat
connectsfivedifferentboxes,eachrepresentingoneofthepiecesofwork.
ThemostviewedTEDspeakeratthetimeofwritingthisbookisSirKen
Robinson.Hetoldmethatmostofhistalksfollowthissimplestructure:
A.Introduction—gettingsettled,whatwillbecovered
B.Context—whythisissuematters
C.MainConcepts
D.PracticalImplications
E.Conclusion
Hesaid,“There’sanoldformulaforwritingessaysthatsaysagoodessay
answersthreequestions:What?SoWhat?NowWhat?It’sabitlikethat.”
Ofcourse,theappealofSirKen’stalksgoeswaybeyondtheirstructural
simplicity,andneitherhenorIwouldrecommendthateveryoneadoptthat
samestructure.Whatmattersisthatyoufindthestructurethatmost
powerfullydevelopsyourthroughlineinthetimeavailable,andthatitisclear
howeachtalkelementtiesintoit.
TACKLINGTOUGHTOPICS
Yourthroughlineneedshandlingwithspecialcareifyouhavetospeakona
heavysubject.Thehorrorofarefugeecrisis.Thediabetesexplosion.Gender-
relatedviolenceinSouthAmerica.Manyspeakersonthesetopicsviewtheir
jobastohighlightacausethatneedstobemorewidelyknown.Thestructure
ofthesetalksistypicallytolayoutaseriesoffactsthatillustratehowawfula
situationisandwhysomethingmustbedonetofixit.Andindeedthereare
timeswhenthatistheperfectwaytoframeatalk...providedyou’re
confidentthatyourlistenersarereadyandwillingtobemadetofeel
uncomfortable.
Thetroubleisthatifanaudiencesitsthroughtoomanytalkslikethis,it
willgetemotionallyexhaustedandwillstarttoswitchoff.Compassion
fatiguesetsin.Ifthathappensbeforeyourtalkisdone,you’llhavenoimpact.
Howcanyouroutearoundthat?Thefirststepistothinkofyourtalknotas
beingaboutanissue,butaboutanidea.
MyformercolleagueJuneCohenframedthedifferencethisway:
Anissue-basedtalkleadswithmorality.Anidea-basedtalkleadswith
curiosity.
Anissueexposesaproblem.Anideaproposesasolution.
Anissuesays,“Isn’tthisterrible?”Anideasays,“Isn’tthisinteresting?”
It’smucheasiertopullinanaudiencebyframingthetalkasanattemptto
solveanintriguingriddleratherthanasapleaforthemtocare.Thefirstfeels
likeagiftbeingoffered.Thesecondfeelslikeanask.
THECHECKLIST
Asyouworkondevelopingyourthroughline,here’sasimplechecklist:
IsthisatopicI’mpassionateabout?
Doesitinspirecuriosity?
Willitmakeadifferencetotheaudiencetohavethisknowledge?
Ismytalkagiftoranask?
Istheinformationfresh,orisitalreadyoutthere?
CanItrulyexplainthetopicinthetimeslotallocated,completewith
necessaryexamples?
DoIknowenoughaboutthistomakeatalkworththeaudience’stime?
DoIhavethecredibilitytotakeonthistopic?
Whatarethefifteenwordsthatencapsulatemytalk?
Wouldthosefifteenwordspersuadesomeonethey’dbeinterestedin
hearingmytalk?
SpeakingcoachAbigailTenembaumrecommendstestingyourthroughline
onsomeonewhocouldbeatypicalaudiencemember,andtodosonotin
writingbutverbally.“Sayingitoutloudoftencrystallizesforthespeaker
whatisclear,whatismissing,andhowtosharpenit.”
Best-sellingauthorElizabethGilbertalsobelievesinplanningatalkforan
audienceofone.Sheofferedmethisadvice:“Chooseahumanbeing—an
actualhumanbeinginyourlife—andprepareyourtalkasifyouwillbe
deliveringittothatonepersononly.Choosesomeonewhoisnotinyour
field,butwhoisgenerallyanintelligent,curious,engaged,worldlyperson—
andsomeonewhomyoureallylike.Thiswillbringawarmthofspiritand
hearttoyourtalk.Mostofall,besureyouareactuallyspeakingtoone
person,andnottoademographic(‘Myspeechisforpeopleinthesoftware
fieldwhoarebetweentheagesoftwenty-twoandthirty-eight.’),becausea
demographicisnotahumanbeing,andifyouspeaktoademographic,you
willnotsoundlikeyouarespeakingtoahumanbeing.Youdon’thavetogo
totheirhouseandpracticeyourtalkonthemforsixmonths;theydon’teven
needtoknowthatyou’redoingthis.Justchooseyouroneideallistener,and
thendoyourbesttocreateatalkthatwouldblowtheirmind,ormovethem,
orfascinatethem,ordelightthem.”
Butmostimportantofall,saysGilbert,istopickatopicthatlivesdeep
withinyou.“Talkaboutwhatyouknow.Talkaboutwhatyouknowandlove
withallyourheart.Iwanttohearaboutthesubjectthatismostimportantto
yourlife—notsomerandomsubjectthatyouthinkwillbeanovelty.Bring
meyourwell-wornpassionofdecades,notsomefresh,radicalgimmick,and
trustme—Iwillbecaptivated.”
Onceyouhaveyourthroughline,you’rereadytoplanwhatyou’llattachto
it.Therearemanywaystobuildideas.Overthenextfivechapterswe’lllook
atfivecoretoolsthatspeakersuse:
Connection
Narration
Explanation
Persuasion
Revelation
Theycanbemixedandmatched.Sometalkssticktoasingletool.Others
incorporatemultipleelements.Afewuseallfive(andoftenapproximatelyin
theorderabove).Butit’sworthlookingatthemseparatelybecausethefive
techniquesarestrikinglydifferent.
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TALKTOOLS
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TalkTools
5
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CONNECTION
GetPersonal
Knowledgecan’tbepushedintoabrain.Ithastobepulledin.
Beforeyoucanbuildanideainsomeoneelse’smind,youneedtheir
permission.Peoplearenaturallycautiousaboutopeninguptheirminds—the
mostpreciousthingtheyown—tocompletestrangers.Youneedtofindaway
toovercomethatcaution.Andthewayyoudothatistomakevisiblethe
humanbeingcoweringinsideyou.
Hearingatalkisacompletelydifferentthingfromreadinganessay.It’snot
justthewords.Notatall.It’sthepersondeliveringthewords.Tomakean
impact,therehastobeahumanconnection.Youcangivethemostbrilliant
talk,withcrystal-clearexplanationsandlaser-sharplogic,butifyoudon’t
firstconnectwiththeaudience,itjustwon’tland.Evenifthecontentis,at
somelevel,understood,itwon’tbeactivatedbutsimplyfiledawayinsome
soon-to-be-forgottenmentalarchive.
Peoplearen’tcomputers.They’resocialcreatureswithallmannerof
ingeniousquirks.Theyhaveevolvedweaponstoprotectagainstdangerous
knowledgepollutingtheworldviewtheydependon.Thoseweaponshave
names:skepticism,mistrust,dislike,boredom,incomprehension.
And,bytheway,thoseweaponsareinvaluable.Ifyourmindwereopento
allincominglanguage,yourlifewouldquicklyfallapart.“Coffeegivesyou
cancer!”“Thoseforeignersaredisgusting!”“Buythesebeautifulkitchen
knives!”“Iknowhowtogiveyouagoodtime,baby...”Everysinglething
weseeorhearisevaluatedbeforewedareembeditintoanactionableidea.
Soyourveryfirstjobasaspeakeristofindawaytodisarmthoseweapons
andbuildatrustinghumanbondwiththeaudiencesothatthey’rewilling—
delighted,even—toofferyoufullaccesstotheirmindsforafewminutes.
Ifmilitarymetaphorsaren’ttoyourliking,let’sgobacktotheideaofatalk
asajourney.Itisajourneyyoutakeyouraudienceon.Youmayhavefigured
outabrilliantroutetoapowerfuldestination.Butbeforeyoucantakepeople
there,youhavetomakethejourneyseementicing.Taskoneistogotowhere
theaudienceisandwinthemover.Yes,you’reaguidewhocanbetrusted.
Withoutthat,thewholeendeavormaybogdownbeforeithasevenstarted.
WetellourspeakersthatTEDoffersawarm,welcomingaudience.But
evenso,there’sahugedifferenceinimpactbetweenthosespeakerswho
connectandthosewhounconsciouslytriggerskepticismorboredomor
dislike.
Happily,therearenumerouswaystomakethatvitalearlyconnection.Here
arefivesuggestions:
MAKEEYECONTACT,RIGHTFROMTHESTART
Humansaregoodatforminginstantjudgmentsaboutotherhumans.Friendor
foe.Likableorunlikable.Wiseordull.Confidentortentative.Theclueswe
usetomakethesesweepingjudgmentsareoftenshockinglylight.Theway
someonedresses.Howtheywalk,orstand.Theirfacialexpression.Their
bodylanguage.Theirattentiveness.
Greatspeakersfindawayofmakinganearlyconnectionwiththeir
audience.Itcanbeassimpleaswalkingconfidentlyonstage,lookingaround,
makingeyecontactwithtwoorthreepeople,andsmiling.Takealookatthe
firstfewmomentsofKellyMcGonigal’sTEDTalkontheupsideofstress.“I
haveaconfessiontomake.”[shepauses,turns,dropshands,givesalittle
smile]“Butfirst,IwantYOUtomakealittleconfessiontome.”[walks
forward]“Inthepastyear”[looksaroundintentlyfromfacetoface]“Iwant
youtojustraiseyourhandifyou’veexperiencedrelativelylittlestress.
Anyone?”[anenigmaticsmile,whichafewmomentslaterturnsintoa
million-dollarsmile].Thereisinstantaudienceconnectionthere.
Now,notallofusareasnaturallyfluent,relaxed,orbeautifulasKelly.But
onethingwecanalldoismakeeyecontactwithaudiencemembersandsmile
alittle.Itmakesahugedifference.TheIndianartistRaghavaKKmaintains
greateyecontact,asdoesArgentinedemocracyadvocatePiaMancini.Within
secondsofthemstarting,youjustfeelyourselfbeingreeledin.
There’sareasonforthis.Humanshaveevolvedasophisticatedabilityto
readotherpeoplebylookingattheireyes.Wecansubconsciouslydetectthe
tiniestmovementofeyemusclesinsomeone’sfaceanduseittojudgenotjust
howtheyarefeeling,butwhetherwecantrustthem.(Andwhilewe’redoing
that,they’redoingthesametous.)
Scientistshaveshownthatjusttheactoftwopeoplestaringateachother
willtriggermirrorneuronactivitythatliterallyadoptstheemotionalstateof
theotherperson.IfI’mbeaming,Iwillmakeyousmileinside.Justabit.But
ameaningfulbit.IfI’mnervous,you’llfeelalittleanxioustoo.Welookat
eachother,andourmindssync.
Andtheextenttowhichourmindssyncisdeterminedinpartbyhowmuch
weinstinctivelytrusteachother.Thebesttooltoengenderthattrust?Yup,a
smile.Anaturalhumansmile.(Peoplecandetectfakesmilesandimmediately
feelmanipulated.RonGutmangaveaTEDTalkonthehiddenpowerof
smiles.It’swellworth7½minutesofyourtime.)
Eyecontact,backedbyanoccasionalwarmsmile,isanamazing
technologythatcantransformhowatalkisreceived.(It’sashame,though,
thatit’ssometimesunderminedbyanothertechnology:stagelighting.Some
lightingsetupsmeanaspeakerisdazzledbybrightspotlightsandcan’teven
seetheaudience.Talktotheeventorganizeraboutthisaheadoftime.If
you’reonstageandfeelingdisconnected,it’sOKtoaskforthehouselightsto
beraisedorthestagelightsdimmedalittle.)
AtTED,ournumber-oneadvicetospeakersonthedayoftheirtalkisto
makeregulareyecontactwithmembersoftheaudience.Bewarm.Bereal.
Beyou.Itopensthedoortothemtrustingyou,likingyou,andbeginningto
shareyourpassion.
Whenyouwalkontothestage,youshouldbethinkingaboutonething:
yourtrueexcitementatthechancetoshareyourpassionwiththepeople
sittingrightthereafewfeetfromyou.Don’trushinwithyouropening
sentence.Walkintothelight,pickoutacoupleofpeople,looktheminthe
eye,nodagreeting,andsmile.Thenyou’reonyourway.
SHOWVULNERABILITY
Oneofthebestwaystodisarmanaudienceistofirstrevealyourown
vulnerability.It’stheequivalentofthetoughcowboywalkingintoasaloon
andholdinghiscoatwideopentorevealnoweapons.Everyonerelaxes.
BrenéBrowngaveawonderfultalkonvulnerabilityatTEDxHouston,and
shebeganitappropriately.
Acoupleyearsago,aneventplannercalledmebecauseIwasgoingto
doaspeakingevent.Andshesaid,“I’mreallystrugglingwithhowto
writeaboutyouonthelittleflyer.”AndIthought,“Well,what’sthe
struggle?”Andshesaid,“Well,Isawyouspeak,andI’mgoingtocall
youaresearcher,Ithink,butI’mafraidifIcallyouaresearcher,no
onewillcome,becausethey’llthinkyou’reboringandirrelevant.”
Youloveheralready.
Bythesamelogic,ifyou’refeelingnervous,itcanactuallyworkinyour
favor.Audiencessenseitinstantlyand—farfromdespisingyouasyoumay
fear,theoppositehappens—theybeginrootingforyou.Weoftenencourage
speakerswholookliketheymaystrugglewithnervestosimplybeready,if
necessary,toacknowledgeit.Ifyoufeelyourselfchokingup,thenpause...
pickupabottleofwater,takeasip,andjustsaywhatyou’refeeling.“Hang
inthereamoment...Asyoucansee,I’mfeelingalittlenervoushere.
Normalservicewillberestoredsoon.”Likelyasnot,you’llgetawarmround
ofapplause,andacrowddyingforyoutosucceed.
Vulnerabilitycanbepowerfulatanystageofatalk.Oneofthemost
stunningmomentswitnessedontheTEDstagecamewhenneurosurgeonand
best-sellingauthorSherwinNulandhadjustcompletedatour-de-forcehistory
ofelectroshocktherapy,thetreatmentforseverementalillnessthatinvolves
sendingelectriccurrentdirectlythroughapatient’sbrain.Hewas
knowledgeableandfunny,andhemadeitallseeminteresting,ifalittle
terrifying.Butthenhestopped.“WhyamItellingyouthisstoryatthis
meeting?”Hesaidhewantedtosharesomethinghe’dneverspokenorwritten
aboutbefore.Youcouldhaveheardapindrop.
“Thereason...isthatIamamanwho,almostthirtyyearsago,hadhislife
savedbytwolongcoursesofelectroshocktherapy.”Nulandwentontounveil
hisownsecrethistoryofdebilitatingdepression,anillnessthatgotsobad
doctorswereplanningtoremovepartofhisbrain.Instead,asalastresort,
theytriedelectroshocktherapy.Andeventually,aftertwentytreatments,ithad
worked.
Bymakinghimselfsodeeplyvulnerabletotheaudience,hewasableto
endhistalkwithextraordinarypower.
I’vealwaysfeltthatsomehowIwasanimpostorbecausemyreaders
don’tknowwhatIhavejusttoldyou.SooneofthereasonsthatI
havecomeheretotalkaboutthistodayisto—frankly,selfishly—
unburdenmyselfandletitbeknownthatthisisnotanuntroubled
mindthathaswrittenallofthesebooks.Butmoreimportantly,I
think,isthefactthataverysignificantproportionofpeopleinthis
audienceareunderthirtyanditlookstomelikealmostallofyouare
onthecuspofamagnificentandexcitingcareer.Anythingcanhappen
toyou.Thingschange.Accidentshappen.Somethingfromchildhood
comesbacktohauntyou.Youcanbethrownoffthetrack...IfIcan
findmywaybackfromthis,believeme,anybodycanfindtheirway
backfromanyadversitythatexistsintheirlives.Andforthosewho
areolder,whohavelivedthroughdifficulttimes,perhapswherethey
losteverything,asIdid,andstartedoutalloveragain,someofthese
thingswillseemveryfamiliar.Thereisrecovery.Thereisredemption.
Andthereisresurrection.
Thisisatalkeveryoneshouldsee.SherwinNulandpassedawayin2014,
buthisvulnerability,andconsequentinspiration,liveon.
Willingtobevulnerableisoneofthemostpowerfultoolsaspeakercan
wield.Butaswithanythingpowerful,itshouldbehandledwithcare.Brené
Brownhasseenalotofspeakersmisinterpretheradvice.Shetoldme:
“Formulaicorcontrivedpersonalsharingleavesaudiencesfeeling
manipulatedandoftenhostiletowardyouandyourmessage.Vulnerabilityis
notoversharing.There’sasimpleequation:vulnerabilityminusboundariesis
notvulnerability.Itcanbeanythingfromanattempttohotwireconnectionto
attention-seeking,butit’snotvulnerabilityanditdoesn’tleadtoconnection.
ThebestwayI’vefoundtogetclearonthisistoreallyexamineour
intentions.Issharingdoneinserviceoftheworkonstageorisitawayto
workthroughourownstuff?Theformerispowerful,thelatterdamagesthe
confidencepeoplehaveinus.”
Brownstronglyrecommendsthatyoudon’tsharepartsofyourselfthatyou
haven’tyetworkedthrough.
“Weneedtohaveownedourstoriesbeforesharingthemisexperiencedas
agift.Astoryisonlyreadytosharewhenthepresenter’shealingandgrowth
isnotdependentontheaudience’sresponsetoit.”
Authenticvulnerabilityispowerful.Oversharingisnot.Ifindoubt,try
yourtalkonanhonestfriend.
MAKE’EMLAUGH—BUTNOTSQUIRM!
Concentratingonatalkcanbehardwork,andhumorisawonderfulwayto
bringtheaudiencewithyou.IfSophieScottisright,partoftheevolutionary
purposeoflaughteristocreatesocialbonding.Whenyoulaughwith
someone,youbothfeelyou’reonthesameside.It’safantastictoolfor
buildingaconnection.
Indeed,formanygreatspeakers,humorhasbecomeasuperweapon.Sir
KenRobinson’stalkonschools’failuretonurturecreativity,whichasof2015
hadpowereditswayto35millionviewsonTED,wasgivenonthefinalday
oftheconference.Hestartedlikethis.“It’sbeengreat,hasn’tit?I’vebeen
blownaway.Infact,I’mleaving.”Theaudiencegiggled.Andbasicallynever
stopped.Fromthatmoment,heownedus.Humorhacksawaythemain
resistancetolisteningtoatalk.Byofferinglittlegiftsoflaughterfromthe
start,youaresubtlyinformingyouraudience...Comealongfortheride,
dearfriends.It’sgoingtobeatreat.
Audienceswholaughwithyouquicklycometolikeyou.Andifpeople
likeyou,they’remuchreadiertotakeseriouslywhatyouhavetosay.
Laughterblowsopensomeone’sdefenses,andsuddenlyyouhaveachanceto
trulycommunicatewiththem.
There’sanotherbigbenefitoflaughterearlyinatalk.It’sapowerfulsignal
thatyou’reconnecting.MonicaLewinskytoldmethatthemomenther
nervousnesswentawayduringherTEDTalkwaswhentheaudienceerupted
withlaughter.Andifit’sasignaltothespeaker,it’salsoasignaltoeveryone
elseintheroom.Laughtersays,Weasagrouphavebondedwiththisspeaker.
Everyonethenpaysmoreattention.
It’sstrikingthatsomeoftheverybestspeakersspendasignificantportion
oftheirtalksbuildingthisconnection.InSirKen’scaseabove,almostallof
thefirst11minutesisaseriesofhilariouseducation-relatedstoriesthatdo
littletoadvancehismainidea,butinsteadcreateanextraordinarybondwith
theaudience.We’rethinking:ThisisSOmuchfun.Ineverthoughteducation
couldbesuchanengagingtopic.Youaresuchanappealingperson...I’dgo
withyouanywhere.Andwhenheeventuallygetsseriousandmovesintohis
mainpointaboutthelossofcreativityinschools,we’rehangingonevery
word.
Likewise,inBryanStevenson’sspellbindingtalkaboutinjustice,hespent
thefirstquarterofhistimeonasinglestoryabouthowhisgrandmotherhad
persuadedhimnevertodrink.Thestoryendedhilariously,andsuddenlywe
allfeltdeeplyconnectedtothisman.
Caution:Successfullyspendingthatmuchtimeonhumorousstoriesisa
specialgift,notrecommendedformostofus.Butifyoucanfindjustone
shortstorythatmakespeoplesmile,itmayunlocktherestofyourtalk.
Comicsci-fiauthorRobReidofferedaverydifferenttypeofhumor:satire.
Histonethroughoutwasserious.Heclaimedtobeofferingasoberanalysisof
“copyrightmath.”Butafteraminuteorso,peoplebeganrealizingthat
actuallyhewasmockingtheabsurdityofcopyrightlawsthatregardedevery
illegallydownloadedsongastheequivalentofstealing$150,000.Thegiggles
startedandquicklyflaredintoguffaws.
Ofcourse,itdoesn’talwayswork.OnespeakeratTEDafewyearsago
clearlythoughthewasbeinghilariousintellingaseriesofevermore
awkwardstoriesabouthisex-wife.Maybeacoupleoffriendsintheaudience
werechuckling.Therestofuswerecringing.Onanotheroccasion,aspeaker
triedtoperformeveryquotationinhistalkintheaccentheimaginedthe
authorofthequotemighthavehad.Perhapshisfamilyfoundthistobe
endearing.Onapublicstage,itwasjustembarrassing.(Unlessyou’re
extremelytalented,Istronglyrecommendavoidingaccents,otherthanyour
own!)
Thirtyyearsago,speakerspackedtheirtalkswithjokesbasedongender,
race,anddisability.Don’tgothere!Theworldhaschanged.
Humorisaskilledart,andnoteveryonecandoit.Ineffectivehumoris
worsethannohumoratall.Tellingajokethatyoudownloadedoffthe
Internetwillprobablybackfire.Indeedjokesperseseemhackneyed,clumsy,
andunsophisticated.Whatyou’relookingforinsteadarehilarious-but-true
storiesthataredirectlyrelevanttoyourtopicorareanendearing,humorous
useoflanguage.
ThefunniestpersononourteamisTomRielly,whorunsourfellows
programandforyearsgaveafinalwrap-upoftheconferencethatskewered
everyspeakerwithwickedhilarity.Here’shisadvice:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Usesatire,sayingtheoppositeofwhatyoumean,thenrevealingyour
intent,thoughthisisreallyhardtogetright.
5. Timingiscritical.Ifthere’salaughtermoment,youhavetogiveita
chancetoland.Thatmaytakethecouragetopausejustforamoment.
Andtodosowithoutitlookinglikeyou’refishingforapplause.
6. Veryimportant:Ifyou’renotfunny,don’ttrytobefunny.Testthehumor
onfamilyorfriends,orevenacolleague.Aretheylaughing?Ifnot,
changeitorspikeit.
Dangers(eveninthehandsofpeopleblessedwiththegiftofhumor):
1. Off-colorremarksandoffensivelanguage:Don’t.You’renotspeakingat
alate-nightcomedyclub.
2. Limericksorotherseeminglyfunnypoetry
3. Puns
4. Sarcasm
5. Goingontoolong
6. Anyattemptedhumorbasedonreligion,ethnicity,genderidentity,
politics.Membersofthosecommunitiesmaybecan;outsidersdefinitely
can’t.
Allofthesecanworkintherightcircumstancesbutarefraughtwiththe
possibilityofbombingorcausingoffense.Iftheaudienceexperienceseither,
it’shardtogetthemback.
Ifyouplantodoalotofpublicspeaking,it’sreallyworthtryingtofind
yourownbrandofhumorthatworks.Andifnot,don’tpanic.It’snotfor
everyone.Thereareplentyofotherwaystoconnect.
PARKYOUREGO
Wouldyouwanttotrustyourmindtosomeonewhowascompletelyfullof
himself?Nothingdamagestheprospectsofatalkmorethanthesensethatthe
speakerisablowhard.Andifthathappensearlyon...lookout.
IvividlyrememberaTEDTalkfrommanyyearsagothatbegan:“BeforeI
becamealivingbrand...”Andthere,rightthere,youknewitwasn’tgoingto
endwell.Thespeakerwasonahighaftersomerecentmajorcommercial
success,andweweregoingtohearabouteverylastbitofit.That’stheonly
timeatTEDIrememberatalkbeinginterruptedbyhisses.Hisses!Evenif
youtrulyareagenius,adrop-dead-gorgeousathlete,andafearlessleader,it’s
besttoletyouraudiencefigurethatoutforthemselves.
TEDspeakerSalmanKhanputitbeautifully:
Beyourself.Theworsttalksaretheoneswheresomeoneistryingto
besomeonetheyaren’t.Ifyouaregenerallygoofy,thenbegoofy.If
youareemotional,thenbeemotional.Theoneexceptiontothatisif
youarearrogantandself-centered.Thenyoushoulddefinitelypretend
tobesomeoneelse.
Somespeakersusehumortolandadeliberateblowtotheiregos.
DanPink,anaccomplishedspeakerwhosetalkonmotivationhas10
millionviewsandcounting,walkedontothestagelookingjustabit
overconfidentandbeganspeakinginavoicethatwasjustatadtooloud.But
afterhisfirstfewsentences,wewereallinhispocket.Thisiswhathesaid:
Ineedtomakeaconfessionattheoutsethere.Alittleovertwenty
yearsagoIdidsomethingthatIregret,somethingthatI’mnot
particularlyproudof,somethingthat,inmanyways,Iwishnoone
wouldeverknow,buthereIfeelkindofobligedtoreveal.Inthelate
1980s,inamomentofyouthfulindiscretion,Iwenttolawschool.
Brilliant.Nowwelikedhimafterall.
Self-deprecation,intherighthands,isabeautifulthing.TonyBlairisa
masteratit,oftenusingself-deprecationtowinoverpotentiallyhostile
audiences.Once,beforehewaselectedBritishprimeminister,hebeganto
tellastorywhich,hesaidapologetically,mightmakepeopleworrywhether
hewasqualifiedtogovern.HetoldofavisittotheNetherlands,where,ata
mealwithdignitaries,heencounteredawell-dressedwomaninherfifties.She
askedhimwhohewas.“TonyBlair.”“Andwhatdoyoudo?”“Ileadthe
BritishLabourParty.”Heaskedherwhoshewas.“Beatrix.”“Andwhatdo
youdo?”[awkwardpause]“I’mthequeen.”Anotherspeakerwouldhavejust
name-droppedthathe’dhaddinnerwiththeQueenoftheNetherlandsand
losttheaudiencebeforehestarted.Bydeliberatelytalkinghimselfdown,
Blairwonlaughter,affection,andtrust.
Egoemergesinlotsofwaysthatmaybetrulyinvisibletoaspeakerwho’s
usedtobeingthecenterofattention:
Name-dropping
Storiesthatseemdesignedonlytoshowoff
Boastingaboutyouroryourcompany’sachievements
Makingthetalkallaboutyouratherthananideaotherscanuse.
Icouldtellyoutogobacktobasicsandtorememberthatthepurposeof
yourtalkistogiftanidea,nottoself-promote.Buteventhenyoumightmiss
it.Itcanbehardtoseefromtheinside.Everyleaderneedssomeoneshecan
countonforraw,honestfeedback.Someonewho’snotafraidtoupsetor
offendifneedbe.Ifyou’refeelingproudofwhatyou’verecently
accomplished,it’simportanttotryoutyourtalkonthattrustedperson,and
thengivethemthechancetosay,“Thatwasgreatinparts.Buthonestly?You
comeoveralittlefullofyourself.”
TELLASTORY
Storytellingissoimportantthattheentirenextchapterisdedicatedtoit,but
oneofitsmostimportantfunctionsistobuildconnectionwiththeaudience.
We’reborntolovestories.Theyareinstantgeneratorsofinterest,empathy,
emotion,andintrigue.Theycanbrilliantlyestablishthecontextofatalkand
makepeoplecareaboutatopic.
Powerfulstoriescanappearatanystageofatalk.Agreatwaytoopen.A
greatwaytoillustrateinthemiddle.Andsometimes,thoughlessoften,a
greatwaytoend.
ErnestoSirolliwantedtogiveatalkaboutabetterapproachto
developmentaidinAfrica.Ifyou’regoingtotakeonatoughsubjectlikethat,
it’saverygoodideatoconnectwiththeaudiencefirst.Here’showhedidit.
Ourfirstproject...waswhereweItaliansdecidedtoteachZambian
peoplehowtogrowfood.SowearrivedtherewithItalianseedsin
southernZambiainthisabsolutelymagnificentvalleygoingdownto
theZambeziRiver,andwetaughtthelocalpeoplehowtogrowItalian
tomatoesandzucchiniand...Andofcoursethelocalpeoplehad
absolutelynointerestindoingthat...Andwewereamazedthatthe
localpeople,insuchafertilevalley,wouldnothaveanyagriculture.
Butinsteadofaskingthemhowcometheywerenotgrowing
anything,wesimplysaid,“ThankGodwe’rehere.Justinthenickof
timetosavetheZambianpeoplefromstarvation.”Andofcourse,
everythinginAfricagrewbeautifully.Wehadthesemagnificent
tomatoes...Andwecouldnotbelieve,andweweretellingthe
Zambians,“Lookhoweasyagricultureis.”Whenthetomatoeswere
niceandripeandred,overnight,sometwohundredhipposcameout
fromtheriverandtheyateeverything.AndwesaidtotheZambians,
“MyGod,thehippos!”AndtheZambianssaid,“Yes,that’swhywe
havenoagriculturehere.”
Whenyoucanpulltogetherhumor,self-deprecation,andinsightintoa
singlestory,youhaveyourselfawinningstart.
Thestoriesthatcangeneratethebestconnectionarestoriesaboutyou
personallyoraboutpeopleclosetoyou.Talesoffailure,awkwardness,
misfortune,danger,ordisaster,toldauthentically,areoftenthemomentwhen
listenersshiftfromplainvanillainteresttodeepengagement.Theyhave
startedtosharesomeofyouremotions.Theyhavestartedtocareaboutyou.
Theyhavestartedtolikeyou.
Butbecareful.Somestoriescancomeoverasboastfuloremotionally
manipulative.Whenyouexplaintheamazingwayyouturnedaprobleminto
athrillingsuccess,farfromconnecting,youmayactuallyturnpeopleoff.
Whenyoupullthephotographofyoureldestsonfromyourjacketpocket
rightattheendofyourtalk,declarethathe’sbeendiagnosedwithaterminal
illness,andsaythatyourtalkisdevotedtohim,youmaymakeyouraudience
moreuncomfortablethansympathetic.
Theguidelinehereisjusttobeauthentic.Isthattherealyoutellingthis
story?Agoodtestistoimaginewhetheryouwouldtellthisstorytoagroup
ofoldfriends.Andifso,how.Friendsaregooddetectorsoftheinauthentic.
Andsoareaudiences.Bereal,andyouwon’tgotoofarwrong.
Andthatadviceappliestothisentirechapteronconnection.I’ve
sometimesdescribedthesesuggestionsastoolsortechniques.It’simportant
theydon’tcomeoverthatway.Theyneedtobepartofanauthenticdesireto
connect.You’reahuman.Yourlistenersarehumans.Thinkofthemas
friends.Andjustreachout.
AH,POLITICS
Ican’tendthischapterwithoutlamentingthebiggestkillerofconnection:
tribalthinking.Whetherinpolitics,religion,orrace,peoplewhoarepartofa
communitythathasrejectedwholesaletheideasyouwanttoarticulate,are,to
saytheleast,achallengingaudience.
DidmyreferenceabovetoTonyBlairmakeyouangryatme?Afteryears
inpower,andespeciallybecauseofhissupportforthewarinIraq,hebecame
hatedbysometothepointwherejustmentioninghisnameraisedtheirstress
levels.Forthem,theexampleabovewillhaveseemedpoorlychosen.Its
explanatorypurposewillhavebeenignored.
Politicscandothis.Andsocanreligion.Someviewsareheldsodeeply
thatifaspeakerseemstobethreateningthem,peoplegointoadifferent
mode.Insteadoflistening,theyshutdownandsmolder.
Thisisaverybigproblem.Oneofthemostconsequentialpiecesofpublic
speakinginrecenttimeshasbeenthepresentationAlGorebeganmakingin
2005thatwasturnedintothedocumentaryAnInconvenientTruth,
proclaimingaglobalclimatecrisis.Hemadepowerfuluseofeverytalk
techniqueyoucanimagine:compellingslides,carefullogic,eloquence,
humor,passionateadvocacy,devastatingmockeryofopposingviews,and
evenatouchingpersonalstoryabouthisdaughter.Whenhegavethe
presentationataspecialoff-the-recordsessionofTED,itprofoundly
impactedthelivesofmanyparticipants,persuadingsometochuckintheir
jobsandworkfull-timeonclimateissues.
Therewasoneproblem,though.AlGorewasapoliticianinacountry
sharplydividedonpartisanlines.Ourpartisaninstinctsbuildnear-
impregnablebarriersagainstpropagandafromtheotherside.Halfofthe
countryconnectedmoredeeplywithGorethanever,embracedAn
InconvenientTruth,andhadtheirworldviewspermanentlyaltered.Theother
halfneverconnectedatall.Theysimplyshutitout.Theveryfactthatitwas
Gorethepoliticianmakingthecasemeantthatitcouldn’tbetrue.Adecade
later,theclimateissuewasaspoliticizedasever.Whatshouldbeamatterof
sciencehadtragicallybecomeatestofpoliticalalignment.(It’spossiblethe
samethingwouldhavehappenedontheleftifDickCheneyorKarlRovehad
ledthechargeonamajorglobalissue.)
Thetoxicityofourpolitical(andreligious)nonconversationsisatrue
tragedyofthemodernworld.Whenpeoplearen’tpreparedorreadytolisten,
communicationcan’thappen.
Ifyouwanttoreachpeoplewhoradicallydisagreewithyou,youronly
chanceistoputyourselfintheirshoesasbestyoucan.Don’tuselanguage
thatmaytriggertribalresponses.Startwithavisionoftheworldasseen
throughtheireyes.Anduseeveryoneofthetoolsdescribedheretobuilda
connectionbasedonyoursharedhumanity.
Happily,mostspeakingopportunitiesarewithfundamentallywelcoming
audiences.Youshouldreadilybeabletomakeaconnectionwiththem.And
thenyourtalkcantrulyshine.
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6
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NARRATION
TheIrresistibleAllureofStories
Storieshelpedmakeuswhoweare.Imeanthisliterally.Thebestevidence
fromarchaeologyandanthropologysuggeststhatthehumanmindcoevolved
withstorytelling.
Aboutamillionyearsago,ourhominidancestorsbegangainingcontrolof
theuseoffire,anditseemstohavehadaprofoundimpactontheir
development.Warmth,yes.Defenseagainstpredators,yes.Cookingandits
remarkableconsequencesforthegrowthofourbrains,yes.Buttherewas
somethingelse.
Firecreatedanewmagnetforsocialbonding.Itswarmthandflickering
lightdrewpeopletogetherafterdark.Thisseemstohavehappenedinevery
ancienthunter-gatherercultureoverthelastthreehundredthousandyears.
Andwhatdidtheydowiththistimetogether?Itseemsthat,inmany
cultures,oneformofsocialinteractionbecameprevalent:storytelling.
AnthropologistPollyWiessnerhasspentfortyyearsresearchingcertain
foragerculturesandperiodicallyrecordingwhosaidwhatandwhen.In2014,
shepublishedapaperthatshowedadramaticdifferencebetweendaytimeand
nighttimegatherings.Daytimetalk,evenwhenlargergroupswereinvolved,
centeredoneconomicdiscussionsandsocialgossip.Atnight,themood
mellowed.Theremightbesinging,dancing,rituals.Butthemosttimewas
spentonstorytelling.Talesthatbroughtpeoplefromdistantplacestothe
hearthandintotheheartsandmindsoflisteners.Talesofpeoplealiveand
dead.Presentanddistant.Talesevokinghilarity,tension,andawe.Talestold
bymen.Talestoldbywomen.Oftenthestarstorytellerswereelders.Insome
cases,theyhadlosttheirsightbutwerestillveneratedfortheiroral
storytelling.
ProfessorWiessnertoldmethatthesestoriesplayedacrucialrolein
helpingexpandpeople’sabilitytoimagineanddreamandunderstandthe
mindsofothers.Theyallowedhumanmindstoexplorevastsocialnetworks
andtobuildimaginedcommunitiesfarbeyondthebordersoftheirlocal
socialgroup.Storiesbroughtsocialstatustogreatstorytellersandactionable
insightstogreatlisteners.(Forexample,anattentivelistenercouldlearnhow
toavoidthelife-threateningdangersdescribedinastory.)Therefore,those
narratingandlisteningskillsarelikelytohavebeenselectedforasmodern
humansevolved.
Soit’snotjustthatwealllovehearingstories.Theyprobablyhelpedshape
howourmindsshareandreceiveinformation.
Certainly,thepowerofstorieshascontinuedtothisday,asevidencedby
themulti-billion-dollarindustriesbuiltaroundnovels,movies,andTV.
Andit’snosurprisetodiscoverthatmanyofthebesttalksareanchoredin
storytelling.Unlikechallengingexplanationsorcomplexarguments,everyone
canrelatetostories.Theytypicallyhaveasimplelinearstructurethatmakes
themeasytofollow.Youjustletthespeakertakeyouonajourney,onestepat
atime.Thankstoourlonghistoryaroundcampfires,ourmindsarereally
goodattrackingalong.
Andanaturalpartoflisteningtostoriesisthatyouempathizewiththe
experiencesofthecharacters.Youfindyourselfimmersedintheirthoughts
andemotions.Infact,youphysicallyfeelwhattheyfeel;ifthey’restressedor
excitedorexhilarated,soareyou.Andthatmakesyoucareaboutthe
outcome.Yourattentionisheld.
Whataretheelementsofagreatstory?Theclassicformulais:A
protagonistwithgoalsmeetsanunexpectedobstacleandacrisisresults.The
protagonistattemptstoovercometheobstacle,leadingtoaclimax,andfinally
adenouement.(Therecanalsobeinterruptionsandplottwists.)
Whenitcomestosharinga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.
Ofcourse,it’sallintheexecution,soit’sreallyworthfine-tuningyour
stories.Often,especiallywithstoriesfromourownlives,weoverstuffwith
detailsthatareimportanttous,butthatawideraudiencejustdoesn’tneedto
know.Or,worse,weforgetanessentialpieceofcontext,withoutwhichthe
storydoesn’tmakemuchsense.
Here’sagreatstory:
Once,whenIwaseightyearsold,myfathertookmefishing.Wewere
inatinyboat,fivemilesfromshore,whenamassivestormblewin.
Dadputalifejacketonmeandwhisperedinmyear,“Doyoutrust
me,son?”Inodded.Hethrewmeoverboard.[pause]Ikidyounot.
Justtossedmeover!Ihitthewaterandbobbeduptothesurface,
gaspingforbreath.Itwasshockinglycold.Thewaveswereterrifying.
Monstrous.Then...Daddivedinafterme.Wewatchedinhorroras
ourlittleboatflippedandsank.Buthewasholdingmethewhole
time,tellingmeitwasgoingtobeOK.Fifteenminuteslater,the
CoastGuardhelicopterarrived.ItturnedoutthatDadknewtheboat
wasdamagedandwasgoingtosink,andhehadcalledthemwithour
exactlocation.Heguesseditwasbettertochuckmeintheopensea
thanriskgettingtrappedwhentheboatflipped.AndthatishowI
learnedthetruemeaningofthewordtrust.
Andhere’shownottotellit:
IlearnedtrustfrommyfatherwhenIwaseightyearsoldandwegot
caughtinastormwhileoutfishingformackerel.Wefailedtocatcha
singleonebeforethestormhit.Dadknewtheboatwasgoingtosink,
becauseitwasoneofthoseSaturnbrandinflatableboats,whichare
usuallyprettystrong,butthisonehadbeenpuncturedonceandDad
thoughtitmighthappenagain.Inanycase,thestormwastoobigfor
aninflatableboatanditwasalreadyleaking.SohecalledtheCoast
Guardrescueservice,who,backthen,wereavailable24/7,unlike
today.Hetoldthemourlocation,andthen,toavoidtheriskofgetting
trappedunderwater,heputalifejacketonmeandthrewme
overboardbeforejumpinginhimself.WethenwaitedfortheCoast
Guardtocomeand,sureenough,15minuteslaterthehelicopter
showedup—IthinkitwasaSikorskyMH-60Jayhawk—andwewere
fine.
Thefirststoryhasacharacteryoucareaboutandintensedramathatbuilds
toincredulitybeforebeingbeautifullyresolved.Thesecondversionisamess.
Thedramaiskilledbyrevealingthefather’sintenttooearly;there’sno
attempttosharetheactualexperienceofthekid;therearetoomanydetails
includedthatareirrelevanttomostoftheaudience,whileothergermane
detailslikethegiantwavesareignored.Worstofall,thekeylinethatanchors
thestory,“Doyoutrustme,son?,”islost.Ifyou’regoingtotellastory,make
sureyouknowwhyyou’retellingit,andtrytoeditoutallthedetailsthatare
notneededtomakeyourpoint,whilestillleavingenoughinforpeopleto
vividlyimaginewhathappened.
Someofthegreatesttalksarebuiltaroundasinglestory.Thisstructure
offersthespeakerhugebenefits:
Thethroughlineistakencareof.(Itissimplythenarrativearcofthe
story.)
Providedthestoryiscompelling,youcanevokeanintenseresponsein
theaudience.
Ifthestoryisaboutyou,youwillcreateempathyforsomeofthethings
youcaremostabout.
It’seasytorememberwhatyou’regoingtosaybecausethestructureis
linear,andyourbrainisextremelycomfortablerecallingoneeventright
afteranother.
Manyspeakersthereforeuseaspeakingslotsimplytosharetheirown
story.Itisthesimplest,easiest-to-preparetypeoftalkthereis.Andthere’sa
comforttoit.Youknowyourstory.Youcertainlyknowmoreaboutitthan
anyoneintheaudience.
Ifyourjourneyhasbeenremarkable,andifthere’sacoherencetothe
narrative,thistypeoftalkcanworkreallywell.
Butthere’satrapheretoo.Remember,thegoalistogive.Personalstories
sometimesfailtodothat.Theymayentertainorintrigueorboostthe
speaker’sego.Buttheydon’tautomaticallygivetheaudiencesomethingthey
canwalkawaywith:Insights,actionableinformation,perspective,context,
hope.
Andthat’sarealshame.Oneofthebiggestreasonsweturndown
applicationstospeakatTEDiswhenwe’reofferedcompellinganecdotesbut
nocentralideathatwrapsthenarrativetogether.Thisisheartbreaking,
becausethespeakersareoftenwonderful,fascinatingpeople.Butwithoutthe
wraparoundofanidea,it’sanopportunitymissed.
Thekeyshiftneededisanartfuleditofyourjourneythatlinkstogether
criticalmomentsinawaythatsomeoneelsecanderivemeaningfromthem.
Withoutthat,evenifyourlifehasbeenimpressive,thetalkmayfeelrambling
andself-indulgent.Butifthejourneyrevealssomethingpowerfulyouhave
learned,andifeachstepinyourjourneyisrevealedwithhumilityand
honestyandvulnerability,itisajourneywewillgladlymakewithyou.
There’soneothernonnegotiableessentialifyou’retotellyourownstory.It
hastobetrue.Thismayseemobvious,but,alas,speakersaresometimes
temptedtoexaggerateorevenfabricate.Preciselybecauseastorycanhaveso
muchimpact,theywanttocastthemselvesortheirorganizationsinthebest
possiblelight,andtheysometimescrossthatlinecalledtruth.Doingthisis
theeasiestwaytodestroyyourreputation.Whentalksgopublic,theremaybe
thousandsofeyeswatchingthem.Itonlytakesonepersontonoticethat
something’snotquiteright,andyoucanfindyourselfinhotwater.It’snot
worththerisk.
Whenyoucombineatruthfulstorywithadesiretouseitforothers’
benefit,youcangiveyourlistenersanextraordinarygift.
PsychologistEleanorLongdenwaswillingtosharepubliclyhowat
universityshebeganhearingvoicesinherhead,andhowthatledtoherbeing
diagnosedwithschizophrenia,institutionalized,anddriventothepointof
suicide.Thestoryaloneisriveting,butshebuildsitsothatyouleavethetalk
withinspiringinsightsonschizophrenia,mentalillness,andhowwemight
rethinkourresponsestothem.Here’spartoftheending:
Thereisnogreaterhonororprivilegethanfacilitatingthatprocessof
healingforsomeone;tobearwitness,toreachoutahand,tosharethe
burdenofsomeone’ssuffering,andtoholdthehopefortheir
recovery.Andlikewise,forsurvivorsofdistressandadversity,thatwe
don’thavetoliveourlivesforeverdefinedbythedamagingthings
thathavehappenedtous.Weareunique.Weareirreplaceable.What
lieswithinuscanneverbetrulycolonized,contorted,ortakenaway.
Thelightnevergoesout.
ExplorerBenSaunderswentonatrektotheSouthPolethatalmosttook
hislife.He’sapowerfulstorytellerandhasgreatphotographstoillustrate
whathappened.Ashedrewneartheendofhistalk,wewaitedexpectantlyfor
theusualadmonitionsadventurersofferustogooutanddiscoverourtrue
selvesinwhateverchallengewetakeon.ButBensurprisedus.Heshared
somedarkmomentshe’dexperiencedsincethetrekandsaidthedestination
he’dbeendreamingofforyearswaslesssatisfyingthanthejourney.The
takeaway?Don’tpinyourhappinessonthefuture.
Ifwecan’tfeelcontenthere,today,now,onourjourneys,amidstthe
messandthestrivingthatweallinhabit,theopenloops,thehalf-
finishedto-dolists,thecould-do-better-next-times,thenwemight
neverfeelit.
WriterAndrewSolomondescribedhowhewashumiliatedasachild,even
beforehecameoutasgay,andturnedthestoryintoanexhilaratingessayon
identitythatanyonecouldrelatetoandlearnfrom.
There’salwayssomebodywhowantstoconfiscateourhumanity,and
therearealwaysstoriesthatrestoreit.Ifweliveoutloud,wecan
trouncethehatredandexpandeveryone’slives.
SirKenRobinson’shilariouscelebrationoftheimportanceofcreativityin
childrenisanchoredinastory.Hedescribeshowadoctorinthe1930s
noticedthatayounggirlwhowasfailingatschoolhadanirresistibledesireto
dance.Insteadofmedicatingher,hepersuadedhermothertosendherto
danceschool.ThegirlwasGillianLynne,whobecamethehugelysuccessful
choreographerforAndrewLloydWebber.Thisstory,toldinSirKen’s
inimitablestyle,isamovingillustrationoftheperilsandpotentialinhow
schoolshandlecreativity,anditisthepartofthetalkthatturnshilarityinto
inspiration.
THEPOWEROFPARABLE
Somestoriesarecarefullydesignedasmetaphors.There’sausefulwordfor
thistypeofstory:parable.
Traditionally,aparableisastorythatcarriesamoralorspirituallesson.It’s
atoolthat’sbeenusedbyreligiousteachersthroughouthistorytogreateffect.
ThestoriesofJesus,Ithinkwecanagree,haveclockedupevenmoreviews
thanSirKen’s.Butwecanextendtheword’smeaningtocoveranystorythat
carrieswithitthepowerofmetaphor.
LawprofessorLawrenceLessigisabrilliantpurveyorofparables.He
cametoTEDin2013toarguethatAmerica’spoliticalprocesshadbecome
irredeemablycorruptedbymoney.Hehadusimagineafoolishcountrycalled
LesterlandinwhichonlythepeoplenamedLesterwereabletovote.Clearly
thatwouldberidiculous.Butthenhepointedoutthatthenumberofpeople
namedLesterintheUSisaboutthesameasthenumberofsignificant
politicalfunders.AndthatmembersofCongresshavetheirprioritieslargely
setbythosefunders,sothateffectivelyit’sonlythefunderswhoseviewsand
votesmatter.Inthisparable,weallliveinLesterland.
WriterMalcolmGladwellalsospecializesinparables—andtheappealof
thisformisreflectedintheamazingsalesofhisbooksandthehighnumberof
viewsonhisTEDTalks.Hismostpopulartalkis,believeitornot,atale
aboutthedevelopmentofnewformsofspaghettisauce.Butheusesitasa
parablefortheinsightthat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.
What’ssatisfyingabouteachofthesetalksisthewaytheydrawoutthe
meaningfromthestory.Youdon’twanttoinsulttheintelligenceofthe
audiencebyforce-feedingexactlytheconclusiontheymustdrawfromthe
taleyou’vetold.Butyouabsolutelydowanttobesurethere’senoughthere
foryourlistenerstobeabletoconnectthedots.Andthisiswhereknowing
youraudiencewellisimportant.Aparablemightworkverywellwithan
audiencethatalreadyknowsyourfield,butitwillneedmuchgreater
elucidationforthoseoutsideit.It’simportanttotestyourmaterialon
someonewhoknowstheaudiencetoseeifitlandswithclaritybutwithout
clumsiness.
Thereareplentyofotherrisksingoingtheparableroute.Sometimesthe
analogydoesn’tquitefit.Itcanmisleadasmuchasenlighten.Oryoucan
spendsomuchtimetellingthestorythatyoumissdrawingoutthenecessary
conclusions.Butintherighthands,aparablecanentertain,inform,and
inspireallinone.
Thereisanotherpowerfulfunctionthatstoriesoffer:Explanation.Forthis
purposetheyaren’tusuallythemainattraction,butmorethesupport.And
theyusuallycomeintheformofshortinsertsdesignedtoillustrateor
reinforceanidea.We’lldigintothisuseofstoriesinthenextchapter.
Meanwhile,rememberthis:Storiesresonatedeeplyineveryhuman.By
givingyourtalkasastoryoraseriesofrelatedstories,youcangreatly
increaseyourconnectionwithyourlisteners.But,please:letitmean
something.
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EXPLANATION
HowtoExplainToughConcepts
HarvardpsychologistDanGilbertcametoTEDwithadauntingtask.Injusta
singleshorttalk,heplannedtoexplainasophisticatedconceptcalled
“synthesizedhappiness”andwhyitledustomakewildlyinaccurate
predictionsaboutourownfutures.
Let’sseehowhesetaboutit.Here’showhebegins:
Whenyouhave21minutestospeak,twomillionyearsseemslikea
reallylongtime.
Anopeninglineanchoredinthehereandnow,butimmediatelycreating
intrigue.
Butevolutionarily,twomillionyearsisnothing.Andyetintwo
millionyears,thehumanbrainhasnearlytripledinmass,goingfrom
theone-and-a-quarter-poundbrainofourancestorhere,[Homo]
habilis,tothealmostthree-poundmeatloafthateverybodyherehas
betweentheirears.Whatisitaboutabigbrainthatnaturewasso
eagerforeveryoneofustohaveone?
Doyoufeelalittlesparkofcuriosity?That’sthefirststeptoasuccessful
explanation.Onceamindisintrigued,itopensup.Itwantsnewideas.
Gilbertcontinuestotease:
Well,itturnsoutwhenbrainstripleinsize,theydon’tjustgetthree
timesbigger;theygainnewstructures.Andoneofthemainreasons
ourbraingotsobigisbecauseitgotanewpart,called...the
prefrontalcortex.Whatdoesaprefrontalcortexdoforyouthatshould
justifytheentirearchitecturaloverhaulofthehumanskullintheblink
ofevolutionarytime?
Whilecontinuingtostokeourcuriosity,Gilbertjustslottedinthefirst
concepthe’llbebuildingon:prefrontalcortex.
Oneofthemostimportantthingsitdoes:it’sanexperiencesimulator.
Pilotspracticeinflightsimulatorssothattheydon’tmakereal
mistakesinplanes.Humanbeingshavethismarvelousadaptationthat
theycanactuallyhaveexperiencesintheirheadsbeforetheytrythem
outinreallife.Thisisatrickthatnoneofourancestorscoulddo,and
thatnootheranimalcandoquitelikewecan.It’samarvelous
adaptation.It’suptherewithopposablethumbsandstandingupright
andlanguageasoneofthethingsthatgotourspeciesoutofthetrees
andintotheshoppingmall.
Slippedinalongwiththehumor,wegetanothercoolnewconcept.
Experiencesimulator.That’sakeybuildingblock.Itwasdroppedintoplace
courtesyofasimplemetaphor,theflightsimulator.Wealreadyknowwhat
thatis,soit’spossibletoimaginewhatanexperiencesimulatormightbe.But
coulditbemadeclearerwithanexample?Yes,itcould:
BenandJerry’sdoesn’thaveliver-and-onionicecream,andit’snot
becausetheywhippedsomeup,triedit,andwent,yuck.It’sbecause,
withoutleavingyourarmchair,youcansimulatethatflavorandsay
yuckbeforeyoumakeit.
Asinglevividexampleofthesimulatorinaction,andyoutotallygetit.But
nowthetalktakesanintriguingtwist.
Let’sseehowyourexperiencesimulatorsareworking.Let’sjustruna
quickdiagnosticbeforeIproceedwiththerestofthetalk.Hereare
twodifferentfuturesthatIinviteyoutocontemplate.Youcantryto
simulatethemandtellmewhichoneyouthinkyoumightprefer.One
ofthemiswinningthelottery.Andtheotherisbecomingparaplegic.
Theaudienceislaughing,butalittlenervously,wonderingwhat’stocome.
Andwhat’stocomeisatrulyastonishingslide.Gilbertshowsusdata
suggestingthat,oneyearafterwinningthelotteryorbecomingaparaplegic,
bothgroupsareactuallyequallyhappy.What?!Thatcan’tberight.Thiscool
newconceptoftheexperiencesimulatorhassuddenlytakenyoutoaplace
youdidn’texpect.Abafflingplace.Thefactsyou’representedwithmakeno
sense.You’reexperiencingaknowledgegapandyourmindiscravingthatit
befilled.
SoGilbertproceedstofillit,byofferinganothernewconcept.
Theresearchthatmylaboratoryhasbeendoing...hasrevealed
somethingreallyquitestartlingtous,somethingwecalltheimpact
bias,whichisthetendencyforthesimulatortoworkbadly...to
makeyoubelievethatdifferentoutcomesaremoredifferentthanin
facttheyreallyare.
Byputtinganameonit—impactbias—themysterysomehowbecomes
morebelievable.Butourcuriosityisburningmorebrightlythaneverinits
attempttobridgethisgap.Canitreallybethecasethatwecouldmispredict
ourfuturehappinesslevelstothisdegree?Gilberttapsintothatveinof
curiositytounveilhiskeyconcept.
Fromfieldstudiestolaboratorystudies,weseethatwinningorlosing
anelection,gainingorlosingaromanticpartner,gettingornotgetting
apromotion,passingornotpassingacollegetest,onandon,havefar
lessimpact,lessintensity,andmuchlessdurationthanpeopleexpect
themtohave.Thisalmostfloorsme—arecentstudyshowinghow
majorlifetraumasaffectpeoplesuggeststhat,ifithappenedover
threemonthsago,withonlyafewexceptions,ithasnoimpact
whatsoeveronyourhappiness.
Why?Becausehappinesscanbesynthesized!...Humanbeings
havesomethingthatwemightthinkofasapsychologicalimmune
system.Asystemofcognitiveprocesses,largelynonconscious
cognitiveprocesses,thathelpthemchangetheirviewsoftheworldso
thattheycanfeelbetterabouttheworldsinwhichtheyfind
themselves.
Thereitis,synthetichappinessexplained.It’sbeenbuiltontheconceptsof
prefrontalcortex,experiencesimulator,andimpactbias.Andtomakeitclear,
Gilbertusesanothermetaphor,thatoftheimmunesystem.Youalreadyknow
whatanimmunesystemis,sotothinkofthisasapsychologicalimmune
systemiseasy.Theconceptisnotdeliveredinasingleleapbutpieceby
piece,andwithmetaphorstoguideandshowhowthepiecesfittogether.
Butperhapswe’restillnotfullybelievingit.SoGilbertencouragesusthat
hereallydoesmeanwhatheseemstobesayingbygivingaseriesof
examplesofpeople’spsychologicalimmunesystemsatwork:
Adisgracedpoliticianwhoisgratefulforhisfall,
Afalselyconvictedinmatewhodescribeshisthirty-sevenyearsinjailas
“agloriousexperience,”
AndPeteBest,theFabFour’srejecteddrummer,whofamouslysaid,
“I’mhappierthanIwouldhavebeenwiththeBeatles.”
Theexamplesreallydrivehispointhome.Gilbertgoesontoshowhowthis
phenomenoncanbeobservedeverywhere,andhowyoucanliveawiser,
happierlifeifyoutakeitintoaccount.Afterall,whydowechasehappiness
whenwehavethecapacitywithinourselvestomanufacturethevery
commoditywecrave?
Butalreadywe’veseenenoughtorevealthecoreelementsofamasterful
explanation.Let’srecap:
Step1.Hestartedrightwherewewere.Bothliterally,“Whenyou
have21minutestospeak...,”andconceptually,withoutdaunting
assumptionsaboutourknowledgeofpsychologyorneuroscience.
Step2.Helitafirecalledcuriosity.Curiosityiswhatmakespeople
askwhy?andhow?It’sthefeelingthatsomethingdoesn’tquitemake
sense.Thatthere’saknowledgegapthathastobeclosed.This
happenedrightatthestartandthenwasdialedupdramaticallywith
hisunexpecteddataaboutparaplegicsandlotterywinners.
Step3.Hebroughtinconceptsonebyone.Youcan’tunderstand
themainconceptwithoutfirstbeingintroducedtothepiecesonwhich
itdepends,inthiscaseprefrontalcortex,experiencesimulator,and
impactbias.
Step4.Heusedmetaphors.Ittookmetaphorsliketheflight
simulatorandthepsychologicalimmunesystemtomakeclearwhat
hewastalkingabout.Foranexplanationtobesatisfyingithastotake
puzzlingfactsandbuildaconnectionfromthemtosomeone’sexisting
mentalmodeloftheworld.Metaphorsandanalogiesarethekeytools
neededtodothis.Theyhelpshapetheexplanationuntilfinallyit
snapsintoplacewithasatisfyingaha!
Step5.Heusedexamples.Littlestories,likethatofPeteBest,help
locktheexplanationintoplace.Thisislikesayingtothebrain:You
thinkyouunderstandthisidea?Thenapplyittothesefacts.Ifitfits,
you’vegotthisfiguredout.
Attheendofhisexplanation,ourmentalmodeloftheworldhasbeen
upgraded.It’sricher,deeper,truer.Abetterreflectionofreality.
Explanationistheactthatconsciouslyaddsanewelementtosomeone’s
mentalmodelorreordersexistingelementsinamoresatisfyingway.If,asI
havesuggested,thegoalofagreattalkistobuildanideainsidesomeone’s
mind,thenexplanationistheessentialtoolforachievingthatgoal.
ManyofthebestTEDTalksachievetheirgreatnessthroughmasterful
explanation.Andthere’sabeautifulwordforthegifttheygive:
Understanding.Wecandefineitastheupgradingofaworldviewtobetter
reflectreality.
Thereisevidencefromnumerousdiversesources,fromneuroscienceto
psychologytoeducationaltheory,thatthisishowunderstandingmusthappen.
It’sbuiltasahierarchy,witheachlayersupplyingtheelementsthatconstruct
thenextlayer.Westartwithwhatweknow,andweaddbitspiecebypiece,
witheachpartpositionedbyusingalreadyunderstoodlanguage,backedby
metaphorsandexamples.Themetaphors,perhapsliterally,revealthe“shape”
ofthenewconceptsothatthemindknowshowtoslotitineffectively.
Withoutthisshaping,theconceptscan’tbeputinplace,soakeypartof
planningatalkistohavethebalancerightbetweentheconceptsyouare
introducingandtheexamplesandmetaphorsneededtomakethem
understandable.
LexicographerErinMcKeanoffersthisasaniceexampleofthepowerof
metaphor.
IfyouweregivingatalkaboutJavaScripttoageneralaudience,you
couldexplainthatpeopleoftenhaveamentalmodelofacomputer
programasbeingasetofinstructions,executedoneafteranother.But
inJavaScript,instructionscanbeasynchronous,whichmeansthatyou
can’tbeconfidentthatlinefivewillalwayshappenafterlinefour.
Imagineifyouweregettingdressedinthemorninganditwas
possibletoputyourshoesonbeforeyourjeans(oryourjeanson
beforeyourunderpants)!ThatcanhappeninJavaScript.
Asingle-sentencemetaphorand:click!thelightcomeson.
Ifthecoreofyourtalkisexplainingapowerfulnewidea,itishelpfulto
ask:Whatdoyouassumeyouraudiencealreadyknows?Whatwillbeyour
connectingtheme?Whataretheconceptsnecessarytobuildyour
explanation?Andwhatmetaphorsandexampleswillyouusetorevealthose
concepts?
THECURSEOFKNOWLEDGE
Unfortunately,thisisn’tthateasy.Weallsufferfromacognitivebiasfor
whicheconomistRobinHogarthcoinedtheterm“thecurseofknowledge.”In
anutshell,wefindithardtorememberwhatitfeelslikenottoknow
somethingthatweourselvesknowwell.Aphysicistlivesandbreathes
subatomicparticlesandmayassumethateveryoneelseofcourseknowswhat
acharmquarkis.Iwasshockedinarecentcocktail-partydiscussiontoheara
talentedyoungnovelistask:“Youkeepusingtheterm‘naturalselection.’
Whatexactlydoyoumeanbythat?”Ithoughteveryonewithhalfan
educationunderstoodthebasicideasofevolution.Iwaswrong.
InTheSenseofStyle:TheThinkingPerson’sGuidetoWritinginthe21st
Century,StevenPinkersuggeststhatovercomingthecurseofknowledgemay
bethesinglemostimportantrequirementinbecomingaclearwriter.Ifit’s
trueaboutwriting,whenreadershaveachancetopauseandrereadasentence
severaltimesbeforecontinuing,thenit’sevenmoretrueaboutspeaking.
Pinkersuggeststhatsimplybeingconsciousofthisbiasisnotenough.You
havetoexposeyourdraftstofriendsorcolleaguesandbegforruthless
feedbackonanythingtheydon’tunderstand.Thesameistruefortalks,and
especiallythosetalksthatseektoexplainsomethingcomplex.Firstsharea
draftscriptwithcolleaguesandfriends.Thentryitoutinfrontofaprivate
audience.Andspecificallyaskthequestions,Didthatmakesense?Was
anythingconfusing?
I’velongadmiredPinker’sabilitytoexplainourminds’machinations,soI
askedhimforsomemoreguidancehere.Hetoldmethat,fortrue
understandingtotakeplace,thefullhierarchicalstructureofanideamustbe
communicated.
Amajorfindingofcognitivepsychologyisthatlong-termmemory
dependsoncoherenthierarchicalorganizationofcontent—chunks
withinchunkswithinchunks.Aspeaker’schallengeistousethe
fundamentallyone-dimensionalmediumofspeech(onewordafter
another)toconveyamultidimensional(hierarchicalandcross-
linking)structure.Aspeakerbeginswithawebofideasinhishead,
andbytheverynatureoflanguagehehastoconvertitintoastringof
words.
Thistakesgreatcare,rightdowntoindividualsentencesandhowtheylink.
Aspeakerhastobesurethatlistenersknowhoweachsentencerelates
logicallytotheprecedingone,whethertherelationshipissimilarity,contrast,
elaboration,exemplification,generalization,before-and-after,cause,effect,or
violatedexpectation.Andtheymustknowwhetherthepointtheyarenow
ponderingisadigression,apartofthemainargument,anexceptiontothe
mainargument,andsoon.
Ifyouimaginethestructureofanexplanatorytalkasacentralthroughline
withotherpartsconnectedtoit—anecdotes,examples,amplifications,
digressions,clarifications,etc.—thenoverallthatstructuremaylooklikea
tree.Thethroughlineisthetrunk,andthebranchesarethevariouspieces
attachedtoit.Butforunderstandingtotakeplace,it’scrucialthelistener
knowswheresheisonthattree.
Thisisoftenwherethecurseofknowledgestrikeshardest.Everysentence
isunderstandable,butthespeakerforgetstoshowhowtheylinktogether.To
him,it’sobvious.
Here’sasimpleexample.Aspeakersays:
Chimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans.Humans
learnedhowtousetoolstoamplifytheirnaturalstrength.Ofcourse,
chimpanzeesalsousetools.
Andanaudienceisleftconfused.Whatisthepointbeingmadehere?
Maybethespeakerwastryingtoarguethattoolsmattermorethanstrength
butdidn’twanttoimplythatchimpanzeesneverusetools.Orthat
chimpanzeesarenowcapableoflearninghowtoamplifytheiralreadygreater
strength.Thethreesentencesdon’tconnect,andtheresultisamuddle.The
aboveshouldhavebeenreplacedwithoneofthese:
Althoughchimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans,
humansaremuchbettertoolusers.Andthosetoolshaveamplified
human’snaturalstrengthfarbeyondthatofchimpanzees’.
Or(andwithaverydifferentmeaning),
Chimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans.Andnow
we’vediscoveredthattheyalsousetools.Theycouldusethosetools
tolearnhowtoamplifytheirnaturalstrength.
Whatthismeansisthatsomeofthemostimportantelementsinatalkare
thelittlephrasesthatgivecluestothetalk’soverallstructure:“Although...”
“Onerecentexample...”“Ontheotherhand...”“Let’sbuildonthat...”
“Playingdevil’sadvocateforamoment...”“Imustjusttellyoutwostories
thatamplifythisfinding.”“Asanaside...”“Atthispointyoumayobject
that...”“So,insummary...”
Equallyimportantistheprecisesequencingofsentencesandconceptsso
thatunderstandingcanbuildnaturally.Insharingearlydraftsofthisbook
therewerecountlessoccasionswhenpeoplepointedout,“IthinkIgetit.But
itwouldbemuchclearerifyouswitchedthesetwoparagraphsandexplained
thelinkbetweenthemalittlebetter.”It’simportanttoachieveclarityina
book,andit’sevenmoreimportanttohaveclarityinatalk.Ultimately,your
bestbetistorecruithelpfrompeoplenewtothetopic,becausetheywillbe
bestatspottingthegaps.
TEDspeakerDeborahGordon,whoexplainedhowantcoloniescanteach
uscrucialnetworkingideas,toldmethatthequestforexplanationgapswasa
crucialpartoftalkpreparation:
Atalkisn’tacontainerorabinthatyouputcontentin,it’saprocess,
atrajectory.Thegoalistotakethelistenerfromwhereheisto
someplacenew.Thatmeanstryingtomakethesequencesostepwise
thatnoonegetslostalongtheway.Nottobegrandiose,butifyou
couldflyandyouwantedsomeonetoflywithyou,youwouldtake
theirhandandtakeoffandnotletgo,becauseoncethepersondrops,
that’sit!Irehearsedinfrontoffriendsandacquaintanceswhoknew
nothingaboutthetopic,askingthemwheretheywerepuzzledorwhat
theywonderedabout,hopingthatbyfillingthosegapsforthemI’dbe
fillingthesamegapsforotherpeople.
It’sespeciallyimportanttodoajargoncheck.Anytechnicaltermsor
acronymsthatmaybeunfamiliartoyourlistenersshouldbeeliminatedor
explained.Nothingfrustratesanaudiencemorethantoheara3-minute
discussionofTLAswhentheyhavenoideawhatTLAsare.5Maybeonesuch
transgressioncanbehandled,butwhenjargontermspileup,peoplesimply
switchoff.
Iamnotadvocatingthateverythingbeexplainedonalevelappropriatefor
sixth-graders.AtTEDwehaveaguidelinebasedonEinstein’sdictum,“Make
everythingassimpleasitcanbe.Butnosimpler.”6Youdon’twanttoinsult
youraudience’sintelligence.Sometimesspecialisttermsareessential.For
mostaudiences,youdon’thavetospelloutthatDNAisaspecialmolecule
thatcarriesuniquegeneticinformation.Andyoudon’thavetooverexplain.
Indeed,thebestexplainerssayjustenoughtoletpeoplefeellikethey’re
comingupwiththeideaforthemselves.Theirstrategyistobringinthenew
conceptanddescribeitsshapejustenoughsothatthepreparedmindsofthe
audiencecansnapitintoplaceforthemselves.That’stime-efficientforyou
anddeeplysatisfyingforthem.Bytheendofthetalkthey’rebaskinginthe
glowoftheirownsmarts.
FROMEXPLANATIONTOEXCITEMENT
There’soneotherkeyexplanationtool.Beforeyoutrytobuildyouridea,
considermakingclearwhatitisn’t.You’llnoticeI’veusedthattechniquein
thisbookalready,forexample,bydiscussingtalkstylesthatdon’twork
beforegoingontothosethatdo.Ifanexplanationisbuildingasmallmental
modelinalargespaceofpossibilities,it’shelpfulfirsttoreducethesizeof
thatspace.Byrulingoutplausiblepossibilitiesyoumakeitaloteasierfor
youraudiencetocloseinonwhatitisyouhaveinmind.When,forinstance,
neuroscientistSandraAamodtwantedtoexplainwhymindfulnesswas
helpfulfordieting,shesaid:“I’mnotsayingyouneedtolearntomeditateor
takeupyoga.I’mtalkingaboutmindfuleating:learningtounderstandyour
body’ssignalssothatyoueatwhenyou’rehungryandstopwhenyou’refull.”
SuperbTEDTalkexplainersincludeHansRosling(revelatoryanimated
charts),DavidDeutsch(outside-the-boxscientificthinking),Nancy
Kanwisher(accessibleneuroscience),StevenJohnson(whereideascome
from),andDavidChristian(historyonagrandcanvas).Ithoroughly
recommendthemall.Theyeachbuildinsideyousomethingnewand
powerfulthatyouwillvalueforever.
Ifyoucanexplainsomethingwell,youcanusethatabilitytocreatereal
excitementinyouraudience.BonnieBasslerisascientistworkingonhow
bacteriacommunicatewitheachother.Shegaveatalkthatdoveintosome
prettycomplexbutmind-blowingresearchherlabhadbeenundertaking.By
helpingusunderstandit,sheopenedupaworldofintriguingpossibilities.
Here’show.
Shestartedbymakingthetalkrelevanttous.Afterall,it’snotagiventhat
anyoneintheaudienceactuallycaredthatmuchaboutbacteria.Soshebegan
likethis:
Iknowyouguysthinkofyourselfashumans,andthisissortofhowI
thinkofyou.There’saboutatrillionhumancellsthatmakeeachone
ofuswhoweareandabletodoallthethingsthatwedo,butyouhave
tentrillionbacterialcellsinyouoronyouatanymomentinyourlife.
So,tentimesmorebacterialcellsthanhumancellsonahumanbeing
...Thesebacteriaarenotpassiveriders,theyareincredibly
important;theykeepusalive.Theycoverusinaninvisiblebody
armorthatkeepsenvironmentalinsultsoutsothatwestayhealthy.
Theydigestourfood,theymakeourvitamins,theyactuallyeducate
yourimmunesystemtokeepbadmicrobesout.Sotheydoallthese
amazingthingsthathelpusandarevitalforkeepingusalive,andthey
nevergetanypressforthat.
OK.Nowit’spersonal.Thesebugsmattertous.Next,anunexpected
questionstirsourcuriosity:
Thequestionwehadishowcouldtheydoanythingatall?Imean,
they’reincrediblysmall;youhavetohaveamicroscopetoseeone.
Theylivethissortofboringlifewheretheygrowanddivide,and
they’vealwaysbeenconsideredtobetheseasocial,reclusive
organisms.Andsoitseemedtousthattheyarejusttoosmalltohave
animpactontheenvironmentiftheysimplyactasindividuals.
Thisisgettingintriguing.She’sgoingtotellusthatsomehowbacteriahunt
inpacks?I’meagertoknowmore!Bonniethentakesusonadetective’s
investigationthroughvariouscluesthatpointtohowbacteriamustactin
concert.There’sanamazingstoryaboutabioluminescentsquidthatusesthe
synced-upbehaviorofbacteriatomakeitselfinvisible.Andfinallywegetto
herdiscoveryofhowinvasivebacteriamightlaunchanattackonahuman.
Theycan’tdoitindividually.Instead,theyemitacommunicationmolecule.
Asmorebacteriamultiplyinyourbody,theconcentrationofthismolecule
increasesuntilsuddenlytheyall“know”collectivelythatthereareenoughof
themtoattack,andtheyallbeginemittingtoxinsatthesametime.It’scalled
quorumsensing.Wow!
Shesaidthisdiscoveryopenedupnewstrategiesforfightingbacteria.
Don’tkillthem,justcuttheircommunicationchannels.Withantibiotic
immunityspreading,thatisatrulyexcitingconcept.
Thensheendedhertalkbyteasingupanevenbroaderimplication:
Iwouldargue...thatthisistheinventionofmulticellularity.Bacteria
havebeenontheearthforbillionsofyears;humans,[a]couple
hundredthousand.Wethinkbacteriamadetherulesforhow
multicellularorganizationworks...ifwecanfigurethemoutinthese
primitiveorganisms,thehopeisthattheywillbeappliedtoother
humandiseasesandhumanbehaviorsaswell.
AteverystageofBonnie’stalk,eachpiecewascarefullybuiltonlyonwhat
camebefore.Therewasnotasinglepieceofjargonthatwasn’texplained.
Andthatgavehertheabilitytoopennewdoorsofpossibilityforus.Itwas
complexscience,butitgotournonexpertaudiencewildlyexcited,andatthe
end,muchtoherastonishment,weallstoodandapplaudedher.
Youcan’tgiveapowerfulnewideatoanaudienceunlessyoucanlearn
howtoexplain.Thatcanonlybedonestepbystep,fueledbycuriosity.Each
stepbuildsonwhatthelisteneralreadyknows.Metaphorsandexamplesare
essentialtorevealinghowanideaispiecedtogether.Bewarethecurseof
knowledge!Youmustbesureyou’renotmakingassumptionsthatwilllose
youraudience.Andwhenyou’veexplainedsomethingspecial,excitement
andinspirationwillfollowclosebehind.
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PERSUASION
ReasonCanChangeMindsForever
Ifexplanationisbuildingabrand-newideainsidesomeone’smind,
persuasionisalittlemoreradical.Beforeconstruction,itfirstrequiressome
demolition.
Persuasionmeansconvincinganaudiencethatthewaytheycurrentlysee
theworldisn’tquiteright.Andthatmeanstakingdownthepartsthataren’t
working,aswellasrebuildingsomethingbetter.Whenthisworks,it’s
thrillingforbothspeakerandaudience.
CognitivescientistStevenPinkerblewupmymentalmodelofviolence.
Anyonewhogrowsuponanormalmediadietassumesthatourworldis
crippledbyconstantviolence—wars,murders,assaults,terrorism—andthatit
seemstobegettingworse.Pinker,injust18minutes,persuadedtheTED
audiencethatthisassumptionwasdeadwrong.Thatactually,whenyou
pulledthecamerabackandlookedattherealdata,theworldisbecomingless
violent,andthatthistrendhasextendedacrossyears,decades,centuries,and
millennia.
Howdidhedoit?Firstwithalittledemolition.Ourmindsneedtobe
primedbeforetheycanbepersuaded.Pinkerstartedbyremindingpeoplehow
hideoussomeoftheviolentpracticesofearliererashadbeen,liketheFrench
publicentertainmentoffivehundredyearsagoofloweringlivecatsintoafire
tohearthemshriek.Orthefactthat,inmanyancientsocieties,morethana
thirdofadultmalesdiedinviolence.Essentiallyhewassaying,Youmaythink
violenceisgettingworse,butyou’veforgottenjusthowawfulitreallywas
historically.
Thenheshowedhowmodernmediahaveanincentivetoleadwithstories
ofdramaandviolence,regardlessofwhetherthoseeventsarerepresentative
oflifeasawhole.Hewasrevealingamechanismbywhichwemight
plausiblybeoverestimatingtheactuallevelsofviolenceoutthere.
Withthispriminginplace,itwasmucheasiertotakeseriouslyhisstatistics
andcharts,whichshowedsubstantialdeclinesinallformsofviolence,from
murdertomajorwars.Onekeystrategyherewastopresentthestatsas
relativetopopulationsize.Whatmattersisnotthetotalnumberofviolent
deathsbutthechancethatyouindividuallywillmeetaviolentdeath.
Hewentontodiscussfourpossibleexplanationsforthisunexpectedtrend
andendedwiththisbeautifullyupbeatstatement:
Whateveritscauses,thedeclineofviolence,Ithink,hasprofound
implications.Itshouldforceustoasknotjust,whyistherewar?But
also,whyistherepeace?Notjust,whatarewedoingwrong?But
also,whathavewebeendoingright?Becausewehavebeendoing
somethingright,anditsurewouldbegoodtofindoutwhatitis.
Thetalkled,fouryearslater,toamajorbook,TheBetterAngelsofOur
Nature,whichfurtherdevelopedhisargument.
Let’sassumethatPinkerisright.Ifso,hehasgivenabeautifulgiftto
millionsofpeople.Mostofusspendourwholelivesundertheassumption
thatthedailynewsisforevergettingworseandthatwarsandterrorismand
violenceareoutofcontrol.Whenyoureplacethatwiththepossibilitythat,
eventhoughthingscanbebad,they’reactuallyonanupwardtrend,whata
cloudthatlifts!Persuasioncanaltersomeone’soutlookforever.
PERSUASIONANDPRIMING
PsychologistBarrySchwartzchangedthewayIthinkaboutchoice.Inthe
West,we’reobsessedwithmaximizingchoice.Freedomisourmantra,and
maximizingchoiceisthewaytomaximizefreedom.Schwartzbegstodiffer.
Inhistalkontheparadoxofchoice,hegraduallybuildsthecasethat,in
numerouscircumstances,toomuchchoiceactuallymakesusunhappy.His
demolitiontoolkitwassurprisinglypainless.Hemixedsnippetsof
psychologicaltheorywithaseriesofexamplesrangingfromhealthinsurance
behaviortoafrustratingshoppingexperience,allinterspersedwithdelightful
on-topicNewYorkercartoons.Theideaswerecounterintuitive,butthe
journeywasthoroughlyenjoyable,andwealmostdidn’tnoticethata
worldviewweallgrewupwithwasbeingsmashedtopieces.
AuthorElizabethGilbertshowedhowthepowerofstorytellingcanbea
keypartofthepersuasiontoolkit.Hergoalwastochangethewaywethought
aboutcreativegenius.Insteadofimaginingthatgeniusispartofsome
people’smakeupandyoueitherhaveitoryoudon’t,thinkofitassomething
thatyoumayreceivefromtimetotimeasagift,ifyoumakeyourselfready
forit.Putjustlikethat,itmaynotsoundveryconvincing,butGilbertused
herbrillianceasastorytellertopersuadeusotherwise.Sheopenedupwith
herowntaleofterrorattheprospectofhavingtorepeatthesuccessofher
bestsellerEat,Pray,Loveandsharedhilariousandtouchingstoriesoffamous
creativesbesetbyangstovertheirinabilitytoperformondemand.Shealso
showedhowthetermgeniuswasvieweddifferentlyinhistory,notas
somethingyouwere,butassomethingthatcametoyou.Onlythencouldshe
shareastoryaboutthepoetRuthStone,whotoldherofthemomentwhenshe
sensedthatapoemwascoming.
Andshefeltitcoming,becauseitwouldshaketheearthunderher
feet.Sheknewthatshehadonlyonethingtodoatthatpoint,andthat
wasto,inherwords,runlikehell.Andshewouldrunlikehelltothe
houseandshewouldbegettingchasedbythispoem,andthewhole
dealwasthatshehadtogettoapieceofpaperandapencilfast
enoughsothatwhenitthunderedthroughher,shecouldcollectitand
grabitonthepage.
Whatwouldhaveseemedanoutlandishstoryifpresentedatthestartofthe
talkseemedthoroughlynaturalbytheend,anditcementedhercoreideainto
place.
Ineachcase,thekeytopromptingthatworldviewshiftistotakethe
journeyonestepatatime,primingourmindsinseveraldifferentwaysbefore
gettingtothemainargument.
WhatdoImeanbypriming?ThephilosopherDanielDennettexplainsit
best.Hecoinedthetermintuitionpumptorefertoanymetaphororlinguistic
devicethatintuitivelymakesaconclusionseemmoreplausible.Thisis
priming.Itisnotarigorousargument;itissimplyawayofnudgingsomeone
inyourdirection.BarrySchwartz’sshoppingstorywasanintuitionpump.
Hadhejustgonestraightto“Toomanychoicescanmakeyouunhappy,”we
mighthavebeenskeptical.Insteadheprimedus:
Therewasatimewhenjeanscameinoneflavor,andyoubought
them,andtheyfitlikecrap,theywerereallyuncomfortable,butifyou
worethemandwashedthemenoughtimes,theystartedtofeelOK.I
wenttoreplacemyjeansafteryearsofwearingtheseoldones,andI
said,“Iwantapairofjeans.Here’smysize.”Andtheshopkeeper
said,“Doyouwantslimfit,easyfit,relaxedfit?Youwantbuttonfly
orzipperfly?Youwantstonewashedoracid-washed?Doyouwant
themdistressed?Youwantbootcut,tapered,blahblahblah.”
Ashetellsthestory,wesensehisstressandwerememberallthetimeswe
haveourselvesbeenstressedbyendlessshoppingexcursions.Eventhoughhis
storyisasinglestoryofasinglemanandcan’tpossiblybyitselfjustifythe
statementthattoomuchchoicemakesyouunhappy,nonethelessweget
whereheisheading.Suddenly,thecasehe’sbuildingseemsalotmore
plausible.
Dennettpointsoutthatmanyofthemostreveredpassagesofphilosophical
writingarenotreasonedarguments,butpowerfulintuitionpumpslikePlato’s
caveorDescartes’demon.Inthelatter,Descarteswantedtodoubteverything
thatcouldbedoubted,soheimaginedhisentireconsciousexperienceasa
deceptionfoistedonhimbyamaliciousdemon.Thedemoncouldhave
inventedtheentireworldhethoughthesaw.TheonlythingDescartescould
becertainofwastheexperienceofthinkinganddoubting,butthatatleast
meantheexisted.Hence:Ithink,thereforeIam.Withoutthedemon,thelogic
ishardtofathom.Ourmindsarenotroboticlogicmachines.Theyneedtobe
nudgedintherightdirection,andintuitionpumpsarevividwaystodothis.
Oncepeoplehavebeenprimed,it’smucheasiertomakeyourmain
argument.Andhowdoyoudothat?Byusingthemostnobletoolofthemall,
atoolthatcanwieldthemostimpactovertheverylongterm.Andit’snamed
usinganold-fashionedphilosophicalwordthatIlove:Reason.
THELONGREACHOFREASON
Thethingaboutreasonisthatit’scapableofdeliveringaconclusionata
wholedifferentlevelofcertaintythananyothermentaltool.Inareasoned
argument,providedthestartingassumptionsaretrue,thenthevalidly
reasonedconclusionsmustalsobetrueandcanbeknowntobetrue.Ifyou
canwalksomeonethroughareasonedargumentconvincingly,theideayou
haveplantedinhermindwilllodgethereandneverletgo.
Butfortheprocesstowork,itmustbebrokendownintosmallsteps,each
ofwhichmustbetotallyconvincing.Thestartingpointofeachstepis
somethingtheaudiencecanclearlyseetobetrue,orit’ssomethingthatwas
showntobetrueearlierinthetalk.Sothecoremechanismhereisif-then:if
Xistrue,dearfriends,then,clearly,Yfollows(becauseeveryXimpliesaY).
OneoftheTEDTalksratedmostpersuasiveisthatofcharityreformerDan
Pallotta,whoarguesthatthewaywethinkaboutcharitymeansthatour
nonprofitorganizationsarehopelesslyhandicapped.Tomakehiscase,he
takesfivedifferentaspectsofanorganization:salarylevels,marketing
expectations,willingnesstotakerisks,timeallowedforimpact,andaccessto
capital.Ineachcaseheusesrazor-sharplanguagebackedbybeautiful
infographicstoshowanabsurddichotomybetweenwhatweexpectofour
companiesandournonprofits.Andthetalkissimplyteemingwith
compellingif-thenstatements.
Forexample,afterpointingoutthatweencouragecompaniestotakerisks
butfrownonnonprofitsfordoingso,hehasthisstatement.“Well,youandI
knowwhenyouprohibitfailure,youkillinnovation.Ifyoukillinnovationin
fundraising,youcan’traisemorerevenue.Ifyoucan’traisemorerevenue,
youcan’tgrow.Andifyoucan’tgrow,youcan’tpossiblysolvelargesocial
problems.”QED.Caseproven.Ifwewantournonprofitstosolvelargesocial
problems,wemustnotprohibitthemfromfailure.
There’sanotherformofreasonedargument,knownasreductioad
absurdum,thatcanbedevastatinglypowerful.Itistheprocessoftakingthe
counterpositiontowhatyou’rearguingandshowingthatitleadstoa
contradiction.Ifthatcounterpositionisfalse,yourpositionisstrengthened
(orevenproven,iftherearenootherpossiblepositionsthatcouldbetaken).
Speakersrarelyengageinthefull,rigorousversionofreductioadabsurdum.
Buttheyoftentapintoitsspiritbyofferingadramaticcounterexampleand
showingittobeself-evidentlyridiculous.Here’sanothersnippetfromDan
Pallotta’stalk.He’sarguingthatit’scrazyhowwefrownonhighsalariesfor
nonprofitleaders.“Youwanttomakefiftymilliondollarssellingviolent
videogamestokids,goforit.We’llputyouonthecoverofWiredmagazine.
Butyouwanttomakehalfamilliondollarstryingtocurekidsofmalaria,
you’reconsideredaparasiteyourself.”Rhetorically,that’sahomerun.
Undercuttingthecredibilityoftheoppositepositionisanotherpowerful
device,butitneedstobehandledwithcare.It’sbetterusedonissuesthan
directlyonopponents.I’mfinewith:“It’snothardtounderstandwhywe’ve
beengivenadifferentimpressionbythemediaonthisforyears.Yousell
newspaperswithdrama,notboringscientificevidence.”Butuncomfortable
with:“Ofcoursehesaysthat.He’spaidtosaythat.”Thatcandriftvery
quicklyfromreasontomudslinging.
MAKEUSDETECTIVES
Here’samoreattractivewaytobuildacase.AtTED,wecallitthedetective
story.Someofthemostcompellingpersuasiontalksarestructuredentirely
aroundthisdevice.Youstartwiththebigmystery,thentraveltheworldof
ideasinsearchofpossiblesolutionstoit,rulingthemoutonebyone,until
there’sonlyoneviablesolutionthatsurvives.
AsimpleexampleisartistSiegfriedWoldhek’stalk.Hewantedtoprove
thatthreefamousLeonardodaVincidrawingswereactuallyself-portraits
fromdifferentstagesofhislife.Tomakethecase,heframedthetalkashis
questtodiscover“thetrueface”ofLeonardodaVinci.Hestartswithafull
paletteofthe120portraitsofmalesthatLeonardoiscreditedwith,andasks:
Wereanyoftheseself-portraits?Howcouldweknow?Andthen,likea
detectiveeliminatingsuspects,hestartscuttingthemdown,usinghisown
skillsasaportraitpainter,untilonlythreeremain.
Next,theclincher.Althoughtheydepictmenofdifferentages,andthey
werepaintedatdifferenttimes,theyallsharethesamefacialfeatures.And
theymatchastatueofdaVinci,theonlyproventhird-partyimageofhim.
Whatmakesthispersuasiveisthatwefeelasifwehavegoneonthesame
learningjourneyasthespeaker.Insteadofbeingtoldfacts,we’vebeen
invitedtojointheprocessofdiscovery.Ourmindsarenaturallymore
engaged.Asweeliminaterivaltheoriesonebyone,wegraduallybecome
convinced.Wepersuadeourselves.
Thisdevicecanbeusedtoturnthemostdauntingtopicintosomething
trulyintriguing.Aregularchallengeforspeakersishowtoturndifficult
subjectslikediseaseorstarvationorhumandegradationintotalksthat
audienceswillshowupforandengagewith.
EconomistEmilyOsterwantedtopersuadeusthatthetoolsofeconomics
couldallowustothinkdifferentlyaboutHIV/AIDS,butinsteadofjust
presentinganeconomicargument,shebecameadetective.Shepresenteda
slidetitledFOURTHINGSWEKNOW.Takingeachoneinturn,shepresented
somesurprisingpiecesofevidenceandeffectivelydemolishedthem,oneby
one,openingthedoorforhertopresentanalternativetheory.
Thepowerofthisstructureisthatittapsdeepintoourloveofstories.The
wholetalkfeelslikeastory—betteryet,amysterystory.Curiositybuildsto
morecuriositythroughtoasatisfyingconclusion.Butatthesametime,
there’sapowerfullogicunderlyingit.Ifeachofthesealternativesisfalse,and
there’sonlyoneotherviablealternative,thenthatalternativemustbetrue.
Casesolved!
ITWILLTAKEMORETHANLOGIC
Itcansometimesbehardtomakereason-basedtalksreallycomealive.
Peoplearen’tcomputers,andtheirlogiccircuitsaren’talwaystheonesthey
engagemosteasily.Tomakeatalktrulypersuasive,itisnotenoughtobuild
itoutofwatertightlogicalsteps.Thosearenecessary,tobesure,butnot
sufficient.Mostpeoplearecapableofbeingconvincedbylogic,butthey
aren’talwaysenergizedbyit.Andwithoutbeingenergized,theymayquickly
forgettheargumentandmoveon.Sothelanguageofreasonmayhavetobe
bolsteredbyothertoolsthatmaketheconclusionsnotjustvalid,but
meaningful,exciting,desirable.
Therearelotsoftoolsyoucanusehere,inadditiontotheintuitionpumps
mentionedearlier,orthedetectivestoryapproach.
Injectsomehumorearlyon.Thiscommunicatesausefulmessage:I’m
goingtopullyouthroughsomedemandingthinking...butit’sgoingto
befun.We’llsweattogetherandlaughtogether.
Addananecdote.Maybeonethatrevealshowyougotengagedinthis
issue.Ithumanizesyou.Ifpeopleknowwhyyou’repassionateaboutthe
issue,they’remorelikelytolistentoyourlogic.
Offervividexamples.IfIwantedtopersuadeyouthatexternalrealityis
nothinglikeyoubelieveittobe,Imightfirstshowaslideofadramatic
opticalillusion.Justbecausesomethinglooksacertainway,doesn’t
makeitso.
Recruitthird-partyvalidation.“MycolleaguesatHarvardandIhave
spenttenyearslookingatthedata,andwe’veunanimouslyconcludedit
hastobeseenthisway.”Or,“Andthat’swhyit’snotjustmearguing
this;everymotherofatwo-year-oldboyknowsthistobetrue.”
Statementsliketheseneedcarefulhandlingasneitherisavalidargument
initself,but,dependingontheaudience,theymaymakeyourargument
morepersuasive.
Usepowerfulvisuals.Atonepointinhistalk,DanPallottausespie
chartstoshowtheresultsoftwononprofits’fundraisingefforts.First,a
bakesalewith5percentoverhead,andsecond,aprofessional
fundraisingenterprisewith40percentoverhead.Thesecondonelooks
terrible,wasteful,untilDansays:
Weconfusemoralitywithfrugality.We’veallbeentaughtthatthe
bakesalewith5percentoverheadismorallysuperiortothe
professionalfundraisingenterprisewith40percentoverhead,but
we’remissingthemostimportantpieceofinformation,whichis:
Whatistheactualsizeofthesepies?Whatifthebakesaleonlynetted
seventy-onedollarsforcharitybecauseitmadenoinvestmentinits
scale,andtheprofessionalfundraisingenterprisenetted71million
dollarsbecauseitdid?Nowwhichpiewouldweprefer,andwhichpie
dowethinkpeoplewhoarehungrywouldprefer?
Whilehe’sspeaking,thesecondpiechartexpandsandthefirstoneshrinks.
Thenon-overheadportionofthesecondchartisnowvastlybiggerthanthatin
thefirst.Hispointlandswithgreatimpact.
DanPallotta’stalkwonahugestandingovationandhasbeenseenmore
than3milliontimes.Threemonthsafteritwasposted,thethreebiggest
charityevaluationagenciesputoutajointpressreleasethattookonboard
manyofhisarguments,concludingthat,“Thepeopleandcommunitiesserved
bycharitiesdon’tneedlowoverhead,theyneedhighperformance.”
Butnoteverytalkthatisreasonbasedwillseesuchimmediatesuccess.
Thesetalksaregenerallyhardertoprocessthansomeothers,andtheymay
notbethemostpopular.However,Ibelievetheyareamongthemost
importanttalksonoursite,becausereasonisthebestwayofbuildingwisdom
forthelongterm.Arobustargument,evenifitisn’timmediatelyacceptedby
everyone,willgraduallygathernewadherentsuntilitbecomesunstoppable.
Indeed,there’saTEDTalkspecificallyaboutthis:aSocraticdialogue
betweenpsychologistStevenPinkerandphilosopherRebeccaNewberger
Goldsteininwhichshegraduallypersuadeshimthatreasonisthedeepest
underlyingforcebehindmoralprogressthroughouthistory.Notempathy,not
culturalevolution,althoughthosehaveplayedtheirparts.Reason.Sometimes
itsinfluencecantakecenturiestoberealized.Inthetalk,Goldsteinshares
powerfulquotesfromhistory’sreasonersonslavery,genderinequality,and
gayrightsthatpredatethemovementstheyinspiredbymorethanahundred
years.Nonetheless,theseargumentswerekeytothesuccessofthose
movements.
ThePinker/Goldsteindialoguemaybethesinglemostimportantargument
containedinanyTEDTalk,yet,asof2015ithasfewerthan1millionviews.
Reasonisnotafast-growingweed,butaslow-growingoaktree.Nonetheless,
itsrootsrundeepandstrong,andoncegrownitcantransformalandscape
forever.Iamhungryformanymorereason-basedtalksonTED.
Inthreesentences...
Persuasionistheactofreplacingsomeone’sworldviewwithsomething
better.
Andatitsheartisthepowerofreason,capableoflong-termimpact.
Reasonisbestaccompaniedbyintuitionpumps,detectivestories,
visuals,orotherplausibility-primingdevices.
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REVELATION
TakeMyBreathAway!
Connection,narration,explanation,persuasion...allvitaltools.Butwhat’s
themostdirectwayofgiftinganideatoanaudience?
Simplyshowittothem.
Manytalksareanchoredthisway.Yourevealyourworktotheaudiencein
awaythatdelightsandinspires.
Thegenericnameforthisisrevelation.Inatalkbasedonrevelation,you
might:
Showaseriesofimagesfromabrand-newartprojectandtalkthroughit
Giveademoofaproductyou’veinvented
Describeyourvisionforaself-sustainingcityofthefuture
ShowfiftystunningphotosfromyourrecenttripthroughtheAmazon
jungle
There’saninfinitevarietyofpossiblerevelationtalks,andtheirsuccess
dependsonwhatisbeingrevealed.
Inatalkbasedonimages,yourmaingoalmightjustbetocreateasenseof
wonderandaestheticdelight.Ifit’sademo,you’reprobablyseekingtoamaze
andtocreateanewsenseofpossibility.Ifit’savisionofthefuture,youwant
ittobesovividandcompellingthatyouraudiencemakesittheirown.
Let’stakethesethreebroadcategoriesanddigindeeper.
THEWONDERWALK
Awonderwalkisatalkbasedontherevelationofasuccessionofimagesor
wondermoments.Ifatalkisajourney,thenawonderwalkcanbethoughtof
asastudiotourwithanartistwhogivesyourevealinginsightsintoeach
artwork.Orahikeindramaticterrainwithagreatexplorerasyourguide.
Eachstepisasimpleone,fromonepieceofworktothenext,withasenseof
wonderbuildingallthewhile.“Ifyoulikedthat...justwaittillyousee
this!”
Assumingtheworkisstrong,thejourneycanbeenjoyable,informative,or
inspiring.Thistalkstructureismostoftenusedbyartists,designers,
photographers,andarchitects,althoughanyonewithabodyofvisualwork
canuseit.Includingscientists.
Forexample,DavidGallo’sbrieftalkonunderwaterastonishmentswasa
gloriouswonderwalk—or,inthiscase,awonderdive.Heshowedusaseries
ofincredibleimagesandvideosofbioluminescentcreaturesthatascience-
fictionartistcouldbarelyimagine.Thiswasfollowedbyastonishingfootage
ofanoctopusvanishingfromviewbychangingitsskinpatterninaninstant
toexactlymatchthatofthecoralbehindit.AndGallo’sexcitementatthe
awesomenessofexoticoceanlifequicklybecameinfectious.Aswellas
describingwhatwewereseeing,heprovidedcontextthathadtheeffectof
dialingupthesenseofwonder.
That’stheunknownworld,andtodaywe’veonlyexploredabout3
percentofwhat’soutthereintheocean.Alreadywe’vefoundthe
world’shighestmountains,theworld’sdeepestvalleys,underwater
lakes,underwaterwaterfalls...Andinaplacewherewethought
[therewas]nolifeatall,wefindmorelife...anddiversityand
densitythanthetropicalrainforest,whichtellsusthatwedon’tknow
muchaboutthisplanetatall.There’sstill97percent,andeitherthat
97percentisemptyorjustfullofsurprises.
It’sjusta5-minutetalkwithasimplestructure.Butit’sbeenseenmore
than12milliontimes.
Anothersimplebutsuper-compellingwonderwalkwassciencewriter
MaryRoach’stalkonorgasm.Shewalkedusthroughtenthingswenever
knewaboutorgasm,includingavideoofaDutchfarmerwithapigthatyou
perhapsshouldnotwatchinthecompanyofeitheryourparentsoryour
children!Wonderwalksdon’thavetobeearnest.Theycanbefunny,
provocative,andpunchy.
Theappealofthistypeoftalkfromaspeaker’spointofviewisthatthe
structureisclear.You’resimplywalkingtheaudiencethroughyourwork,or
throughsomethingyou’repassionateabout,onepieceatatime.Eachpieceis
accompaniedbyslidesorvideo,andyousimplyproceedfromonetothenext,
buildingexcitementasyougo.
Butwonderwalksworkbestwhenthere’saclearlinkingtheme.Something
strongerthanjustaseriesofrecentexamplesofyourwork.Withoutthat,this
typeoftalkcanquicklybecometedious.“Nowwe’llturntomynextproject”
isaflattransitionlinethatinvitestheaudiencetostartshiftingintheirseats.
Muchstrongeristogiveusalink.“Thisnextprojecttookthatideaanddialed
itupbyanorderofmagnitude...”
Andstrongerstillistohaveathroughlinethatpullsallthepiecestogether.
SheaHembreytookusthrough“anexhibitionofahundredartists’work.”
Eachpiecewascompletelydifferent...paintings,sculptures,photographs,
videos,andmixedmedia,coveringavastswathofartisticideas.The
throughline?Everyartistwashim!Yup,Sheahadcreatedeverysinglework.
Becauseofthat,themorewildlydifferenteachnewpiecewas,themoreour
senseofwondergrew.
Therearemanywaysthewonderwalkcangowrong,however.Foremostis
whentheworkisdescribedininaccessiblelanguage.Someprofessionshavea
ghastlytraditionofusingneedlesslyobscure,overintellectualizedlanguageto
describetheirwork,withartandarchitecturetoppingthelist.When
practitionersfeeltheneedtousethatsamelanguageinatalk,theyshouldn’t
besurprisedtoseetheirinvitedguestsquietlyslippingoutthebackdoor.In
thisworkIsoughttochallengetheparadigmofidentityversuscommunality
inthecontextofapostmodernistdialectic...Ifyou’reevertemptedtosay
anythingremotelylikethat,please,pleasetakeoutyoursharpestpairof
scissorsandslashitoutofyourscript.
StevenPinkerpointedouttomethatthistypeoflanguageismuchworse
thansimplythemisuseofjargon.
ParadigmanddialecticarenottechnicaltermslikeDNAthat
specialistscan’tavoid.They’remetaconcepts—conceptsaboutother
concepts,ratherthanconceptsaboutthingsintheworld.Academese,
bizspeak,corporateboilerplate,andart-criticbafflegabaretedious
andincomprehensiblebecausetheyarefilledwithmetaconceptslike
approach,assumption,concept,condition,context,framework,issue,
level,model,perspective,process,range,role,strategy,tendency,and
variable.
There’savaliduseforthesetermsindividually.Butusethemsparingly.
Whentheypileuponeachother,you’reendangeringaudience
comprehension.
Instead,thegoalshouldbetogiveustheinsidescoop.Sharewithus,in
accessiblehumanlanguage,whatyouweredreamingofwhenyoustartedthe
work.Showusyourcreativeprocess.Howdidyougetthere?Whatmistakes
didyoumakealongtheway?WhenillustratorDavidMacaulaysharedhis
drawingsofRome,heshowednotjustthefinishedworks,buthismistakes
anddeadendsandhowhegotfromtheretothepublishedillustrations.That
meantthateverycreativepersonintheroomcouldlearnsomethingfromit.
Liftingthelidonyourprocessisoneofthekeygiftsofanycreativetalk.
Aboveall,designthetalktogiveusmaximumexperienceofthework
itself.Ifyourworkisvisual,considercuttingwaybackthenumberofwords
youuse,andinsteadputthefocusonthevisuals.A12-minutetalkcan
comfortablyrevealmorethan100images.Perhapssomesequencesare
allowedjust2secondsofscreentimeperslide.Andtheycanbeamplifiedin
theirpowerbyatoolalltoorarelyusedbyspeakers:silence.Oneofthebest
examplesonTEDofawonderwalkisbykineticsculptorReubenMargolin.
Hisvoiceisthewhisperedbackdroptohisastonishingworks,theperfect
spokencaptionstoagalleryofpureinspiration.Andhehasthecouragetobe
silentfromtimetotime.Someofthemostpowerfulmomentsofthetalk
comewhen,havingsetthecontext,heletsussimplyimmersevisuallyinhis
work.
Onecleverwaytoensurethatthewalkmaintainsenergyistomakethe
slidesautomaticallyadvance.TakealookatRossLovegrove’sengagingwalk
throughhisnature-inspireddesignprojectsforasuperbexampleofthis.More
thanonehundredslidesandvideosofhisworkarerevealedinapre-timed
sequence,andLovegrovesimplytalksabouteachasitarrives,theformat
ensuringadynamicpace.LouisSchwartzbergdidsomethingsimilarwithhis
talkabouthisastonishingmovieMysteriesoftheUnseenWorld.Heletclips
ofthemovieplaythroughthewholetalk,whilehisvoiceactsaslyrical
narration.Theresultisjaw-droppingimpact.
Manytalksgivenwithincompaniescouldbeimprovediftheywerethought
ofaswonderwalks.Presentationsthatplodthroughyourdepartment’srecent
workbulletpointbybulletpointcanquicklygetboring.Suppose,instead,an
effortweremadetoask:Howcanwelinktheseprojectstogethertobuild
excitement?Howcanwecommunicatewhatisdelightful,unexpected,or
humorousaboutthem?Howcanweswitchthetonefrom“lookwhatwe’ve
achieved”to“lookhowintriguingthisis”?Suppose,insteadofaseriesof
bulletpoints,therewasanattempttopaireachstepofthewalkwithan
intriguingimage?Supposetherewasarealefforttofigureoutwhatunique
andshareableideayou’veuncoveredthatothersinthecompanycouldbenefit
from?Ah,nowthatcouldbeatalkworthshuttingdownyouriPhonefor.
Whetherit’sbusiness,science,design,orart,don’tjustwalkpeople
throughyourwork.Figureouttheroutethatengages,intrigues,and
enlightens.Theroutethatbringsinalittlewonderanddelight.
THEDYNAMICDEMO
Supposewhatyou’rerevealingisnotjustvisual,it’satechnology,an
invention,orabrand-newprocess.Thenit’snotenoughjusttolookatit.We
needtoseeitworking.Weneedademonstration.
Greatdemoscanbethemostmemorablepartofanyconference.Right
there,liveonstage,yousnatchalittleglimpseofthefuture.
WhenJeffHanshowedthepotentialformulti-touchtechnologybackin
2006,twoyearsbeforetheiPhonewaslaunched,youcouldheartheaudience
gasp.PranavMistry’sdemoofSixthSensetechnologyhadsimilarimpact,
revealingtheamazingpossibilitieswhenyoucombinedacellphonewitha
personalprojectorandacamerathatcandetectyourgestures.Forexample,
justframingadistantobjectwithyourfingerswouldtakeaphotoofitthat
couldthenbedisplayedonanynearbywhitesurface.
Togivesuchatalk,thesinglethingthatmattersmost,ofcourse,isthe
qualityofwhateveritisyou’regoingtodemonstrate.Isittrulyacompelling
inventionordesign?Assumingitis,therearenumerouswaystounveilit.
Whatyoushouldn’tdoisspendthefirsthalfofthetalkgivingacomplicated
contexttothetechnology.Youraudiencehasn’tyetseenitinactionandmay
switchoff.
Whenyouhavesomethingamazingtoshow,allowyourselftoindulgeina
littleshowmanship.Idon’tmeanthatyoushouldstartsoundinggliband
puffedup,butyoushouldexciteusalittle.Giveusahintofwhatwe’reabout
tosee.Thentakeusthroughthenecessarycontext,ideallybuildingtowarda
powerfulclimax,oncethegroundworkhasbeenlaid.
MarkusFischerisanincredibleinventor.AtTEDGlobalinEdinburghin
2011heshowedoffanextraordinaryrobotthatlooked—andflew—likea
giantseagull.Infact,itwassorealisticthat,whenheflewitforusatthe
picnicaftertheevent,itwaspoop-attackedbyaflockofrealseagulls,clearly
startledbytheirnewcompetitor.Inhistalk,hespentthefirst10minuteson
thetechnicalitiesofflight,withoutreallygivingahintatwhatwastocome.
Helostsomeoftheaudience.Thejaw-droppingnatureofthedemoitself—
flyinghisseagullaroundtheauditorium—soonfixedthat.Butfortheonline
versionwechangedtheorderofhistalkalittlesothatheopenedwiththe
phrase“Itisadreamofmankindtoflylikeabird.”Thatimmediatelygave
beautifulcontexttothetalk,helpingitsoartomillionsofonlineviews.
JeffHangotitright,startinghistalklikethis:
I’mreallyexcitedtobeheretoday.I’llshowyousomestuffthat’sjust
readytocomeoutofthelab,literally,andI’mgladthatyouguysare
goingtobeamongthefirsttoseeitinperson,becauseIthinkthisis
goingtoreallychangethewayweinteractwithmachinesfromthis
pointon.
Injustafewwordshehadgivenintriguinghintsthatweweretogetan
excitingpeekintothefuture.Nowhewasfreetogoaheadandexplainthe
technologybeforeshowingitinaction.Hegavethebackground,thenhe
startedshowingwhatthetechnologywascapableof,drawinggaspsand
applause,andbuildingamazementalltheway.
InventorMichaelPritchardusedasimilarstructure.Firsthesharedaquick
thoughtexperimentonhowlifewouldbewithoutsafedrinkingwater.Then
heembarkedonanexplanationofthetechnologybehindthe“lifesaverbottle”
he’ddesigned.Somemighthaveendedthetalkthere.Butthepowerofthe
talkwasinshowing,nottelling,andMichaelpulledoutallthestops.Hehad
abigglasscontaineronstage,intowhichhepouredmuddypondwater,
sewagerunoff,andrabbitdroppings,turningthewateranastybrown.Then
hepumpeditthroughhisbottleintoanemptyglassandofferedittometo
drink.Happily,ittastedjustfine.Andtechnologicaltheorywasturnedinto
theatricalproof.Michaelthenwentontospeakoftheimplicationsofhis
technologyfordisasterreliefandforglobalpublichealth;truthwas,he’d
alreadywonovertheaudiencewiththepowerfuldemooftheideaatwork.
ThestructureHanandPritchardusedisgoodformostdemos:
Aninitialtease
Necessarybackground,context,and/ortheinventionstory
Thedemoitself(themorevisualanddramaticthebetter,solongas
you’renotfakingit)
Theimplicationsofthetechnology
Sometimesademoisstunningenoughthatitallowsanaudiencetoimagine
trulyexcitingapplicationsandimplications.Andthenthedemobecomesnot
justademo,butavisionofthefuture.That’swhereweturnnext.
THEDREAMSCAPE
Humanshaveaskillthat,sofarasweknow,nootherspeciespossesses.Itis
soimportantaskillthatwehavemultiplewordstolabelitsdifferentflavors:
imagination,invention,innovation,design,vision.Itistheabilitytopattern
theworldinourmindsandthenre-patternittocreateaworldthatdoesn’t
actuallyexistbutsomedaymight.
Amazingly,wearealsoabletorevealthesenonexistentworldstoothers,in
thehopethattheytoomaybecomeexcitedbythem.Andoccasionally,and
evenmoremiraculously,afterseveralpeopleshareavisionamong
themselves,theyareabletouseitasablueprinttoactuallymakethatworld
becomereal.Thescreenwriterpersuadesthestudiotomakethemovie.The
inventorpersuadesacompanytobuildthegizmo.Thearchitectpersuadesthe
clienttofundthebuilding.Theentrepreneurenergizesastartupteamwiththe
beliefthattheywillreshapethefuture.
Dreamscanbesharedwithimages,withsketches,withdemos...orjust
withwords.
Someofthemostpowerfulspeechesinhistoryhavebeenpowerful
preciselybecausetheycommunicatedadreamwithirresistibleeloquenceand
passion.Mostfamously,ofcourse,wasMartinLutherKingJr.attheLincoln
MemorialinWashington,DC,onAugust28,1963.Aftercarefullypreparing
theground,andfillinghisaudiencewithanintensedesiretoendcenturiesof
injustice,helaunchedintoit:
Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseup,liveoutthetrue
meaningofitscreed:“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatall
menarecreatedequal.”
IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiasonsof
formerslavesandthesonsofformerslave-ownerswillbeabletosit
downtogetheratthetableofbrotherhood...
Ihaveadreamthatmyfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveina
nationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutby
thecontentoftheircharacter.
Hisspeechlasted17minutesand40seconds.Anditchangedhistory.
PresidentKennedytookhumankindtothemoonbyfirstsharingadream.
Andsomeofthelanguagehechoseissurprising:
Wechoosetogotothemooninthisdecadeanddotheotherthings,
notbecausetheyareeasy,butbecausetheyarehard....Irealizethat
thisisinsomemeasureanactoffaithandvision,forwedonotnow
knowwhatbenefitsawaitus.ButifIweretosay,myfellowcitizens,
thatweshallsendtothemoon,240,000milesawayfromthecontrol
stationinHouston,agiantrocketmorethan300feettall,thelengthof
thisfootballfield,madeofnewmetalalloys,someofwhichhavenot
yetbeeninvented,capableofstandingheatandstressesseveraltimes
morethanhaveeverbeenexperienced,fittedtogetherwithaprecision
betterthanthefinestwatch,carryingalltheequipmentneededfor
propulsion,guidance,control,communications,foodandsurvival,on
anuntriedmission,toanunknowncelestialbody,andthenreturnit
safelytoearth,re-enteringtheatmosphereatspeedsofover25,000
milesperhour,causingheatabouthalfthatofthetemperatureofthe
sun—almostashotasitisheretoday—anddoallthis,anddoitright,
anddoitfirstbeforethisdecadeisout—thenwemustbebold...But
itwillbedone.Anditwillbedonebeforetheendofthisdecade.
Youmightthinkthatthisframingoftheinitiative,asonefraughtwithperil
anduncertainty,wouldbecounterproductive.Thereasonitworksisnotjust
thatitmakesvividwhatistocome.Itisthatheismakingusdreamof
heroism.Heisgivingusatripintothefuturetoreadthenarrativethatwill
eventuallybetoldaboutthisendeavor.
AtTED,mostofourtalksaretoldinmoreconversationallanguage.But
theabilitytopaintacompellingpictureofthefutureistrulyoneofthe
greatestgiftsaspeakercanbring.Indeed,dreamscapespeakershavebeen
amongTED’smostthrilling.Theyspeaknotoftheworldasitis,butasit
mightbe.Whenthesetalksaredoneright,theygetanaudience’sheartsto
poundandtheirmindstoexplodewithasenseofpossibility.
SalmanKhan’svisionforaneducationrevolutioninwhichvideolessons
allowkidstomastertopicsattheirownpacewasrevealedbeautifully,piece
bypiece,andyoucouldfeeltheexcitementintheroombuilding.
FilmmakerChrisMilkshowedhisworkusingvirtualrealitytopowerfully
re-createtheexperienceoflifeinsideaSyrianrefugeecamp.Peopleworry
thatvirtualrealitywillshutusofffromeachother.Milkofferedathrilling
counterview;thatvirtualrealitydevicescouldbecometheultimateempathy-
generatingmachines.
MarinebiologistSylviaEarleusedpowerfulimagesandeloquentlanguage
todescribethecrisispresentedbyouroverfished,overpollutedoceans.But
shedidn’tstopthere.Shespokeofwhatmightbeifwebegancreating“hope
spots,”marineprotectedareaswheresealifecouldrecover.Hervisionwasso
compellingthatoneaudiencememberwroteheracheckfor$1milliononthe
spotandisstillsupportingherworksixyearslater.Inthattime,theamountof
protectedspaceinouroceansworldwidehasmorethantripled.
Therearetwokeystosharingadreameffectively:
Paintaboldpictureofthealternativefutureyoudesire;
Dosoinsuchawaythatotherswillalsodesirethatfuture.
Doingbothoftheseinthesametalkischallenging.Thefirstpartoften
requiresvisualaids.KentLarsonspent18minutessharingradicaldesign
ideaslikefoldingcarsandform-shiftingapartmentstoallowmorepeopleto
fitintocitieswithoutovercrowding.Theindividualideasdidn’tnecessarily
looklikesurefirebets,butbyrevealingthemvisually,hemadethemseem
muchmoreconvincing.
ArchitectThomasHeatherwickincludedaslideinhistalkthatmightbethe
singlemostappealingslideI’veeverseenatTED.Itshowedadesignforan
apartmentcomplexinKualaLumpurwithelegantcurvedhigh-risebuildings
thatswelledoutfromanarrowbasetoallowspaceforagorgeousparkat
groundlevel.ItpaintedapictureofafutureIwouldhavebeenthrilledto
havebeenborninto.
Butthat’snotalwaysthecase.Often,whentechnologiesareunveiled,the
audiencedoesn’tknowwhethertobeexcitedortofreakout.In2012,thethen
headofDARPA,ReginaDugan,revealedasequenceoftechnologies,suchas
high-speedglidersandhummingbirddrones,thatwerebothjaw-droppingand
somewhatdisturbing,giventheirlikelymilitaryuse.Andtalksaboutgenetic
engineering,oracomputer’sabilitytorecognizefacesinacrowd,orthe
developmentofhumanlikerobots,canseemmorecreepythanappealing.
Howdoesaspeakeravoidthatkindofaudiencediscomfort?Theonlyway
istomakeitclearwhythisfutureisworthpursuing.Orpresenttheideaina
waythatemphasizeshumanvalues,notjustclevertechnology.
BranFerrenattemptedthisatTED2014.Hespokeofhowautonomous
vehicleswouldusherinadramaticallydifferentfuture.Buthistalkbegan
withtheinspirationhe’dhadasachildonavisittothePantheoninRome
withhisparents,anditendedwithacalltoinspirethechildrenofthefuture.
“Weneedtoencouragethemtofindtheirownpath,evenifit’sverydifferent
fromourown.Wealsoneedthemtounderstandsomethingthatdoesn’tseem
adequatelyappreciatedinourincreasinglytech-dependentworld,thatartand
designarenotluxuries,norsomehowincompatiblewithscienceand
engineering.Theyareinfactessentialtowhatmakesusspecial.”Whatcould
havebeenpuretechvision,andperhapsalittlescary,endeduphumanand
hopeful.
Humorhelpstoo.JuanEnriquezhaspresentedaseriesofmind-bending
talksatTED,showcasingcomingdevelopmentsinbiologyandgeneticsthat
mighthaveseemeddeeplyalarmingifhedidn’tfindawayofinjectingalittle
laughterwitheveryslide.WithJuanatyourside,thefutureseemswondrous
ratherthanworrisome.
Finally,themoreactionableafuturevisioncanbe,thebetter.StoryCorps
founderDaveIsayspokeofthepowerofpeopleaskingthoseclosetothem
deepquestionsaboutthemeaningoftheirlivesandrecordingthose
interviews.Hethensharedanappthatwouldallowanyonetodothissimply
andtouploadtheresulttotheLibraryofCongress,creatingapermanent
record.Hisvisionofaworldinwhichpeopletrulylistenedtoeachotherwas
inspiring,andwithindaysofhistalkbeingreleased,thousandsofpeople
recordedmeaningfulconversationsthey’dneverhadbefore.
That’sthepowerofourdreams.Theycanspreadtoothers,build
excitementandbelief,andtherebymakethemselvescometrue.Bygivingus
asenseofincreasedpossibility,theyalsoinspireustoworkharderonour
owndreams.Ifyou’reinvitedtogoonajourneywithaninspireddreamer,
that’saninvitationyoucanneverrefuse.
MIXANDMATCH
Here’sthereality.Mosttalksdonotfitneatlyintojustoneofthecategories
we’vediscussedsofar.Rather,theyincludeelementsfrommanyofthem.For
example,AmyCuddy’spopulartalkonhowyourbodylanguageaffectsyour
ownconfidenceisanartfulmixofexplanationandpersonalstorytelling.And
SalmanKhan’stalkbeginswithhisownstoryandmorphsintoawonderwalk
throughtheremarkablefeatureshisKhanAcademyisbuilding,beforeending
upindreamscapeterritory—athrillingvisionofthepotentialforanewtype
ofeducation.
SoIwillreemphasize:Theabovetechniquesarenottobeseenasinany
waylimitingyou.Theyaretoolstohelpyouimaginehowyoucanbest
undertakeyourownremarkableconstructionprojectinyourlisteners’minds.
Select,mix,match,andaugmentinthewaythatworksmostpowerfullyand
authenticallyfortheideayouwishtobuild.
So,nowlet’sassumeyouhavethethroughline,thetalkcontent,andhave
woventogetheryourownartfulmixofconnection,narration,explanation,
persuasion,andrevelation.Whatnext?
It’stimetogetthisshowontheroad.
We’regoingtolookatfourkeyelementsofthetalk-preparationprocess
thatwilldetermineifyourtalksingsorcroaks:
Whetherornottoincludevisuals,andifso,whatvisuals?
Whethertoscriptandmemorizeyourtalk,orplantospeak“inthe
moment”
Howtopracticebothtypesoftalks
Andhowtoopenandcloseformaximumimpact
Areyouready?Comealong;there’sworktobedone.
OceanofPDF.com
PREPARATIONPROCESS
OceanofPDF.com
PreparationProcess
10
OceanofPDF.com
VISUALS
ThoseSlidesHurt!
Inthetwenty-firstcenturywehavetheabilitytosupplementthespokenword
withadazzlingarrayoftechnologiesthat,doneright,maytakeatalktoa
wholenewlevel.Photographs,illustrations,eleganttypography,graphs,
infographics,animation,video,audio,bigdatasimulations—allcandialup
boththeexplanatorypowerofatalkanditsaestheticappeal.
Despitethis,thefirstquestiontoaskyourselfiswhetheryouactuallyneed
anyofit.It’sastrikingfactthatatleastathirdofTED’smostviewedtalks
makenouseofslideswhatsoever.
Howcanthatbe?Surelyatalkplusimagesisalwaysgoingtobemore
interestingthanjustatalk?Wellno,actually.Slidesmoveatleastalittlebit
ofattentionawayfromthespeakerandontothescreen.Ifthewholepowerof
atalkisinthepersonalconnectionbetweenspeakerandaudience,slidesmay
actuallygetinthewayofthat.
Now,itiscertainlynotthecasethatthereisazero-sumattentiontradeoff
betweenscreenandspeaker.Whatisbeingshownonscreenoftenoccupiesa
differentmentalcategorythanwhatisbeingsaid.Aestheticversusanalytical,
forexample.Nonetheless,ifthecoreofyourtalkisintenselypersonal,orif
youhaveotherdevicesforliveningupyourtalk—likehumororvividstories
—thenyoumaydobettertoforgetthevisualsandjustfocusonspeaking
personallytotheaudience.
Andforeveryspeaker,thefollowingistrue:Havingnoslidesatallis
betterthanbadslides.
Havingsaidthat,themajorityoftalksdobenefitfromgreatslides,andfor
sometalks,thevisualsaretheabsolutedifferencebetweensuccessand
failure.
TEDwasoriginallyaconferencedevotedpurelytotechnology,
entertainment,anddesign,andthepresenceofdesignersquicklyfosteredthe
expectationthatslideswouldbeelegantandimpactful.Arguably,that
traditionisacorereasonwhyTEDTalkstookoff.
Sowhatarethekeyelementstostrongvisuals?
Theyfallintothreecategories:
Revelation
Explanatorypower
Aestheticappeal
Let’shandlethoseinturn.
REVEAL!
Themostobviouscaseforvisualsissimplytoshowsomethingthat’shardto
describe.Presentingtheworkofmostartistsandphotographersofcourse
dependsondoingthis.Anexplorerrevealingavoyageorascientistunveiling
adiscoverycanalsousevisualsinthisway.
EdithWidderwaspartoftheteamthatfirstcapturedthegiantsquidon
video.WhenshecametoTED,herentiretalkwasbuiltaroundthatmoment
ofrevelation.Whentheincrediblecreatureeventuallyappearedonscreen,the
audiencenearlyjumpedoutofitsskin.Butuseofimagesforrevelation
doesn’thavetobeasdramatic.Thekeyistosetthecontext,primethe
audience,andthen...BAM!Letthevisualsworktheirmagic.Runthemfull-
screen,withminimaladornment.
EXPLAIN!
Apictureisworthathousandwords(eventhoughittakeswordstoexpress
thatconcept).Oftenthebestexplanationshappenwhenwordsandimages
worktogether.Yourmindisanintegratedsystem.Muchofourworldis
imaginedvisually.Ifyouwanttoreallyexplainsomethingnew,oftenthe
simplest,mostpowerfulwayistoshowandtell.
Butforthattowork,thereneedstobeacompellingfitbetweenwhatyou
tellandwhatyoushow.Sometimesaspeakerwillhittheaudiencewitha
slideofimmensecomplexity.Perhapsheisunconsciouslytryingtoimpress
withthesheerscopeandnuanceofhiswork.Ashecontinueschurningout
thewords,theaudienceisdesperatelyscanningtheslide,tryingtofigureout
howtomatchwhatisbeingsaidwithwhattheyarelookingat.
Thekeytoavoidingthisistolimiteachslidetoasinglecoreidea.Some
speakers,andespeciallyscientists,seemtohavetheunconsciousoperating
assumptionthattheyshouldminimizethenumberofslides,therefore
crammingatonofdataontoeachone.Thismayhavebeentrueindayswhen
slideswerephysicalthingsthatyouhadtoloadintoaslideprojector.Today,
though,thecostoftenslidesisthesameasthecostofone.Theonlything
that’slimitedisthetimeyouhavetodeliveryourtalk.Soanoverlycomplex
slidethatmighttake2minutestoexplaincouldbereplacedwiththreeorfour
simplerslidesthatyoucanclickthroughinthesameamountoftime.
TED’sTomRiellyspeaksabouttheneedtomanagecognitiveload:
Withatalkandslidesyouhavetwostreamsofcognitiveoutput
runninginparallel.Thespeakerneedstoblendbothstreamsintoa
mastermix.Talkingabouttheoreticalphysicshasahighcognitive
load.Sodoesaslidewithdozensofelements.Inthesecircumstances,
theaudiencemember’sbrainhastodecidewhethertofocusonyour
words,yourslides,orboth,andit’smostlyinvoluntary.Soyoumust
designwhereattentionisgoingandmakesureahighcognitiveload
onaslidedoesn’tfightwithwhatyou’resaying.
Similarly,itdoesn’tmakesensetoleaveaslideonscreenonceyou’ve
finishedtalkingaboutit.Here’sTomagain.
Justgotoablank,blackslideandthentheaudiencewillgeta
vacationfromimagesandpaymoreattentiontoyourwords.Then,
whenyougobacktoslides,theywillbereadytogobacktowork.
Ifyourgoalisonekeyideaperslide,thenitmakessensetoconsider
whetheranythingmorecanbedonewithaslidetohighlightthepointitis
tryingtomake.Thisisespeciallytruewithgraphsandcharts.Ifyou’re
talkingabouthowrainfallinFebruaryisalwaysgreaterthaninOctober,and
youshowagraphofannualrainfall,whynotgivetheaudiencethegiftof
highlightingFebruaryandOctoberindifferentcolors?
AndifyouthengoontomakeacomparisonbetweenMarchand
November,dothatwithaseparatebuildoronaseparateslidewiththose
monthsdifferentiated.Don’tleaveitallcrammedononeslide.
DavidMcCandlessisamasteratturningdataintounderstandingbytheuse
ofelegantslides.AtTEDGlobalin2010,forexample,heshowedtwoslides.
ThefirstwastitledWHOHASTHEBIGGESTMILITARYBUDGET?Itshowedten
squaresofdifferentsizes,eachsquarerepresentingacountry,inproportionto
thesizeoftheirbudgets.TheUS,ofcourse,wasthelargestbyfar.
Thesecondslide,however,showedsquaresrepresentingmilitarybudgetas
apercentageofGDP.AndsuddenlytheUSisineighthplace,behind
Myanmar,Jordan,Georgia,andSaudiArabia.Injusttwoslides,your
worldviewissharpeneddramatically.
Otherspeakersstillseemtobelievethatyouenhancetheexplanatory
powerofyourslidesbyfillingthemwithwords,oftenthesamewordsthat
theyplantoutter.Nothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.Thoseclassic
PowerPointslidedeckswithaheadlinefollowedbymultiplebulletpointsof
longphrasesarethesurestsinglewaytoloseanaudience’sattention
altogether.Thereasonisthattheaudiencereadsaheadofthespeaker,andby
thetimethespeakercoversaspecificpoint,itfeelsoldhat.Whenwesee
speakerscometoTEDwithslidedeckslikethis,wepourthemadrink,go
andsitwiththematacomputermonitor,andgentlyasktheirpermissionto
delete,delete,delete.Maybeeachbulletpointbecomesitsownslide;many
phrasesarereducedtoasinglephrase;they’rereplacedbyanimage;orthey
aredeletedaltogether.
Thepointisthereisnovalueinsimplyrepeatingintextwhatyouare
sayingonstage.Conceivably,ifyouaredevelopingapointoveracoupleof
minutes,itmaybeworthhavingawordoraphraseonscreentoremind
peopleofthetopicathand.Butotherwise,wordsonthescreenarefighting
yourpresentation,notenhancingit.
Evenwhenatextslideissimple,itmaybeindirectlystealingyourthunder.
Insteadofaslidethatreads:Ablackholeisanobjectsomassivethatnolight
canescapefromit,you’ddobetterwithonethatreads:Howblackisablack
hole?Thenyou’dgivetheinformationfromthatoriginalslideinspoken
form.Thatway,theslideteasestheaudience’scuriosityandmakesyour
wordsmoreinteresting,notless.
Whenyouthinkaboutit,it’sfairlysimple.Themainpurposeofvisuals
can’tbetocommunicatewords;yourmouthisperfectlygoodatdoingthat.
It’stosharethingsyourmouthcan’tdosowell:photographs,video,
animations,keydata.
Usedthisway,thescreencanexplaininaninstantwhatmighttakehours
otherwise.AtTED,ourfavoriteproponentofexplanatoryvisualsisHans
Rosling.Backin2006,heunveiledananimatedgraphicsequencethatlasted
just48seconds.Butinthose48secondshetransformedeveryone’smental
modelofthedevelopingworld.Andhere’sthething:Ifyouhaven’tseenit,I
can’tactuallyexplainittoyou.Totrywouldtakeseveralparagraphs,and
eventhenIwouldn’tbeclose.That’sthewholepoint.Ithadtobeshownona
screen.Sonexttimeyou’renearacomputer,Google“HansRosling:Thebest
statsyou’veeverseen.”Watchandmarvel.(The48-secondclipstartsat
4:05.)
NoteveryonecanbeaHansRosling.Buteveryonecanatleastask
themselvesthequestion,ArevisualskeytoexplainingwhatIwanttosay?
And,ifso,howdoIbestcombinethemwithmywordssothatthey’reworking
powerfullytogether?
DELIGHT!
Anoftenoverlookedcontributionofvisualsistheirabilitytogiveatalk
immenseaestheticappeal.
Itamazesmethatvisualartistswilloftenrestrictwhattheyshowtojusta
tinyfractionoftheirwork.Yes,conceptsinatalkneedtobelimited.But
images?Notsomuch.Themistakeistoassumethatyouhavetoexplain
everyimage.Youdon’t.Ifyouhadinvitedaprizedaudienceintoyourown
vastexhibitionhalltoseeyourwork,butyouonlyhadtimetofocusona
singlegallery,youwouldnonethelessfirstleadthemquicklythroughtherest
ofthehall,ifonlytotaketheirbreathawayandexpandtheirunderstandingof
yourbroaderbodyofwork.Withimages,a5-secondviewing,evenwithout
anyaccompanyingwords,canhaveimpact.Ifit’ssoeasytooffersuchagift
totheaudience,whywithholdit?
Therearenumerouswaystostructureatalkthatcanallowmomentsof
visualindulgencethatwillsignificantlyincreasetheaudience’ssenseof
delight,evenwhenthetopicitselfisn’tnecessarilybeautiful.
ThedesignerandTEDFellowLucyMcRaepackeddozensofintriguing,
gorgeousimagesandvideosintohertalk,allofwhichgeneratedtheirown
senseofwonder—evenwhenshewastalkingaboutbodyodor.
Likewise,thegraphicstyleofapresentation,withelegantfontchoices,
illustrations,and/orcustomanimations,canmakeitirresistible.
Thesearesomecoreprinciples.Butwithvisuals,thedevilisinthedetails.
Totakeusalittledeeper,letmeinvitebacktothepageTomRielly,amanfor
whombadvisualsareasourceofphysicalpain.Tom,overtoyou!
TomRiellywrites:
Great!Let’sstartwiththetoolsyou’lluse.
PRESENTATIONSOFTWARETIPS
Asof2016,therearethreemainpresentationtools:PowerPoint,Keynote(for
Mac),andPrezi.PowerPointisubiquitous,thoughIfindKeynoteeasierto
use,andwithbettertypographyandgraphics.Prezi(inwhichTEDwasan
earlyinvestor)offersanalternativemodeinwhich,insteadofalinear
successionofslides,youmovearoundatwo-dimensionallandscape,zooming
inandouttofocusonwhatmatterstoyou.
Mostprojectorsandscreensthesedaysarethedimensionsofamodern
widescreentelevision:16:9,asopposedtothe4:3ofoldTVs.Yet
presentationsoftwareopensupin4:3mode.Youwanttoimmediatelychange
thesettingsto16:9(unlessyou’respeakingatavenuewheretheymightstill
haveonly4:3projectors).
Don’tusethesoftware’sbuilt-intemplatesofbullets,letters,anddashes.
Yourpresentationwilllookthesameaseveryoneelse’s,andthetemplates
endupbeinglimiting.Irecommendyoustartwithatotallyblankslide.If
you’reshowingalotofphotos,useblackasthebackground—itwill
disappearandyourphotoswillpop.
Mostphotographsshouldbeshown“fullbleed.”That’snotahorror-movie
termbutanoldprintingtermmeaningthattheimagecoverstheentirescreen.
Bettertohavethreefull-bleedphotosinarowthanthreeononeslide.Photos
areoftenstillshotat4:3,soifyouwishtoshowapicturewithoutcroppingits
topandbottom,putitonablackslide,whichwillleaveunobtrusiveblack
bordersontheleftandright.
Photoresolution:Usepictureswiththehighestresolutionpossibletoavoid
annoyingpixelationoftheimageswhenprojectedonlargescreens.Thereis
nosuchthingastoohigharesolution,unlessitslowsthesoftwaredown.
FONTS/TYPEFACES
It’susuallybesttouseonetypefaceperpresentation.Sometypefacesare
bettersuitedthanothers.Weusuallyrecommendmedium-weightsans-serif
fontslikeHelveticaorArial.Butdon’tuseexcessivelythinfontsastheyare
hardtoread,especiallyonadarkbackground.Ifindoubt,keepitsimple.
Fontsize
Tinytypecausestheaudiencetostruggle.Use24pointsorlargerinmost
cases.Useatmostthreesizesofyourchosentypefaceperpresentation,and
thereshouldbeareasonforeachsize.Largesizeisfortitles/headlines;
mediumsizeisforyourmainideas;smallsizeisforsupportingideas.
Fontbackground
Ifyou’regoingtoplacetypeoveraphoto,makesureyouplaceitwhereyour
audiencecanreadit.Ifaphotoistoobusytoputtypeondirectly,addasmall
blackbaratthebottomandputthetypeonit.
Fontcolor
Heretheoperativewordsaresimpleandcontrast.Blackonwhite,adark
coloronwhite,andwhiteoryellowonblackalllookgoodbecausetheyhave
greatcontrastandareeasytoread.Useonlyonecoloroffontperpresentation
unlessyouwanttoshowemphasisorsurprise.Neverusealight-colortypeon
alight-colorbackgroundordark-colortypeonadark-colorbackground—for
example,lightblueonyelloworredonblackjustwon’tbeeasytoread.
LEGIBILITY
Afteryoumakeyourfontandcolorchoices,lookatyourpresentationonyour
computeror—waybetter—onyourTVoraprojector,andstandback6to12
feet.Canyoureadeverything?Dothephotoslookclearwithoutpixelation?If
not,readjust.
WHATNOTTODO
BulletsbelonginTheGodfather.Avoidthematallcosts.
DashesbelongattheOlympics,notatthebeginningoftext.
Resistunderlininganditalics—they’retoohardtoread.boldtypefaces
areOK.
Dropshadowscanoccasionallybeusefultoimprovelegibility,
especiallyfortypeontopofphotos,butusetheeffectsparingly.
Don’tusemultipletypeeffectsinthesameline.Itjustlooksterrible.
EXPLANATIONSANDDIAGRAMS
Usebuilds—addwordsandimagestoaslidethroughaseriesofclicks—to
focuspeople’sattentionononeideaatatime.Giveyouraudienceenough
timetoabsorbeachstep.Don’tfeedtoomuchoftheslideatatimeorpeople
willgetoverwhelmed.
PHOTOCREDITS
Inthescientificcommunityit’sespeciallyimportanttocrediteachphotoon
everyslide.Butit’sbettertoavoidlargetype,becausethosecitationswill
drawtheaudience’seyeawayfromyourslide.Ifalltheimagesarefromone
source,youcansaythankstoNationalGeographicoutloud,oryoucanadd
onephotocreditthatsays:“PhotoscourtesyofNationalGeographic,”and
thenyoudon’thavetorepeatitoneveryslide.
Ifyoudoneedtoincludecredits,theyshouldbepositionedandstyled
consistently,inthesameplace,samefont,samesize(nomorethan10point)
oneveryslide.Andcutthemdownfrom“PhotoCredit:AugustinAlvarez,
AmesResearchCenter,NASA,MountainView,CA”to“AugustinAlvarez,
NASA.”Notethatsomerightsholders,suchasmuseums,mayresist
abbreviatingtheircredits.Butit’sworthasking.Iusuallysetcreditsinwhite,
reversedoutoftheimageandrotated90degreessotheysitvertically,upthe
rightsideoftheslide.Askyourfriends:arethecreditspullingfocusaway
fromtheimages?Ifso,theyaretooprominent.
PICTURESOFYOUANDYOURTEAM
It’sgreattoincludeaphotoofyouinyourworkingenvironment:lab,bush,
LargeHadronCollider.Butresistincludingmorethanoneunlessthereisa
reason.BenSaunderstoldushowhejourneyedtotheNorthandSouthPoles.
Hisimageisnecessaryinmostphotostotellthatstory.Therewasalsoa
wholeteamofpeoplewhoworkedtirelesslytomakeBen’sexpedition
possible,buttoshowphotosofthemwouldhavetakentheaudience’sfocus
awayfromthemainstory.Whileweunderstandthatyouwanttosharethe
credit,picturesofyourteam,especiallyinayearbook-stylecompilationof
individuals,mattertoyoubutnottoyouraudience.Resist,andifyoumust
haveonephoto,makeitanorganicgrouping.It’smuchbettertodepictyour
teamincontextduringapresentation.
VIDEOS
Videoscanbeamazingtoolstodemonstrateyourworkandideas.However,
youshouldrarelyshowclipslongerthan30seconds.Andinan18-minute
talk,shownomorethantwotofourclipsunlessyourworkabsolutely
dependsonit.It’sbestifvideoclipsareofyourworkandyouhaverightsto
them(versusaclipfromStarWars);explainsomethingthatcan’tbe
explainedbystillimages;andhavegreatproductionvalue(shotinhigh-
definition,withgoodlightingandespeciallygoodsound).Abadlyproduced
videowillhaveyouraudiencethinkingmoreaboutitspoorqualitythanabout
itscontent.Makesureit’sorganicandauthentic,notproducedbyyourPR
departmentorwithbombasticcannedmusic.Hint:Whenyouareworking,
capturevideoofeverything,becauseyoumaydecidetouseitlater,evenif
youdon’tknowwhen.TEDinvestsinhigh-qualityvideoandphotographs,
andtheyjustgetmorevaluableastheyearspass.
Youcanembedavideoinyourpresentation,butremembertocheckwith
theA/Vteamtobesureit’sdefinitelyworkingbeforeyougoonstage.
TRANSITIONS
Thisisthedreadedquicksandofmanyapresenter.Ruleofthumb:Avoid
nearlyallofthem.Shimmer,sparkle,confetti,twirl,clothesline,swirl,cube,
scale,swap,swoosh,fireexplosions,anddroppingandbouncingareallreal
Keynotetransitions.AndIneveruseanyofthem,exceptforhumorandirony.
Theyaregimmickyandservetodropyououtofyourideasandintothe
mechanicsofyoursoftware.TherearetwotransitionsIdolike:none(an
instantcut,likeinfilmediting)anddissolve.None(orcut)isgreatwhenyou
wantaninstantresponsetoyourclicker,anddissolvelooksnaturalifit’sset
toatimeintervaloflessthanhalfasecond.Cutanddissolveevenhavetwo
subconsciousmeanings:Withcutyou’reshiftingtoanewidea,andwith
dissolvethetwoslidesarerelatedinsomeway.That’snotahardandfast
rule,butit’svalid.Youcanusecutsanddissolvesinthesamepresentation.If
thereisnoreasonforatransition,don’tuseone.Insummary,yourtransition
shouldnevercallattentiontoitself.
TRANSPORTINGFILES
Sendyourpresentationtoyourhosts,andbringaUSBstickwithyour
completepresentationandyourvideo,separatefromyourpresentation.Also
includethefontsusedinthepresentation.EvenifIhavesentapresentationin
advancetothevenuewhereI’llbespeaking,Ialwaysbringitwithmetoo.
Important:BeforesendingovertheInternetorcopyingtoUSB,putallthese
filesintoafolderandcompressthefolderintoa.zipfile.Thatwillmakesure
thatKeynoteorPowerPointwillgatherallthepiecesofyourpresentationin
oneplace.Dolabeleachvideoclearly,includingitslocation.Forexample,
SIOBHANSTEPHENSSLIDE12:VIDEO:MOTHEMERGESFROMCOCOON.
RIGHTS
Makesureyouhavealegallicensetousethephotos,videos,music,andany
specialfonts,orthattheyareintheCreativeCommonsoroutrightfreetouse.
It’salwayseasiestandbesttouseyourownwork.IfyouuseaWhitney
Houstonsong,forexample,itcouldcostthousandsofdollarstoclearitfor
useinyourlivetalkandespeciallyonline.
TESTING
Therearetwokindsoftesting:humanandtechnical.First,forhumantesting,
Irecommendthatyoutestyourpresentation—especiallyyourslides—on
familyorfriendswhoarenotinyourfield.Askthemafterwardswhatthey
understood,whattheydidn’t,andwhatfurtherquestionstheyhave.Testingis
extremelyimportant,especiallyonverytechnicalorabstrusesubjects.
Equallyimportantistechnicaltesting.IboughtaKensingtonremotefor
$35thatplugsintomycomputer’sUSBsoIcanclickthroughthetalkasI
wouldonstage.Aretheslidescrispandbright?Arethetransitionsquick
enough?Arethefontscorrect?DothevideosplayOK?Arethereany
technicalglitchesofanykind?Runningthroughyourtalkalotwillhelpyou
knowifitisreliable.
Alwaysaskwhatkindofcomputerwillbeusedtoshowyourpresentation,
ifitcanbeshowninthesameprogramandwiththesamefontsyouusedto
createit,and,ifyourhostisusingthesamesoftware,askwhatversionthey
areusing.
Makesureyouusetheverylatestversionofthesoftwarebecausethat’s
generallywhatorganizerswillhave,andonsiteconversionsfromoneversion
toanotherarestressfulandsometimesrequirelotsoffinessing.Once,I
createdapresentationinKeynoteonaMacanditwasimportedinto
PowerPointonaPC.Itlookedlikeadisasterinrehearsal.Iconvincedthemto
getaMacandKeynoteanditworkedgreat.
Nevergiveapresentationunlessyouhavewalkedthroughyourslides—
andespeciallyvideos—ontheequipmentthatwillactuallybeusedtoshow
them.It’sparticularlyimportanttogetthesoundpersontocheckthesound
levelsofanyaudioinyourpresentation,especiallyifyouplantospeakover
it.Inaudibilityorastartlingburstofsoundwillthrowyouoff.
WORKINGWITHDESIGNERS
Mostpeoplecanlearntomakegoodslides,butifthestakesarehighand
budgetpermits,byallmeansenlistthehelpofapresentationgraphics
designer.NoticehowIdidn’tsayjustanydesigner.Someonewhofocuseson
websitesorprintedmaterialsmaynotbeasfluidwiththeartandgrammarof
conveyingideasthroughslides.Askforpreviouswork.Youcanfindthemon
Behanceandotherwebsites.
Fourmoreimportantpoints:
1. Evenifyouhaveacorporategraphicsdepartmenttodothework,you
shouldbeinvolvedfromthebeginning.Beproactive.Don’tjustreview
thefinishedvideo;makesureyouarepresentandparticipating.Most
designersaregreatatwhattheydo,butthey’rehelpingyouexpress
yourself,soitjustmakessensetobeinvolved.
2. Ifyouareuncomfortablewithsomeoneelse’ssliderecommendations,
trustyourinstincts.It’syouupthereonstage,afterall.
3. Weworkwithalotofdesignersremotely,usingSkype,email,and
Dropbox,anditworkswell.Thereisnoreasonyourdesignershavetobe
nearby.
4. Helpdoesn’tneedtobeexpensive.Forpresentationgraphics,Iliketo
workwithsmalldesignshopsofjustonetoaboutfifteenpeoplebecause
Igettoworkmorewiththeprincipals.Thereisalsoasteadysupplyof
recentartanddesignschoolgraduatesfromplaceslikeRISD,ArtCenter
CollegeofDesign,Pratt,ArtInstitutes,CooperUnion,andmanymore
collegesaroundtheworld.
VERSIONCONTROL
Useversioncontrolreligiously,andatoollikeDropboxtostoreallyour
draftsaswellasyourfonts,photos,videos,andsound.It’salwaysagoodidea
tonamefileswiththeversionnumber,yourname,thevenue,andlaterthe
TEDsession,ifyouknowit.Forexample,likethis:
v4trjwTomRiellyPrezTED2016Session11.Theinitials(“trjw”)tellwho
workedonitlast.Hint:Puttheversionnumberandlastperson’sinitialsatthe
beginningofthefilename,otherwiseyoumightnotbeabletotelleasily
whichiswhich.Everytimeyoupassittoorfro,saveanewversionwitha
newnumber,andbeforeyousharetheDropboxlinkwiththeproductionteam
atanevent,makeafolderinsideDropboxfortheoldversionsandkeepthe
latestversionseparate.Markthefinalversion“FINAL”atthebeginningor
endofthefilename.
Yourdesignerwillloveyouifyouorateammemberassembleasmanyof
theassets(photos,videos,sounds)aspossibleinafolderbeforehestarts
designing.Also,tohelpthedesigner,sometimesI’llopenanewKeynotefile
andmakedummyslideswithinstructions,forexample:Thisslidewillshow
oneofthespecieswe’retryingtoconserve.Thisslidewillshowthedry
lakebed;etc.
Dothatforasmanyslidesasyoucan,arrangethem,andsendthefiletothe
designer.Thisistheequivalentofafilmmaker’sPost-itNotesonthewall—
theyhelpherorganizeherideas.
Finally,asinallthingswithgraphics,lessismore.
AndbacktoChris:
AroundofapplauseforTom,please!
Andfinally,ifyouwanttoseestateoftheartinaction,herearethreemore
speakerswhosevisualsweadore.
ThegloriousimagesshownbyconservationphotographerMacStoneat
TEDxUCfullyjustifythetitleofhistalk,“Photosthatmakeyouwanttosave
theEverglades.”
AtTEDxVancouver,JerThorpspokeoftheimpactofclearinfographics
andprovedhispointwithcountlessexamples.
AndatTEDxSydney,biomedicalanimatorDrewBarryusedastounding3D
animationstorevealhiddenprocessesinourcells.
Onceyouhaveaplanforyourvisuals,it’stimetogobacktothewords,
andthenfigureouthowyouwillturnthemintoanactualtalk.Therearetwo
quitedifferentapproacheshere,and,aswe’llsee,theworld’sbestspeakers
disagreestronglyonthistopic.Happily,there’sawaytobridgethedivide.
OceanofPDF.com
PreparationProcess
11
OceanofPDF.com
SCRIPTING
ToMemorizeorNottoMemorize?
AtarecentTEDconferencewehadinvitedabrilliantup-and-coming
physicisttogiveatalkaboutremarkablenewdevelopmentsinthefield.He
hadareputationashisuniversity’sfinestsciencespeaker.Hislectureswere
alwayspackedbecauseofhisgiftformakingthecomplexplain,theobscure
exciting.Andinrehearsalhewoweduswithhispassionandeloquenceand
clarity.Iwassolookingforwardtohisbigmoment.
Hestartedoutwell,stridingthestageandofferingupanintriguing
metaphorthatthecapacityaudiencewasenjoyinggettingitsheadaround.
Andthen...thefirstglitch.Helosthiswayforamoment.Hesmiledand
askedforamoment,pulledouthisiPhoneandremindedhimselfwherehe
was.Thenhemovedon.Noproblem.Exceptithappenedagain40seconds
later.Themetaphorwasstartingtogetimpossiblyconvoluted.Peoplewere
scratchingtheirheadsandstartingtofeelstressedforhim.Youcouldhearhis
voicestartingtotighten.Hecoughed.Ihandedhimabottleofwater.Fora
momentitseemedtohelp.Butno.Inhorrifyingslowmotion,thetalk
implodedinfrontofus.AscomedianJuliaSweeneylaterremarked,itwasas
ifhewasdisappearingintooneoftheblackholeshewastalkingabout.Out
camethephoneagaintwo,three,fourmoretimes.Hebeganreadingfromit.
Thesmileandpassionhadgone.Theentirewaterbottlehadbeendowned.
Beadsofsweatwereglisteningonhisforehead.Hesoundedlikehewas
chokingtodeath.Hesomehowgottotheend,toaroundofawkward,
sympatheticapplause.
Histalkwasthetalkoftheconference.Butnotinthewayhehaddreamed
itwouldbe.
Here’sthething.Thiswasn’thisfault.Itwasmine.Inpreparinghim,Ihad
encouragedhimtotakethetimetocreateatrulyblockbustertalkandtoscript
itoutcarefullyinadvance.ItwastheapproachmostTEDspeakersused,and
itseemedtobeworkingwellinrehearsal.Butitwasn’thisnaturalspeaking
style.Hehadexplainedthattopicmasterfullytocountlessclassesofstudents
usingfluent,in-the-momentlanguagethatcamestraightoutofhisamazing
brain.IshouldhaveaskedhimtobringthatskilltoTED.(Infact,hedidbring
thatskilltoTED.Justthepriordayhehadcomeonstagetogiveabrilliant,
off-the-cuffexplanationofamajorbreakingstoryinPhysics.Itwasthe
scriptingthatmessedhimup.)
Therearemanywaystoprepareforanddeliveratalk,andit’simportantto
findtheonethat’srightforyou.Becausewhenitcomestotheexactmoment,
evenifyou’vepreparedsomethingthatisstunning,thereisalonglistof
thingsthatcangowrong,amongthem:
Yourtoneofvoiceputsyouraudiencetosleep.
Yousoundlikeyou’rereciting.
Yourunoutoftimebeforeyou’vecompletedhalfofwhatyouwantedto
say.
Yougetflusteredtryingtorememberhowyourslidesfitwiththewords
youprepared.
Yourvideosfailtostart,andyourslideclickerdoesn’tworkproperly.
Youfailtomakeeyecontactwithasinglememberoftheaudience.
Youfeeluncomfortableonstage,notknowingwhetheryoushouldwalk
aroundalittleorstayrootedtoonespot.Soinsteadyoucompromiseand
shuffleawkwardlyfromlegtoleg.
Theaudiencefailstolaughwhentheyweresupposedto.
Theaudiencelaughswhentheymostdefinitelywerenotsupposedto.
Thestandingovationyoudreamedofisreplacedbyasmatteringof
politeapplause.
And—theonethingpeopledreadmost—youforgetwhatyouweregoing
tosaynext,yourmindgoesblank,andyoufreeze.
Happily,withdiligentpreparation,theriskofanyofthesehappeningcan
betrulyminimized.Butasthestoryaboveillustrates,ithastobetheright
typeofpreparation.Andthatbeginswithknowinghowyouplantodeliver
yourtalk.Differentspeakerstakeverydifferentapproaches.Inthischapter
we’lltrytohelpyoufigureoutwhatapproachisbestforyou.
Someyearsago,TEDusedtobequiterigidinitsrulesontalkdelivery:No
lecterns.Neverreadyourtalk.And,ingeneral,thoserulesmakesense.
Peopletrulyrespondtothevulnerabilityofaspeakerwhostandsthere
unprotectedbyalecternandspeaksfromtheheart.Thatishuman-to-human
communicationinitspurestform.
Butthereisalsopowerinvariety.Ifeveryspeakerstoodinthecenterofthe
stage,enunciatingwiththrillingclarityaperfectlymemorizedtalk,itwould
soongettiresome.Whenagroupofpeoplegoesawayforaweektoa
conference,thespeakerswhohavethemostimpactareoftenthosewhodo
thingsdifferently.Ifeveryoneisspeakingwithoutascript,thequirky
professorwhosidlesouttoalecternandmischievouslyreadshistalkmay
wellbetheonewhoisremembered.
Andmorethananythingelse,whatmattersisthatspeakersarecomfortable
andconfident,givingthetalkinthewaythatbestallowsthemtofocuson
whatthey’repassionateabout.
WediscoveredthiswhenweinvitedtheNobellaureateDanielKahneman
toTED.Knownasthefatherofbehavioraleconomics,he’sanextraordinary
thinkerwithatoolkitofideasthatcanchangeanyworldview.Wehad
originallyaskedhimtospeakinthetraditionalTEDway.Nolectern.Just
standonthestage,withsomenotecardsifneedbe,andgivethetalk.Butin
rehearsal,itwasclearthathewasuncomfortable.Hehadn’tbeenabletofully
memorizethetalkandsokeptpausingandglancingdownawkwardlytocatch
himselfup.
FinallyIsaidtohim,“Danny,you’vegiventhousandsoftalksinyourtime.
Howareyoumostcomfortablespeaking?”Hesaidhelikedtoputhis
computeronalecternsothathecouldrefertohisnotesmorereadily.Wetried
that,andherelaxedimmediately.Buthewasalsolookingdownatthescreen
alittletoomuch.Thedealwestruckwastogivehimthelecterninreturnfor
lookingoutattheaudienceasmuchashecould.Andthat’sexactlywhathe
did.Hisexcellenttalkdidnotcomeacrossasarecitedorreadspeechatall.It
feltconnected.Andhesaideverythinghewantedtosay,withno
awkwardness.
Sotoday,wedon’thavesetrules.Wejusthavesuggestionsforhelping
speakersfindthemodeofdeliverythatwillbemostpowerfulforthem.
Oneofthefirstkeydecisionsyouneedtomake—andideallyyou’llmakeit
earlyoninyourtalkpreparation—iswhetheryouwill:
A.writeoutthetalkinfullasacompletescript(toberead,
memorized,oracombinationofthetwo),or
B.haveaclearlyworked-outstructureandspeakinthemomentto
eachofyourpoints.
Therearepowerfulargumentsinfavorofeachstrategy.
SCRIPTEDTALKS
Thehugeadvantageofgoingthescriptedrouteisthatyoucanmakethebest
possibleuseofyouravailabletime.Itcanbeincrediblyhardtocondenseall
youwanttosayinto10,15,or18minutes.Iftherearetrickyexplanations
involved,orimportantstepsinyourpersuasionprocess,itmaybeessential
foryoutogeteveryworddownandtweakeverysentenceandparagraphto
perfection.Scriptingalsohastheadvantagethatdraftsofthetalkcanbe
sharedaheadoftime.Weloveitwhenspeakerssendusadraftacoupleof
monthsaheadoftheconference.Thatallowsustimetogivefeedbackon
whichelementsmightbecutandwhichmightneedfurtherexplanation.
Butthebigdrawbackofascriptisthat,unlessyoudeliveritintheright
way,thetalkmaynotfeelfresh.Beingreadtoandbeingspokentoaretwo
verydifferentexperiences.Ingeneral(andthereareexceptions),audiences
respondfarmorepowerfullytothelatter.Thisissomethingofapuzzle.If
they’rethesamewords,andeveryonepresentknowstheywerewrittenbythe
speaker,whyshouldwecarehowtheyaredeliveredtous?
Itmaybebecausehuman-to-humancommunicationisadynamicprocess,
unfoldinginrealtime.Yousaysomething.Ilookatyoureyesandmakeall
mannerofunconsciousjudgments.Isthissomethingyoureallymean?Are
youpassionateaboutit?Areyoucommittedtoit?Asalistener,untilIknow
thesethings,it’stooriskytoopenupmymindtoyou.Thatmeansthere’s
hugepowertowatchingsomeone“thinkoutloud”inthemoment.Wecan
senseyourconviction,andwegettobepartoftheexcitementofseeingabig
ideaidentified,battledwith,andfinallyshakenintoshape.Thefactthatwe
cansensethatyoutrulymeanwhatyou’resayinginthemomenthelpsgiveus
permissiontoembracethatmeaning.
Bycontrast,whenthewordsareread,theymayfeelimpersonaland
distanced.It’sabitlikewatchingasportseventonDVR.Thegamehas
alreadybeenwonorlost.Evenwhenwedon’tknowtheoutcome,wedon’t
carequiteasmuch.(AndimaginehowmuchworsethatDVRexperience
wouldbeifwesensedthatthecommentaryhadbeenaddedafterthegame
andwasbeingread,notevokedinrealtime.That’showreadtalkscansound.)
Soifyougothescriptroute,youhavethreemainstrategiesopentoyou:
1. Knowthetalksowellthatitdoesn’tforamomentsoundscripted.(More
onthisshortly.)
2. Refertothescript(eitherfromalectern—preferablynotonethatblocks
outyourwholebody—orpossiblyfromascreenorconfidencemonitor),
butcompensatebylookingupduringeachsentencetomakeeyecontact
withtheaudience.NoticeIdidn’tsaytoreadthescript.Youmayhave
theentirethingthereinfrontofyou,butit’simportantthatyoufeelasif
you’reinspeakingmode,notreadingmode.Theaudiencecantellthe
difference.It’sallaboutgivingmeaningtothewordsasyouspeakas
naturallyandpassionatelyasyoucan.It’saboutaudienceeyecontact
andsmilesorotherfacialexpressions.It’saboutbeingfamiliarenough
withthescriptthatyou’rereallyjustglancingdownonceeverysentence
ortwo.Yes,thistakeswork,butit’sworthit,andit’sstillfarless
dauntingthanfullmemorization.
3. Condensethescripttobulletpointsandplantoexpresseachpointin
yourownlanguageinthemoment.Thishasitsownsetofchallenges,
coveredbelowinUnscriptedTalks.
Thereareonlytwocircumstanceswhereyoumightgetawaywithactually
readingyourscript:
1. Yourtalkisaccompaniedbyabsolutelygorgeousimagesorvideosthat
playwhileyouarespeaking.Inthisscenario,youarethelyricalcaption
provider.Theaudience’sattentionisonthescreen.PhotographerJames
Nachtwey’sTEDPrizetalkwaslikethis.
2. Youareatrulygreatwriter,andtheaudienceunderstandsthattheyare
listeningtoapieceofwrittenwork.But,aswe’llseebelow,evenfor
greatwriterswithascriptinlyricallanguage,itcanbemorepowerful
nottoread.
Despitethesecaveats,forthemajorityofspeakers,themostreliablewayto
saywhatyoureallywanttosayinthemostpowerfulwayistofirstscriptit
outandgettoknowitsoit’spartofyou.Butthatishardwork.Formostof
us,an18-minutetalkcaneasilytakefiveorsixhourstomemorize.Anhoura
dayforaweek.Ifyoudon’thavethattimeavailable,don’teventrytogothis
route.Whenyoushowuponstage,youreallydon’twanttobestrugglingto
rememberascript.
Whenthathappens,theproblemisnotsomuchtheriskofthetotalfreeze.
It’sthattheaudiencecantellyou’rereciting.Theymayseeyoureyesroll
aroundbetweenparagraphsasyoubringthenextsentencetomind.More
likelytheywillnoticethatyourtoneisslightlyflatandrobotic,becauseyou
arefocusedonbringingtherightsentencesoutinsteadofbringingreal
meaningtothosesentences.
Thisisactuallysomethingofatragedy.Youputinallthatworktocreatean
amazingtalk,butthenneverreallygaveitachancetohaveimpact.
Thisproblemisfixable.Butittakessomeeffort.
Imagineyougettoobserveafriendwho,overthecourseofaweekorso,
triestomemorizehistalk.Let’ssaythatyouaskhimeverydaytogivethe
bestversionofthetalkthathecanwithoutusingnotes.Youwouldnotice
somethingodd:Earlyonintheprocess,hewouldbequiteconvincing(ifa
littleunstructured).Hedoesn’tactuallyknowanyofthetalkbyheartyet,so
hesimplydoeshisbesttogiveyoutheinformationheknowsin
approximatelytheorderhe’splanned.
Butafewdaysintotheprocess,younoticeachange.Hehasreachedthe
pointwhereheknowsquiteabitofthetalkbyheart,andsothosepartscome
outineloquentparagraphs.But,youdon’tfeelthesameoriginalliveliness
fromthem.Youfeelhisstress.Youhearwordslike,Let’ssee;Justaminute;
Letmestartthatagain.Oryousimplyhearthoseparagraphsrattledoffalittle
robotically.
Thosecluesaregiveawaysthatthetalkisbeingrecitedratherthanspoken
withmeaning.IcallthisphaseofpreparationtheUncannyValley.It’saterm
borrowedfromaphenomenonincomputeranimationwherethetechnology
ofanimatinghumanlikecharactersissuper-closetoseemingrealbutisnot
quitethere.Theeffectiscreepy:worsethaniftheanimatorhadsteeredclear
ofrealismaltogether.Ifyourspeakerfriendcomestothestageinthismode,
histalkwillprobablyfail.He’ddobettertoforgetaboutdeliveringascripted
talkandinsteadwritedownsevenbulletpointsandspeakabitabouteachof
them.Ortakethescriptwithhimtothestage.
Butifhepersistsinthememorizationprocess,bythesixthorseventhday,
youwillnoticeathrillingchange.Suddenlythespeakerreallyknowsthetalk.
Heknowsitsowellthatrecallingitisasnap.Suddenlyyourfriendcanuse
hisconsciousattentiontofocusonthemeaningofthewordsonceagain.
SowhatI’dsaytospeakersplanningtomemorizetheirtalksisthis:That’s
great.You’regivingyourselfthebestchanceforahugehit.Butitis
absolutelyessentialthatyoutakeyourselfthroughUncannyValleyanddon’t
getstuckthere.Ifyou’renotwillingtocommittodothat,donotmemorize!
Andhowshouldyoumemorize?TEDspeakersuselotsofdifferent
methods.PamelaMeyer,whogaveahittalkonhowtodetectaliar,appeared
tobespeakinghonestlywiththisadvice:
AtCampSeafarerinNorthCarolina,wehadtotreadwaterwhile
singingcampsongs.Then,tomakeitharder,wehadtotreadwater
whilealsowigglingourforefingersincomplicatedpatternstothebeat
ofthesong.Youhaven’treallymemorizedyourtalkthoroughlyuntil
youcandoanentireotheractivitythatrequiresmentalenergywhile
givingyourtalk.Canyougiveyourtalkwhilemeasuringoutthe
ingredientstomakebrownies?Canyougiveyourtalkwhilefilingall
themessypapersonyourdeskintoafilecabinet?Ifyoucangive
yourtalkwhilethecognitiveloadisthathighonyoursystem,youcan
giveitwellwhilefocusedonstage.
WatchPam’stalk.Doesitsoundmemorized?Itdoesnot.Itsounds
completelynatural.
TEDspeakerandvoiceartistRivesagreeswithheradvice:
WhenIhavetimetomemorizeatalk,Imemorizethe$#@!outofit.I
memorizethetalkuntilthetalkislikeatune.Iworkshopthetalkin
mymouth.Irunitfastandslow,singsongandstentorian,cooland
cooler.IrehearsethetalkuntilI’mperformingthetalk,not
rememberingit.Andgoodriddance,reciting.Mypersonal
memorizationritualusuallyhappensthenight(s)beforemytalk,ina
hotelroom.IturnonaTVinterviewshow,slightlylouderthanusual,
tocreatemaximumcognitiveinterference.Then(nokidding)Ihold
onelegbehindmeandrecitemytalktomyreflectioninthemirror.If
Istopsmiling,Ihavetostartover.IfIstallout,Ihavetostartover.If
Isurviveoneentirerecitation,Iwon’tforgetmytalkandthesmiles
willhappenastheymay.
Ifyoudrivealot,youcouldconsiderrecordingthetalk(justreaditinto
yoursmartphone,forexample)andthenplayingitbackonlowvolume,while
youtrytospeakjustaheadofit.Thentryagainwiththespeedaccelerated
(mostphonescandothis).OneofTED’sfavoritespeakercoaches,Gina
Barnett,believesthekeyistobeabletorecitethetalkatdoublespeed.When
youcandothatcomfortably,givingthetalkatnormalspeedwillbeautomatic
andyoucanfocus100percentonmeaning.Shealsohasawonderfulinsight
intohowtothinkofmemorization.“ThisiswhatItellpeople:Practice
doesn’tmakeperfect.Practicemakesimperfectionlivable.Becausewhenyou
knowsomethinginsideout,youcanPLAYwithwhatcomesyourway,rather
thanshutitout.”
Sothat’sthekey.Don’tthinkofitasrecitingthetalk.You’resupposedto
liveit.Embodyit.Yoursolegoalistogettothepointwhererememberingthe
wordsisnolongeraneffortandyoucanuseyourstagetimetoimpartpassion
andmeaningtotheaudience.Itmustcomeacrossasifyouaresharingthese
ideasforthefirsttime.
Itcanbedone.Noteveryspeakingoccasionjustifiesthiskindoftime
investment.Butforthosethatdo,it’strulyworthit.
Oneotherkeyquestionforscriptedtalksiswhattypeoflanguageyou
shoulduse.Spokenlanguageorwrittenlanguage?Thelanguageweusein
everydayspeechisquitedifferentfromthelanguagewritersuse.Moredirect,
lesslyrical.
Theadviceofmostspeakingcoachesistostickrigidlytospokenlanguage.
Thatwayitcanbespokenfromtheheart,inthemoment.Itis,afterall,atalk
notawrite.MartinLutherKingdidn’tsay,“Vivid,powerful,unforgettableis
thevisionIbringtoyouthisday.”Hesaid,“Ihaveadream.”
HarvardprofessorDanGilbertadviseshisstudentstospeaktheirtalksinto
arecorderfirst,thentranscribethem,andusethatastheinitialdraftoftheir
talk.Why?“Becausewhenpeoplewrite,theytendtousewords,phrases,
sentencestructures,andcadencesthatnooneusesinnaturalspeech.Sowhen
youstartwithwrittentextandthentrytoadaptitforperformance,youare
basicallytryingtoturnoneformofcommunicationintoanother,andoddsare
thatyouralchemywillfail.”
Andmanyotherspeakers,aswe’llsee,believethebestwayto“write”a
talkissimplytotrytospeakitoutloudmultipletimes.
But,onceagain,it’samistaketobetoorigidaboutthis.Greatwriterscan
makeadifferenttypeoftalk,oneinwhichtheelegantprewrittenlanguageis
thewholepoint.
TakealookatthisparagraphfromamemorabletalkatTED2014by
AndrewSolomon:
Wedon’tseekthepainfulexperiencesthathewouridentities,butwe
seekouridentitiesinthewakeofpainfulexperiences.Wecannotbear
apointlesstorment,butwecanenduregreatpainifwebelievethat
it’spurposeful.Easemakeslessofanimpressiononusthanstruggle.
Wecouldhavebeenourselveswithoutourdelights,butnotwithout
themisfortunesthatdriveoursearchformeaning.
Solomonisanextraordinarywriter,anditshows.Thisislanguagethat
wouldnaturallyappearinabookormagazinefeature,notlanguagethatyou
wouldnaturallyuseinaone-to-oneconversationwithafriendatabar.The
cluesareinthelanguage’slyricism—wordslikehewandtorment.Thisisa
powerfulpieceofwriting,andit’smeanttobeheardthatway.Eventhough
hewasspeakingfromnotes,thelyricalpowerofthelanguagemadeusfeel
wewereinthehandsofamastercraftsman.Wewantedthetalktohavebeen
prewritten.(Bytheway,Andrewtoldmethatthisactuallyishowhespeaksto
friendsatbars.IwishIcouldbeabystander.)
TalkslikeAndrew’scanberead.Perhapstheyshouldberead.Butifyou
gothisroute,evenifyou’reatrulygreatwriter,doyouraudiencethehonorof
knowingyourscriptsowellthatyoucanstillgiveasenseoffeelingitinthe
moment.Meaneverysentence.Lookupasoftenasyoucanandmakeeye
contact.Andperhaps,ifyouwanttoaddamomentofpowerfulimpact
towardtheend,abandonyourscriptbeforethelastpage.Walkawayfromthe
lectern,tossawayyournotes,movetothefrontofthestage,andspeakthe
conclusiondirectlyfromtheheart.
UNSCRIPTEDTALKS
Thistermcoversalargelandscape,fromimpromptuad-libbingtointricately
preparedandstructuredtalksaccompaniedbyrichvisuals.Whattheyallhave
incommonisthat,inthemomentofdelivery,youarenottryingtorecalla
specificprewrittensentence.Insteadyouarethinkingaboutthesubjectmatter
andlookingforthebestwordstoconveythepointathand.Atmost,youhave
asetofnotestoguideyouthroughthemainelementsofthetalk.
There’salottobesaidforgoingunscripted.Itcansoundfresh,alive,real,
likeyouarethinkingoutloud.Ifthisisyourmostcomfortablespeakingstyle,
andifyouarecoveringmaterialthatisveryfamiliartoyou,thismaybeyour
bestchoice.
Butitisimportanttodistinguishunscriptedfromunprepared.Inan
importanttalk,there’snoexcuseforthelatter.Manyunscriptedtalks,alas,
resultinhalf-bakedexplanations,nonsequiturs,keyelementsmissed,and
ramblingoverruns.
Sohowdoyouprepareforanunscriptedtalk?Alotwilldependonwhat
typeofjourneyyouplantotaketheaudienceon.Atalkbuiltaroundasingle
storywillbealoteasierthanonewhereyou’retryingtoconstructacomplex
explanationoranuancedargument.Butthekeytotheprocessistogobackto
themetaphorofthejourneyandaskyourselfwhateachstepofthejourney
lookslike.Ataminimum,alabelforeachstepcanbeyoursetofbulletpoints
ormentalnotes.
Youalsoneedastrategytoavoidtheobviouspitfallsofsuchanapproach:
1. Thatsuddenlyyoucan’t,inthemoment,findthewordstoexplainakey
concept.Antidote:Practiceoutloudseveralversionsofeachstepinyour
journeyuntilyou’reconfidentthatyouhavecompletementalclarity
aroundeachone.
2. Thatyouleaveoutsomethingcrucial.Itmaybeworthworkingona
transitionfromeachsteptothenextthatmakesthesequencecome
naturally.Perhapsyoucommittorememberingthosetransitionphrases,
oraddthemtoyournotes.
3. Thatyouoverrunyourtimeslot.Thisisupsettingtoconference
organizers,andtoallthespeakerswhofollowyou.Itcanalsostressout
youraudience.Don’tdoit.TheonlyantidotesaretoA.Tryoutthetalk
severaltimestobesureitcanindeedbedonewithinthetimelimit.If
not,youmustcutmaterial.B.Bedisciplinedaboutwatchingtheclock
andknowhowfaryouneedtobewhenhalfofyourtimehasgoneby.C.
Prepareatalkthatisnomorethan90percentofyourtimelimit.
Onetemptationmanyspeakersfallpreytoistousetheirslidesascrutches.
Intheworstform,thismeansaseriesofdismalslidescoveredwithtextand
bulletpointsthatthespeakerworksthroughlaboriously.Mostpeoplebynow
understandthatthisisatrulyterriblewaytogiveatalk.Everywordyou
speakthatsomeonehasalreadyseenonaslideisawordthatcarrieszero
punch.It’snotnewsanymore.
Awell-structuredsetofslidescanboostyourconfidenceinkeepingthe
talkmovingalong,butitneedstobedonesubtly.Forexample,youcould
haveanewimagethatlinksthematicallytoeachelementinyourtalk.Ifyou
getstuck,advancetothenextslideanditshouldpullyoubackontrack.But
notethatthisisnotideal.Eleganttimingofslidetransitionscanaddalottoa
talk’simpact.Youshouldoftenaimtoteasethearrivalofaslidebefore
revealingit.Andthatbringsustothefutureofcities[click],ismuchmore
powerfulthan[click]Ah,yes.NextIwanttotalkaboutthefutureofcities.
Frankly,theold-fashionedmethodofasetofpunchynoteshandwrittenon
cardsisstilladecentwaytokeepyourselfontrack.Usethewordsthatwill
triggerakeysentenceoraphrasethatlaunchesthenextstepinyourtalk.
Onethingtounderstandisthataudiencesreallydon’tmindonebitifyou
pauseyourtalkforamomenttotakestock.Youmightfeelsomediscomfort.
Theywon’t.Thekeyistoberelaxedaboutit.WhensuperstarDJMark
RonsoncametoTED2014,hewasmasterfulatthis.Helosthiswayatone
point,buthesimplysmiled,walkedovertoabottleofwater,sippedit,told
theaudiencethiswashismemorycrutch,studiedhisnotes,sippedagain,and
bythetimehegotgoingagain,everyonelikedhimevenmore.
TEDspeakershavewidelydifferentopinions,bytheway,onwhethera
memorizedscriptorapreparedtalk-in-the-momentisthebetterwaytogo.
AuthorElizabethGilbertisfirmlyintheformercamp.
Ialwaysmemorizemytalks—oratleastIcomeasclosetocomplete
memorizationasIamcapable.Memorizationmakesmefeel
comfortableandsafe;improvisationmakesmefeelchaoticand
exposed.Publicspeaking,evenforthoseofuswhoenjoyit,canbe
frightening,andfearcanmakeyougoblank.ButwhenIhaveworked
hardtomemorizeaspeech,justasifitwereapoemorasong,thenI
cansimplystandthereandreciteit,evenasmyconsciousmindis
blankingout.IwouldratherrisksoundinglikeIamreciting
somethingfrommemorythansoundinglikeIlostmyway,orlikeI
neverhadaplan,orlikeIhavenoideawhattheheckI’mtalking
aboutupthere.DuringmyfirstTEDTalk,Iwassonervousand
agitatedthatmyconsciousmindwasflat-outnotworkingatallforthe
first5minutesonstage.Thankfully,though,mydeep-brainmemory
andmymouthstillworked,sothewordsjustcamespillingout
exactlyasIhadrehearsedthem.Astheminutestickedby,andasIfell
intothefamiliargrooveofmytalk,Iwasabletoslowlyrelaxand
warmup,andbythemiddleofthespeech,Iwasactuallyenjoying
myselfandimprovisingabit.Butthestrictmemorizationwaswhat
keptmesafeduringthatopeningboutofnerves.Therefore,Ihave
cometothinkofmemorizationassomethinglikeasoldier’scombat
training;whenthemomentofbattlecomes,youwanttobeoperating
byinstinct,notbyconsciousthought.
AmandaPalmeragrees:
I’mamasterimproviser,buttalksaren’ttheplaceforimprovising,
especiallyonastagelikeTEDwherethetimelimitissostrict.I
consideredleavingspotswhereIcouldletmyselfmuseandwafflea
bit,butasIwroteandrewroteandpracticed,IrealizedthatIcould
conveyMUCHmoremeaningifIdidtheworkaheadoftimeand
distilledmy40-secondwaffledownintoabite-sized,5-secondprotein
pill.
PamMeyertoldmethereasontoscriptatalkissothatyoucanmakesure
everysentencecounts:
Youknowhowwhenyougiveatalk,youlikecertainpartsmorethan
others?Youhavetoloveeverysinglesentence.Youactuallyhaveto
gothroughyourscriptandyourslidesandaskthequestion,“Isthis
essentialtoadvancingmymessage,andisthisinteresting,really
interesting?DoIlovesayingthisline?”andputeverysinglesentence
andslidethroughthetest.Ifanythinglandsinthemaybepile...it’s
out.
SalmanKhanhasadifferentstance:
Believingwhatyouaresayinginrealtimehasamuchlargerimpact
thansayingtheexactrightwords.Ipersonallytendtolistoutbullet
pointsofwhatIwanttotalkaboutandthentrycommunicatingthose
ideasinmynaturallanguageasifI’mtalkingtofriendsatadinner
table.Thekeyistokeepyourmindfocusedontheideasandletthe
wordsfallout.Theaudienceknowswhenyouarethinkingaboutwhat
youaresayingversuswhenyouhavejustmemorizedascript.
StevenJohnsonagrees.
InallofmyTEDTalks,Iverydeliberatelydidnotmemorizethem,
preciselybecausetheaudiencecanhearmemorizedtextveryclearly,
andittakesawayfromthespontaneous,engagednatureofspeaking
toaliveaudience.Theotherproblemwithamemorizedspeechisthat
whenitfails,itfailscatastrophically.Ifyou’rejusttalking,following
aroughoutline,ifyouslipupabitandforgetasmallpiece,it’sbarely
noticeabletoanyonebutyou.Butifyou’rerecitingsomethingfrom
memoryanddrawablank,you’relikelytofreezewithnowheretogo.
It’slikeyourmentalteleprompterhasfrozen.
Oneoftheworld’smosttalentedspeakers,SirKenRobinson,isalsointhis
camp.HetoldmethatseveralpartsofhisblockbusterTEDTalkoncreativity
wereimprovisedinthemoment.
Peopleshoulddowhatevermakesthemcomfortableonstageand
helpsthemtorelax.Ifmemorizingworks,theyshoulddothat.It
doesn’tforme.Oneofmyprioritiesingivingatalkistoestablisha
personalrelationshipwiththeaudience,andtodothatIwantroomto
improvise.Whetherit’stenpeopleortenthousand,aseminarora
rally,Ifeelit’sessentialtotalkwithpeople,notatthem,andtobe
authenticindoingit.Idoplantalkscarefully,however.WhenIwalk
onstage,IalwaysknowwhatIwanttohavesaidbeforeIwalkoff
again.ButIalsowanttoconnectwiththesepeopleinthisroomtoday.
Itdoesn’tmatterhowmanyroomsI’vespokeninbefore,today’s
audienceisalwaysnewanddifferent.
Meanwhile,DanGilbertthinksit’snoteither/or.Firstofallhewritesa
scriptforhistalks(beingcarefultousespokenEnglish).
Butthen,whenIdeliverthem,Idon’tsticktothescriptIwrote.So
whydoIwritethem?Becausewritingastoryishowyoufindout
wheretheholesare!AgreattalkisbothscriptedAND
improvisational.Itispreciselylikeagreatjazzperformance:First,the
openingandclosingarealwayscompletelyscripted;second,the
generalstructureisfullydeterminedbeforethefirsthornblows;but
third,whatmakesjazzinterestingandcaptivatingisthatinthemiddle
ofatunethereisalwayssomepoint(orseveralpoints)inwhichthe
playercangooffscriptandspontaneouslycreatesomethingthat
capturesthemoodofthatparticularaudienceinthatparticularroom
atthatparticularmomentintime.Theplayercantakeafewmoments
todothis,buthemustalwaysknowwhentocomehome,andhemust
alwaysknowwherehomeis.Atotallyimprovisationaltalkislikefree
jazz:anutterabominationalmosteverytimeithappens.Atotally
scriptedtalkislikeaclassicalmusicconcert:intricate,deep,and
flawlesslyexecuted,butoftenpredictableenoughtoputtheaudience
tosleepbecausetheyknowfromthestartthattherewillbeno
surprises.
AndadguruRorySutherlandalsorecommendsthebestofbothworlds:
Churchill,Ithink,saidthis—“Rehearseyourimprompturemarks.”Or
atleastleaveroominyourtalkforafewoptionalasides.Ifeverything
inatalkleadsinperfectlockstepfashiontowarditsconclusion,it
winspointsforlogicbutcanleavetheaudiencefeelingasthoughthey
havebeenonaforcedmarchratherthanapleasant,companionable
walk.
Here’sthebottomline:ThemajorityofTEDspeakersdoinfactscripttheir
wholetalkandmemorizeit,andtheydotheirbesttoavoidlettingitsound
memorized.Ifyouhavetimetodothat,andtoworkyourwaypasttherobotic
UncannyValley,itprobablygivesyouyourbestshotatencapsulatingallyou
wanttosayandavoidingtheusualtrapsofamemorizedtalk.Butifyoudon’t
havethetimetotrulymemorizeuntilthetalkissecondnature,orifyou
alreadyknowthat’sjustnothowyougiveagreattalk,pleasedon’tgothis
route.
Thekeyistofindthemodeyoucanfeelconfidentabout,andcommittoit.
Ifthatchoiceseemsalittlestressful,here’ssomegoodnews:Asyoustart
torehearse,thedifferencebetweenthetwomodesstartstofade.Thestarting
pointsmaybedifferent,butinbothcasesyouendupwithatalkthatis
meticulouslypreparedandpassionatelydelivered.
OceanofPDF.com
PreparationProcess
12
OceanofPDF.com
RUN-THROUGHS
Wait,INeedtoRehearse?
Whichevermodeofspeakingyoudecideon,there’saverysimple,very
obvioustoolyoucanusetoimproveyourtalk,butit’sonethatmostspeakers
rarelyundertake:Rehearse.Repeatedly.
Musiciansrehearsebeforeplaying.Actorsrehearsebeforeopeningthe
theaterdoorstothepayingpublic.Forpublictalks,thestakesmaywellbeas
highorhigherthananyconcertorplay,yetmanyspeakersseemtothinkthey
canjustwalkonthestageandgetitrightthefirsttime.Thusitisthat,time
andagain,hundredsofpeopleintheaudiencehavetosuffercountless
minutesofneedlesspainsimplybecauseonepersondidn’tprepare
adequately.’Tisacryingshame.
Thegreatestcorporatecommunicatorofrecenttimes,SteveJobs,didn’tget
therebytalentalone.Heputinhoursofmeticulousrehearsalforeverymajor
productlaunchAppledid.Heobsessedovereverydetail.
MostofthebigTEDhitshappenedonlybecauseofthehoursofprepthe
speakersputin.JillBolteTaylor,whosetalkaboutherstrokeexplodedacross
theInternetin2008,toldme:
Ipracticedliterallyhundredsofhours.Overandoveragain,evenin
mysleepasIwouldawakeandfindmyselfrecitingthetalk.Because
thepiecewassoemotionalforme,Iwouldrelivethemorningofthe
strokeeverytimeIsharedthestory.Becausemyemotionwas
authentic,thestorywasperceivedasauthentic,andwetookthe
journeytogether.
StemcellscientistSusanSolomonisequallypassionateaboutthepowerof
rehearsal:
Bythetimeyouarereadytogiveyourtalk,youshouldhave
rehearseditsomanytimesthatyoufeelasifyoucoulddoitinyour
sleep,andinfrontofanyaudience.Rehearseinfrontoffriends.
Rehearsebyyourself.Rehearsewithyoureyesclosed.Rehearse
walkinginthegarden.Rehearsesittingatyourdesk,butwithout
usingyournotes.Andbesurethat,inyourrehearsals,youinclude
yourvisuals,sincetimingwiththemiscritical.
RachelBotsmansaysyoushouldtakecarewithwhomyoupractice:
Practiceyourspeechinfrontofsomeonewhoknowsnothingabout
yourwork.Imadethemistakeofrunningthroughminewithpeople
whoareveryfamiliarwithmeandwhatIamdoing.Thebest
feedbackwillbefrompeoplewhocantellyouwheretherearegapsin
yournarrativeorwhereyouaremakingassumptionsthatpeoplewill
knowx,y,z.
Self-professedintrovertSusanCaincreditsherrehearsalaudiencefor
significantimprovementstohertalk:
ItookTED’sadvicetoheart:Ifyou’regoingtomemorizeyourtalk,
makesureyouknowitsowellthatthewordscomefromtheheart.
It’snotenoughtopracticeitinfrontofthemirrororwhileyou’re
walkingthedog.Usearealstage,andspeaktoatleastoneaudience
member.TheFridaynightjustbeforemytalk,theamazingWharton
professorAdamGrantgatheredanaudienceofhisthirtytopstudents
andalums,andIgavemytalktothem.Theirfeedbackwasso
insightfulthatIstayedupallnighttorewritethefinalthirdofthetalk.
ThenIhadtospendtherestoftheweekendre-memorizing.Idon’t
advisewaitinguntilthelastminutelikethis!ButIdorecommend
workingwitharealaudienceandasagefriendlikeAdam.
Buthere’sasurprise.Evenspeakerswhodon’tbelieveinscriptingand
memorizingtheirtalkshavestillmadeabigpointofrehearsing.Here’s
educationreformerSalmanKhan:
Deliverthespeechatleastfivetimesinyourbedroom,paraphrasing
thecoreideas.Evenifyoumessuporforgetsomething,force
yourselftofinishwitheachgo(andalwayskeeptime).Inmymind,
thevalueofpracticeislessaboutmemorizationthanaboutmaking
youcomfortableandlessstressed.Ifyouareconfidentandatease,
everyonewillhaveabettertime.
SciencewriterMaryRoachconcurs:
Mytalkwasnotwrittenoutwordforwordormemorized.Butitwas
rehearsed—atleasttwenty-fivetimes,usingtennotecardsanda
timer.There’sakindofunintentionalmemorizationthatdevelops
naturallyfromrepetition.Ithinkthat’swhatyou’reafter.
Memorizationfeelssafer,butalittleriskisgood.Fearisenergy,and
youwantsomeofthatrunningthroughyourwires.
Thatphraseunintentionalmemorizationisanimportantone.Ifyou
rehearseenough,youmayfindyourselfsimplyknowingthetalkinitsbest
form.WhenClayShirkycametotheTEDofficestogiveatalkabouta
ballooningcontroversyregardingcopyrightlegislation,Imarveledathis
abilitytosmoothlydeliverthewholecomplicatedthingwithoutascript,
withoutnoteseven.Iaskedhimhowhedidit.Answer:Repeatedrehearsals.
Butrehearsalsthatactuallycreatedthetalk.Here’swhathesaid:
IonceheardRonVawter,thegreatestactorI’veeverknown,answera
questionabouthisrehearsaltechnique.Hereplied,“Ijustsaythe
wordsenoughtimesthattheysoundlikethey’recomingfromme.”
That’swhatIdo—Iprepareforatalkbytalking.Istartwithabasic
idea,figureoutanintroductorysentenceortwo,andthenjustimagine
myselfexplainingittopeoplewhocareabouttheidea.
Inthebeginning,thetalkingistogetasenseofwhatfitsand
doesn’tfit—it’smoreeditingthanrehearsing.InthatTEDTalkIhad
awholebitaboutscarcityinindustriesotherthanTV,butitkept
feelingawkwardtocramitin,soIdroppedit.Afterawhile,the
talkingbecomesforpacingandtiming.Andbytheend,I’mmostly
justtalkingoutthetransitions.Slideshelp,ofcourse,butrehearsing
thetransitionsisespeciallyimportant.Theaudienceneedstohearin
yourvoicewhenyou’redoublingdownonanidea,versuswhen
you’rechangingsubjects.
Ialwaysmakewrittennotes,butIneverwriteoutthetalk—talks
shouldn’tfeellikewritingreadaloud.Instead,Iwritedownalistof
whattheaterpeoplecallbeats:here’sathoughtabouttheDMCA,then
oneaboutSOPA,thenoneabouttheDNS,andsoon.Imakethelast
listofthesebeatsjustbeforeIgoonstage,asalasthead-clearing
reminder.
IfyoupulltogethertheadvicefromCain,Khan,Roach,andShirky,you
willseethatthegapbetweenmemorizedandin-the-momenttalksstartsto
fade.Thebestmemorizedtalksareknownsowellthatspeakerscan
concentrateontheirpassionfortheideastheycontain.Thebestin-the-
momenttalkshavebeenpracticedenoughtimesthattheirspeakersknow
exactlywhattrajectorytheyshouldtake,andtheyfindmanyofthemost
powerfulphrasesalreadythereinmind.
Whatwe’rereallytalkingabouthereisnottwodifferentwaysofdelivering
atalk,butrather,it’stwodifferentwaysofconstructingatalk.Somepeople
startwithascript,otherswithasetofbulletpoints,buttheprocessof
rehearsalmovesthesemuchclosertogether.Inbothcases,thegoalisa
carefullystructuredtalk,deliveredwithin-the-momentfocus.
Maybe,atthispoint,you’llpushbackandsaythatyouhatetalksthatare
rehearsed.Youcanalwaystell,howevereffortlesssomeonethinksthey’re
makingitseem.Talksshouldbefresh,unique,live!
Iknowmaybeatinyhandfulofspeakerswhocandothat.They’rebuilding
onalifetimeofexperienceand/oranunusualabilitytoconstructandfocusan
ideainrealtime.Butformostofus,givingatalk“fresh”bringswithit
terribletradeoffs:lackoffocus,missedkeypoints,lackofclarity,andtime
overrun,justtonameafew.Ireallydon’trecommendthisapproach.When
peoplethinkatalksoundsrehearsed,theproblemisnottoomuchrehearsal,
it’stoolittlerehearsal.ThespeakerisstuckintheUncannyValley.
Butlet’sacknowledgethis:Rehearsalsarehard.They’reinherently
stressful.Evencommittingtoarun-throughoutloudinyourbedroomishard.
Theremaybesomespeakingoccasionswhereyousimplycan’tjustifytaking
thetimetodothis(inwhichcase,speakingfromahand-heldsetofbullet
points,orfromascriptthatyoulookupfromasmuchasyoucan,areyour
bestoptions).Butifatalkisimportant,youreally,reallyoweittoyourself
andtheaudiencetoworkthroughthatstressbyrehearsing.Indoingthatthe
stressstartstobecomereplacedbyconfidence,andthenbyexcitement.
AuthorTracyChevalierovercameherreluctancetorehearseand
discoveredhowitcanactuallyshapethetalk.
TEDorganizersplacealotofemphasisonrehearsing.Theytoldme
topracticesooftenIgotannoyed.Ihavegivenmanypublictalksand
neverpracticedthewayTEDexpectedmeto.Intheend,however,I
didrehearse,andwasverygladofit.Mosttalksarenottimedso
tightly,andmystyleisoftenconversationalandtangential.Practicing
makesyourealizejusthowmuchwafflethereisinmosttalks.
Practice,timeyourself,andstartcuttingoutalltheasidesand
unnecessarystuff.Ialsofoundthatinsayingitaloud,Icameupwith
phrasesthatworkedwell.Imemorizedthose,thenusedthemas
anchors,orlandingpadstotouchdownon.Ididn’tmemorizethe
wholetalk—thatcansoundprettyfakeunlessyou’reanactor—butI
didmemorizethestructureandthosefewlandingpadphrases,and
thatmadethetalktighterandbetter.
EvenBillGates,oneoftheworld’sbusiestmen,putsahugeeffortinto
learningandrehearsinghisTEDTalks.Onceuponatimehewasconsidereda
poorpublicspeaker.Bytakingpreparationseriously,he’sturnedthataround
andhasproducedpowerfultalksonpublichealth,energy,andeducation.
Ifit’sworthBillGates’stimeandSusanCain’stimeandTracyChevalier’s
timeandSalmanKhan’stimetorehearseforamajortalk,it’sprobablyworth
yourtimetoo.
Somethingstoaskyouraudienceduringoraftertheserehearsals:
DidIgetyourattentionfromtheget-go?
WasImakingeyecontact?
Didthetalksucceedinbuildinganewideaforyou?
Waseachstepofthejourneysatisfying?
Werethereenoughexamplestomakeeverythingclear?
Howwasmytoneofvoice?Diditsoundconversational(usuallygood)
orasifIwaspreaching(usuallybad)?
Wasthereenoughvarietyoftoneandpacing?
DidIsoundasifIwasrecitingthetalk?
Weretheattemptsathumornaturaloralittleawkward?Wasthere
enoughhumor?
Howwerethevisuals?Didtheyhelporgetintheway?
Didyounoticeanyannoyingtraits?WasIclickingmytongue?
Swallowingtoooften?Shiftingfromsidetoside?Repeatedlyusinga
phraselike“youknow”or(worse)“like”?
Weremybodygesturesnatural?
DidIfinishontime?
Weretheremomentsyougotalittlebored?WastheresomethingIcould
cut?
Irecommendyouhavesomeonerecordtheserehearsalsonasmartphoneso
thatyoucantakealookatyourselfinaction.Youmayimmediatelynotice
somephysicaltraitthatyou’recompletelyunconsciousofthatyou’dprefer
wasn’tthere.
Finally,let’stalkabouttimelimits.It’sreallyimportantthatyoutakethe
clockseriously.Thisiscertainlytruewhenyou’repartofapackedprogram.
Overrunningtheclockisstealingtimefromthespeakerswhofollowyou.But
it’snotjustaboutavoidingupsettingthemandtheeventorganizer.It’salso
aboutlandingyourbesttalk.Inourcrazymodernattentioneconomy,people
respondtocrisp,powerfulcontent.Theyhavenopatienceforflab.Andit’s
notjustamodernphenomenon.Inhistory,manyofthemostpowerfultalks
wereshortandtothepoint.AbrahamLincoln’sGettysburgAddressclocked
inatjustover2minutes.Thespeakerbeforehimdronedonfor2hours;what
hesaidislongforgotten.
Whenitcomestotheactualday,thelastthingyouwantistobeworried
abouttime.Toavoidthis,useyourrehearsalstofine-tuneyourtalk.You
shouldplantocutyourmaterialuntilyou’resureyoucanfinishwellunder
thelimit.Thiswillallowtimeforaudiencelaughterandaweeglitchortwo.
Onthedayitself,ifyouknowyou’regoingtobeOKontime,itwillallow
youtofocus100percentonthetopicyoushouldbefocusedon:explaining
withpassiontheideayoucaresomuchabout.
SpokenwordartistRiveshasaniceguidelinehere.
Yourfinishlineisyourtimetimes0.9.Writeandrehearseatalkthat
isnine-tenthsthetimeyouweregiven:1hour=54minutes,10
minutes=9,18minutes=16:12(yes,itis).Thengetonstageand
ignoretheclock.You’llhavebreathingroomtopaceyourself,to
pause,toscrewupalittle,tomilktheaudience’sresponse.Plusyour
writingwillbetighterandyou’llstandoutfromtheotherspeakers
whoaredancingtotherhythmsofthesametimelimit.
Let’ssumitup.
Forahigh-stakestalk,it’sveryimportanttorehearsemultipletimes,
preferablyinfrontofpeopleyoutrust.
Workonituntilit’scomfortablyunderyourallocatedtimelimitand
insistonhonestfeedbackfromyourrehearsalaudience.
Yourgoalistoendupwithatalkwhosestructureissecondnaturetoyou
sothatyoucanconcentrateonmeaningwhatyousay.
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PreparationProcess
13
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OPENANDCLOSE
WhatKindofImpressionWouldYouLiketo
Make?
Whetherornotyoumemorizeyourtalk,it’simportanttopayattentiontohow
youbeginandhowyouendit.Atthebeginningofyourtalk,youhaveabouta
minutetointriguepeoplewithwhatyou’llbesaying.Andthewayyouend
willstronglyinfluencehowyourtalkisremembered.
Howeveryoudelivertherestofthetalk,Istronglyencourageyoutoscript
andmemorizetheopeningminuteandtheclosinglines.Ithelpswithnerves,
withconfidence,andwithimpact.
FOURWAYSTOSTARTSTRONG
Audienceattentionisatrulypreciouscommodity.Youalwayshaveitwhen
youfirstarriveonstage.Don’tfritteritawaywithsmalltalk.Itreally,truly
doesn’tmatterthatmuchthatyouarehonoredtobethere,orthatthe
organizer’swifeneedstobethanked.Whatmattersispersuadingtheaudience
thattheydarenotswitchoffforananosecond.Youwantanopeningthat
grabspeoplefromthefirstmoment.Asurprisingstatement.Anintriguing
question.Ashortstory.Anincredibleimage.
Thereare,tobesure,occasionswhenyoucanstartwithathank-youor
two,especiallywhenyou’respeakingataneventwherethere’sastrongsense
ofcommunity.Thereitmayabsolutelybetherightthingtobeginwith
acknowledgingacoupleofpeople.Itmakesyoupartofthecommunity.Butif
youdothis,pleasedoitinasuper-personalway,preferablywithhumoror
genuinewarmth.BillClintonisamasteratthis.He’llfindapersonal
anecdotethatmakesthehostfeellikeamillionbucks,whilesimultaneously
connectingwiththerestoftheguestsasaresult.However,eveninthat
communitysetting,keepyourthank-yousincheck.Long,drylistsof
acknowledgmentsareabsoluteattentionkillersinanycontext.Andwhenyou
beginyourtalkproper,makesureithasacompellingopening.
Rememberthateverypieceofcontentinourmoderneraispartofan
attentionwar.It’sfightingagainstthousandsofotherclaimsonpeople’stime
andenergy.Thisistrueevenwhenyou’restandingonastageinfrontofa
seatedaudience.Theyhavedeadlydistractersintheirpocketscalled
smartphones,whichtheycanusetosummontotheireyesathousandoutside
alternatives.Onceemailsandtextsmaketheirclaim,yourtalkmaybe
doomed.Andthenthere’sthatlurkingdemonofmodernlife,fatigue.All
thesearelethalenemies.Youneverwanttoprovidesomeonewithanexcuse
tozoneout.Youhavetobeasavvygeneraldirectingthiswar’soutcome.
Startingstrongisoneofyourmostimportantweapons.
Thisisespeciallytrueifyourtalkisbeingrecordedforonlineposterity.
Dozensofotherenticingtalks,articles,andquizzesarejustoneclickaway.If
youwastetheopeningminuteofyourtalk,you’regoingtoloseasignificant
portionofyouronlineaudiencebeforetheyeverrealizethere’saninteresting
bit.Andthatmaymakethedifferencebetweenyourtalkgoingviralordying
atragicdeath.
Herearefourwaystostakeyourclaimtotheaudience’sattention.
1.Deliveradoseofdrama
Yourfirstwordsreallydomatter.
ComicMaysoonZayid,whosuffersfromcerebralpalsyduetoabotched
medicalprocedureatherbirth,cameontothestageshaking,andbeganher
talklikethis:“Iamnotdrunk...butthedoctorwhodeliveredmewas.”
Kapow!Despiteherunexpectedappearanceweimmediatelyknewwewerein
foratreat.Sheownedeveryeyeballandeverybraincellintheroom.
ActivistchefJamieOlivercametoTEDtoacceptourannualTEDPrize.
Here’showheopened.“Sadly,inthenext18minutes...fourAmericansthat
arealivewillbedead...throughthefoodthattheyeat.”Ithinkyouwantto
hearmore.
Inplanningyouropening,letyourtalk’sthroughlinebeyourguide.How
canyouteaseuptheideaofyourtalkinthemostcompellingway
imaginable?Askyourself:ifyourtalkwereamovieoranovel,howwouldit
open?Thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetocramsomethingdramaticintothe
openingsentence;youdefinitelyhaveafewmomentsofaudienceattention.
Butbytheendofthefirstparagraph,somethingneedstoland.
ZakEbrahimcametoTED2014withanincrediblestory.Butinhisoriginal
script,heplannedtoopenlikethis:
IwasborninPittsburgh,Pennsylvania,in1983toalovingAmerican
motherandanEgyptianfatherwhotriedtheirbesttocreateahappy
childhoodforme.Itwasn’tuntilIwassevenyearsoldthatourfamily
dynamicstartedtochange.MyfatherexposedmetoasideofIslam
thatfewpeople,includingthemajorityofMuslims,gettosee.But,in
fact,whenpeopletakethetimetointeractwithoneanother,itdoesn’t
takelongtorealizethat,forthemostpart,weallwantthesamethings
outoflife.
It’sanOKopening...butitdoesn’treallygrabyou.Webrainstormedwith
Zak,andhere’shisrevisedopening:
OnNovemberfifth,1990,amannamedEl-SayyidNosairwalkedinto
ahotelinManhattanandassassinatedRabbiMeirKahane,theleader
oftheJewishDefenseLeague.Nosairwasinitiallyfoundnotguiltyof
themurder,butwhileservingtimeonlessercharges,heandother
menbeganplanningattacksonadozenNewYorkCitylandmarks,
includingtunnels,synagogues,andtheUnitedNationsheadquarters.
Thankfully,thoseplanswerefoiledbyanFBIinformant.Sadly,the
1993bombingoftheWorldTradeCenterwasnot.Nosairwould
eventuallybeconvictedforhisinvolvementintheplot.El-Sayyid
Nosairismyfather.
Theaudiencewasriveted.Theopeningworkedonlinetoo,histalkquickly
notchingup2millionviews.
Here’stheopeningoftheoriginalscriptsenttousbysociologistAlice
Goffman.
WhenIwasafreshmanincollegeattheUniversityofPennsylvania,I
tookasociologyclasswhereweweresupposedtogooutandstudy
thecitythroughfirsthandobservationandparticipation.Igotajob
workingatacafeteriaoncampus,makingsandwichesandsalads.My
bosswasanAfricanAmericanwomaninhersixtieswholivedina
blackneighborhoodnotfarfromPenn.ThenextyearIbegantutoring
hergranddaughterAisha,whowasafreshmaninhighschool.
She’sjusttellingherstoryinawaythat’snaturaltoher,butbythetimeshe
gottotheconference,shehadarevisedopeningworthyofthesearingpassion
ofhertalk.
OnthepaththatAmericanchildrentraveltoadulthood,two
institutionsoverseethejourney.Thefirstistheonewehearalot
about:college.Collegehassomeshortcomings.It’sexpensive;it
leavesyoungpeopleindebt.Butallinall,it’saprettygoodpath...
TodayIwanttotalkaboutthesecondinstitutionoverseeingthe
journeyfromchildhoodtoadulthoodintheUnitedStates.Andthat
institutionisprison.
ThatbrilliantframingallowedhertotalkaboutthetragedyofAmerica’s
incarceratedinawaythatdemandsattention:Hey,theycouldhavebeen
collegekids.
Ofcourse,it’spossibletooverdothedramaandactuallylosepeople.
Maybeyouwanttoconnectwiththeaudiencealittlebeforehittingthemwith
adramaticthunderbolt.Andyoucertainlydon’twanttooversimplifywhat
you’regoingtotalkabout.Butdoneright,thisisacompellingwaytogeta
talkstarted.
2.Ignitecuriosity
IfIofferedyouthechancetohearatalkonparasites,I’mguessingyoumight
decline.Butonlyifyouhadn’tmetsciencewriterEdYong.Here’showhe
openedhistalk.
Aherdofwildebeests,ashoaloffish,aflockofbirds.Manyanimals
gatherinlargegroupsthatareamongthemostwonderfulspectacles
inthenaturalworld.Butwhydothesegroupsform?Thecommon
answersincludethingslikeseekingsafetyinnumbersorhuntingin
packsorgatheringtomateorbreed,andalloftheseexplanations,
whileoftentrue,makeahugeassumptionaboutanimalbehavior,that
theanimalsareincontroloftheirownactions,thattheyareincharge
oftheirbodies.Andthatisoftennotthecase.
Hegoesontodescribehowaspeciesofshrimphuddletogetheronly
becausetheirbrainshavebeentakenoverbyparasiteswhoneedtheshrimpto
bevisibletopredatorflamingosinwhosebelliestheparasitecancontinueits
lifecycle.Inlessthanaminuteflat,yourbrainisdoingsomersaults.
Whaaat?!Cannaturereallydothat??Andyou’recryingouttoknowmore.
How?Why?Whatdoesthismean?
Ignitingcuriosityisthesinglemostversatiletoolatyourdisposalfor
ensuringaudienceengagement.Ifatalk’sgoalistobuildanideainlisteners’
minds,thencuriosityisthefuelthatpowerslisteners’activeparticipation.
Neuroscientistsspeakofquestionscreatingaknowledgegapthatthebrain
fightstoclose.Theonlywaythebrainsoftheaudiencecandothatisby
havingtheirownerslistenhardtowhatyouhavetosay.Thisisgood.
Howdoyousparkcuriosity?Theobviouswayistoaskaquestion.Butnot
justanyquestion.Asurprisingquestion.
Howdowebuildabetterfutureforall?Toobroad.Toomuchofacliché.
I’mboredalready.
Howdidthisfourteen-year-oldgirl,withlessthan$200inherbank
account,giveherwholetownagiantleapintothefuture?Nowwe’retalking.
Sometimesalittleillustrationcanturnaso-soquestionintofull-on
curiosityignition.Here’showphilosopherMichaelSandelbegan:
Here’saquestionweneedtorethinktogether:Whatshouldbetherole
ofmoneyandmarketsinoursocieties?
Areyouinterestedyet?Maybe,maybenot.Buthere’showhecontinues.
Today,thereareveryfewthingsthatmoneycan’tbuy.Ifyou’re
sentencedtoajailterminSantaBarbara,California,youshouldknow
thatifyoudon’tlikethestandardaccommodations,youcanbuya
prisoncellupgrade.It’strue.Forhowmuch,doyouthink?What
wouldyouguess?Fivehundreddollars?It’snottheRitz-Carlton.It’s
ajail!Eighty-twodollarsanight.
Ifhisopeningquestiondidn’timmediatelygrabyou,thecrazyjailexample
revealswhythequestionmightmatteralotafterall.
Infact,curiosity-generatingspeakersoftendon’texplicitlyaskaquestion.
Atleastnotatfirst.Theysimplyframeatopicinanunexpectedwaythat
clicksthatcuriositybutton.
Here’sV.S.Ramachandran:
Istudythehumanbrain,thefunctionsandstructureofthehuman
brain.AndIjustwantyoutothinkforaminuteaboutwhatthis
entails.Hereisthisthree-poundmassofjellyyoucanholdinthe
palmofyourhand,anditcancontemplatethevastnessofinterstellar
space.Itcancontemplatethemeaningofinfinityanditcan
contemplateitselfcontemplatingonthemeaningofinfinity.
Areyouintrigued?Iam.Likewise,astronomerJannaLevinfoundawayto
makemeintenselycuriousaboutherwork.
Iwanttoaskyoualltoconsiderforasecondtheverysimplefactthat,
byfar,mostofwhatweknowabouttheuniversecomestousfrom
light.WecanstandontheEarthandlookupatthenightskyandsee
starswithourbareeyes.TheSunburnsourperipheralvision.Wesee
lightreflectedofftheMoon.AndinthetimesinceGalileopointed
thatrudimentarytelescopeatthecelestialbodies,theknownuniverse
hascometousthroughlight,acrossvasterasincosmichistory.And
withallofourmoderntelescopes,we’vebeenabletocollectthis
stunningsilentmovieoftheuniverse—theseseriesofsnapshotsthat
goallthewaybacktotheBigBang.Andyet,theuniverseisnota
silentmoviebecausetheuniverseisn’tsilent.I’dliketoconvinceyou
thattheuniversehasasoundtrackandthatsoundtrackisplayedon
spaceitself,becausespacecanwobblelikeadrum.
Curiosityisthemagnetthatpullsyouraudiencealongwithyou.Ifyoucan
wielditeffectively,youcanturnevendifficultsubjectsintowinningtalks.
Andby“difficultsubjects,”Idon’tjustmeanAdvancedPhysics.Even
harderaretalksaboutchallengingissuesandcauses.Ifyouwanttoadvance
newideasaboutHIVormalariaorhumanslavery,youhavetobeawarethat
it’shardforpeopletoopenuptothesetopics.Theyknowthey’regoingtobe
madetofeeluncomfortableatsomepoint.It’stemptingtothemtoshutdown
aheadoftimeandpullouttheiPhone.Agreatwaytocounterthatistolead
withcuriosity.
Asmentionedearlier,EmilyOsterdidthisinhertalkaboutAIDS.Instead
oftheexpectedlitanyofhorrorsheraudiencemayhavebeenexpecting,she
startedbyaskingwhetherthefourthingsweallthoughtweknewaboutAIDS
inAfricawereactuallytrue.Shehadaslidelistingthem.Theylookedright,
butitwasclearshewasgoingtochallengeeachone.Andjustlikethat,a
differentpartofthebrainswingsintoaction.Attentionwaswon.
Ifyourtalktopicischallenging,curiosityisprobablyyourmostpowerful
engineofengagement.
3.Showacompellingslide,video,orobject
Sometimesthebestopeninghookisaglorious,impactful,orintriguing
pictureorvideo.
ArtistAlexaMeadebeganbyshowingastrikingimageofoneofherworks
andspeakingthesewords.“Youmaywanttotakeacloserlook.There’smore
tothispaintingthanmeetstheeye.Andyes,it’sanacrylicpaintingofaman,
butIdidn’tpaintitoncanvas.Ipainteditdirectlyontopoftheman.”Wow.
EloraHardybegan:“WhenIwasnineyearsold,mymomaskedmewhatI
wouldwantmyhousetolooklike,andIdrewthisfairymushroom.”She
showsacutechild’sdrawing.“Andthensheactuallybuiltit.”Youcanhear
theaudience’sintakeofbreathassheshowsanimageofthebamboohouse
hermotherbuilt.It’sjustthesetupforaseriesofstunningimagesofElora’s
ownworkasanarchitect,butlookhowrapidlyshehasengagedtheaudience.
Twosentencesin,andthey’realreadygasping.
Ifyouhavetherightmaterial,thisisclearlyagreatwaytostartatalk.
Insteadofsaying,“TodayIplantotalktoyouaboutmywork,butfirstIneed
togiveyousomebackground...,”youcanjuststartbysaying:“Letme
showyousomething.”
Obviouslythisapproachcanworkwellforphotographers,artists,
architects,anddesigners,orotherswhoseworkisfundamentallyvisual.Butit
canalsoworkbeautifullyforconceptualtalks.WhenDavidChristiangavehis
historyoftheuniversein18minutes,hebeganwithvideoofaneggbeing
scrambled.Itwasonlyafter10secondsorsothatyourealizedtheprocess
washappeninginreverse—theeggwasbeingunscrambled.Rightthere,right
inhisintriguingopeningvideo,herevealedthethroughlineofhisstory...
thatthereisadirectiontotime.Thatthestoryoftheuniverseisoneof
growingcomplexity.
Agorgeousimagecapturesattention.Butthefullimpactoftencomesin
revealingsomethingsurprisingaboutit.CarlZimmerbeganwithastunningly
beautifulpictureofajewelwasp.Buthethenrevealedthatitmadeitsliving
byturningcockroachesintozombiesandlayingitseggsinsidetheircomatose
bodies(anothertriumphantentryinthatstrangenicheofTEDTalksdevoted
totrulydisturbingparasites).
Dependingonwhatmaterialyouhave,thereareplentyofwaystoponder
evenmoreintriguingstarts.“Theimageyou’reabouttoseechangedmylife.”
“I’mgoingtoplayyouavideothat,atfirstviewing,mayseemtobe
impossible.”
“Here’smyopeningslide.Canyoufigureoutwhatthisthingis?”
“Untiltwoandahalfmonthsago,nolivinghumanhadcasteyesonthis
object.”
Findtheonethatfeelsrightforyou.Compelling,butalsoauthentic.An
openingthatwillboostyourownconfidencegoingintothetalk.
4.Tease,butdon’tgiveitaway
Occasionally,speakerstrytobringtoomuchtotheiropeningparagraph.They
essentiallygiveawaythepunchlineoftheirtalk.“TodayI’mgoingtoexplain
toyouthatthekeytosuccessasanentrepreneurissimplythis:
determination.”Aworthygoal.Butthespeakermayhavealreadylostthe
audience.Theythinktheyknowthetalkalready.Evenifwhatfollowsisfull
ofnuance,logic,passion,andpersuasion,theymaynolongerbelistening.
Supposeinsteadthetalkstartedthisway:“OverthenextfewminutesIplan
torevealwhatIbelieveisthekeytosuccessasanentrepreneur,andhow
anyoneherecancultivateit.You’llfindcluestoitinthestoryI’maboutto
tell.”You’llprobablygivethatspeakeratleastafewmoreminutesofyour
attention.
Soinsteadofgivingitallawayupfront,imaginewhatkindoflanguage
willseducetheaudienceintowantingtocomealongfortheride.Different
audience,differentlanguage.Imentionedthat,asachild,Ididn’tmuchlike
tobedraggedoutwalking.Myparentsmadeavalianteffortataudience
empathy...butfailed.They’dsay,“Let’sgoforahike.We’llgettoseea
beautifulviewofthevalley.”Andtheunfitlittlesix-year-oldthatwasme,
whofranklydidn’tcareatallaboutviews,wouldwhineallthewaythereand
back.Later,theygotwiseandwentforamorecleverlycraftedpitch.“We’ve
gotatreatforyou.We’regoingsomewherespecialwhereyoucanlauncha
paperairplaneintofivemilesofemptyspace.”Asafanofanythingthatflew,
Iwasoutthedoorbeforetheywere.Itwasthesamewalk.
It’sOKtosavethebigrevelationsforthemiddleorendofyourtalk.Inthe
openingsentencesyoursolegoalistogiveyouraudienceareasontostep
awayfromtheircomfortzoneandaccompanyyouonanamazingjourneyof
discovery.
AsJ.J.AbramspointedoutinhisTEDTalkonthepowerofmystery,the
movieJawsowesalotofitsimpacttothefactthatdirectorStevenSpielberg
hidthesharkforthefirsthalfofthemovie.Youknewitwascoming,forsure.
Butitsinvisibilityhelpedkeepyouontheedgeofyourseat.
Asyouplanyourtalk,there’snoharminchannelingyourinnerSpielberg.
EdithWidderdidjustthat,albeitwithhelpfromadifferentseacreature.
Whenshegaveatalkonherteam’sdiscoveryofthegiantsquid,sheofcourse
wantedapowerfulopening.Didsheshowtheamazingfootageofthesquid?
Ohno.Instead,heropeningslidewasadramaticartist’simageofthekraken,
thesquidlikeseamonsterofNorwegianlegend.Thatallowedhertosetupthe
storyshewasgoingtotellasrooteddeepinmythology.Themomentwhen
thegiantsquidappearsisahundredtimesmoredramaticforbeingheldback.
Thetechniqueworksforastonishingcreatures,anditalsoworksfor
astonishingbreakthroughs.StanfordprofessorFei-FeiLicametoTEDin
2015topresentherremarkablework,showinghowmachinelearninghas
enabledcomputerstovisuallyidentifythecontentsofphotographs.Butshe
didn’tstartwithademo.Shestartedwithavideoofathree-year-oldchild
lookingatpicturesandidentifyingtheircontents.“That’sacatsittingina
bed.”“Theboyispettingtheelephant.”Shethenhelpedusunderstandhow
amazingtheskillbeingdemonstratedbythechildwas,andhow
consequentialitwouldbeifwecouldtraincomputerstodevelopsimilar
capabilities.Itwasabeautifulsetuptodescribeherwork.Thejaw-dropping
demosofartificialintelligencecamelater,andwewerehookedalltheway.
Ifyoudecidetoteasealittle,pleasenotethatit’sstillveryimportantto
indicatewhereyou’regoingandwhy.Youdon’thavetoshowtheshark,but
wedoneedtoknowit’scoming.Everytalkneedsmapping—asenseofwhere
you’regoing,whereyouare,andwhereyou’vebeen.Ifyourlistenersdon’t
knowwheretheyareinthestructureofthetalk,theywillquicklygetlost.
Incraftingyourownopening,youcandrawinspirationfromanyorallofthe
above.Youcanalsobuildinsomeofthetechniquesdiscussedearlier:tella
story,maybe,orgetpeoplelaughing.Thekeyissimplytofindagoodfitfor
youandforwhatyou’retalkingabout.Testitonfriends.Ifitfeelscontrived
oroverlydramatic,changeit.Justbearinmindthatyourgoalistopersuade
someone,inonlyafewmoments,thatyourtalkisgoingtobeaworthy
investmentoftheirattention.
WhenIwasinthemagazinebusiness,Iurgedoureditorsanddesignersto
thinkofmagazinecoversashavingtocompeteinatwo-stagewarfor
attention.First,thehalf-secondwar:assomeone’seyesscannedacrossa
newsstand,wastheresomethingattention-grabbingonthecoverthatwould
makeherstopforamoment?Next,the5-secondwar:onceshe’dstoppedto
look,wouldshereadsomethingcompellingenoughonthecovertomakeher
pickupthemagazine?
Youcanthinkofatalkopeningthesameway,exceptwithdifferent
timings.Firstthereisthe10-secondwar:canyoudosomethinginyourfirst
momentsonstagetoensurepeople’seagerattentionwhileyousetupyour
talktopic?Secondisthe1-minutewar:canyouthenusethatfirstminuteto
ensurethatthey’recommittedtocomingonthefulltalkjourneywithyou?
Thefourtechniquesaboveofferexcellentoptionsforwinningbothstages
ofthatwar,therebygivingyourtalkitsbestshot.Youmaywanttocombine
twoormoreoftheminyouropening,thoughyoucertainlyshouldn’ttryto
useallofthem.Picktheonesthatfeelrighttoyou.Andthenyou,andyour
fullyengagedaudience,willbeonyourwaytogether.
SEVENWAYSTOENDWITHPOWER
Ifyou’veheldpeople’sattentionthroughthetalk,don’truinitwithaflat
ending.AsDannyKahnemanexplainedsopowerfullyinbothhisbook
Thinking,FastandSlowandinhisTEDTalk,howpeoplerememberanevent
maybeverydifferentfromhowtheyexperiencedit,andwhenitcomesto
remembering,yourfinalexperienceisreallyimportant.Inshort,iftheending
isn’tmemorable,thetalkitselfmaynotbe.
Here’shownottoend:
“Well,that’smytimegone,soI’llwrapupthere.”(Youmean,youhada
lotmoretosaybutcan’ttellusbecauseofbadplanning?)
“Finally,Ijustwanttothankmyawesometeam,whoarepicturedhere:
David,Joanna,Gavin,Samantha,Lee,Abdul,andHezekiah.Also,my
university,andmysponsors.”(Lovely,butdoyoucareaboutthemmore
thanyouridea,andmorethanus,youraudience?!)
“So,giventheimportanceofthisissue,Ihopewecanstartanew
conversationaboutittogether.”(Aconversation?!Isn’tthatalittlelame?
Whatshouldbetheoutcomeofthatconversation?)
“Thefutureisfullofchallengesandopportunities.Everyoneherehasit
intheirhearttomakeadifference.Let’sdreamtogether.Let’sbethe
changewewanttoseeintheworld.”(Beautifulsentiment,butthe
clichésreallydon’thelpanyone.)
“I’llclosewiththisvideowhichsummarizesmypoints.”(No!Neverend
withavideo.Endwithyou!)
“Sothatconcludesmyargument,nowarethereanyquestions?”(Or,how
topreemptyourownapplause.)
“I’msorryIhaven’thadtimetodiscusssomeofthemajorissueshere,
buthopefullythishasatleastgivenyouaflavorofthetopic.”(Don’t
apologize!Planmorecarefully!Yourjobwastogivethebesttalkyou
couldinthetimeavailable.)
“Inclosing,Ishouldjustpointoutthatmyorganizationcouldprobably
solvethisproblemifwewereadequatelyfunded.Youhaveitinyour
powertochangetheworldwithus.”(Ah,sothiswasafundraisingpitch
allalong?)
“Thanksforbeingsuchanamazingaudience.Ihavelovedevery
moment,standinghere,talkingtoyou.I’llcarrythisexperiencewithme
foralong,longtime.You’vebeensopatient,andIknowthatyou’lltake
whatyou’veheardtodayanddosomethingwonderfulwithit.”(“Thank
you”wouldhavebeenjustfine.)
It’samazinghowmanytalkssimplyfizzleout.Andhowmanymorego
throughaseriesoffalseendings,asifthespeakercan’tbeartoleavethe
stage.Unlessyouplanyourendingcarefully,youmaywellfindyourself
addingparagraphafterparagraph.Finally,thekeypoint,asIsaid...So,in
conclusion...Andjusttoemphasizeagain,thereasonthismatters...Andof
courseit’simportanttostillbearinmind...Oh,andonelastthing...It’s
exhausting.Anditwilldamagethetalk’simpact.
Herearesevenbetterwaystoend:
Camerapull-back
You’vespentthetalkexplainingaparticularpieceofwork.Attheend,why
notshowusthebiggerpicture,abroadersetofpossibilitiesimpliedbyyour
work?
DavidEaglemanshowedthatthehumanbraincouldbethoughtofasa
patternrecognizer,andthatifyouweretoconnectnewelectricaldatatoa
brain,itcouldcometointerpretthatdataasifcomingfromabrand-newsense
organ,sothatyoucouldintuitivelysensebrand-newaspectsoftheworldin
realtime.Heendedbyhintingatthelimitlesspossibilitiesthisbroughtwith
it.
Justimagineanastronautbeingabletofeeltheoverallhealthofthe
InternationalSpaceStation,or,forthatmatter,havingyoufeelthe
invisiblestatesofyourownhealth,likeyourbloodsugarandthestate
ofyourmicrobiome,orhaving360-degreevisionorseeingininfrared
orultraviolet.Sothekeyisthis:Aswemoveintothefuture,we’re
goingtoincreasinglybeabletochooseourownperipheraldevices.
WenolongerhavetowaitforMotherNature’ssensorygiftsonher
timescales,butinstead,likeanygoodparent,she’sgivenusthetools
thatweneedtogooutanddefineourowntrajectory.Sothequestion
nowis,howdoyouwanttogooutandexperienceyouruniverse?
Calltoaction
Ifyou’vegivenyouraudienceapowerfulidea,whynotendbynudgingthem
toactonit?
HarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorAmyCuddyconcludedhertalkon
powerposingbyinvitingpeopletotryitintheirownlives,andtopassiton
toothers.
Giveitaway.Shareitwithpeople,becausethepeoplewhocanuseit
themostaretheoneswithnoresourcesandnotechnologyandno
statusandnopower.Giveittothembecausetheycandoitinprivate.
Theyneedtheirbodies,privacy,and2minutes,anditcan
significantlychangetheoutcomesoftheirlife.
Perhapsthatconfidentcallcontributedtothetalk’sextraordinaryviral
success.
Inhistalkonpublicshaming,authorJonRonson’sfinalcalltoactionwas
admirablysuccinct.
Thegreatthingaboutsocialmediawashowitgaveavoiceto
voicelesspeople,butwe’renowcreatingasurveillancesociety,where
thesmartestwaytosurviveistogobacktobeingvoiceless.Let’snot
dothat.
Personalcommitment
It’sonethingtocallontheaudiencetoact,butsometimesspeakersscoreby
makingagiantcommitmentoftheirown.Themostdramaticexampleofthis
atTEDwaswhenBillStonespokeofthepossibilitiesofhumansreturningto
themoon,andhisconvictionthatanexpeditioncouldcreateamassivenew
industryandopenupspaceexplorationforanewgeneration.Thenhesaid
this:
IwouldliketocloseherebyputtingastakeinthesandatTED.I
intendtoleadthatexpedition.
Apersonalcommitmentlikethatcanbeincrediblycompelling.Remember
theElonMuskexamplefromchapter1?“Formypart,Iwillnevergiveup
andImeannever.”ThatwasthekeytoreenergizinghisSpaceXteam.
In2011,theswimmerDianaNyadgaveaTEDTalkinwhichshedescribed
howshehadtriedtodowhatnoonehadeverachieved,toswimfromCubato
Florida.Shehadtriedonthreeoccasions,sometimespersistingfor50hours
ofconstantswimming,bravingdangerouscurrentsandnear-lethaljellyfish
stings,butultimatelyfailing.Attheendofhertalksheelectrifiedthe
audiencebysayingthis:
Thatocean’sstillthere.Thishopeisstillalive.AndIdon’twanttobe
thecrazywomanwhodoesitforyearsandyearsandyears,andtries
andfailsandtriesandfailsandtriesandfails...Icanswimfrom
CubatoFlorida,andIwillswimfromCubatoFlorida.
Andsureenough,twoyearslatershereturnedtotheTEDstagetodescribe
how,atagesixty-four,shehadfinallydoneit.
Aswitheverything,makingamajorcommitmentrequiresjudgment.Done
wrong,itcouldleadtoawkwardnessinthemoment,andalossofcredibility
later.Butifyou’repassionateaboutturninganideaintoaction,itmaywellbe
worthsteppingupto.
Valuesandvision
Canyouturnwhatyou’vediscussedintoaninspiringorhopefulvisionof
whatmightbe?Manyspeakerstry.ThelateRitaPierson,whogavea
beautifultalkonhowteachersneedtobuildrealrelationshipswiththeirkids,
endedwiththis:
Teachingandlearningshouldbringjoy.Howpowerfulwouldour
worldbeifwehadkidswhowerenotafraidtotakerisks,whowere
notafraidtothink,andwhohadachampion?Everychilddeservesa
champion,anadultwhowillnevergiveuponthem,whounderstands
thepowerofconnection,andinsiststhattheybecomethebestthat
theycanpossiblybe.Isthisjobtough?Youbetcha.OhGod,you
betcha.Butitisnotimpossible.Wecandothis.We’reeducators.
We’reborntomakeadifference.Thankyousomuch.
Ritapassedawayacoupleofmonthsaftergivingthistalk,buthercall
continuestoresonate.TeacherKittyBoitnottwroteamovingtribute:“Idid
notknowherandIdidnotknowofheruntiltoday,buttoday,throughher
talk,shetouchedmylifeandremindedmewhyIwasateacherforoverthree
decades.”
Satisfyingencapsulation
Sometimesspeakersfindawaytoneatlyreframethecasethey’vebeen
making.TherapistEstherPerelcalledforanew,morehonestapproachto
infidelitythatincludedthepossibilityofforgiveness.Sheendedlikethis:
Ilookataffairsfromadualperspective:hurtandbetrayalononeside,
growthandself-discoveryontheother—whatitdidtoyou,andwhat
itmeantforme.Andsowhenacouplecomestomeintheaftermath
ofanaffairthathasbeenrevealed,Iwilloftentellthemthis:Todayin
theWest,mostofusaregoingtohavetwoorthreerelationshipsor
marriages,andsomeofusaregoingtodoitwiththesameperson.
Yourfirstmarriageisover.Wouldyouliketocreateasecondone
together?
AndAmandaPalmer,whohaschallengedthemusicindustrytorethinkits
businessmodel,endedthisway:
Ithinkpeoplehavebeenobsessedwiththewrongquestion,whichis,
“Howdowemakepeoplepayformusic?”Whatifwestartedasking,
“Howdoweletpeoplepayformusic?”
Inbothcases,asurprisingquestioncarriedwithitapleasingmomentof
insightandclosure,andpromptedalongstandingovation.
Narrativesymmetry
Atalkbuiltcarefullyonathroughlinecandeliverapleasingconclusionby
linkingbacktoitsopening.StevenJohnsonbeganhistalkonwhereideas
comefrombyrevealingthesignificanceofcoffeehousesinindustrialBritain.
Theywereplaceswhereintellectualsgatheredtosparkoffeachother.Toward
theendhetoldthepowerfulstoryofhowGPSwasinvented,illustratingall
hispointsonhowideasemerge.Andthen,brilliantly,hethrewinthefactthat
GPSwasprobablyusedbyeveryoneintheaudiencethatweektodothings
like...findtheirnearestcoffeehouse.Youcanhearintheaudiencealittle
gaspofappreciationandapplauseatthesatisfyingwaythenarrativehascome
fullcircle.
Lyricalinspiration
Sometimes,ifthetalkhasopenedpeopleup,it’spossibletoendwithpoetic
languagethattapsdeepintomattersoftheheart.Thisshouldnotbetried
lightly.Butwhenitworks,it’squitebeautiful.Here’showBrenéBrown
endedhertalkonvulnerability.
ThisiswhatIhavefound:toletourselvesbeseen,deeplyseen,
vulnerablyseen;tolovewithourwholehearts,eventhoughthere’sno
guarantee...topracticegratitudeandjoyinthosemomentsofterror,
whenwe’rewondering,CanIloveyouthismuch?CanIbelievein
thispassionately?CanIbethisfierceaboutthis?justtobeableto
stop...andsay,“I’mjustsograteful,becausetofeelthisvulnerable
meansI’malive.”Andthelast,whichIthinkisprobablythemost
important,istobelievethatwe’reenough.Becausewhenwework
fromaplace,Ibelieve,thatsays,I’menough,thenwestopscreaming
andstartlistening,we’rekinderandgentlertothepeoplearoundus,
andwe’rekinderandgentlertoourselves.That’sallIhave.Thank
you.
Andhuman-rightslawyerBryanStevensonclosedhisblockbustertalkon
theinjusticesoftheUSprisonsystemwiththis:
I’vecometoTEDbecauseIbelievethatmanyofyouunderstandthat
themoralarcoftheuniverseislong,butitbendstowardjustice.That
wecannotbefullyevolvedhumanbeingsuntilwecareabouthuman
rightsandbasicdignity.Thatallofoursurvivalistiedtothesurvival
ofeveryone.Thatourvisionsoftechnologyanddesignand
entertainmentandcreativityhavetobemarriedwithvisionsof
humanity,compassion,andjustice.Andmorethananything,forthose
ofyouwhosharethat,I’vesimplycometotellyoutokeepyoureyes
ontheprize,holdon.
Irepeat,youcannotdothislightly.Itonlyworkswhentherestofthetalk
hasalreadypreparedthegroundwork,andwhenit’sclearthespeakerhas
earnedtherighttoevokesuchsentiment.Butintherighthandsandatthe
rightmoment,theseclosingscanbetranscendent.
Whicheverwayyouend,makesureit’splanned.Anelegantclosing
paragraph,followedbyasimple“thankyou,”offersthebestshotata
satisfyingendtoyourefforts.It’sworthfiguringout.
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ONSTAGE
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OnStage
14
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WARDROBE
WhatShouldIWear?
Manyspeakersworryabouttheclothestheyshouldweartomakethebest
impression.AndI’mprobablythelastpersontheyshouldturntoforadvice.
I’mtheguywhoshoweduponstageoneyearwithmybeautiful,bright
yellowsleevelesssweatervestoverahip-as-hellblackT-shirtandblack
trousers,thinkingIlookedterrific,whiletheaudiencesimplywondered,Why
didthatmandressasabumblebee?
IthereforehavehandedoverthissectiontoTED’scontentdirector,Kelly
Stoetzel,whohasbothfabulousstyleandamagnificentabilitytoputspeakers
attheirease.Here’sheradvice.
KellyStoetzelwrites:
Thelastthingyouneediswardrobestressinthehoursleadinguptoyourtalk,
andselectinganoutfitisonethingyoucancheckoffyourto-dolistearly.
Inmostsettingsallthatmattersisthatyouwearsomethingyoufeelgreat
in.AtTED,welikereasonablycasualclothes,givingthesensethatwe’reall
onaretreattogether.Otherplacesmayexpectasuitandtie.Youprobably
don’twanttheaudience’sfirstunconsciousthoughtaboutyoutobeanyofthe
following:stodgy,slovenly,tasteless,boring,ortryingtoohard.Butifyou
avoidthosepotentialtraps,wearingsomethingthatmakesyoufeelgoodwill
helpyouprojectrelaxedconfidence.Andaudienceswillrespondtothat.
Believeitornot,yourclothingcanearnyouanaudienceconnectionbefore
you’veevenspokenaword.
Asyouthinkaboutwhatyou’llwear,thereareafewquestionsworth
asking,suchas,Isthereadresscode?Howistheaudiencelikelytobe
dressed?You’llprobablywanttodresssomewhatliketheydo,butalittlebit
smarter.
Willyoubefilmed?Ifso,avoidwearingbrilliantwhite(itcanblowoutthe
shot)orjetblack(youmightlooklikeafloatinghead),oranythingwitha
smallortightpattern(itcancauseastrange,shimmery,moiréeffecton
camera).
Willyoubeusinganover-the-earmicrophone?Therearesomeriskshere:
Severaltimesaspeakerhadjuststartedspeakingwhenstrange,loud,clanking
noiseseruptedfromnowhere.They’recausedbyearringsbangingintothe
microphoneattachment.Avoiddanglingearrings!Also,men’sbeardstubble
cancausescratchingsounds.
Ifyou’rechoosingaccessories,avoidjanglybraceletsoranythingflashy
thatmightcauseareflection.Scarvescanbeagoodwaytobringinapopof
colorifyou’vechosentowearsomethingneutral.
You’lllikelybewearingthemike’sbatterypackonyourbelt,andyou’ll
probablyfeelmostsecureifyouhaveafirmbeltordefinedwaistlinewhere
youcanattachthepack.
Whatwillthestagelooklike?Considerwearingsomethingbrightthatsets
youapartfromthebackground.Thinkaboutdressingforthepeoplesittingin
thebackrow.TEDWomenspeakerLindaCliatt-Waymanworeabeautiful
bright-pinkdressthatensuredshedidn’tblendin,andalleyeswereonher
fromthemomentshetookthestageuntilherfinalapplause.
Theaudiencelovesbold,vibrantcolors,andsodoesthecamera.
Fittedclothingtendstolookbetteronstagethanoutfitsthatarelooseand
baggy.Lookforsomethingwithanicesilhouette,andmakesureit’stheright
size—nottooslack,nottootight.
Whileit’sgoodtoconsidertheseguidelines,personalexpressionsofstyle
cantrumpthemall.AcoupleofweeksbeforeTED2015,wesentoutanoteto
speakerswithafewfinalreminders,includingarecommendationthatmen
steerclearofties.RadiohostRomanMarsrepliedwith,“Whynoties?Ties
aregreat.”Wetoldhimthatiftieswerehisspecialthing,thenheshould
simplyignoreoursuggestion.Heworeone,hefeltgreat,lookedgreat,andfit
rightin.BookdesignerChipKiddhasalsodelightfullybrokentheTEDno-tie
rulewithhisstrong,wonderfulsenseofstyle.
Ifyou’restillunsurewhattowear,bookashoppingdatewithafriend
whosetasteyoutrust.Sometimesthewayyouseeyourselfinthemirrorisn’t
exactlythesamewayothersseeyou.Ialmostalwaysdothismyself,andI’ve
regretteditthetimesIhaven’t.Anotheropinioncanbeinvaluable.
Beforeyoutakethestage,besureyourclothesareneatlypressed.Wrinkled
clothesarethesingleeasiestwaytotelegraphthatyoudidn’ttryveryhard.If
you’respeakinglateintheday,itmayevenbeworthbringingyourclotheson
ahangerandchangingintothemclosertothetimeofyourpresentation.An
importantlessonI’velearnedthehardway:Ifyouplantouseahoteliron,
pressyourclothesthenightbeforeandtesttheirononatowelfirst.Those
ironsoftenaren’tinthebestshape,andtheycanbeleakyorevendirty.(The
TEDFellowsteambringsasmall,packable,personalsteamerwiththemto
helpwrinkledspeakers!)
It’sworthrehearsingyourtalkintheoutfityouplantowear.Iremembera
speakerwhoseclothingshiftedearlyinhertalksothatbothbrastrapsfelloff
hershouldersandwerehangingdownonherarmsthroughalmosttheentire
talk.Oureditorswereabletoworksomemagicsoyoucan’tnoticethis
mishapinthevideo,butitcouldhavebeenavoidedcompletelywithadress
rehearsalandacoupleofsafetypins.
Onceagain,themostimportantthingisjusttowearsomethingthatboosts
yourconfidence.Thisissomethingyoucancontrolinadvance.Anditwill
giveyouonelessthingtoworryaboutandonemorethingworkinginyour
favor.
AndbacktoChris:
Thankyou,Kelly.People,takenote!
Andwhenall’ssaidanddone,don’toverthinkthispart.Yourpassionand
yourideasmatteralotmorethanhowyoulook.
WhenProfessorBarrySchwartzshowedupattheTEDstageinOxfordfor
histalkontheparadoxofchoice,itwasahotsummer’sday,andhewas
wearingaT-shirtandshorts.Hetellsmeifhe’dknownweweregoingto
videohimandputhimonline,hemighthavechosensomethingelse.Butit
didn’tstophistalknotchingup7millionviews.
AmandaPalmersayshersoleregretofhertalkprepwaschoosingagray
shirtthatturnedblackwithunderarmperspiration.Buttheaudiencethoughtit
wasjustpartofherbreak-the-rulesapproachtolife,andthetalkwasa
massivehitbothliveandonline.
So,insummary:
1. DowhatKellysays.
2. Makeanearlycommitmenttoanoutfityou’llfeelgreatin.
3. Focusonyourideas,notyourclothes!
OceanofPDF.com
OnStage
15
OceanofPDF.com
MENTALPREP
HowDoIControlMyNerves?
Feartriggersourancientfight-or-flightresponse.Yourbodyiscoiledup
chemically,readytostrikeorflee.Thisismeasurablephysicallybyahuge
riseinadrenalinecoursingthroughyourbloodstream.
Adrenaline’sgreatforpoweringasprinttosafetyacrossthesavannah,and
itcancertainlybringenergyandexcitementtoyourstagepresence.Buttoo
muchofitisabadthing.Itcandryupyourmouthandtightenyourthroat.Its
jobistoturbo-chargeyourmuscles,andifyourmusclesarenotbeingused,
theadrenalinerushmaystartthemtwitching,hencetheshakingassociated
withextremecasesofnerves.
Somecoachesadvisemedicationinsuchcases,typicallybeta-blockers,but
thedownsideisthattheycandeadenyourtone.Thereareplentyofother
counterstrategiestoturnallthatadrenalinetoyouradvantage.
Let’sreturntoMonicaLewinsky.Inchapter1shedescribedtheintensityof
hernervousnessinapproachingherTEDTalk.Ifshecouldovercomeher
nerves,I’mguessingyoucantoo.Inherownwords,here’showshedidit:
Insomeformsofmeditation,theguidanceistoreturntothebreathor
yourmantrawhenyourmindwandersor“monkeymind”setsin.Idid
thatwithmyanxiety.Itriedmybesttoreturntothepurposeofmy
speechasoftenaspossible.OneofmytwomantraswasTHIS
MATTERS.(Infact,Ihadscrawleditacrossthetopofpageoneofmy
speechthatwasonstagewithme.)Theothermantrathatworkedwell
formewasI’VEGOTTHIS.
Ifyouaregoingtobestandingonastage,addressinganaudience,
itmeanssomeone,somewheredecidedyouhadsomethingofimport
toimparttoothers.IspenttimearticulatingtomyselfhowIhopedmy
speechmighthelpotherswhoweresuffering.Iclungtothemeaning
andpurposeofmyspeechasaliferaft.
Ihadtoolsthatworkedforme.Ipulledoutallthestopsintermsof
supportandhavingmytanksasfullaspossibleforthedayofthe
speechandleadinguptoit.Ihavespentalotoftimeinthelast
seventeenyearslearningtomanagemyanxietyandpasttrauma.The
morningofthespeech,innoparticularorder,Iusedbioresonance
soundwork,breathingexercises,atherapycalledEmotionalFreedom
Technique(commonlyknownas“tapping,”Ididthisbackstage
momentsbeforegoingon),chanted,didvariouswarm-upexercises
withmypublic-speakingcoach,wentforawalktomovethe
adrenalineinmybody,madesureIlaughedatleastonce,grounding
visualization,andlastly,Ipowerposed(luckyme,withtheinimitable
AmyCuddy).
TherewasmorethanonemomentwhereIdoubtedmyabilityto
seethespeechthrough.Thenightbeforethespeechcontentrehearsal,
threeweeksbeforetheconference,Ibrokedownintears,exasperated
thatthecontentwasjustnotgelling.Iplannedtobowoutafterthe
rehearsalbutIwasshockedbythepositivereception.Ikeptwaiting
fortheHowever...andBut.Theynevercame.
Isatwiththeresponseforalongtimeafter,stillunsure,butI
ultimatelyconcluded,ifpeoplewhoknewwhattheyweredoingwhen
itcametoTEDTalksthoughtthespeechwascompellingenough,I
shouldstickwithit;Iwassimplytooclosetoit.
Throughouttheprocess,whenfacedwithself-doubt,Ifocusedas
muchasIcouldonthemessagetodeliver,insteadofthemessenger.
WheneverIfeltnervousorunsure,Ihadtosimplysteelmyselfand
trytoself-reasonthatallIcoulddowasmybest...andthatifIcould
reachonepersonwithmymessageandhelpjustonepersonfeelless
aloneintheirexperienceofshameandonlinehumiliation,itwouldbe
worthit.
Theexperienceprovedtobelifechangingformeonmanylevels.
That’sasexhaustiveasetofnervousness-controllingtoolsasyou’llever
see.ShouldyoutrytoadopteveryoneofMonica’stechniques?No.
Everyone’sdifferent.Butthefactthatshewasabletoturncripplingfearinto
acalm,confident,engagingstagepresenceshouldencourageanyonethatit
canbedone.
Here’swhatIrecommend:
Useyourfearasmotivation.That’swhatit’stherefor.Itwillmakeit
easierforyoutotrulycommittopracticingyourtalkasmanytimesas
ittakes.Indoingthat,yourconfidencewillrise,yourfearwillebb,
andyourtalkwillbebetterthanitotherwisewouldhavebeen.
Letyourbodyhelpyou!There’saseriesofimportantthingsyoucan
dobeforegoingonstagethatreallyhelpcircumventtheadrenaline
rush.Thesinglemostimportantoneistobreathe.Breathedeeply,
meditationstyle.Theoxygeninfusionbringscalmwithit.Youcando
thisevenifyou’reseatedintheaudience,waitingtobecalledup.Just
takeadeepbreathrightintoyourstomach,andletitoutslowly.
Repeatthreetimesmore.Ifyou’reoffstageandyou’refeelingtension
surgingthroughyourbody,it’sworthtryingmorevigorousphysical
exercise.
AtTED2014,Iwassuper-stressedabouttheprospectof
interviewingRichardLedgettoftheNSAabouttheEdwardSnowden
controversy.Tenminutesbeforethesession,Iescapedtoabackstage
corridorandstarteddoingpushups.AndIcouldn’tstop.Iendedup
doing30percentmorethanIthoughtwasthemostIwascapableof.
Itwasalladrenaline,andbyburningitthatway,calmandconfidence
returned.
Drinkwater.Theworstaspectofnervesiswhentheadrenalinesucks
thewaterfromyourmouthandyoustruggletospeak.Controllingthe
adrenaline,asabove,isthebestantidote,butit’salsogoodtomake
sureyou’refullyhydrated.Fiveminutesbeforeyougoon,trytodrink
athirdofabottleofwater.It’llhelpstopyourmouthfromgettingdry.
(Butdon’tdothistooearly.SalmanKhandid,andthenhadtorushto
themen’sroomjustbeforehisintroduction.Hewasbackinthenick
oftime.)
Avoidanemptystomach.Whenyou’renervous,eatingmaybethe
lastthingyouwanttodo,butanemptystomachcanexacerbate
anxiety.Getsomehealthyfoodintoyourbodyanhourorsobefore
you’reon,and/orhaveaproteinbarhandy.
Rememberthepowerofvulnerability.Audiencesembracespeakers
whoarenervous,especiallyifthespeakercanfindawayto
acknowledgeit.Ifyoufluborstutteralittleinyouropeningremarks,
it’sfinetosay,“Ooops,sorry,alittlenervoushere.”Or“Asyoucan
see,Idon’tdoalotofpublicspeaking.Butthisonematteredtoo
muchtoturndown.”Yourlistenerswillbeginrootingforyoueven
more.AtapackedSydneyOperaHouse,singer/songwriterMegan
WashingtonconfessedtotheTEDxaudiencethatshehadbattledall
herlifewiththestuttertheycouldhear.Herhonestyandinitial
awkwardnessmadethesongsheflawlesslyperformedallthemore
glorious.
Find“friends”intheaudience.Earlyoninthetalk,lookoutfor
facesthatseemsympathetic.Ifyoucanfindthreeorfourindifferent
partsoftheaudience,givethetalktothem,movingyourgazefrom
onetothenextinturn.Everyoneintheaudiencewillseeyou
connecting,andtheencouragementyougetfromthosefaceswill
bringyoucalmandconfidence.Maybeyouevenensurethatsomeof
youractualfriendsareseatedaroundtheauditorium.Speaktothem.
(Asanaside,speakingtofriendswillhelpyoufindtherighttoneof
voice,too.)
Haveabackupplan.Ifyou’reworriedaboutthingsgoingwrong,
planafewbackupmoves.Youfearyoumightforgetwhatyouwere
goingtosay?Havenotesorascriptwithinreach.(RozSavagehad
herstuckedinsidehershirt.Noonemindedatallwhenshelosther
wayacoupleoftimesandreferredtothem.)Scaredthetechnology
maygowrongandyou’llhavetovamp?Well,firstofall,that’sthe
organizer’sproblem,notyours,butnoharminhavingalittlestoryto
tellifyouneedtofillin,allthebetterifit’spersonal.“Whiletheysort
thatout,letmesharewithyouaconversationIjusthadwithataxi
driver...”or“Oh,thisisgreat.NowIhaveachancetomentionto
yousomethingIhadtocutfromthetalkfortimereasons...”Or
“Great,wehaveacoupleofextraminutes.Soletmeaskaquestionof
you.Whoherehasever...”
Focusonwhatyou’retalkingabout.Monica’ssuggestiontowrite
THISMATTERSonyournotesiswonderful.Thisisthesingle
biggestpieceofadviceIcangiveyou.It’snotaboutyou,it’sabout
theideayou’repassionateabout.Yourjobistobethereinserviceof
thatidea,toofferitasagift.Ifyoucanholdthatinmindasyouwalk
ontothestage,you’llfinditliberating.
SingerJoeKowanwasparalyzedbynervestothepointthatitprevented
himfromdoingwhathemostloved:singingtopeople.Sohetookiton,one
stepatatime,forcinghimselftoperforminsmallvenuesevenwhenhecould
hearthenervoussqueakinhisvoice,andeventuallywritingastagefright
songthathe’dwheeloutinperformancesifneedbe.Audienceslovedit,and
hecametoembracehisnervesasfriends.Hehasadelightfultalk(andsong)
explaininghowhedidit.
AtaconferenceinTorontofifteenyearsago,IwatchedasnovelistBarbara
Gowdyfrozeonstage.Shesimplystoodtherequaking.Shecouldn’tspeak.
Shehadthoughtshewasgoingtobeinterviewedbutatthelastminutewas
toldshehadtospeak.Thefearwasoozingoutofeveryporeinherbody.But
themostamazingthinghappened.Theaudiencebeganapplaudingherand
cheering.Shestartedhesitantly,stopped.Moreapplause.Andthenshebegan
sharingthemosteloquent,intimateinsightsintoherthinkingandprocess.It
wasthemostmemorabletalkofthatconference.Ifshe’djustcomeon
confidentlyandstartedspeakingwewouldn’thavelistenedasclosely,or
caredasintensely.
Nervesarenotacurse.Theycanbeturnedtogreateffect.Makefriends
withyournervousness,pluckupyourcourage—andgo!
OceanofPDF.com
OnStage
16
OceanofPDF.com
SETUP
Lectern,ConfidenceMonitor,NoteCards,or
(Gulp)Nothing?
Thephysicalsetupofyourtalkreallymatters.ComparesetupA:aspeaker
standingonapodiumbehindabig,bulkylectern,readingfromascripttoa
somewhatdistantaudience,withsetupB:aspeakerstandingunprotectedona
smallstagesurroundedonthreesidesbyanaudience.
Botharecalledpublicspeaking,butthey’reactuallyverydifferent
activities.SetupBcanseemterrifying.Youstandthere,vulnerable,withno
laptop,noscript,yourwholebodyvisible,nowheretohide,painfullyaware
ofalltheeyesstaringatyoufromnotveryfaraway.
SetupAhasevolvedovertheyearstoaccommodateeveryspeakerneed.
Beforeelectricity,aspeakermighthavehadasmalllecternonwhichtoplace
somenotes.Butoverthetwentiethcentury,lecterns(orpodiums)gotbigger
andbiggertoaccommodatealightforthescript,buttonstoadvanceslides,
and,morerecently,alaptop.Therewasevenatheorythatbyblockingout
mostofthespeaker’sbodysoyoucouldonlyseeherface,youwereboosting
herauthority,perhapsbyunconsciousassociationwithapreacherinapulpit.
Whetherdeliberateorunintentional,theeffectoflargerlecternshasbeento
createahugevisualbarrierbetweenspeakerandaudience.
Fromaspeaker’spointofview,thiscanbeverycomfortable.What’snotto
like?Allyouneedforyourtalkisrightthereatyourfingertips.Andyoufeel
personallysecure.Thefactthatyouforgottoshineyourshoesorthatyour
shirtisalittlewrinkledjustdoesn’tmatter.Noonecanseethat.Doyouhave
awkwardbodylanguageorbadposture?Noproblem.Thelecternhidesthat
too.Prettymuchallthat’svisibleisyourface.Phew!Andhurrah!
Butfromtheaudience’spointofview,there’sabiglosshere.Wespenta
wholechaptertalkingabouttheimportanceofmakingaconnectionbetween
audienceandspeaker.Andasignificantpartofthatisdrivenbythespeaker’s
willingnesstobevulnerable.It’sanunspokenbutpowerfulinteraction.Ifa
speakerletsdownhisguard,sodoestheaudience.Ifaspeakerstaysdistant
andsafe,theaudiencewilltoo.
TED’scofounder,RichardSaulWurman,wasadamantonthispoint.No
podiums!Nolecterns!Noreadingofspeeches!Hedislikedanythingthat
turnedtherelationshipbetweenaudienceandspeakerintosomethingformal.
(Thatincludedthewearingofties,whichhebannedoutright.Whenone
speaker,NicholasNegroponte,demurredandshowedupinasuitandtie,
Richardstrodeonstagewithapairofscissorsandcutoffthetie!)
ThatstanceisoneofthereasonswhyTEDconferencesfeltdifferentfrom
whatpeoplewereusedto.Speakerswereforcedtobevulnerable.And
audiencesresponded.
Ifyoucangetcomfortablewithit,atalkgiveninfrontofanaudiencewith
nolecterninthewayisthebestapproach.ThevastmajorityofTEDTalksare
likethis,andweencourageeveryonetogiveitatry.Buttherearetradeoffs,
andintoday’sTED,we’veconcludedthattherearemultiplewaystogivea
talk,bothforvariety’ssake,andtomeettheneedsofagivenspeaker.It’s
goodforspeakerstopushtheedgeoftheircomfortzone.ButasIdescribed
earlier,youcanalsogotoofar.IlearnedfromDanielKahnemanandothers
thatlettingsomeonespeakinasetupthatmakeshimfeelconfidentand
allowshimtomostnaturallyfindthewordsheneedsmattersevenmorethan
maximizingvulnerability.
Sothepurposeofthischapteristohelpyouunderstandthefullsetof
tradeoffsandthenfindthespeakingmodethatisbestforyou.
Thekeyfirstquestion:inordertogiveyourtalkeffectively,howmany
noteswillyouneedtoreferto?Ifyouhaveitmemorizedcompletely,oryou
candeliveritfromashorthandwrittensetofbulletpoints,thechoiceis
simple.Gooutonstageandgivethetalkdirect,humantohumans.No
lectern,nothingintheway,justyou,asinglehand-heldnotecard,andthe
audience.Inmanywaysthisisthegoldstandardtoaimfor.It’syourbest
chanceatbuildingapowerfulconnectionwithyourlisteners,buildingon
yourperceivedvulnerability.
Butnoteveryonecangetcomfortablewiththisapproach,andperhapsnot
everytalkjustifiesthetimeittakestodowellinthissituation.
Soifyouthinkyouneedalotmorenotes,orevenafullscript,whatthen?
Here’salistofpossibilitiesthatofferprogressivelymoresupport.Butsome
aremuchbetterthanothers.
COMFORTBACKUP
Inthismode,beforegoingonstage,youplaceafullsetofnotesorevena
scriptonatableorlecternatthesideorbackofthestage,alongwithabottle
ofwater.Youthenseektodeliverthetalkfromthefrontofthestageasabove,
knowingthatifyougetstuck,youcanmovetoyournotes,takeasipofwater,
andcontinue.Fromanaudiencepointofview,thisiscompletelynaturaland
nonproblematic.Byhavingthenotesatadistancefromyou,you’llavoidthe
temptationoflookingdownateveryinstance,andchancesaregoodthatyou
willgetthroughthetalkwithoutevenhavingtousethem.Butittakesawaya
lotofpressurejusttoknowthey’rethere.
SLIDESASGUIDES
Manyspeakersusetheirslidesasmemorynudges.Wediscussedthisbriefly
earlierinthebook.Whatyoumustn’tdo,ofcourse,istousePowerPointasa
fulloutlineofyourtalkanddeliveraseriesoftext-crammedslides.That’s
awful.Butifyouhaveelegantimagestoaccompanyeachkeystepofyour
talk,thisapproachcanworkverywell,providedthatyou’vethoughtabout
eachtransition.Theimagesactasterrificmemorynudges,thoughyoumay
stillneedtocarryacardwithadditionalnotes.
HAND-HELDNOTECARDS
Maybeyouhavetoomuchtofitonasinglecard.Youwanttoremindyourself
whatthetransitionistoeachslide,thekeyexamplesthatgoundereachmain
bulletpoint,ortheexactphrasingofyourclosing.Inthatcase,thebestbet
maybetouseasetofhand-held5x8inchcards,whichyousimplypage
throughonebyone.It’sbesttohavethemonaringclip,incaseyoudrop
themandtheygetoutofsequence.Thesecardsareunobtrusive,butthey
allowyoutoeasilycheckwhereyouareinyourtalk.Theonlydownsideisif
yourarelyneedtorefertothem,andthenhavetopagethroughfiveorsixto
catchupwithyournextpoint.
Analternativeisaclipboardorfull-sizesheetsofpaper.Theyrequirefewer
pageturns,butoverallseemmoreintrusive.Cardsareprobablybetter,andif
yourtalkreliesalotonvisuals,agoodapproachisonecardperslidethat
includesthetransitiontexttothefollowingslide.
Allthisbeingsaid,it’sstillimportanttoknowyourtalkprettywellso
you’renotconstantlylookingdown.
ManyTEDspeakersusenotecards.Youmaynotseethemonscreen,but
that’spartlybecauseoureditorshavedoneagoodjobdisguisingthem,and
partlybecausemostspeakersusethemonlyasoccasionalsupport.Thepower
ofthisapproachisthatitfreesyoutowalkthestageunencumbered,while
stillcarryingwithyouallyouneedintermsofkeepingthetalkontrack.
SMARTPHONEORTABLET
Somespeakershavetakentousingsmartdevicesasahigh-techreplacement
fornotecards.Insteadofmultiplecards,theyfiguretheycansimplyscroll
throughtheirtalk.Thisapproachcancertainlygrantsomeonefreedomfrom
thelectern.ButI’mnotcrazyaboutit.Foronething,whensomeone’s
lookingatascreen,weunconsciouslyassociatethatwiththeirbeing
disconnectedfromus.Allthattextingistoblame.
Inaddition,therearemanythingsthatcanslowthisdown.Asingle
accidentaltouchonthescreencantakeyouawayfromyourscript,anditmay
takealotofscrollingandpeeringtofindyourplace.Perhapssomeonewill
comeupwiththeperfectapptofixthis,butsofar,asusedinreal-world
conditions,thissolutionseemsslowerandclumsierthanold-fashionednote
cards.It’sfinetohaveyourscriptonaniPadandtouseitasacomfort
backup,butIdon’trecommendusingasmartdevicefornotesyouregularly
referto.
CONFIDENCEMONITORS
Manyhigher-endspeakingvenueswillhaveacoupleof“confidence”
monitorsinyourfieldofvision,eitherangledupfromthefloorofthestageor
perhapsatthebackoftheroomabovetheaudience.Themainpurposeof
theseistoallowyoutoseethatyourslidehasadvancedwithoutyourhaving
toconstantlyturnaround.Buttheycanalsobeusedtodisplay(foryoureyes
only)notesyou’veaddedtoaslide,and/orthenextslidedueupsothatyou
canbeready.PowerPointandKeynotebothsupportthisfeaturewith
PresenterView.Thereareobviousadvantageshere.Ifyou’vestructuredyour
talktohaveoneslidepertopic,youcanuseconfidencemonitorstokeep
yourselfcomfortablyontrack.Buttherearealsosignificanttrapsyoucanfall
into.
Sometimesspeakerslookatthewrongmonitor,confusethenextand
currentslidescreens,andpanicthatthewrongslideisshowing.Butmuch
worseisthetendencytobecometoodependentonthenotesonthesescreens
andtobeconstantlyreferringtothem.Thisisactuallymoreoff-puttingthana
speakerlookingdownatnotes.Unlesstheconfidencemonitorshavebeen
placedrightinthemiddleoftheaudience,youcanclearlyseewhenaspeaker
islookingatthescreens.Eithertheireyesareconstantlydroppingtothestage
floor,orthey’reliftingabovetheheadsoftheaudience.Itcanbecomedeeply
off-putting,theveryoppositeofthesought-aftereyecontactthatbuilds
recognition.
Besides,there’ssomethingfamiliarandcomfortableaboutaspeaker
occasionallyreferringtonotes.Thenotesarerightthereandeveryonecansee
whathe’sdoing.It’snoproblem.Butwhenhiseyesmovetoaconfidence
monitor,itcanquicklybecomedistancing.Youmaynotnoticeitearlyina
talk,butasitcontinuestohappen,youasanaudiencememberstarttofeela
littleawkward.It’sabitliketheUncannyValleyIreferredtoearlier.Things
arealmostright,butnotquite.Andthegapfeelsweird.
Thiscangetreallybadwhenaspeakertriestoreadanentirespeechfrom
confidencemonitors.Thefirst2minutesofthetalkaregreat,butthenitstarts
todawnonpeoplethatthey’rebeingreadto,andsomehowthelifeisthen
suckedfromthetalk.WehadadistressinginstanceofthisatTEDadecade
ago,whenasportscelebritycametogiveatalkandpersuadedusheneeded
thefulltextofthespeechonscreensatthebackoftheroom.Thewordshe
spokewereperfectlyfine.Butyoucouldtrackhiseyesreading,3feetabove
everyone’sheads,anditkilledthetalk’simpactstonedead.
TheonlyspeakerI’veeverseenreadeffectivelyoffconfidencemonitorsis
thesingerBono.He’sanaturalperformer,andhemanagedtoreadoutofthe
edgeofhisfieldofvisionwhilemaintaininglotsofeyecontactwiththe
audience,anaturaltoneofvoice,andpleasantinjectionsofhumor.Buteven
then,peoplewhonoticedthatthewordsofthespeech,includingthejokes,
wererightthereonthemonitorsatthebackofthehallweredisappointed.
TheywantedBono’smindlivetherewiththem.Awrittenspeechcouldhave
beenemailedtothem.
Ourstrongrecommendationforuseofconfidencemonitorsis:usethem
onlytoshowyourslides,thesameslidestheaudienceisseeing.Ifyoumust
addnotes,useasfewaspossible,andwithjusttwo-orthree-wordbullet
points.Andthenpracticegivingthetalkwiththeabsoluteminimumnumber
ofglancesatthosemonitors.Noreading!That’stheonlywaytostaywarmly
connectedtotheaudience.
TELEPROMPTER/AUTOCUE
Ifconfidencemonitorsaredangerous,ateleprompterisevenmoreso.Onthe
faceofit,it’sabrilliantinvention.Itplacesthewordsonaglassscreen
invisibletotheaudiencebutrightinthespeaker’slineofsight.Soaspeaker
canreadaspeechwhilealsomaintainingconstanteyecontactwiththe
audience.
ButitsingenuityisalsoitsAchilles’heel.Ifyouuseoneoftheseyou’rein
dangerofcommunicatingtotheaudience,I’mpretendingtolookatyou,but
actuallyI’mreading.Andthemixedsignalsfromthatcanbedamaging.
Youmightobject—thiscan’tberight.PresidentObama,oneofthefinest
speakersofourera,regularlyusesateleprompter.Indeed.Andithasa
divisiveeffectonaudiences.Thosedisposedtotrustandlikehimignoreit
andembracethetalkinfullashisauthenticwayofspeakingtothem.Buthis
politicalopponentshavegleefullyusedtheteleprompteragainsthim,
mockinghimfornotbeingabletospeakopenlytoliveaudiences.Asaresult,
mediastrategistFredDavisbelievestheteleprompterhasbeenruinedforall
politicians.HetoldtheWashingtonPost,“It’sanegativebecauseit’sasignof
inauthenticity.It’sasignthatyoucan’tspeakonyourowntwofeet.It’sasign
thatyouhavehandlersbehindyoutellingyouwhattosay.”
AtTED,we’rereluctanttomakehardandfastrulesthesedays,butwe
alwaysdiscouragetheuseoftelepromptersonthemainstage.Today’s
audienceswouldratherhaveaspeakerdohisbestjobwithmemory,notes,
andin-the-momentthinkingthandoa“perfect”jobthatmixesreadingwith
fakeeyecontact.
Sowhatdoyoudoifyouneedafullscriptofyourtalkbutyoucan’treadit
offconfidencemonitorsorateleprompterforfearofseeminginauthentic?
Here’soursuggestion.
UNOBTRUSIVELECTERN
Ifyoumustrefertoafullscript,lengthynotes,alaptop,oratablet,don’tfake
it.Justgobacktoputtingthemonalectern.Butatleastseeiftheevent
organizercanprovideacool,modern,unobtrusivelectern,onethatis
transparentorhasathinstemasopposedtoaheavywoodenonethatscreens
outyourentirebody.Thencommittoknowingthetalkreallywell,sothatyou
canspendlotsoftimelookingoutattheaudienceinsteadofdownatthe
lectern.
ForMonicaLewinsky’stalk,thisprovedtheperfectsolution.Forher,the
stakesweretoogreattoriskmemorizingtheentirething.Inrehearsalshe
triedreferringtohernotesfromconfidencemonitors,butwereallydidn’t
thinkthatapproachwasworking.Shekeptlookingoutabovetheaudience’s
heads,anditbroketheirconnectionwithher.Happily,Monicacameupwith
somethingwe’dnevertriedatTEDbefore,butwhichworkedperfectly:she
proppedhernotesonamusicstand.Ifyouwatchhertalk,you’llseethatit
doesn’tremoveherfromtheaudienceonebit.Infactsherarelylooksdownat
it.Butitgaveheralltheconfidencesheneededtotrulyshine.
Whydoesthisworkbetterthanconfidencemonitorsorateleprompter?
Becausethere’snoambiguityaboutwhat’shappening.It’shonestand
familiar.Theaudiencecanenjoythefactthatyou’reclearlymakinganeffort
nottoreadthespeech,lookingaround,makingeyecontact,smiling,and
beingnatural.Andifthismakesyoumorecomfortableandconfident,people
willhearthatinyourvoiceandwillrelaxwithyou.
So,thoseareyourmainchoices.Youcan,ofcourse,alwaysinventsomething
uniquetoyou.CliffordStollhadfivebulletpointsforhistalkandwroteone
oneachfinger,andhisthumb.Everytimehechangedtopic,thecamera
wouldzoomintoaclose-upofhishand,andwe’dgethisviewofwhatwas
next.Itwasquirkyandendearing.
Whatmattersisthatyoufindthetalkmodethatworksforyou,committoit
early,andpracticeitasbestyoucan,usingtheexactsamepropsthatyou’llbe
usingonstage.(That,bytheway,isanotherdingagainsttoomuch
dependencyonconfidencemonitors.Youcanneverbe100percentsurethat
theonstagesetupisthesameaswhatyou’verehearsedwith.)
Inshort,it’sOKtobevulnerable.It’salsoOKtofindyourplaceofcomfort
andconfidence.Andit’sessentialtobeauthentic.
OceanofPDF.com
OnStage
17
OceanofPDF.com
VOICEANDPRESENCE
GiveYourWordstheLifeTheyDeserve
Here’saradicalquestion:Whybothertogiveatalk?
Whynotinsteadsimplyemailthetexttoeverypotentialmemberofthe
audience?
An18-minutetalkcontainsmaybe2,500words.Manypeoplecanread
2,500wordsinlessthan9minutesandretaingoodcomprehension.Sowhy
notdothatinstead?Savetheauditoriumcost.Saveeveryone’stravel.Save
thechancethatyoumightflubyourlinesandlookfoolish.Andgetyourtalk
acrossinlessthanhalfthetimeittakestospeakit.
Inmytwenties,Icouldn’thavemadethecaseforpublicspeaking.While
studyingphilosophyatuniversity,Iwasdevastatedtofindthatthewonderful
P.F.Strawson,abeautifulwriterandbrilliantthinker,was,atleastontheday
Iheardhim,atrulyterriblespeaker.Hemumbledhiswaythrough60
minutes,readingeverysentenceinthesamemonotonevoice,barelylooking
up.IlearnedthatIwasutterlywastingmytimegoingtohislectureswhenI
coulddoubledownonjustreadinghisbooks.SoIstoppedgoingtohis
lectures.InfactIstoppedgoingtolectures,period.Ijustread.
OneofthereasonsIwassocaptivatedbyTEDwasthediscoverythattalks
reallycanoffersomethingmorethantheprintedword.Butit’snotagiven,
andit’snoteventrueineverycase.Thatsomethingextrahastobethought
about,investedin,developed.Ithastobeearned.
Whatisthatsomethingextra?It’sthehumanoverlaythatturnsinformation
intoinspiration.
Thinkofatalkastwostreamsofinputrunningparallel.Wordsare
processedbyyourbrain’slanguageengine,whichoperatesinmuchthesame
waywhenyou’relisteningaswhenyou’rereading.Butlayeredontopisa
streamofmetadatathatallowsyouto(largelyunconsciously)evaluateevery
pieceoflanguageyou’rehearing,determineswhatyoushoulddowithit,and
howyoushouldprioritizeit.There’snoanalogtothisinreading.Itcanonly
happenwhenyou’rewatchingaspeakerandhearinghervoice.Herearesome
oftheimpactsthattheaddedlayercanbring:
Connection:Itrustthisperson.
Engagement:Everysentencesoundssointeresting!
Curiosity:Ihearitinyourvoiceandseeitinyourface.
Understanding:Theemphasisonthatwordwiththathandgesture—now
Igetit.
Empathy:Icantellhowmuchthathurtyou.
Excitement:Wow—thatpassionisinfectious.
Conviction:Suchdeterminationinthoseeyes!
Action:Iwanttobeonyourteam.Signmeup.
Intheaggregate,thisisinspiration.Inspirationinitsbroadestsense.Ithink
ofitastheforcethattellsthebrainwhattodowithanewidea.Manyideas
justgetfiledawayandprobablysoonforgotten.Inspiration,bycontrast,grabs
anideaandrushesitintoourminds’attentionspotlight:Generalalert!
Importantnewworldviewincoming!Preparetoactivate!
Therearemanymysteriesinhowandwhywerespondsopowerfullyto
certainspeakers.Thesecapabilitieshaveevolvedoverhundredsofthousands
ofyearsandaredeeplywiredintous.Somewhereinsideyouthereisan
algorithmfortrust.Analgorithmforcredibility.Analgorithmforhow
emotionsarespreadfromonebraintoanother.Wedon’tknowthedetailsof
thosealgorithms,butwecanagreeonimportantclues.Andtheybreakdown
intotwobigcategories,whatyoudowithyourvoiceandwhatyoudowith
yourbody.
SPEAKWITHMEANING
Ifyougetachance,listentotheopeningminuteoftheTEDTalkbyGeorge
Monbiot.Thetextischarming,butnotparticularlysensational.
WhenIwasayoungman,Ispentsixyearsofwildadventureinthe
tropics,workingasaninvestigativejournalistinsomeofthemost
bewitchingpartsoftheworld.Iwasasrecklessandfoolishasonly
youngmencanbe.Thisiswhywarsgetfought.ButIalsofeltmore
alivethanI’veeverdonesince.AndwhenIcamehome,Ifoundthe
scopeofmyexistencegraduallydiminishinguntilloadingthe
dishwasherseemedlikeaninterestingchallenge.AndIfoundmyself
sortofscratchingatthewallsoflife,asifIwastryingtofindaway
outintoawiderspacebeyond.Iwas,Ibelieve,ecologicallybored.
Butwhenhespeaks,youhearsomethingquitedifferent.IfIhadtodepictit
justusingtypography,itwouldbesomethinglikethis:
WhenIwasayoungman,Ispentsixyearsofwildadventureinthe
tropicsworkingasaninvestigativejournalistinsomeofthemost
bewitchingpartsoftheworld.Iwasasrecklessandfoolishasonly
youngmencanbe.This-is-why-wars-get-fought.ButIalsofeltmorealive
thanI’veeverdonesince.AndwhenIcameHOME,Ifoundthe
scopeofmyexistencegraduallydiminishinguntilloadingthe
dishwasherseemedlikeaninterestingchallenge.AndIfound
myselfsortofscratchingatthewallsoflife,asifIwastryingtofind
awayOUTintoawiderspacebeyond.Iwas,Ibelieve,ecologically
bored.
Inprint,thatlooksawful.ButwhenyouhearMonbiotspeak,youfind
yourselfpulledinstantlyintohisworld.Almosteverywordheuttersiscrafted
withadifferentlayeroftoneormeaningembeddedinit,andtheneteffectis
toaddincrediblenuancetohisopening,nuancethatprintsimplycan’timpart.
Thattalentcontinuesthroughoutthetalk.Thewordshewasutteringevoked
intrigueandcuriositytobesure,buthisvoicepracticallyforcedyoutofeel
curiosityandastonishment.
Howdidhedothis?Voicecoachesspeakofatleastsixtoolsyoucanuse:
volume,pitch,pace,timbre,tone,andsomethingcalledprosody,whichisthe
singsongriseandfallthatdistinguishes,forexample,astatementfroma
question.Ifyouwanttodigintothesealittlemore,Ithoroughlyrecommend
aTEDTalkbyJulianTreasurecalled,“Howtospeaksothatpeoplewantto
listen.”Henotonlyexplainswhat’sneeded,heoffersexercisesthathelpyou
getyourownvoiceready.
Forme,thekeytakeawayissimplytoinjectvarietyintothewayyou
speak,varietybasedonthemeaningyou’retryingtoconvey.Somany
speakersforgetthis.Theygiveatalkinwhicheverysentencehasthesame
vocalpattern.Aslightriseatthestart,andadropattheend.Thereareno
pausesorchangesofpace.Whatthiscommunicatesisthatnosinglepartof
yourtalkmattersmorethananyotherpart.It’sjustploddingitswayalong
untilitgetstotheend.Thebiologicaleffectofthisishypnotic.Thatis,it
simplyputsyouraudiencetosleep.
Ifyourtalkisscripted,trythis:Findthetwoorthreewordsineach
sentencethatcarrythemostsignificance,andunderlinethem.Thenlookfor
theonewordineachparagraphthatreallymattersandunderlineittwice
more.Findthesentencethatislightestintoneinthewholescriptandruna
lightwavypencillineunderit.Lookforeveryquestionmarkandhighlight
themwithayellowhighlighter.Findthebiggestsingleahamomentofthetalk
andinjectagreatbigblackblobrightbeforeitisrevealed.Ifthere’safunny
anecdotesomewhere,putlittlepinkdotsaboveit.
Nowtryreadingyourscript,applyingachangeintoneforeachmark.For
example,letyourselfsmilewhilelookingatthepinkdots,pauseforthebig
blackblob,andspeedupalittleforthewavypencilline,whilespeakingmore
softly.Howdoesthatsound?Reallycontrived?Thentryagainwithalittle
morenuance.
Nowtryonemorething.Trytorememberalltheemotionsassociatedwith
eachpassageofyourtalk.Whicharethebitsyou’remostpassionateabout?
Whichissuescouldmakeyoualittleangry?Whatareyoulaughingat?What
areyoubaffledby?Nowletthoseemotionsoutalittleasyouspeak.How’sit
sounding?Trydoingthiswithafriendpresent,andseewhatsherespondsto
andwhatsherollshereyesat.Recordyourselfreadingitandthenplayitback
withyoureyesclosed.
Thepointistostartthinkingofyourtoneofvoiceasgivingyouawhole
newsetoftoolstogetinsideyourlisteners’heads.Youwantthemto
understandyou,yes,butyoualsowantthemtofeelyourpassion.Andthe
wayyoudothatisnotbytellingthemtobepassionateaboutthistopic,it’sby
showingyourownpassion.Itspreadsautomatically,aswilleveryother
emotionyouauthenticallyfeel.
Youwereworriedabouttheshorttimelimit?Noworries.Inasense,you
justdoubledit.Youcanuseeverysecondnotjusttoconveyinformationbut
tocommunicatehowthatinformationmightbereceived.Andallwithout
addingasingleextraword.
Formoregreatexamplesoftherightuseofvoice,checkouttalksbyKelly
McGonigal,JonRonson,AmyCuddy,HansRosling,andtheincomparable
SirKenRobinson.
Somespeakingcoachesmaypushvocalvarietybeyondwhatfeelsrightto
you.Don’tletthem.Letitcomenaturallyfromthepassionyoufeelforthe
topic.Mostlyyouwanttospeakconversationally,interjectingcuriosityand
excitementwhenit’sappropriate.Iaskpeopletoimaginethey’vemetupwith
friendstheywenttoschoolwithandareupdatingthemonwhatthey’vebeen
upto.It’sthatkindofvoiceyou’relookingfor.Real,natural,butunafraidto
letitripifwhatyou’resayingdemandsit.
Oneotherimportantaspecttopayattentionto:howfastyou’respeaking.
Firstofall,it’sgreattovaryyourpacingaccordingtowhatyou’respeaking
about.Whenyou’reintroducingkeyideasorexplainingsomethingthat’s
complex,slowdown,anddon’tbeafraidtoinsertpauses.Duringanecdotes
andlightermoments,speedup.Butoverall,youshouldplantospeakatyour
natural,conversationalpace.Formostspeakersthat’ssomewhereintherange
130–170wordsperminute.
Someguidestopublicspeakingurgepeopletodeliberatelyslowdown.In
mostcircumstances,Ithinkthat’sill-advised.Ingeneral,understanding
outpacesarticulation.Inotherwords,itusuallytakesthespeaker’sbrain
circuitsmoretimetocomposethanthelistener’stocomprehend(exceptfor
thecomplexexplanationmoments,whereyes,youshouldslowdown).Ifyou
speakatyournormalconversationalpace,it’sfine,thelistenerwon’tmind,
butifyougomuchslowerthanthat,you’reinvitingimpatienceintotheroom.
Impatienceisnotyourfriend.Whileyou’reenjoyingthebiggestmomentof
yourlife,theaudienceisslowlydyingofwordstarvation.
RorySutherland,whosomehowmaintained17minutesofhilarious,
insightfulspeechatarateof180wordsperminute,believesmanyspeakers
couldbenefitfromspeedingupabit:
Therearetwowaysoflosinganaudience:goingtoofastisbyfarthe
rarerofthetwo.Goingtooslowlyisactuallythebiggerproblem,
sinceitallowstimeforpeople’smindstowanderoff.Ifeelabitguilty
sayingthis,butifyouspeakquicklyenough,youcangetawaywith
theoddleapingsegue.Idon’trecommendblatantnonsequiturs,
obviously.Speakingfastalsopapersoveralotofcracks—noone
mindsorevennoticestheoddumorerprovidedtheycomequickand
fast.
Neitherhe,norI,isrecommendingthatyourushorgabble.Justthatyou
talkconversationally...andbereadytoaccelerateinpassageswhereit’s
naturaltodoso.Thisworkswell,bothintheroomandonline.
Doesthatsurpriseyou?Doyouthinkofpublicspeakingastheoppositeof
conversationalspeaking?
AtoneTEDconference,afirst-timespeakerfromSouthAsiastartedhis
rehearsalbellowingatthetopofhisvoice.I’mallforvarietyinspeaking
styles,butthiswasreallyexhaustingtolistento.Iaskedhimwhyhewas
speakingthatway,andhethoughtforamomentandsaid,“Inmyculture,
publicspeakingmeansspeakingtoacrowdofpeople.Forthepeopleatthe
backtohear,youhavetoshout.But,”hepaused,“buthere,IsupposeIdonot
needtodothis,becauseherewehaveanautomaticshoutingdevice.”He
tappedhismicrophoneandweburstintolaughter.
It’sactuallyareallyimportantpoint.Publicspeakingevolvedlongbefore
theageofamplification.Toaddressacrowdofanysize,speakerswouldhave
toslowdown,breathedeep,andletrip,withdramaticpausesaftereach
sentence.It’sastyleofspeakingwerecognizetodayasoration.It’sa
speakingstylethatcansyncupcrowdemotionsandresponsesinapowerful
way.Weassociateitwithsomeofthemostinfluentialspeechesinliterature
andhistory,fromMarcAntony’s“Friends,Romans,Countrymen”toPatrick
Henry’s“Givemeliberty,orgivemedeath!”
Butinmostmodernsettings,orationisbestusedsparingly.It’scapableof
conveyingpassionandurgencyandoutrage,butitstruggleswiththemany
moresubtleemotions.Andfromanaudienceperspective,itcanbereally
powerfulfor15minutes,butexhaustingforanhour.Ifyouwerespeakingtoa
singleperson,youwouldnotorate.Youcouldnotbuildaday-long
conferenceprogramaroundoration.
Andorationismuchslower.MartinLutherKing’s“Ihaveadream”speech
wasdeliveredataround100wordsperminute.Itwasperfectlycraftedand
deliveredforitspurpose.Butit’sunlikelythatyourtasktodayistoaddressa
crowdof200,000peopleattheheartofamajorsocialmovement.
Amplificationhasgivenustheabilitytospeakintimatelytoacrowd.It’s
anabilityworthusing.Itbuildsconnectionandcuriositymuchmoreeasily
thanoration.Thatconversationaltoneisevenmoreimportantwhenyou
watchatalkonline.Thereyou’reasinglepersonlookingatascreen,andyou
wantthespeakertoaddressyouassuch.Talksthatareoratedtoalargecrowd
rarelygoviral.
Somespeakersfallintoatraphere.Inthethrillofbeingonstage,theyget
caughtupinaslightlytoograndiosesenseoftheoccasionandbegin
unconsciouslyembracingaformoforation.Theyslowdowntheirpace.They
speakalittletooloudly.Andtheyinsertdramaticpausesbetweensentences.
Thisisanabsolutetalkkiller.Orationisasubtleartthatonlyafewaretruly
greatat.Itcanbeappropriateinchurchoratamasspoliticalrally.Butfor
otherpublic-speakingoccasions,Irecommendleavingitalone.
RECRUITYOURBODY
SirKenRobinsonjokesthatsomeprofessorsseemtoviewtheirbodies
simplyasdevicestocarrytheirheadsintothenextmeeting.Sometimesa
speakerwillgivethesameimpression.Oncehisbodyhasmovedhishead
ontothestage,itnolongerknowswhattodowithitself.Theproblemis
amplifiedinasettingwherethere’snolecterntohidebehind.Peoplestand
awkwardly,handsgluedtotheirsides,orlurchfromlegtoleg.
ThelastthingIwanttodoisprescribeasingleapproachtobodylanguage.
Talkswouldquicklygetboringifeveryspeakerdidthesamething.Butthere
areafewthingsyoucanthinkaboutthatmaymakeyoufeelmore
comfortable,andthatwillbetterprojectyourauthoritytoyouraudience.
Thesimplestwaytogiveatalkpowerfullyisjusttostandtall,putting
equalweightonbothfeet,whicharepositionedcomfortablyafewinches
apart,anduseyourhandsandarmstonaturallyamplifywhateveryou’re
saying.Iftheaudienceseatingiscurvedaroundthestagealittle,youcanturn
fromthewaisttoaddressdifferentpartsofit.Youdon’thavetowalkaround
atall.
Thismodecanprojectcalmauthority;itisthemethodusedbyamajority
ofTEDspeakers,includingSirKen.Thekeyistofeelrelaxed,andtoletyour
upperbodymoveasitwill.Goodposturehelps;avoidslouchingyour
shouldersforward.Anopenstancemayfeelvulnerable...butthat
vulnerabilityworksinyourfavor.
Somespeakers,though,prefertowalkthestage.Ithelpsthemthink.It
helpsthememphasizekeymoments.Thiscanworkwelltoo,providedthe
walkingisrelaxed,notforced.TakealookatJuanEnriquezinaction.Or
ElizabethGilbert.Inbothcases,theylookextremelycomfortable.And(thisis
important)theyfrequentlystoptodwellonapoint.It’sthatrhythmthatlets
thismethodwork.Constantpacingcanbetiringtowatch.Pacingpunctuated
bystillnesscanbepowerful.
Somethingtoavoidisnervouslyshiftingfromlegtolegorwalking
forwardandbackacoupleofstepsinakindofrockingmotion.Many
speakersdothiswithoutrealizingit.Theymaybefeelingalittleanxious,and
shiftingfromonelegtotheothereasestheirdiscomfort.Butfromthe
audience’sviewpoint,itactuallyhighlightsthatdiscomfort.Therehavebeen
somanytimesinTEDrehearsalswherewe’veencouragedthesespeakersto
relaxandtosimplystandstill.Thedifferenceinimpactisimmediate.
So,moveifyouwantto.Butifyoudomove,moveintentionally.Andthen,
whenyouwanttoemphasizeapoint,stopandaddressyouraudiencefroma
stanceofquietpower.
Thereareplentyofotherwaysyoucanspeakwithpower.DameStephanie
Shirleychosetositforhertalk,usingametalstoolwithonefoottuckedback
onarung,andnotesinherlap.Itlookedrelaxedandnatural.Thelate,great
neurologistOliverSacksalsosatforhistalk.Attheotherendofthe
spectrum,CliffordStollleaptanddartedaroundthestagewithsuchenergy
thatitaddedanentirelynewanduniquedimensiontohistalk.
Sotherearenoruleshere,otherthanforyoutofindamodeofbeingon
stageinwhichyou’recomfortableandconfident,andwhichdoesn’tdetract
fromwhatyou’resaying.Thesimpletestistorehearseinfrontofasmall
audienceandaskthemifyourbodylanguageisgettingintheway,and/or
video-recordyourselftoseeifyou’redoingsomethingyou’reunawareof.
Theworldcanaccommodate—andwelcome—manydifferentpresentation
styles.Justmakesureyourbodyknowsit’snottheresolelytotransportyour
head.It’sallowedtoenjoyitsowntimeonstage.
DOITYOURWAY
Andnow,themostimportantlesson.It’saneasytraptogetsocaughtupwith
thehowofgivingatalkthatyouforgetwhat’smoreimportant,andthatis—
givingyourtalkinyourownauthenticway.
Aswithyourwardrobechoice,onceyou’vefoundapresentationstylethat
worksforyou,don’toverthinkit.Don’ttrytobesomeoneelse.Focusonyour
contentandyourpassionforit...anddon’tbeafraidtoletyourown
personalityshinethrough.
ThesuccessofJillBolteTaylor’stalkbackin2008temptedawhole
generationofTEDspeakerstotrytoimitateheremotionaltone.That’sa
mistake.Andit’sonethatMaryRoachalmostfellfor:
ThefirstthingIdiduponbeinginvitedtogiveatalkwastoclickon
themostpopularTEDTalkatthattime,theonebyJillBolteTaylor.I
stoppeditafter2minutes,becauseIknewIcouldnotbeJillBolte
Taylor.AsinsecureasIam,IknewitwouldbebettertobeMary
RoachthantobeMaryRoachtryingtobeJillBolteTaylor.
DanPinkagrees:
Sayitlikeyourself.Don’tmimicsomeoneelse’sstyleorconformto
whatyouthinkisaparticular“TEDway”ofpresenting.That’s
boring,banal,andbackward.Don’ttrytobethenextKenRobinson
orthenextJillBolteTaylor.Bethefirstyou.
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OnStage
18
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FORMATINNOVATION
ThePromise(andPeril)ofFull-SpectrumTalks
InNovember2011,sciencewriterJohnBohannontooktothestageat
TEDxBrussels,accompaniedbyanunusualspeakingaid.Insteadof
PowerPoint,hebroughtwithhimadancetroupe.Actually,theybroughthim.
Theycarriedhimontothestage.Andwhilehespokeaboutlasersand
superfluids,theyphysicallyembodiedthepointshewasmaking.
Itwasarivetingperformance.Bohannonwentontoarguethatdancecan
beagreataccompanimentforsciencetalks,andhe’sevenstartedamovement
calledDanceYourPhD.
Ifyouwantyourtalktotrulystandoutfromthecrowd,therearemany
optionsopentoyoutobeinnovative.
Ifwelookatthefundamentals,theonlyrealconstraintinatalkisthetime
available.In18minutes,youcanutterabout2,500words.Butwhatelse
couldyoudo?Youraudiencehasfivesensesandiscapableofabsorbing
multipleinputs.
AtTED,weusethetermfullspectrumtodescribethoseattemptstobuild
moreintoatalkthanjustwordsandslides.Herearesixteensuggestionsyou
couldconsider.Wesuspectwe’regoingtoseeenormousinnovationoverthe
comingyears.
Now,alloftheseneedhandlingwithextremecare.Donewrong,theycan
seemgimmicky.Butdoneright,theycankickatalkuptoawholenewlevel.
1.DRAMATICPROPS
TwentyyearsagoIsawatalkabouttheneedtocontinuetofightfornuclear
disarmament.Ican’trememberthenameofthespeaker.Norhisorganization.
Normuchofwhathesaid.ButIwillneverforgetwhathedid.Hetooka
singledriedpeaandhelditup.Hesaid,“Iwantyoutoimaginethatthisisa
thermonuclearweapon,ahydrogenbomb.Itisonethousandtimesmore
powerfulthanthebombdroppedonHiroshima.”Hetossedthepeaintoa
largemetalbucketthathadamicrophoneattachedtoit.Thescratchyping
whenitlandedandbouncedwasshockinglyloud.Thenhesaid,“Andhow
manythermonuclearwarheadsdoyouthinkthereareonEarthtoday?”He
paused.“Thirty.Thousand.”Withoutsayinganythingelsehereacheddown
andpickedupasackofdriedpeas,andtippedthemintothebucket,firstone
atatime,thenasatorrent.Thesoundwasdeafening,terrifying.Atthat
moment,everypersoninthatroomunderstooddeeply,viscerally,whythis
issuemattered.
NumerousTEDTalkshavebeenelevatedbytheuseofunexpectedprops.
Tomakeapointaboutleftandrightbrainhemispheres,JillBolteTaylor
broughtarealhumanbrainontothestage,completewithdanglingspinal
column.Therewassomethingabouttherelishwithwhichshelifteditoutof
itsbucketthatstuckineveryone’smind.Itwasanobjectofpassion!Bill
Gatesgainedheadlinesacrosstheworldbyreleasingajarfullofmosquitoes
duringhistalkonmalaria,joking,“There’snoreasonwhyonlypoorpeople
shouldhavetheexperience.”J.J.Abramsheldusrivetedbybringingonstage
amysteryboxhisgrandfatherhadgivenhimthathe’dneveropened(and,of
course,heleftthestagewithitstillunopened).
Ifyouhavesomethingyoucanpowerfully,legitimatelyuse,thiscanbea
greatwaytomakesureyourtalkisneverforgotten.
Butbecareful.Andbesuretopracticeinreal-worldconditions.Ionce
broughtaspectacularyellowBurmesepythonontothestage,wrappedaround
mybody,tomakeapointaboutnature’sawesomeness.IthoughtIwas
rockingit...untiltheaudiencestartedguffawing.Ididn’tknowthat
Burmesepythonsareheat-seekers.Thepythonhadwriggleddownmyback
anditsheadhadjustemerged,wavingtoandfro,frombetweenmylegs.
Awesome,butnotinquitethewayI’dintended.
2.PANORAMICSCREENS
AtTED2015,MITartistanddesignerNeriOxmantookeveryone’sbreath
awaywithapresentationfeaturingtwoparallelsetsofimagesdisplayed
simultaneouslyongiantscreensthatstretchedoutoneithersideofher.One
revealedthetechsideofherwork;theother,themoreorganicside.
Eachwasimpressiveindividually,thecombinationwasabsolutely
stunning,butnotjustforitsvisualimpact.Itshowedus,ataviscerallevel,
thedualnatureofherworkasscience-baseddesignerandartist.TheGoogle
Zeitgeistconferenceisamongthosethathaveinnovatedultra-widescreen
presentations,allowingmultipleversionsofthesamepicture,spectacular
panoramicphotography,andboldlinesoftextstretching100feetoneither
sideofthespeaker.Thecinematicfeelofthesepresentationsisincredible.
(Trickierishowtoeditthemforonlinesharing.Sofar,theonlymass-
accessibleformatsarethestandardvideoshapesof16:9and4:3,sothese
presentationscanbeamazingintheroom,buttheyareharderforanonline
audiencetofullyappreciate.)
3.MULTISENSESTIMULATION
Somespeakershavesoughttopushbeyondmere2Dvisionandstereosound.
We’vehadchefsfillthehallwiththedeliciousaromaofadishbeingcooked
liveonstage.Ortheyhavepredistributedsamplebags,allowingaudience
memberstosniffandtaste.WoodyNorrisshowedushowhisinvention,
hypersonicsound,couldbeprojectedfromthestagetoindividualseatsinthe
audience,whereitwasaudibleonlytotheoccupantsofthoseseats.Steve
Schklair,apioneerof3Dcameras,gaveusanearlydemoofhowsportscould
beexperiencedin3D,courtesyofglassesdistributedtoall.Perfumedesigner
LucaTurinusedamachinetopumpdifferentscentsintotheroom.These
genre-bustingtalksarealwaysinteresting,but,withthepossibleexceptionof
3D,willprobablyremainlimitedtojustahandfuloftopics.
However,atTED2015,DavidEaglemanmadethecasethatexoticnew
sensescouldbeaddedthroughtechnology,bytrainingthebraintounderstand
electricalpatternsfromanysource,suchastheweatherorthestockmarket.
Maybesomefutureconferencewillfeatureaudienceswearingelectricalvests,
wiredtodirectlyexperienceaspeaker’simagination.Ifanyonecaninvent
that,pleasegetintouch.
4.LIVEPODCASTING
OneofthehighlightsofTED2015wasatalkbydesignguruRomanMars.
Butinsteadofwalkingonstagewithamicrophone,Marssatdownbehinda
mixingconsole.Hebegan,“Iknowwhatyou’rethinking:Whydoesthatguy
gettositdown?That’sbecause...thisisradio!”Cuemusic,andhe’s
underway.Marsisthehostofthepopulardesignpodcast99%Invisible,and
hegavetheentiretalkasifhewerelive-mixinghispodcast.Numerousaudio
clipsandimagesweremixedintothetalkwithsplit-secondtiming.This
approachgavethetalkincrediblevitality.SuperstarDJMarkRonsonalso
usedamixingdeskforpartsofhistalk.AndThisAmericanLifehostIra
GlassmixespartsofhisliveshowsfromaniPad.
Intruth,thistechniqueisbeyondtheskillsofmostofus,butIcanseeit
becominganartformallitsown.It’sspeaker-as-DJ,live-mixingideasfrom
multiplesourcesinrealtime.Ifyouthinkthisisaskillyoucouldmaster,it
mightwellbeworththetimeinvestment.
5.ILLUSTRATEDINTERVIEW
Aninterviewcanbeafinealternativetoatalk.Thisgivesyouachanceto
exploremultipletopicswithnosinglethroughlineotherthanthe
speaker’sworkandlife,and
nudgethespeakertogodeeperthanhenaturallywouldinatalk.(Thisis
especiallytruewithhigh-profilespeakers,whosespeechesareoften
writtenbytheircommunicationsdepartments.)
AtTEDwe’vebeenexperimentingwithaninterviewformatthat
encouragessomepreparationbybothinterviewerandinterviewee,whilestill
allowingforthein-the-momentcutandthrustofatraditionalinterview.It’sa
conversationaccompaniedbyasequenceofimagesthathasbeenworkedout
inadvancebybothparties.Theimagesactaschaptermarkersforthevarious
topicstobecovered,andtheyaddrefreshingreferencepointsforthe
conversation.
WhenIinterviewedElonMusk,Iinvitedhimtosendmerarelyseenvideos
illustratingkeytopicswewantedtotalkabout,suchashisworkonbuilding
reusablespacecraft.Whentheappropriatemomentcame,Isimplyplayedthe
relevantvideoandaskedhimtoexplainwhatwewerelookingat.Itadded
paceandvarietytotheinterview.
Likewise,whenIwasduetointerviewBillandMelindaGatesabouttheir
philanthropiclivestogether,Iaskedthemforphotographsshowingtheirearly
engagementinpublichealthissues,anyvisualevidenceofwhytheydecided
tobecomephilanthropists,onekeygraphorimageeachthatwasmeaningful
tothem,and—becausewewantedtodiscusstheissueofinheritance—some
picturesoftheirfamily.Theimagestheycameupwithallowedustomakethe
interviewmuchmorepersonalthanitotherwisecouldhavebeen.
Thisformatisasatisfyinghalfwaypointbetweentalkandinterview.It
allowsintervieweestoreallythinkabouthowtheywanttostructureanidea
thatmatterstothem.Anditdecreasestheriskoframblingorgettingbogged
down.Icanpicturelotsofinnovationhere.Forexample,atalk,complete
withslides,giveninformallybyintervieweetointerviewer,whilethelatter
hastheoptiontoqueryanypointsthataren’tclear,liveonstage,whilethe
talkisinprogress.
6.SPOKENWORDFUSION
ApowerfulartformemergedfromAfricanAmericancommunitiesinthe
1970sand’80sandexplodedintopopularculture.Spokenwordcanbe
thoughtofasperformancepoetry;ittypicallycombinesstorytellingwith
intricatewordplay.Spokenwordartistsofferanexcitingextensionof
traditionalpublicspeaking.Theydon’tseekto“explain”or“persuade”inthe
mannerdescribedinthisbook.Instead,theytapintoauseoflanguagethat’s
morepoetic,moreprimal;languagethatcanenergize,move,inform,and
inspire.
Therearemanywaysofblendingthespokenwordgenrewithpublic
speaking.SarahKay,ClintSmith,MalcolmLondon,SuheirHammad,Shane
Koyczan,andRivesareamongthosewho’vegivenmemorableperformance-
talksatTED.However,it’snotsomethingtotakeonlightly.Badlydone
spokenwordcanbeexcruciating!
7.VIDEOPOETRYEXPLORATION
TheCanadianpoetTomKonyvesdefinedvideopoetryasa“poetic
juxtapositionofimageswithtextandsound.”Onlinevideohasignitedan
explosionofexperimentationinvideopoetry,combiningeveryimaginable
mixtureoftext,livefootage,animation,andspokenaccompaniment.Thisisa
genrecapableoflightingupatalk.WhenformerUSpoetlaureateBilly
CollinscametoTED,hepresentedfiveofhisworksthathadbeensetto
video.Unquestionably,theanimationsenhancedtheimpactofhisalready
powerfulwords.ShaneKoyczan’sspokenwordperformanceatTEDwas
enhancedbyavideobackdropcreatedbyeightycrowd-sourcedanimators.
There’shugepotentialinexperimentingwithvideopoetrylive,eitheraspart
ofatalkorasanentireperformance.
8.ADDEDMUSICALSOUNDTRACK
Whyisitthatalmosteverymoviehasamusicalsoundtrack?Music
intensifieseveryemotion.Itcanindicatemomentsofspecialsignificance.It
candialupdrama,sorrow,yearning,excitement,hope.Sowhynotconsider
usingitintalks?
Severalspeakershaveexperimentedwiththis.WhenJonRonsontolda
chillingstoryaboutsomeonejailedasasuspectedpsychopath,Julian
Treasurewasbehindhimonstagecreatinganauralbackdrop.PopUp
Magazine,whichseekstoturnmagazinecontentintoliveperformance,
regularlyaccompaniesstorieswithalivestringquartetorjazztrio,suchasin
thecaseofLatifNasser,whotoldtheamazingstoryofthemanwhoinvented
modernpainrelief.
Theriskingoingthisroute,apartfromtheintenseextraeffortneededin
rehearsal,isthattheformmayreinforcethefactthatthisisperformance,not
anin-the-momenttalk.Thiscanbedistancing.Andinmanysettings,the
introductionofmusicmayfeelemotionallymanipulative.
Nonetheless,thisseemstobefertilegroundforexperimentation.Oneroute
wouldbetoincorporatemusicianswhocanimprovisebasedonwhatthey’re
hearinglive.Anotherwouldbetodoubledownontheperformanceaspect
andjustmakeclearthatthisishowthisparticulartalkisbeingdelivered.
9.THELESSIGMETHOD
LawprofessorLawrenceLessighaspioneeredauniquestyleofpresentation,
akindofPowerPointonsteroids.Everysentenceandalmosteverysignificant
wordisaccompaniedbyanewvisual,whetherjustaword,aphotograph,an
illustration,oravisualpun.Forexamplehere’sasingle18-secondpassageof
his2013TEDTalk,whereeach//representsaslidetransition:
Congresshasevolvedadifferentdependence,//nolongera
dependenceuponthepeoplealone,//increasinglyadependenceupon
thefunders.//Nowthisisadependencetoo,butit’s//differentand
conflicting//fromadependenceuponthepeoplealone//solongas//
thefundersarenotthepeople.//Thisisacorruption.//
Thisshouldn’twork.Theblizzardoftypechangesinhisslidesseemsto
violateeverydesignrulebook.ButinLessig’shands,it’sriveting.There’sso
muchintelligenceandeleganceinhischoiceoffonts,formatting,andimages
thatyousimplygetsweptalonginawe.Hetoldmethereasonhestarted
presentingthiswaywasthathewassickofpeopleattechconferences
lookingdownattheirscreenswhilehewasspeaking.Hedidn’twanttogive
themasecondtolookaway.
Lessig’spresentationstyleissostartlinglydifferentthatsomehavegivenit
itsownname,theLessigMethod.Ifyou’refeelingbold,youcouldtry
emulatingit.Butbereadytospendalotoftimeinpreparationandrehearsal.
Andagain,becareful.Alotofitsbrillianceisinthedetailsandinthetiming
ofthetransitions.Inthewronghands,itcanandwilllookclumsyand
overbearing.
10.DUALPRESENTERS
Ingeneral,wediscouragetalksgivenbymorethanoneperson.These
somehowseemharderforaudiencestoconnectto.Theydon’tknowwhoto
lookat,andtheymayneverdeeplyrelatetoeitherpresenter.Butthereare
exceptionswheretheinteractionbetweenthetwopresentersaddsrealnuance.
WhenBeverlyandDereckJoubertdescribedtheirlifelongengagementwith
leopardsandotherwildcats,theclearaffectionandrespectbetweenthemwas
touchinginitsownright.
Isuspectthere’splentyofroomforinnovationhere.Inmostsuchdual
presentations,whenoneofthespeakersisn’ttalking,heissimplystanding
stillorwatchinghispartner.Therearealotofotherpossibilities:
Gesturing
Reenacting
Accompanyingwithamusicalinstrumentorpercussion
Sketchingorpainting
Interjecting
IfLawrenceLessighadatwinbrother,youcouldimaginethemfinishing
eachother’ssentencesinawaythatwoulddoubletheimpact.
Thisishighrisk.Withtwopresenters,preparationismuchmorecomplex.
Eachindividualisdependentontheother,andit’seasyfortheircontributions
andtransitionstofeelscripted.Idon’trecommendtryingthisunlessyouhave
incredibleconfidenceandgreatchemistrywithsomeonewhoitwouldbe
naturaltoexperimentwith.ButIdothinkthere’spossibilityhere.
11.NEWDEBATEFORMATS
Ifyouaregoingtohavetwopeopleonstageatthesametime,it’susually
moreinterestingwhenthey’reonoppositesidesofanissue.Often,thebest
waytoreallyunderstandanideaistoseeitchallenged.Therearenumerous
debateformatsthatofferexcitingwaysforthistohappen.Oneofthebestis
anOxfordUnionformat,twoagainsttwo.Thespeakersalternatewith,say,7-
minutepresentationsforandagainstacontroversialproposition.After
moderatororaudienceengagement,theyeachhavea2-minutewrap-up,
followedbyanaudiencevote.(Youcanseethisinactionontheexcellent
websiteIntelligenceSquaredUS.org.)
Buttherearenumerousalternatives,andI’dlovetoseeinnovationhere.
Forexample,youcouldtryacourtroomformatinwhicheach“witness”is
cross-examinedbyaskillfulquestioner.We’replanningtointroducemore
debatestofutureTEDevents.
12.SLIDEBLIZZARD
Manytalksbyphotographers,artists,anddesignerstaketheformofshowing
asequenceofslidesandtalkingabouteachone.It’sagoodidea,butit’seasy
forpeopletodallytoolongoneachslide.Ifyourtalentisprimarilyvisual,
you’llprobablywantlotsofvisuals,notlotsofwords.Soitmakessenseto
dialupthenumberofslidesanddialbackthenumberofwordsdevotedto
eachone.
Therehavebeenlotsofattemptstosystematizethis.Forexample,at
PechaKuchaevents,thetalkformatprescribesthat20slidesareshownwith
20secondsdevotedtoeachone;theslidesareadvancedautomatically,and
thespeakerhastokeepup.Self-proclaimed“geekevents,”theIgnitetalk
serieshasasimilarformat,thoughinthiscasespeakers’timeisreducedto15
secondsperslide.Bothmethodsmakeforterrific,fast-movingevents.
There’sroomtoinnovatefurtherstill.There’snoreasonwhyeveryslide
shouldhaveexactlythesameamountoftime.Iwouldlovetosee
presentationsthatfit100slidesinto6minutes.Twelvecouldbe“pause-and-
talk”slidesheldfor20secondseach,therestcouldbeshownin1-second
burstsandaccompaniedbyasoundtrackorjustsilence.
13.LIVEEXHIBITION
Theultimateextensionoftheslideblizzardapproachistoimaginethatyou’re
notgivingatalkatall.Instead,you’recreatingtheultimateexperienceof
immersioninyourwork.Supposeyou’reaphotographer,artist,ordesigner
who’sbeengivenashowinthemainexhibitionhallofoneoftheworld’s
greatartgalleries.Whatwouldyouwantthatexperiencetobe?Imagine
peoplemovingfromworktowork,thelightingperfect,carefullycreated
captionsoneachworktogivethemjusttherightamountofcontext.Now...
whycan’tyoure-createthatexperienceliveonstage?
Thinkofyourwordsnotaswordsfromatalk,butaswordsdesignedtostir
therightexpectationorinsight.Theydon’tneedtobesentences.Theycanbe
captions,signposts(wordsorphrasesusedtoguidereadersthroughthe
contentofyouressay),poetry.Andtheycanbebracketedbysilence.Yes,
silence.Whenyouhavesomethingincredibletoshow,thebestwayof
drawingattentiontoitistosetitup,showit,andshutup!
AsImentionedpreviously,kineticsculptorReubenMargolinknowshow
todothis.Duringone30-secondperiodofhistalk-cum-live-exhibition,here
isallhehadtosay:“Asingledropofrainincreasingamplitude.”Thosewords
weresurroundedbysilence,butthescreenwasalivewiththehypnotic
movementofhissculpture,andtheaudiencewaslostinaweatthebeautyhe
hadcreated.
PhotographerFransLantingcreatedanentireperformancearoundhis
photographstoillustratetheevolutionoflifeonEarth.Asthestunning
photographsadvanced,aPhilipGlasssoundtrackplayed,andFranssoftly
intonedlife’sstory.
Withallthetoolsavailabletodayinamoderntheater—lighting,surround
sound,hi-resprojection—it’ssomethingofatragedythattheworld’sbest
visualartistsoftendon’tmakeuseofthem.Insteadofthinkingabouthowto
immerseanaudienceintheirwork,theyassumethat,sincetheywereinvited
togiveatalk,that’swhattheyhavetodo.Myhopeforthefuture:moreshow,
lesstell.
14.SURPRISEAPPEARANCES
Afteranextraordinarystoryistoldaboutsomeone,theremaybeadditional
impactinbringingthatpersonontothestagelive.
AtTED2014,MITprofessorHughHerrdescribedhowhehadbuiltanew
bioniclegforAdrianneHaslet-Davis,aballroomdancerwhohadbeen
injuredinthe2013BostonMarathonbombing.Thenhestunnedtheaudience
byintroducingAdriannelivetogiveherfirstpublicdanceperformanceon
hernewleg.
AndatTEDxRíodelaPlata,CristinaDomenech’stalkaboutpoetryin
prisonswasenergizedbyalivereadingfrominmateMartínBustamante,who
hadbeenpermittedatemporaryreleasetoattend.
Thisapproachworksbestwhenthereisarealcontributionmadebythe
specialguest.Ifthatcan’thappen,it’sbettersimplytoacknowledgehisorher
presenceintheaudience.Topullsomeoneonstageforjustabriefhellocan
feelawkward.
15.VIRTUALPRESENTERS
Technologyisallowingnewwaystobringaspeakertothestage.InJuneof
2015,successcoachTonyRobbinsappearedatabusinessconferencein
Melbourne,Australia.Excepthedidn’twanttoactuallytravelallthewayto
Australia.Soinsteadheappearedvia3Dhologram.Organizersclaimhis
avatarhadasmuchimpactasthemanhimself.
WhenweinvitedwhistleblowerEdwardSnowdentoTEDin2014,there
wasjustoneproblem.HewaslivinginexileinMoscowandcouldn’ttravelto
Vancouverforfearofbeingarrested.Butwewiredhiminnonethelessinthe
formofatelepresencerobotcalledBeamPro.Ifanything,itaddedtothe
drama.Duringthebreaks,theSnowdenbotroamedthehallway,allowing
attendeestochatwithhimandsnapphotos(creatingaTwittertrend
#SelfiesWithSnowden).
Ofcourse,boththeseusesbenefitedfromtheirrelativenovelty.Butthe
technologyiscontinuallyimproving.OneofthesurprisesofTED’ssuccess
hasbeenthataspeakeronvideohasalmostasmuchimpactasaspeakerin
theroom.Sothere’snoreasonahologramortelepresencebotcan’thavefull
impact.
Thepossibilitiesherearelimitless.Forexample,whencomposerEric
WhitacreunveiledapieceofmusicatTEDin2013,itwasperformednotjust
byachoironthestage.Theywerejoinedbymusiciansfromthirtydifferent
countries,singingtogetherlivecourtesyofaspecialtechhookupengineered
forusbySkype.Astheyappearedonscreen,unitedinsong,itseemedfora
momentthatthedifferencesthattearourworldapartcouldbebridgedby
elementsassimpleasanInternetconnection,musicfromtheheart,and
peoplewillingtoreachout.Iglancedaroundattheaudienceandsawmanya
cheekwetwithtears.
Ithinkwecanexpecttoseealotmoreexperimentslikethisgoingforward.
Innovationsthatwillallowgatheringsofpeoplethatsimplywouldn’thave
beenpossibleanyotherway.Indeed,theremaywellsoonbeadaywhenreal
robotswalkonstageandgivetalks,talksthattheyhavehelpedtowrite.
(We’reworkingonit!)
16.NOLIVEAUDIENCE
Theultimatetalkinnovationmaybenottoplaywithwhathappensonstage,
butjusttotakeawaythestagealtogether.Also,thetheater,theliveaudience,
andthehost.Afterall,we’reinaconnectedworldnow.Thankstothe
Internet,wecancommunicatetocountlessthousandsofpeopleliveorvia
video.Thatglobalaudiencecandwarfanygroupthatcancometogether
physicallyinaroom.Sowhynotjustdesignatalkdirectlyforthataudience?
SwedishstatisticianHansRoslinghasdoneaseriesofincredibleTED
Talks,notchingupcollectivelymorethan20millionviews.Butoneofhis
mostpopulartalkswasn’tdoneonastageatall.ItwasfilmedbytheBBCin
anemptywarehouse,andRosling’strademarkgraphicswereaddedin
postproduction.
Inaworldwhereeveryonehasaccesstovideocamerasandeditingtools,
therewillbeanunstoppabletrendofsignificanttalksdelivereddirectlytothe
Internet.OurOpenTEDinitiative(describedattheendofchapter20)seeksto
tapintothistrend.
Thiswon’treplacethepowerofpeoplecomingtogetherphysically—there
arefartoomanybenefitsfromtheancientexperienceofrealin-the-moment
humancontact.Butdirect-to-videotalkswillbeawonderfulplaygroundfor
rapidexperimentation,innovation,andlearning.
Iamincrediblyexcitedaboutthewaysinwhichpublicspeakingmayevolve
overthecomingyears.ButIdoalsothinkit’sworthsoundinganoteof
caution.Manyoftheinnovationsmentionedabovearepotentiallypowerful,
buttheyshouldn’tbeoverused.Thebasictechnologyofhuman-to-human
speakinggoesbackhundredsofthousandsofyearsandisverydeeplywired
intous.Inseekingmodernvariants,wemustbecarefulnottothrowoutthe
babywiththebathwater.Humanattentionisafragilething;ifyouaddtoo
manyextraingredients,themainthrustofatalkmaygetlost.
So...let’sembraceaspiritofinnovation.Therearewonderful
opportunitiesouttheretoadvancethegreatartofpublicspeaking.Butlet’s
alsoneverforgetthatsubstancemattersmorethanstyle.Ultimately,it’sall
abouttheidea.
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REFLECTION
OceanofPDF.com
Reflection
19
OceanofPDF.com
TALKRENAISSANCE
TheInterconnectednessofKnowledge
Iwishtopersuadeyouofsomething:Thathowevermuchpublicspeaking
skillsmattertoday,they’regoingtomatterevenmoreinthefuture.
Drivenbyourgrowingconnectedness,oneofhumankind’smostancient
abilitiesisbeingreinventedforthemodernera.I’vebecomeconvincedthat
tomorrow,evenmorethantoday,learningtopresentyourideaslivetoother
humanswillprovetobeanabsolutelyessentialskillfor:
Anychildwhowantstobuildconfidence.
Anyoneleavingschoolandlookingtostartameaningfulcareer.
Anyonewhowantstoprogressatwork.
Anyonewhocaresaboutanissue.
Anyonewhowantstobuildareputation.
Anyonewhowantstoconnectwithothersaroundtheworldwhosharea
passion.
Anyonewhowantstocatalyzeactiontomakeanimpact.
Anyonewhowantstoleavealegacy.
Anyone,period.
ThebestwayIcanmakethisargumentistosharewithyoumyown
learningjourneyofthepastcoupleofdecades,aperiodthatcompletely
changedmyunderstandingofwhygreatpublicspeakingmatters,andwhatit
mightbecome.SoletmetakeyoubacktoWednesday,February18,1998,
Monterey,California,whichiswhenandwhereIfirstsetfootinsideaTED
conference.
Backthen,Ithoughtofconferencesasnecessaryevils.Youputupwith
hoursoftediouspanelsandpresentationsinordertomeetthepeoplefrom
yourindustrythatyouneedtomeet.However,mygoodfriendSunnyBates,
oneoftheworld’sgreatconnectors,persuadedmethatTEDwasdifferentand
Ishouldcheckitout.
Iendedthefirstdayalittlebemused.Ihadheardaseriesofshorttalks
fromasoftwareprogrammer,amarinebiologist,anarchitect,atech
entrepreneur,andagraphicdesigner.Theywerenicelydone.ButIwas
strugglingtofindtheirrelevancetome.Iwasamediaguy.Ipublished
magazines.Howwasthisgoingtohelpmetodomyworkbetter?
WhenTEDwasfoundedbackin1984,Richard“Ricky”Wurmanandhis
cofounder,HarryMarks,hadatheorythattherewasgrowingconvergence
betweenthetechnology,entertainment,anddesignindustries(theT,E,andD
ofTED).Itmadesense.ThatwastheyearthefirstAppleMacintosh
computerwaslaunched,theyearthatSonyunveiledthefirstcompactdiscs.
Bothproductshaddeeprootsinallthreeindustries.Itwasexcitingtoimagine
whatotherpossibilitieswouldemergeifyouconnectedthethreefields
together.Maybetechnologistscouldmaketheirproductsmoreappealingby
listeningtotheideasofhuman-centereddesignersandcreativeentertainers?
Maybearchitects,designers,andentertainment-industryleaderscouldexpand
theirsenseofpossibilitybyunderstandingnewdevelopmentsintechnology?
Andsoitproved.Afterawobblystart,andapersonalityclashbetweenthe
founders(whichpersuadedHarrytosellhis50percentstaketoRickyfora
dollar),TEDtookoffinthe1990s,accompaniedbytheriseofCD-ROM-
fueledmultimedia,Wiredmagazine,andtheearlyInternet.Inhisearlierlife,
Rickyhadcoinedtheterminformationarchitectureandhadbecomeobsessed
withmakingobscureknowledgeaccessible.Thisskillhelpedhimdrive
speakerstofindthemostinterestingangleontheiridea,theanglethatothers
outsidetheirfieldsmightenjoyorfindrelevant.Andhehadanother
personalitytraitthatwouldobliquelyprovecoretoTED’ssuccess:
impatience.
Rickyeasilybecameboredbylongtalks.AsTEDdeveloped,hebegan
givingspeakersshorterandshortertimeslots.Andhesimplywalkedonstage
andcutpeopleoffiftheywentontoolong.Healsobannedaudience
questions,onthegroundsthatitwouldbemoreinterestingtocraminanother
speakerthanhearsomeaudiencememberpromotehisownbusinessunderthe
guiseofaskingaquestion.Thismayhavebeenreallyannoyingtoafew
individuals,butfortheaudienceexperienceoverall,itwasagodsend.Itmade
forafast-movingprogram.Youcouldputupwiththeoccasionaldudtalk
becauseyouknewitwouldbeoversoon.
OnmyseconddayatTED,Ibegantotrulyappreciatetheshort-talkformat.
EventhoughIwasn’tyetcertainoftherelevancetomeandmywork,Iwas
certainlybeingexposedtoalotoftopics.Videogamesforgirls,thedesignof
chairs,anewwayofexploringinformationin3D,asolar-poweredairplane.
Theyallfollowedeachotherinarush.Therewasanexhilarationinlearning
howmanydifferenttypesofexpertisetherewereintheworld.Andsomething
wasstartingtospark.Acommentmadebyaspeakerinonefieldwould
somehowresonatewithsomethingsomeoneinacompletelydifferentfield
hadsaidthedaybefore.Icouldn’tputmyfingeronit,butIwasstartingtoget
excited.
Mostconferencesserveasingleindustryorknowledgespecialty.There,
everyonehasacommonlanguageandstartingpoint,anditmakessenseto
allowspeakerstimetogoreallydeepanddescribesomespecificnew
learning.Butwhenthecontentandaudiencearewide-ranging,aspeaker’s
goalisn’ttoexhaustivelycoveranichetopic.Instead,it’stomakeherwork
accessibletoothers.Toshowwhyit’sinteresting.Toshowwhyitmatters.
Thatcanusuallybedoneinlessthan20minutes.Andthat’sgood,because
forsomeoneoutsideyourfield,that’sprobablyallthetimethey’llgiveyou.
Aslisteners,wemaybewillingtoinvest45minutesoranhourona
universitysubjectwehavetolearn,oronsomeonewhoworksdirectlyinour
field.Buttogivesomeoneoutsideournormalworklifethatkindoftime?Not
possible.Therearen’tenoughhoursintheday.
Ondaythree,somethingreallystrangehappened.Myoverstimulatedbrain
begansparkinglikealightningstorm.Everytimeanewspeakergotupand
spoke,itfeltlikeanewthunderboltofwisdom.Ideasfromonetalkwould
connectinathrillingwaywithsomethingsharedbyotherstwodaysearlier.
AndthencameAimeeMullins.
Aimeehadhadbothherlegsamputatedatageone,butthathadn’tstopped
herfromleadingafulllife.Shesatonstageandspokeofhow,threeyears
earlier,asacollegefreshman,shehadrunherfirstraceasasprinter,andhow,
aidedbyapairofbeautifullydesignedsprinters’legs,shehadrocketed
throughtrialsfortheUSParalympicsTeam.Andthenshecasuallyremoved
herprostheticsandshowedhowshecouldreplacethemeasilywithotherlegs
forothersituations.
AsAimeespokeabouthersurprisingsuccessesandembarrassingfailures,I
satatthebackofthetheater,shockedatthetearsrunningdownmycheeks.
Shewassoalive,andsofullofpossibility.Sheseemedtosymbolize
somethingI’dsensedtimeandagainthatweek.Thatitwaspossibletoown
yourfuture.Nomatterwhatlifehadservedyou,youcouldfindawayto
shapeit,andinsodoingmakeadifferenceforotherstoo.
BythetimeIhadtoleavetheconference,Iunderstoodwhyitmeantso
muchtopeoplethere.IwasthrilledbyallI’dlearned.Ifeltagreatersenseof
possibilitythanIhadexperiencedinalongtime.IfeltlikeI’dcomehome.
Twoyearslater,whenIheardthatRickyWurmanwaslookingtosellthe
conference,Ibecametantalizedatthethoughtoftakingitover.Formyentire
entrepreneuriallife,mymantrahadbeentofollowthepassion.Notmy
passion—otherpeople’s.IfIsawsomethingthatpeopleweretruly,deeply
passionateabout,thatwasthebigcluethattherewasopportunitythere.
Passionwasaproxyforpotential.ThatwashowIjustifiedlaunchingdozens
ofhobbyistmagazines,coveringeverythingfromcomputingtomountain
bikingtocross-stitching.Thosetopicsmightbedeeplyboringtomostpeople,
buttothosethemagazinesweretargetedat,theywerepassion-drivengold.
ThepassionI’dseenandexperiencedatTEDwasoffthecharts.People
whohaddoneamazingthingswiththeirliveshadtoldmethiswastheir
favoriteweekoftheyear.Soeventhoughitwasonlyasmallannual
conference,therewaseverypossibilitythatsomethingmorecouldbebuiltout
ofthatpassion.
Ontheotherhand,itwasanewbusinesstogetinvolvedwith,andIwould
befollowingintheshoesofamanwithamuchbigger,brasherpersonality
thanmine.WhatifIfailed?Thepublichumiliationwouldbeprettyintense.I
consultedfriends,layawakeatnighttryingtoimagineeverypossibility,but
couldn’tgettoadecision.
Whatfinallyconvincedmetogoforitwas,believeitornot,apassageina
bookIhappenedtobereadingatthetime,namelyDavidDeutsch’sThe
FabricofReality.Initheaskedaprovocativequestion:Isitreallytruethat
knowledgehastobecomeevermorespecialized?Thattheonlywaywecan
achievesuccessisbyknowingmoreandmoreaboutlessandless?The
specializationofeveryfield—medicine,science,art—seemedtosuggestthis.
ButDeutscharguedconvincinglythatwemustdistinguishknowledgefrom
understanding.Yes,knowledgeofspecificfactsinevitablybecame
specialized.Butunderstanding?No.Notatall.
Tounderstandsomething,hesaid,wehadtomoveintheopposite
direction.Wehadtopursuetheunificationofknowledge.Hegavelotsof
examplesinwhicholderscientifictheorieswerereplacedbydeeper,broader
theoriesthattiedtogethermorethanoneareaofknowledge.Forexample,an
elegantworldviewbasedonthesunsittingatthecenterofthesolarsystem
replacedmassivelycomplexexplanationsofthewhirlingmotionsof
individualplanetsaroundEarth.
Butmoreimportantlystill,Deutschargued,thekeytounderstanding
anythingwastounderstandthecontextinwhichitsat.Ifyouimagineavast
spiderwebofknowledge,youcan’treallyunderstandtheintricateknotsin
anysmallpartofthatwebwithoutpullingthecamerabacktoseehowthe
strandsconnectmorebroadly.It’sonlybylookingatthatlargerpatternthat
youcangainactualunderstanding.
IreadthiswhenIwasdreamingaboutTED,andalightbulbflashedon.Of
course!Thatwasit!ThatwaswhytheTEDexperiencefeltsothrilling.Itwas
becausetheconferenceitselfwasreflectingtherealitythatallknowledgeis
connectedintoagiantweb.TEDtrulydidhavesomethingforeveryone.We
mightnotnecessarilyhaverealizeditatthetime,butbythinkingaboutsuch
eclecticideas,wewereallgainingunderstandingatamuchdeeperlevelthan
wehadbefore.Infact,theindividualideasmatteredlessthanhowtheyallfit
together—andwhathappenedwhenweaddedthemtoourexistingideas.
SoactuallywhatmadeTEDworkwasnotreallyjustthesynergybetween
technology,entertainment,anddesign.Itwasactuallytheconnectednessof
allknowledge.
Framedthatway,TEDwasaneventthatwouldneverrunoutofthingsto
talkabout.Howmanyvenuesweretherewhereyoucouldexplorethat
connectedness?Andexploreitinawaythatanycuriouspersoncouldfind
accessibleandinspiring?Icouldn’tthinkofany.
IhoppedonaplanetovisitRickyandhiswife,GloriaNagy,attheirhome
inNewport,RhodeIsland.Andtocutalongandcomplicatedstoryshort,by
theendof2001,IhadleftthecompanyI’dspentfifteenyearsbuildingto
becometheproud,albeitslightlynervous,curatorofTED.
Intheyearssincethen,I’vebecomeevermoreconvincedofthe
significanceoftheconnectednessofknowledge,andIhaveencouragedTED
toexpandfromtheoriginalT-E-Dtoprettymucheveryfieldofhuman
creativityandingenuity.Idon’tseethisframingofknowledgeand
understandingasjustarecipeforamoreinterestingconference.Iseeitasthe
keytoussurvivingandthrivinginthebravenewworldthat’scoming.Here’s
howI’dmakethecase:
THEAGEOFKNOWLEDGE
Manyofourassumptionsaboutthevalueandpurposeofknowledgeandhow
toacquireit—includingthestructureofourentireeducationsystem—are
leftoversfromtheindustrialage.Inthatera,thekeytosuccesswasfora
company,orcountry,todevelopmassiveexpertiseinproductionofphysical
goods.Thisrequireddeepspecialistknowledge:thegeologyrequiredto
locateandextractcoalandoil;themechanicalengineeringneededtobuild
andoperateindustrial-scalemachinery;thechemistryneededtoefficiently
produceamassivearrayofmaterials;andsoforth.
Theknowledgeeconomyrequiressomethingdifferent.Increasingly,the
specialistknowledgetraditionallywieldedbyhumansisbeingtakenoverby
computers.Oilisnotlocatedbyhumangeologistsbutbycomputersoftware
churningthroughvastamountsofgeologicaldata,lookingforpatterns.
Today’sbestcivilengineersnolongerneedtohand-calculatethestressesand
strainsonanewbuilding;thecomputermodelwilldothat.
Almostnoprofessionisuntouched.IwatchedanIBMWatsondemo
seekingtodiagnoseapatientwithsixspecificsymptoms.Whiledoctors
scratchedtheirheadsandorderedarangeofteststogetmoredata,Watson,in
justafewseconds,readthrough4,000recentrelevantresearchpapers,
appliedprobabilityalgorithmstoeachsymptom,andconcludedwith80
percentcertaintythatthepatienthadarareconditiononlyoneofthehuman
doctorshadevenheardof.
Atthispointpeoplestartgettingdepressed.Theybeginaskingquestions
suchas,Inaworldinwhichmachinesarerapidlygettingsuper-smartatany
specialistknowledgetaskwecanthrowatthem,whatarehumansevenfor?
It’sanimportantquestion.Andtheanswertoitisactuallyquitethrilling.
Whatarehumansfor?Humansareforbeingmorehumanthanwe’veever
been.Morehumaninhowwework.Morehumaninwhatwelearn.Andmore
humaninhowwesharethatknowledgewitheachother.
Ourgiantopportunityfortomorrowistorise.Toriseaboveourlong
historyofusingspecialistknowledgetodorepetitivetasks.Whetherit’sthe
backbreakingworkofharvestingriceyearafteryearorthemind-numbing
workofassemblingaproductonamanufacturingline,mosthumans,formost
ofhistory,havemadealivingdoingthesamethingoverandoveragain.
Ourfuturewon’tbelikethat.Anythingthatcanbeautomatedorcalculated
ultimatelywillbe.Now,wecanbefearfulofthat,orwecanembraceitand
takethechancetodiscoveraricherpathtolifefulfillment.Whatwillthat
pathlooklike?Nooneknowsforsure.Butit’sprobablygoingtoinclude:
Moresystem-levelstrategicthinking.Themachineswilldothegruntwork,
butwe’llneedtofigureouthowbesttosetthemuptoworkeffectivelywith
eachother.
Moreinnovation.Withthemassivecapabilitiesofaconnectedworld
availabletous,thereishugeadvantageforthosewhocangenuinelyinnovate.
Morecreativity.Robotswillmakealotofourstuff,allowingforan
explosionindemandforgenuinehumancreativity,whetherintechinvention,
design,music,orart.
Moreutilizationofuniquelyhumanvalues.Human-to-humanserviceswill
flourish,providedthehumanityinherentinthemiscultivated.Itmaybe
possibletodeveloparoboticbarber,butwilltheservicealonebeenoughto
replacethechattyinteractionwithagreathumanhairstylist-cum-therapist?I
doubtit.ThedoctorofthefuturemaybeabletoaskforWatson’sbrilliancein
diagnosticassistance,butthatshouldallowmoretimeforthatdoctortoreally
understandthehumancircumstancesofherpatient.
And,ifanyofthatprovestobetrue,it’slikelytorequireaverydifferent
typeofknowledgethantheindustrialageaskedofus.
Imagineaworldwhereanypieceofspecialistknowledgeisavailableto
youinstantly,ondemand.Ifyouhaveasmartphone,that’sprettymuchthe
worldyou’realreadylivingin.Andifitisn’ttoday,foryourkidsitwillbe.So
whatshouldwe—andthey—belearningforthefuture?
Insteadofever-greateramountsofever-more-specializedknowledge,we’re
goingtoneed:
Contextualknowledge,
Creativeknowledge,and
Adeeperunderstandingofourownhumanity.
Contextualknowledgemeansknowingthebiggerpicture,knowingtheway
allthepiecesfittogether.
Creativeknowledgeistheskillsetobtainedbyexposuretoawidevariety
ofothercreativehumans.
Adeeperunderstandingofourownhumanitycomesnotfromlisteningto
yourparentsoryourfriends,nortopsychologists,neuroscientists,historians,
evolutionarybiologists,anthropologists,orspiritualteachers.Itcomesfrom
listeningtoallofthem.
Thesetypesofknowledgearen’tthedomainofjustafewprofessorsina
fewgreatuniversities.Theyaren’twhatyoudiscoverinadominant
company’sapprenticeshipprogram.Thisisknowledgethatcanonlybe
assembledfromamassivevarietyofsources.
Andthatfact,rightthere,isoneofthemainenginespoweringthe
renaissanceinpublicspeaking.We’reenteringanerawhereweallneedto
spendalotmoretimelearningfromeachother.Andthatmeansfarmore
peoplethaneverbeforecancontributetothiscollectivelearningprocess.
Anyonewhohasauniquepieceofworkorauniqueinsightcanproductively
participate.Andthatincludesyou.
Buthow?Whetheryou’reabrilliantastrophysicist,atalentedstonemason,
orjustawisestudentoflife,Idon’tneedtolearnfromyoueverythingyou
know.Ofcoursenot.Thatwouldtakeyears.WhatIneedtoknowishowyour
workconnectstoeverythingelse.CanyouexplaintheessenceofitinawayI
canunderstand?Canyoushareyourworkprocessinlayman’sterms?Can
youexplainwhyitmatters?Andwhyyouarepassionateaboutit?
Ifyoucandothis,youwillexpandmyworldview.Andyoumaydo
somethingelse.Youmaysparknewcreativityorinspirationinme.Every
fieldofknowledgeisdifferent,buttheyareallconnected.Andtheyoften
rhyme.Thismeansthatsomethinginthewayyoudescribeyourprocessmay
givemeacrucialinsightorcatalyzeanewthoughtinme.Thisishowideas
formwhenwesparkoffeachother.
Sothefirstgreatdriverofthepublic-speakingrenaissanceisthatthe
knowledgeeraweareenteringdemandsadifferenttypeofknowledge,
encouragingpeopletobeinspiredbythoseoutsidetheirtraditional
specialties,andinsodoingtodevelopadeeperunderstandingoftheworld
andtheirroleinit.
Butthat’snotall.
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Reflection
20
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WHYTHISMATTERS
TheInterconnectednessofPeople
Thesecondgreatdriveroftherenaissanceinpublicspeakingistheepic
technologicalshiftthathasgivenusallvisibilitytoeachother:theInternet,
andinparticular,theriseofonlinevideo.Letmetellthestoryaswe
experiencedit,becauseinlessthanayear,onlinevideoflippedTEDonits
headandhelpedusbecomeoneofthepioneersofanewwayofsharing
knowledge.
AkeycatalystforuswasthatTEDisanonprofit.Wedon’toftenthinkof
nonprofitsasrobustvehiclesforinnovation,butinthiscasethatstatusreally
helped.Letmeexplain.
WhenIwasstillworkinginmagazines,Ibegantoputmoneyintoanot-
for-profitfoundationinordertostartgivingback.Itwasthatfoundationthat
acquiredTED.Iworkforitwithoutdrawingasalary.Tome,removingthe
profitmotivefromthetablesentaclearsignalofintent.Itmadeitmuch
easiertocrediblysaytotheworld,Comeandhelpusbuildanewapproachto
discoveringandsharingideas.Afterall,weaskattendeestopayalotof
moneytocometoourmainconferences,andweaskspeakerstocome
withoutbeingpaid.It’smucheasiertodothatifpeoplecanseethatthey’re
contributingtothepublicgoodasopposedtosomeone’spersonalbank
balance.
HowshouldTEDbestcontributetothepublicgood?Thesmallgroupofus
runningTEDintheyearsafterthetransitionponderedthisquestionalot.
Afterall,TEDwasjustaprivateconference.Yes,peoplewereinspiredthere,
butitwashardtoseehowyoucouldscalethatexperience.Ourearlyattempts
toadvanceTED’snonprofitmissionweretotryafellowsprogramtobringto
theeventpeoplewhocouldn’taffordtopay,7tohaveabiggerfocusonglobal
issues,andtoseektoturninspirationintoactionwiththeintroductionofthe
TEDPrize,whichgranteditswinnersawishtobettertheworldthatother
attendeeswouldsupport.
Butatsomepointitfeltlikewehadtofindawaytosharethecontentof
TED.Theideasandinsightsbeingexpresseddeservedabroaderaudience.In
early2005Ifoundtheperfectpersontocrackthisproblem.JuneCohenhad
hadaninsideviewofmanyofthekeydevelopmentsoftheweb.Shewasa
keyexecutiveintheteamthatdevelopedthepioneeringHotWiredwebsite,
whichhadtheworld’sfirstonlineads,andshehadwrittenaterrificbookon
whatittooktocreateasuccessfulwebsite.Also,she’dbeguncomingtoTED
thesameyearIhad,she’dfalleninlovewithitasIhad,andevery
conversationbetweenushadbeenprovocativeandvaluable.
Junejoinedourfledglingteamandembarkedonwhatseemedthelogical
strategyforsharingTEDcontentmorewidely:getitonTV.EveryTED
conferenceeverheldhadbeencapturedonvideo,andwithallthosecable
channelsoutthere,surelysomeonewouldbeexcitedaboutairingaweekly
show?Wecreatedapilot,andJunehawkeditpassionatelytoanyonewho
wouldlisten.TheresoundingverdictfromTV-land?Meh.
TalkingheadsmakeforboringTV—weheardthattimeandagain.Wetried
suggestingthatjustpossiblythatboredomthingmightnotbeabouttalking
headsperse,butabouttalkingheadssayingboringthings.Wedidn’tget
anywhere.
Butmeanwhile,somethingprofoundwashappeningtotheworld’s
infrastructure.ExcitedbytheexplosivegrowthoftheInternet,telecom
companieshaddecidedtoinvestbillionsofdollarsintofiberopticsandother
bandwidthupgrades.Thatenabledtheliftoffofatechnologythathadatfirst
seemedentirelyinnocuous:onlinevideo.During2005,itmorphedfroma
flickeringnoveltyinthecornerofascreentosomethingyoucouldactually
watch.AquirkylittlewebsitecalledYouTubewaslaunched,featuringshort,
user-generatedvideos,manyofthemstarringkittens.Despitetheamateurish
look,ittookofflikearocket.
InNovember2005,Junecametomewitharadicalsuggestion.Let’s
deprioritizeTVfornowandtrydistributingTEDTalkvideosonlineinstead.
Onthefaceofit,thatwasacrazyidea.Quiteapartfromthestillbarely
acceptablequalityofonlinevideo,therewasnoprovenrevenuemodelforit.
Coulditreallymakesensetoriskgivingawayourcontent?Wasn’tthatthe
onlyreasonpeoplepaidsomuchtocometotheconferencesinthefirstplace?
Ontheotherhand,itwouldbeamajorstepinadvancingTED’snonprofit
missionofsharingideasforpublicbenefit.Andthethoughtofcontrollingour
owndistributionwithoutdependencyonTVnetworkswasexciting.Itwas
worthanexperimentattheleast.
Thusitwasthat,onJune22,2006,thefirstsixTEDTalksdebutedonour
website.Atthetime,ted.comwasgettingabout1,000visitorsaday,mostof
themjustcheckingdetailsaboutpastandfutureconferences.Wedreamedthat
thereleaseofthesetalksmightkickthatnumberupfivefold,yieldingmaybe
2milliontalkviewsoverayear,amassiveboostinouroverallreach.
Thefirstdaywehadabout10,000talkviews.Iassumedthat,asusualwith
newmedia,afterinitialinterestwaned,thenumberswouldfalloffquickly.
Theoppositehappened.Withinjustthreemonthswe’dreachedamillion
views,andthenumbersjustcontinuedtoclimb.
Evenmoreexcitingwasthetoneofresponseswewereseeing.Wehad
doubtedthetalkscouldhaveanythinglikethesameimpactonlineastheydid
live.Afterall,howcouldyouholdsomeone’sattentionjustpeeringatasmall
viewingwindowonascreenwhenthereweresomanyotherdistractions
online?Theresponsesshockedanddelightedusintheirintensity:Wow!
Chillsshootingdownmyspine!Coolandinspiring.Thebestpresentationofa
complexgraphicIhaveeverseen.Tearsrunningdownmyface...
Suddenlyitfeltlikethepassionpeopleexperiencedattheconferencehad
beensetfree.Andthatcouldmeanonlyonething.Theexperimentwe’d
undergonereleasingjustahandfulofTEDTalkswouldhavetobeextended
acrossallourbestcontent.InMarchof2007,werelaunchedourwebsitewith
ahundredtalksavailable,andeversincethenTEDhasbeennotsomuchan
annualconferenceasamediaorganizationdevotedto“ideasworth
spreading.”
Oh,andthatworryaboutusendangeringtheconferencebygivingawayits
content?Actually,theeffectwastheopposite.Ourattendeeswerethrilled
theycouldnowsharegreattalkswiththeirfriendsandcolleagues,andas
wordofTEDTalksspread,thedemandtoattendtheconferencesactually
rose.
Eightyearslater,interestinTEDTalkshasmushroomedglobally.Toour
surpriseanddelight,ithasbecomeaglobalplatform8foridentifyingand
spreadingideas,thankstotheeffortsofhundredsofspeakers,thousandsof
volunteertranslators,andtensofthousandsoflocaleventorganizers.Asof
late2015,TEDTalksareviewedsome100milliontimeseverymonth—1.2
billiontimesayear.It’snotjustTED,ofcourse.Manyotherorganizations
alsodisseminateideasinvideoformat.Interestinonlineeducationgenerally
hasexploded.KhanAcademy,MIT,StanfordUniversity,andcountlessothers
havemadeavailableincredibleresourcesforfreetoanyoneintheworld.
Whenyoustepbackandpondertheimplications,it’sprettythrilling.
Consideritfirstfromaspeaker’spointofview.Overhistory,manyofthe
peoplemostpassionateaboutanideahavespentyearscrisscrossingacountry
oracontinenttryingtodrumupaudienceinterest.Realistically,themost
successfulanyonecouldhopetobeatthiswouldbetospeakperhaps100
timesayear,infrontofaudiencesof,onaverage,perhaps500people.Soyou
mightjustaboutbeabletoreach50,000peopleinayear,andthatwould
requireagruelingscheduleandanamazingadvancepublicitymachine.
Similarly,mostauthorssellingabookaboutaseriousideawouldconsiderita
hugesuccessiftheysold50,000copies.
Yetonlineyoucanreachthatmanypeopleinjustyourfirstday.Andmore
than1,000speakershavegoneontoreachanaudiencegreaterthan1million
peopleforasingletalk.Thisrepresentsatransformativeleapininfluence,
andmanyspeakershaveattestedtotheimpactithasmadeontheirwork.
Butfromaviewer’spointofview,theimplicationisevenmorethrilling.
Almosteveryhumanbornatalmosteveryplaceandmomentinhistoryhas
hadtheirpotentialcappedbyasinglefactoverwhichtheyhadalmostno
control,namely,thequalityoftheteachersandmentorstheyhadaccessto.If
aboywithAlbertEinstein’sbrainhadbeenborninGermanyinthedarkages,
therewouldhavebeennoscientificrevolutionemanatingfromhim.Ifagirl
withMarieCurie’smindhadbeenborninaremoteIndianvillagetwenty
yearsago,todayshe’dprobablybeharvestingriceandstrugglingtoraiseher
children.
Butnow,forthefirsttimeinhistory,it’spossibleforanyoneontheplanet
whohasaccesstotheInternettosummontotheirhometheworld’sgreatest
teachersandinspirers.Thepotentialthatrepresentsisbreathtaking.
Andweshouldnotthinkofthisasaone-wayprocess,speakertolistener.
Themostprofoundimplicationofonlinevideoisthatithascreatedan
interactiveecosysteminwhichwecanalllearnfromeachother.Infact,you
mightbesurprisedbythegroupofpeopleIlearnedthatideafrom.Madd
Chadd,JaySmooth,KidDavid,andLil“C”arestarmembersoftheLegion
ofExtraordinaryDancers,theLXD.TheirperformanceatTEDin2010blew
usallaway.Butevenmoreastoundingtomewasthattheyhadlearnedmany
oftheirskillsbywatchingYouTube!
Astheirproducer,JonChu,putit:
Dancershavecreatedawholegloballaboratoryonlinefordance,
wherekidsinJapanaretakingmovesfromaYouTubevideocreated
inDetroit,buildingonitwithindays,andreleasinganewvideo,
whileteenagersinCaliforniaaretakingtheJapanesevideoand
remixingitwithaPhillyflairtocreateawholenewdancestylein
itself.Andthisishappeningeveryday.Fromthesebedroomsand
livingroomsandgarages,withcheapwebcams,cometheworld’s
greatdancersoftomorrow.
YouTubehadsparkedakindofglobalcontestfordanceinnovation,
causingtheartformtoevolveatbreakneckspeed.Chuhadnoticedthisand
hadturnedtoYouTubeashismainrecruitmentsourcefornewdancetalent.
AndtheLXDweresobreathtakinglygood,theywerechosenthatyearto
performattheOscars.
AsIlistenedtoChuandwatchedtheLXDinaction,ithitmethattheexact
samephenomenonwashappeninginpublicspeaking.Speakerswere
watchingeachother’stalksonlineandlearningfromeachother,seekingto
copywhatwasgood,andthenaddtheirownuniqueinnovations.
Infactyoucouldseethesamephenomenonatworkinanyskillthatcould
besharedonvideo,fromcakedecoratingtojuggling.Onlinevideowas
providingtwothingsthathadneverbeforebeenavailablesopotently:
Visibilityofthebesttalentintheworld
Amassiveincentivetoimproveonwhatwasoutthere
TheincentivewassimplythethrillofbecomingaYouTubestar.The
prospectofallthoseviews,likes,andcommentscanmotivatesomeoneto
slaveawayforhoursorweeks,perfectingtheirownskillstobevideoedand
uploaded.IfyouspendanytimeonYouTube,youcandiscoverthousandsof
nichecommunities,revolvingaroundeverythingfromunicyclingtoparkour
tovideopoetrytoMinecraft,teachingeachothertodoastonishingthings.
Thisphenomenondemandedaname.Ibegancallingitcrowd-accelerated
innovation.Andbyfaritsmostexcitingapplicationisintheworldofideas.
Forallofhistory,thevastmajorityofalltalksgivenbeforeanaudience
haveremainedinvisibletoallbutthosewhowereactuallythere.Today,for
thefirsttime,it’spossibletogoonlineandseethousandsofdifferentspeakers
inaction,onalmostanytopicyoucaretoname.It’spossibletoseehowwell
theirtalksareregardedbylookingatviewcounts,comments,etc.,and
thereforetofilterdowntotheonesyoumostwanttosee.
So,suddenlywehaveanamazinglaboratoryatourdisposal.Andwealso
haveafantasticnewincentiveformillionsofpeopletoparticipateinthis
laboratory.Ifyourbestopportunitytogiveatalkisjustforafewcolleagues,
oratalocalclub,youmightnotbethatincentivizedtoreallyprepare.But
nowthatwhatyousaycanberecordedandputonline,that’sdifferent.Your
potentialaudienceisinthemillions.Nowhowmuchtimeareyouwillingto
putin?
Thisisarecipeforagloriousupwardspiraloflearning,innovating,
sharing,andmorelearning.ThatiswhyIbelievetoday’stalkrenaissanceis
onlyjustgettingunderway.AtTED,we’vesoughttonurtureitinthreemain
ways(inadditiontosharingTEDTalksonoursite).
1.ATEDxEVENTNEARYOU
In2009,webeganofferingafreelicensetopeoplewhowantedtoorganizea
TED-likeeventintheirowntownorcity.WeusedthelabelTEDx,wherex
meansitisindependentlyorganizedandalsosignifiesthemultipliereffectof
thisprogram.Toourdelight,thousandsofpeoplehaveorganizedTEDx
events.Morethan2,500areheldeveryyearinmorethan150countries.They
haveledtomorethan60,000TEDxtalksbeinguploadedtoYouTube.Anda
growingnumberofthosetalkshavegoneviral.Ifyoudon’tthinkyoucan
givethetalkyouwanttogiveatwork,youcouldconsiderreachingoutto
yourlocalTEDxorganizer.Theremightbetheperfectstagewaitinginyour
ownneighborhood.9
2.AKIDS’PROGRAMFORPRESENTATIONLITERACY
WelaunchedafreeprogramforschoolscalledTED-EdClubsthatallowsany
teachertoofferagroupofkidsachancetogivetheirownTEDTalk.A
sessiononceaweekforthirteenweeksencouragesselectionofanidea,tips
onhowtoresearchit,andthentheskillstoprepareanddeliverthetalk.The
boosttotheconfidenceandself-esteemofkidswhomakeitthroughtothe
deliveredtalkisinspiringtosee.Wethinkpresentationliteracyshouldbea
corepartofeveryschool’scurriculum,onparwithreadingandmath.It’s
goingtobeanimportantlifeskilltohaveinthedecadesahead.10
3.UPLOADYOUROWNTEDTALK
WehaveaprogramcalledOpenTEDthatallowsanyonetouploadtheirown
TED-liketalktoaspecialsectiononoursite.Wespecificallyencourage
innovation,notjustincontentbutinhowthetalkisgiven.We’rebetting
someoneouttherewillhitonabeautifulnewwaytoshareideas.Perhapsit
willbeyou.11
Andoverthenextdecade,asseveralbillionmorepeoplegetonline,we’re
excitedattheprospectofreachingouttothemandofferingameanstolearn
fromthegreatteacherswhocanempowerthemtoachieveabetterlife,andto
sharetheiruniqueinsightsandideaswiththerestofus.Theprospectofa
worldpopulationgrowingto10billionoverthecomingthirtyyearsis
daunting.Butit’salotlesssoifyouimaginethatitwillbringnotjustmore
consumption,butalsomorewisdom.
Therevolutioninpublicspeakingissomethingeveryonecanbepartof.If
wecanfindawaytotrulylistentoeachother,andlearnfromeachother,the
futureglitterswithpromise.
OceanofPDF.com
Reflection
21
OceanofPDF.com
YOURTURN
ThePhilosopher’sSecret
Myfatherwasamissionaryeyedoctor.Hedevotedhislifetotryingtocure
blindnessinPakistan,Afghanistan,andSomalia,whilesimultaneouslytrying
tospreadtheChristiangospel.It’sprobablyagoodthinghenevergottosee
oneofthefirstspeakersIbroughttotheTEDstage.Thatwasphilosopher
DanDennett,anavowedatheist.Theywouldhavedisagreedprettymuch
acrosstheboard.Exceptononething.
Halfwaythrougharivetingtalkonthepowerofmemes,Dennettsaidthis:
“Thesecretofhappinessis:findsomethingmoreimportantthanyouare,and
dedicateyourlifetoit.”
Thatisastatementmyfatherwouldhaveprofoundlyagreedwith.
Dennettisapassionateadvocateforthepowerofideas.Hewas
highlightinganextraordinaryfactabouthumans,onethat’suniquetoour
species:wearesometimeswillingtosubjugateourbiologicalneedsforthe
pursuitofideasthatmatter.AndinDennett’sview—andmyfather’s,and
mine—thatpursuitisoneofthekeystoameaningful,satisfyinglife.
We’restrangecreatures,wehumans.Atonelevel,wejustwanttoeat,
drink,play,andacquiremorestuff.Butlifeonthehedonictreadmillis
ultimatelydissatisfying.Abeautifulremedyistohopoffitandinsteadbegin
pursuinganideathat’sbiggerthanyouare.
Now,inyourcase,Iofcoursedon’tknowwhatthatideais.Andmaybe,
rightnow,youdon’teither.
Maybeyouwanttohighlightaninvisiblecommunityinyourtown,ordo
somehistoricalresearchintoafamilymemberwhosecourageshouldbe
betterknown,ororganizecleanupdaysinyourcommunity,ordelveinto
marinescience,orgetactiveinapoliticalparty,orbuildanewpieceof
technology,ortravelsomewherewherehumanneedsareahundredtimes
greaterthananythingyou’vefaced,orjusttapintotheexperienceand
wisdomofthepeopleyoumeet.
Whateveritisyoupursue,ifyoutrulygoafterit,Ipredicttwothings:
Yes,you’llfindameaningfulformofhappiness.
You’lldiscoversomethingthatmattersfarmorethananypieceofadvice
you’vereadinthisbook:you’lldiscoversomethingworthsaying.
Andthenwhat?Well,then,ofcourse,youmustshareit,usingallthe
passion,skills,anddeterminationyoucanmuster.Shareitinthewaythat
ultimatelyonlyyouwillknowhowtodo.Startafirethatwillspreadnew
wisdomfarandwide.
TomChatfieldisatechnologycommentatorwhospokeatoneofour
events.MycolleagueBrunoGiussaniaskedhimforhisadviceforother
speakers.Thisiswhathesaid:
Themostamazingthingaboutatalk,forme,isitspotentialfor
impact.Theshorttalkyou’reabouttogivehasthepotentialnotonly
toreachhundredsofthousandsofpeople,buttostartmanythousands
ofconversations.AndsothecentraladviceIwouldgiveistopush
yourselfashardaspossibletobeboldandbrave,totrytostepoutside
thecomfortzoneofwhatyouknowforsureorwhatothershavesaid
already,andtogivetheworldquestionsandinspirationsthatdeserve
athousandconversations.It’snotaboutbeingright,orsafe—itseems
tome—somuchasabouthavingastaggeringopportunitytocreate
somethingthatwillbreedfurtherideas.
Ilovethatquote.Iwantafutureinwhichpeoplerealizetheirpotentialto
nudgetheworld.Seedingavaluableidea,Iamconvinced,isthemostimpact
that’spossibleforanindividualtohave.Because,inaconnectedworld,that
idea,onceproperlyseeded,iscapableofspreadingitself.There’snolimitto
thenumberofpeopleitcaninfluence,bothnowandinthefuture.
Butwhataboutthosewhowouldnudgetheworldinabaddirection?Can’t
publicspeakingbeusedforharmaswellasgood?
Itcan.Fromdemagoguestosoul-destroyingcynics,there’splentyof
painfulevidenceofthis.
However,Idon’tthinkthere’scompletesymmetryhere.Therearestrong
reasonstobelievethattheacceleratinggrowthofspokencontentisgoingto
tiltpositive.Letmeexplain.
Aswe’velearned,togiveaneffectivetalk,aspeakerhastogotowherea
listenerisandsay,Come,let’sbuildsomethingtogether.Thespeakermust
showwhytheideaisworthbuilding.Thereisareachingout.Anappealto
sharedvalues,desires,hopes,anddreams.
Incertaincircumstancesthisprocesscanbeterriblyabused.Acrowdcan
bewhippedup.Hatredinflamed.Falseviewsoftheworldcanbepropagated
asreal.Butinhistorythishasalwayshappenedwhen,atleasttosomedegree,
listenersareshutofffromtherestoftheworld.Theappealthatisbeingmade
bythespeakerisnotuniversal,itistribal.Itisusversusthem.Andcrucial
factsarehiddenfromtheselisteners.
Butwhenwe’remorecloselyconnected—whenpeoplehavefullvisibility
oftheworldandeachother—somethingdifferentstartstohappen.Then,the
speakerswhowillhavethemostinfluencewillbethosewhosucceedin
tappingintothosevaluesanddreamsthataremostwidelyshared.Theywill
bethosewhouseargumentsbasedonfactsthatmanypeople—notjustafew
—canseetobetrue.
Imaginetworeligiousspeakerswhowanttoinfluencetheentireworld.
Oneofthemspeaksofthesuperiorityofhisownreligionoverallothersand
urgesmassconversion.Theothernoticesthatthesingledeepestvalueofhis
religion,compassion,isalsosharedbyeveryotherreligion.Hedecideshe
willspeakonthat,andhemakesanefforttospeakinuniversaltermsthat
thosefromotherreligionswillrespondtoandwillbemovedby.Whichof
thosespeakershasthebiggerpotentialaudienceandlong-termimpact?
Orimaginetwoglobalpoliticalleaders,oneofwhomappealsonlytothe
interestsofonerace,whiletheotherreachesouttoallmembersofhumanity.
Whichonegarnersmoresupportintheend?Ifitwerethecasethathumans
wereirredeemablyxenophobic,close-minded,racist,thentobesurethe
secondpoliticianwouldhavenohope.ButIdon’tbelievethattobethecase.
Ibelievethatwhatweshareisfarmoremeaningful,moreprofound,thanhow
wediffer.Weallhunger,yearn,suffer,laugh,weep,andlove.Weallbleed.
Wealldream.Weareallcapableofempathy,ofputtingourselvesinothers’
shoes.Anditispossibleforvisionaryleaders—oranyonewiththecourageto
standupandsaysomething—totapintothissharedhumanityandtonurture
it.
Ispokeearlierofthepowerofreasonovertheverylongterm.Reason,by
itsverynature,seekstolookattheworldnotfromanindividualperspective
butfromtheperspectiveofallofus.Reasonrejectsargumentsthatsay“I
wantthistohappenbecauseit’sinmyinterest”infavorof“Here’swhywe
shouldallwantthistohappen.”Ifreasondidn’tdothis,itcouldneverhave
becomethecommoncurrencyofdiscussionthatallowshumanstoalign.
WhenwesayBereasonable,thisisexactlywhatwemean.We’resaying,
Pleaselookattheissuefromabroaderperspective.
Thepowerofreason,combinedwiththegrowingconnectednessofthe
world,tiltsthebalanceofinfluenceinfavorofspeakerswhoarewillingto
putthemselvesintheshoesofallofus,notjusttheothermembersoftheir
owntribe.Thelattermayhavetheirmomentsofpower,butitistheformer
whowillwinintheend.
ThatiswhyIdeeplybelieveinMartinLutherKingJr.’sshiningstatement:
“Thearcofthemoraluniverseislong,butitbendstowardsjustice.”There
reallyisanarrowtohistory.Therereallyissuchathingasmoralprogress.If
wepullthecamerabackforamoment,awayfromwhateverevildujouris
dominatingthenews,wecanseethatprogresswritlargeinthehistoryofthe
lastfewcenturies,notleastintheimpactofMLKhimself.Andithasevery
chanceofcontinuing.
Ashumanscontinuetobebroughtcloser,notjustbytechnologybutbyan
everdeeperunderstandingofeachother,sowewillfindmorewaysofseeing
ineachotherthethingswemutuallycareabout.Andthatishowbarriers
comedownandhumansoulsunite.
Itwon’thappenquickly,noreasily.Thistypeofchangeis
multigenerational.Andthereareplentyofimaginabledisastersthatcould
blowitoffcourse.Butatleastwehaveashot.
Talkingwitheachotherisacrucialpartofnurturingthatchange.We’re
wiredtorespondtoeachother’svulnerability,honesty,andpassion—
providedwejustgetachancetoseeit.Today,wehavethatchance.
Intheend,it’squitesimple.Wearephysicallyconnectedtoeachotherlike
neverbefore.Whichmeansthatourabilitytoshareourbestideaswitheach
othermattersmorethaniteverhas.ThesinglegreatestlessonIhavelearned
fromlisteningtoTEDTalksisthis:Thefutureisnotyetwritten.Weareall,
collectively,intheprocessofwritingit.
There’sanopenpage—andanemptystage—waitingforyourcontribution.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Likeallideas,thoseofferedinthisbookhavemanyparents.
IhavespentendlesshourswithmyclosecolleaguesatTED,especially
KellyStoetzel,BrunoGiussani,andTomRielly,tryingtogethertounderstand
theessenceofagreatTEDTalk.Thisbookistheirsasmuchasmine.
We’vehadaccesstomanyoftheworld’sbestthinkersandspeakers,whose
wisdomwe’vegreedilysoughtonthesignificanceofideasandonevery
aspectofturningthemintomemorablewords.Aspecialcall-outtoSteven
Pinker,DavidDeutsch,SirKenRobinson,AmyCuddy,ElizabethGilbert,
DanPallotta,DanielKahneman,BryanStevenson,DanGilbert,Lawrence
Lessig,AmandaPalmer,PamelaMayer,BrenéBrown,AllanAdams,Susan
Cain,StevenJohnson,MattRidley,ClayShirky,DanielDennett,Mary
Roach,RorySutherland,SarahKay,Rives,SalmanKhan,andBarry
Schwartz.Actually,we’velearnedfromeverysinglespeakerwho’sappeared
atTED,andwefeelimmensegratitudetothemforthegiftthey’vegivenus
all.Thankstootoourthreefavoritespeakercoaches:GinaBarnett,Abigail
Tenembaum,andMichaelWeitz.
Manylong-standingmembersoftheTEDcommunityhavebeen
wonderfullysupportiveoverthepastfifteenyearsandhavehelpedusimagine
whatTEDmightbecome.ScottCook,SunnyBates,JuanEnriquez,Chee
Pearlman,TimBrown,StewartBrand,DannyHillis,CyndiStivers,RobReid,
ArchMeredith,StephenPetranek...yourock!Andtherearesomanymore.
Someoftheworld’sbusiestpeoplesomehowfoundthetimetoreadan
earlymanuscriptandofferinvaluableadvice,includingHelenWalters,
MichelleQuint,NadiaGoodman,KateTorgovnickMay,EmilyMcManus,
BethNovogratz,JeanHoney,GerryGarbulsky,RemoGiuffre,KeloKubu,
JulietBlake,BrunoBowden,RyeBarcroft,JamesJoaquin,GordonGarb,and
ErinMcKean.
Warmthankstomymiracle-weavingagent,JohnBrockman,mybrilliant
editor,RickWolff(whoisvetoedfromdeletingthisuseofbrilliantevenifhe
wasrighttotakeoutmostoftheothers),mytirelesscopyeditor,LisaSacks
Warhol,andthewholeteamatHoughtonMifflinHarcourt.It’sbeena
pleasuretoworkwithallofyou.
RichardSaulWurman,noneofthiswouldhavehappenedwithoutyou.
JuneCohen,thankyouforelevenyearsatTEDandforguidingthefirstTED
TalksontotheInternet.MikeFemiaandEmilyPidgeon,thanksfordesign
guidance.TotheentireteamatTED,wow,justwow.Youamazemewithall
youdo.SusanZimmerman,youespecially!
Toourarmyofvolunteertranslators,thankyoufortakingTEDTalkstothe
world.TothetensofthousandsofTEDxvolunteers,I’mawedbythepassion
andbrilliancethatgoesintoeacheventthatyouorganize.TotheglobalTED
community...ultimately,thisisalldowntoyou.Withoutyou,thousandsof
significantideaswouldhaveremainedunspread.
Tomyextraordinarydaughters,ElizabethandAnna,youhavenoideahow
proudIamofyou;norhowmuchIhavelearnedfromyou.Andfinally,tothe
forceofnatureI’mmarriedto,JacquelineNovogratz...thankyou,amillion
timesthankyou,foryourloveandyourinspiration,everysingleday.
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Appendix
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TALKSREFERENCEDWITHINTHEBOOK
Theseareavailableonasingleplaylistat:
www.ted.com/tedtalksbook/playlist
PAGE(S) SPEAKER TEDTALKTITLE
4Monica
Lewinsky
Thepriceofshame
6–8Chris
Anderson
TED’snonprofittransition
11 SophieScott Whywelaugh
33 RobinMurphy Theserobotscometotherescueafteradisaster
49,203 Kelly
McGonigal
Howtomakestressyourfriend
50–51,
174
BrenéBrown Thepowerofvulnerability
51–52 Sherwin
Nuland
Howelectroshocktherapychangedme
53,203 KenRobinson Doschoolskillcreativity?
57–58 DanPink Thepuzzleofmotivation
59–60 ErnestoSirolli Wanttohelpsomeone?Shutupandlisten!
68–69 Eleanor
Longden
Thevoicesinmyhead
69 BenSaunders TotheSouthPoleandback—thehardest105days
ofmylife
69,140 Andrew
Solomon
Howtheworstmomentsinourlivesmakeuswho
weare
72–77 DanGilbert Thesurprisingscienceofhappiness
81 Deborah
Gordon
Theemergentgeniusofantcolonies
83 Sandra
Aamodt
Whydietingdoesn’tusuallywork
83,203 HansRosling Letmydatasetchangeyourmindset
83 DavidDeutsch Anewwaytoexplainexplanation
83 Nancy
Kanwisher
Aneuralportraitofthehumanmind
83 Steven
Johnson
Wheregoodideascomefrom
83 DavidChristian Thehistoryofourworldin18minutes
83–85 BonnieBassler Howbacteria“talk”
86–87 StevenPinker Thesurprisingdeclineinviolence
88–89 Elizabeth
Gilbert
Yourelusivecreativegenius
89 BarrySchwartz Theparadoxofchoice
91–92,
95
DanPallotta Thewaywethinkaboutcharityisdeadwrong
98–99 DavidGallo Lifeinthedeepoceans
102,
103–104
JeffHan Theradicalpromiseofthemultitouchinterface
103 MarkusFischer Arobotthatflieslikeabird
158 MaysoonZayid Igot99problems...palsyisjustone
158 JamieOliver Teacheverychildaboutfood
158–159 ZakEbrahim Iamthesonofaterrorist.Here’showIchose
peace
159–160 AliceGoffman Howwe’reprimingsomekidsforcollege—and
othersforprison
160 EdYong Zombieroachesandotherparasitetales
161–162 MichaelSandel Whyweshouldn’ttrustmarketswithourciviclife
162 V.S.
Ramachandran
3cluestounderstandingyourbrain
162 JannaLevin Thesoundtheuniversemakes
163 AlexaMeade Yourbodyismycanvas
163–164 EloraHardy Magicalhouses,madeofbamboo
169–170 David
Eagleman
Canwecreatenewsensesforhumans?
170,203 AmyCuddy Yourbodylanguageshapeswhoyouare
170–171,
203
JonRonson Whenonlineshamingspiralsoutofcontrol
171 BillStone I’mgoingtothemoon.Who’swithme?
171–172 DianaNyad Never,evergiveup
172 RitaPierson Everykidneedsachampion
173 EstherPerel Rethinkinginfidelity...atalkforanyonewhohas
everloved
173 Amanda
Palmer
Theartofasking
174–175 Bryan
Stevenson
Weneedtotalkaboutaninjustice
200–201 George
Monbiot
Formorewonder,rewildtheworld
212 RomanMars Whycityflagsmaybetheworst-designedthing
you’venevernoticed
216–217 Lawrence
Lessig
WethePeople,andtheRepublicwemustreclaim
220 Reuben
Margolin
Sculptingwavesinwoodandtime
243 TheLXD IntheInternetage,danceevolves...
247 DanDennett Dangerousmemes
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INDEX
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|R|S|T|U|V|W|Y|
Z
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Aamodt,Sandra,83
Abrams,J.J.,166,210
acknowledgments,26,123,156–57,168,253–54
adrenalinerush,183,185–86
aestheticappeal,118–19
Anderson,Chris
bioof,37–39,247
firstTEDfor,228–30
TEDleadership,6–8,12,231–33
anecdoteusage,55–56,94
artvisuals,98,99–100,118–19,163–64,219–20
articulation,203
assumptions
curseofknowledge,78–82
persuasivedemolitionof,86–87,88
attentionwar,157,167
audience
compassionfatigueof,41
connectionpermission,47–48
eyecontactwith,48–50,187,193,194
journeyexperienceof,20–21,33,48,93,148
knowledgebaseof,71,78–82
languagechoicefor,17–18
asperson,42–43,187
questionsfrom,229
rehearsal,149
standingovationfrom,26–27
virtual,222–23
audio
full-spectrumformats,212–13
music,215–16,222
testing,126
authenticity
inhumor,56
imitationof,26–29,208
innarration,61
naturalnessand,130–31,133,136–39,141,145
powerof,10,13–14
readingfromscriptand,132,134,136,140,189,194–96
stagepresence,207,208
vulnerabilityand,52–53
autocues,195–96
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backupplan,187,191
Barry,Drew,129
Bassler,Bonnie,83–85
Bates,Sunny,228
Bezos,Jeff,8
biases,74–75,78–82
Blair,Tony,58
bodycarefornerves,185–86
bodylanguage
eyecontact,48–50,187,193,194
hiding,190
overemphasisof,19–20
powerposing,170,185
stagepresence,206–7,209
Bohannon,John,209
BolteTaylor,Jill,148,208,210
Bono,195
Botsman,Rachel,149
breathing,185
Brown,Brené,37,50–51,52–53,174
businesspresentations,25–26,101–2
Bustamante,Martín,221
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Cain,Susan,149
calltoaction,170–71
charisma,13,19,29
charityreform,90,91,95
Chatfield,Tom,248–49
Chevalier,Tracy,152–53
choice,paradoxof,88,89–90
Christian,David,83,164
Chu,Jon,243
Cliatt-Wayman,Linda,180
clichés,28,161,168
closing
bad,168–69
calltoaction,170–71
camerapull-back,169–70
encapsulation,173
lyrical,174–75
narrativesymmetry,173
personalcommitment,171–72
valuesandvision,172
clothing,179–82
cognitivebiases,74–75,78–82
cognitiveload,115–16
Cohen,June,41,239
Collins,Billy,215
commitment,personal,171–72
compassionfatigue,41
comprehension.Seeunderstanding
conceptualizing.Seeexplanation
confidence,13–14,133,147,179
confidencemonitors,193–95
connection
ancient,x–xi,63–64
egoremovalfor,57–59
eyecontactfor,48–50,187,193,194
humorfor,8,53–57,58
ofknowledge,227–33,242–45
narrationfor,59–61
ofpeople,242–45,249–52
permissionfor,47–48
readingfromscriptand,132,134,136,140,189,194–96
vulnerabilityfor,50–53,190
connectionkillers,61–62.Seealsotalkstylestoavoid
contextualknowledge,232,235
conversationalspeaking,10,139–41,152,169–70,203–5
creativegenius,88–89
creativeknowledge,236
credits,photo,122–23
Cuddy,Amy,6,110,170,185
curiosity
onheavytopics,41,93,163
asopeninghook,160–63
ontoughconcepts,72,74,76,83–84,162–63
curseofknowledge,78–82
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daVinci,Leonardo,92–93
datavisualization,116–17,118
Davis,Fred,196
deGaulle,Yvonne,8
debateformat,218
delivery.Seealsospecificformats;notes;scriptedtalks;talkstylestoavoid;
unscriptedtalks
bodylanguagein,19,206–7,208
charismatic,13,19,29
confidencein,13–14,133,147,179
forgetting,130–31,143–144,145,187,188
naturalnessof,130–31,132,136–39,141,145
pitfalls,131–32
rambling,24–25,68,144,152
transitionsin,124–25,151,204
voicein,198–205,208
demonstrations,102–4,212
Dennett,Daniel,89,90,247
Descartes,90
detectivestorytelling,92–93
Deutsch,David,83,231–32
Domenech,Cristina,221
drama
asopeninghook,157–60
propsfor,210–11
dramaticpropformat,210–11
dreamsoffuture,105–9,172,234–35
dualpresenters,217–18
Dugan,Regina,108
OceanofPDF.com
Eagleman,David,169–70,212
Earle,Sylvia,107
Ebrahim,Zak,158–59
educationreform,32,107,172,242,245–46
ego,36–37,41,57–59,169,249–51.Seealsotalkstylestoavoid
emotions
communicating,19,200–201,202,205
manipulating,x,27–29,52–53,60,216
empathy,41,64,107,250
encapsulation,173
Enriquez,Juan,109,206
exampleusage,73,75,77,94
exercise,186
exhibitions,live,219–20
experiencesimulation,73–74,107
explanation
coreelementsof,76–77
curseofknowledgeand,78–82
jargonin,81–82
keyexamplesof,72–76,83–85
phrasingfor,80–81
structureandthroughlinefor,79–80
understandabilityof,77–81,100,115–16
visualsfor,115–18,122
ofwhatisn’t,82
explorationtalks,98–102,166
eyecontact,48–50,187,193,194
OceanofPDF.com
FabricofReality,The(Deutsch),231–32
fearresponse,3,183.Seealsonervousness
Ferren,Bran,108–9
Fischer,Markus,103
fMRI.Seefunctionalmagneticresonanceimaging
fonts,120–21,122
forgettingtalk,130–31,143–144,145,187,188
functionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI),18
futurevisions,105–9,172,234–35
OceanofPDF.com
Gallo,David,98–99
Gates,Bill,153,210,214
Gates,Melinda,214
generosity,24
genius,88–89
Gilbert,Dan,72–76,139–40,146
Gilbert,Elizabeth,42–43,88–89,143–44,206
Giussani,Bruno,xiii,25,30,248
Gladwell,Malcolm,70
Glass,Ira,213
Goffman,Alice,159–60
Goldstein,RebeccaNewberger,96
GoogleZeitgeist,211
Gordon,Deborah,81
Gore,Al,61–62
Gowdy,Barbara,188
guestappearances,220–21
Gutman,Ron,49
OceanofPDF.com
Hammad,Suheir,215
Han,Jeff,102,103–4
happiness,8,72–76,88–90,247–48
Hardy,Elora,163–64
Haslet-Davis,Adrianne,221
Hasson,Uri,18
Heatherwick,Thomas,108
Hembrey,Shea,99
Herr,Hugh,221
humanelement.Seealsopsychosocialphenomena
inageofknowledge,234–36
interconnectedness,242–45,249–52
invoice,199
humor
forconnection,8,53–57,58
forreasoning,94
OceanofPDF.com
IBMWatson,234,235
idea-building.Seealsotalktools;throughlines
importanceof,xiv–xv,6,10,12–13,188,248–49
languagepowerof,17–19
simplificationof,32,36–37,82,115–16
ideas
defining,12–13
issuesvs.,41
pursuitof,13–16,32,247–48
structurearound,39–41
if-thenreasoning,91
imitation,26–29,208
impactbias,74–75
impressions
closing,168–75
opening,156–67
wardrobeand,179–82
improvisation.Seeunscriptedtalks
InconvenientTruth,An,61–62
inspiration
informationinto,199
performing,26–29
Internetimpact,xi–xii,221–23,238–45
interviews,illustrated,213–14
intuitionpumps,89–90
inventiontalks,102–4,166
iPads,193
Isay,Dave,109
issues,ideasvs.,41
OceanofPDF.com
jargon,81–82,100
Jobs,Steve,148
Johnson,Steven,83,145,173–74
Joubert,BeverlyandDereck,217
journeyexperience,20–21,33,48,93,148
OceanofPDF.com
Kahneman,Daniel,133,168,190
Kamkwamba,William,6
Kanwisher,Nancy,83
Kay,Sarah,215
Kennedy,JohnF.,106
Khan,Salman,32,57,107,110,145,150
Kidd,Chip,181
kids’programs,245–46
King,MartinLuther,Jr.,105–6,205,251
knowledge
ageof,233–37
audience’sbaseof,71,78–82
curseof,78–82
gaps,74,76,81,161
interconnectednessof,227–33,242–45
specialization,231–32,233–34
typesof,235–36
understandingvs.,231–32
Konyves,Tom,215
Kowan,Joe,188
Koyczan,Shane,215
OceanofPDF.com
language.Seealsobodylanguage
jargon,81–82,100
lyrical,136,139–40,174–75,214–15
powerof,17–19,199–200
scriptingchoiceof,139–40
spokenwordfusion,214–15
Lanting,Frans,220
Larson,Kent,108
laughter,11,53–54
learning
educationreformfor,32,107,172,242,245–46
Internetimpacton,236,242–45
LearningWednesdays,16
lecterns,189–91,196–97
lectures,198
Ledgett,Richard,186
LegionofExtraordinaryDancers(LXD),243
Lessig,Lawrence,70,216–17
LessigMethod,216–17
Levin,Janna,162
Lewinsky,Monica,4,54,183–85,196–97
Li,Fei-Fei,166
listening
evolutionof,64
powerof,18–19,199–200
readingvs.,198–201
literacy,presentation,xii,10,245–46
London,Malcolm,215
Longden,Eleanor,68–69
Lovegrove,Ross,101
LXD.SeeLegionofExtraordinaryDancers
lyricism,136,139–40,174–75,214–15
OceanofPDF.com
Macaulay,David,100–101
manipulation,x,26–29,52–53,60,216
Mancini,Pia,49
Margolin,Reuben,101,220
Marks,Harry,228
Marks,Nic,37
Mars,Roman,212
McCandless,David,116–17
McGonigal,Kelly,49
McKean,Erin,77–78
McRae,Lucy,119
Meade,Alexa,163
meaning
conveying,30–31
invoice,200–205
Mehrabian,Albert,19
memorizationprocess,136–39,150.Seealsoscriptedtalks
mentalpreparation,183–88
metaphors
explanatory,73,75,76,77–78
parable,70–71
persuasionpriming,88–90
Meyer,Pamela,138,144–45
Milk,Chris,107
Mistry,Pranav,102
Monbiot,George,200–201
monitors,confidence,193–95
morality,41,95,96,174,249–51
motivation,15–16,185,188,244–45
Mullins,Aimee,230
Murphy,Robin,33
music,215–16,222
Musk,Elon,5–6,213–14
OceanofPDF.com
Nagy,RickyandGloria,233
narration
ancientrootsof,x–xi,63–64
benefitsof,67
closingwithsymmetryof,173
forconnection,59–61
coreelementsof,65
ofdetectivestory,92–93
ofdreamsoffuture,105–7,172
editingandcontext,65–68
effective,59–60,65–66,68–70
ineffective,60–61,66,67
ofparables,70–71
forpersuasion,88–89
trueorfabricated,68
Nasser,Latif,216
Negroponte,Nicholas,37,190
nervousness
asasset,4–5,51,183,188
backupplanfor,187,191
inbodylanguage,207
fearresponseand,3,183
management,144,183–88
scriptingand,130–31,133,144,191
99%Invisible,212
Norris,Woody,212
notes
backup,187,191
oncards,192–93
onconfidencemonitors,193–95
onhands,197
onlecterns,189,196–97
onsmartphonesortablets,193
onteleprompters,195–96
forunscriptedtalk,143
Novogratz,Jacqueline,4–5
Nuland,Sherwin,51–52
Nyad,Diana,171–72
OceanofPDF.com
Obama,Barack,196
Oliver,Jamie,158
opening
acknowledgmentsat,156–57
curiosity,160–63
dramatic,157–60
teaser,165–67
visual,163–65
OpenTED,246
oration,204–5
orgbore,25–26,123
Oster,Emily,93,163
Oxman,Neri,211
OceanofPDF.com
pacing
movement,206–7
voice,151,203–5
Pallotta,Dan,91,92,95
Palmer,Amanda,36–37,144,173,182
panoramicscreens,211
parables,70–71
paradoxofchoice,88,89–90
passion,202,231
PechaKucha,219
Perel,Esther,173
persuasion.Seealsoreason
assumptiondemolitionfor,86–87,88
narrationfor,88–89
primingfor,89–90
philosopher’ssecret,247
photocredits,122–23
Pierson,Rita,172
Pink,Dan,57–58,208
Pinker,Steven,78–79,86–87,96,98
podcasting,live,212–13
podiums,189–91,196–97
poetry,214–15
politics,61–62,196,250
PopUpMagazine,216
powerposing,170,185
preparation.Seealsorehearsing;visualdesign
backup,187,191
mental,183–88
motivationfor,15–16,185,188,244–45
ofscriptedtalks,134–41
timelimit,34,144,154–55
under-,24–25,30,141,152,169
ofunscriptedtalks,141–43,146
wardrobe,179–82
presentationdesign.Seespecificformats;visualdesign
presentationliteracy,xii,10,245–46
priming,89–90
Pritchard,Michael,104
prompts.Seealsonotes
teleprompter,195–96
visualsas,142–43,192,213–14
props,210–11
psychosocialphenomena
ancient,x–xi,63–64
creativegenius,88–89
empathy,41,64,107,250
experiencesimulation,73–74
eyecontact,49
fearresponse,3,183
guarding,47–48
happiness,8,72–76,88–90,247–48
impactbias,74–75
laughter,11,54
listening,18–19,199–200
love,29
paradoxofchoice,88,89–90
priming,89–90
smiling,49
tribalthinking,61–62
publicspeaking
abuseof,249–51
conversationalvs.,10,139–41,152,203–5
fearof,3,183
formulaforgreat,x,12
humancomponentof,199,249–50
Internetimpacton,xi–xii,221–23,238–45
lecture-style,198
motivationfor,15–16,185,188,244–45
asnecessaryskill,227–28
oratory,204–5
rhetoric,xii
asteachableskill,xii,9–10
OceanofPDF.com
RaghavaKK,49
Ramachandran,V.S.,162
rambling,24–25,68,144,152
reading
listeningvs.,198–201
fromscript,132,134,136,140,189,194–96
reason
countermethodof,91–92
detectivestoryfor,92–93
engagementtools,94–95
if-thenmethodof,91
powerof,90–91,95–96,250–51
receptivity.Seeconnection
reductioadabsurdum,91–92
rehearsing
audiencefor,149
feedbackquestions,153–54
importancesummary,155
scriptedtalks,136–39,148–49
stagepresence,207
throughlinetesting,42–43
timelimitsand,154–55
unscriptedtalks,147,150–53
wardrobe,181–82
Reid,Rob,54–55
religion,61–62,250
reputation,3,23
revelation
categoriesof,97
demonstrations,102–4,212
dreamsoffuture,105–7,172
visualsfor,114–15
wonderwalks,98–102,118–19,163–64
rhetoric,xii
Rielly,Tom,55–56,115–16,119
Rives,138,154–55
Roach,Mary,99,150,208
Robbins,Tony,221
Robinson,Ken,40,53,69–70,145–46,206
Ronson,Jon,170–71,215–16
Ronson,Mark,143
Rosling,Hans,83,118,222–23
OceanofPDF.com
Sacks,Oliver,207
salespitch,22–24,169
Sandel,Michael,161–61
satire,55,56
Saunders,Ben,69,123
Schklair,Steve,212
Schwartz,Barry,32,88,89–90,182
Schwartzberg,Louis,101
Scott,Sophie,11,53
scriptedtalks
improvisationwith,146–47
languagechoicein,139–40
naturalnessin,130–31,133,136–39,141
proponentsof,143–45
prosandconsof,134–35,147
reading,132,134,136,140,189,194–96
rehearsing,136–39,148–51
strategiesfor,135
voicetipsfor,201–2
self-interest,36–37,41,57–59,169,249–51.Seealsotalkstylestoavoid
SenseofStyle,The(Pinker),78–79
sensorystimulation,211–12
Shirky,Clay,150–51
Shirley,Stephanie,207
silence,101
simplification,32,36–37,82,115–16
simulation,73–74,107
Sirolli,Ernesto,59–60
slideblizzard,216–17,219.Seealsovisuals
smartphones,157,193
smiling,49–50,138
Smith,Clint,215
Snowden,Edward,221
Solomon,Andrew,69,140
Solomon,Susan,149
soundtracks,215–16
SpaceX,5–6
Spielberg,Steven,166
spokenwordfusion,214–15
stagepresence
bodylanguagefor,19,206–7,208
nervousnessand,144,183–88
voicefor,198–205,208
wardrobeand,179–82
stagesetup.Seealsospecificformats
backup,191
confidencemonitorsin,193–95
glitches,126,180,187
lecternsin,189–91,196–97
notecardsin,192–93
smartphonesandtabletsin,193
telepromptersin,195–96
standingovation,27
Stevenson,Bryan,24,54,174
Stoetzel,Kelly,179
Stoll,Clifford,197,207
Stone,Bill,171
Stone,Mac,128
Stone,Ruth,88–89
StoryCorps,109
storytelling.Seenarration
Strawson,P.F.,198
structure
fordemonstrations,104
forexplanation,79–80
ideaandthroughline,39–41
forwonderwalks,99
surprise
appearances,220–21
unexpectedness,31–33,74,84,161–62
Sutherland,Rory,146–47,204
Sweeney,Julia,130
synthetichappiness,72–76
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tablets,193
talkdelivery.Seedelivery
talkformats.Seealsospecificformats;stagesetup
promiseandperilof,207,223
talkstylestoavoid
inspirationperformance,26–29
orgbore,25–26,123
ramble,24–25,68,144,152
salespitch,22–24,169
talktools
about,43
connection,47–62
explanation,72–85
mixandmatch,109–10
narration,59–62,63–71
persuasion,86–96
revelation,97–109
teaseropening,165–67
technicalconsiderations.Seestagesetup;visualdesign
technology
ageofknowledgeand,233–35
Internetimpact,xi–xii,221–23,238–45
talkson,102–4,107–8,166,212–13
virtualaudience,222–23
virtualpresenters,221–22
TED
earlydevelopmentof,228–29
EdClubs,245–46
Fellowsprogram,239
formationof,228
interconnectivepowerof,229–33,240–43
LearningWednesdays,16
missionof,xiii–xiv,12,238
Open,246
rescueof,6–8,12,231–33
rules,34,132–33,181,190,229
scopeof,xii–xiii,240–43
TEDx,xiii,245
teleprompters,195–96
Tenembaum,Abigail,42
Thinking,FastandSlow(Kahneman),168
Thorp,Jer,128
throughlines
characteristicsof,32–34
checklist,42
defining,30
developmentof,31,34,39,42–43
forexplanation,79–80
forheavytopics,41
openingsand,158
powerful,31–32
structureand,39–41
testing,42–43
timelimitationsand,34–35,39
topicsvs.,34,36
forwonderwalks,99
Thys,Tierney,20
timelimitations
overrunning,142,154
preparationfor,34–35,144,154–55
rightapproachto,35,36–43
TEDruleson,34,229
wrongapproachto,35–36
topics
condensing,35–36
heavy,41,59–60,93,163
narrowingdown,36–42
throughlinesvs.,34,36
transitions,124–25,151,204
Treasure,Julian,201,216
tribalthinking,61–62
trust,49–50.Seealsoconnection
Turere,Richard,9–10
Turin,Luca,212
typefaces,120–21,122
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UncannyValley,137–38,147,152,194
understanding
cognitiveloadand,115–16
defining,77
explanationfor,77–81,100,115–16
knowledgevs.,231–32
pacingfor,203–4
unscriptedtalks
advantagesof,134–35,141
disadvantagesof,144–45
interviews,213–14
notesfor,143
pitfalls,142,152
proponentsof,145–46
rehearsing,147,150–53
scriptingwith,146–47
unpreparedcomparedto,24–25,141
visualpromptsin,142–43,192,213–14
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validation,third-party,94–95
video
design,123–24,125
online,impactof,xi–xii,240–45
poetry,215
virtualaudience,222–23
virtualpresenters,221–22
virtualreality,107
visionsoffuture,105–9,172,234–35
visualdesign
filetransportationof,125
fontsandtypefacesin,120–21,122
legibilityof,121
LessigMethodof,216–17
photocreditsin,122–23
presentationsoftwarefor,119–20,126
professionals,126–27,128
rightsandlicensingfor,125
testing,125–26
transitionsin,124–25
versioncontrolof,127–28
forvideo,123–24,126
visuals
art,98,99–100,118–19,163–64,219–20
bad,117,122,123
blizzard,216–17,219
onconfidencemonitors,193–95
todelight,98–102,118–19,163–64
fordemonstration,102–4,212
forexplanation,115–18,122
interviewswith,213–14
liveexhibition,219–20
necessityof,113–14
asopeninghook,163–65
panoramic,211
asprompts,142–43,192,213–14
propsas,210–11
forreasoning,95
forrevelation,114–15
videopoetry,215
forvisionarytalks,107–8
forwonderwalks,98–102,118–19,163–64
voice
meaningin,200–205
oratory,204–5
pacing,151,203–5
readingorlisteningto,198–201
scriptedtalktipsfor,201–2
spokenword,214–15
varietyin,201–3
volume,204–5
vulnerability,50–53,174,186–87,190
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wardrobe,179–82
Washington,Megan,187
water,104,186
Watson,234,235
Whitacre,Eric,222
Widder,Edith,114,166
Wiessner,Polly,63–64
Wilson,Woodrow,34–35
Woldhek,Siegfried,92–93
wonderwalks,98–102,118–19,162–63
writtenword
lyricismof,136,139–40,174–75,214–15
readingorlisteningto,198–201
Wurman,RichardSaul,6–7,190,228–29,231
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Yong,Ed,160
YouTube,240–45
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Zayid,Maysoon,158
Zimmer,Carl,164
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THANKYOUFORREADINGTEDTALKS.
TherearemanywaysyoucanengagewithTED,andwiththeworldofpublic
speaking.Herearesomequicksuggestions.
TED.com Enjoyanewtalkeveryday,plusanarchiveofmorethan
2000talkstoexplore.
TEDapp ViewTEDtalksonyoursmartphoneortablet.
TED-Ed TEDforkids.Short,animatedlessonsdesignedtospark
curiosity.
TEDRadioHour ThebestwaytolistentoTED.Apopularpodcastthatadapts
TEDTalksforradio.
TEDx Discoveraliveeventnearyouandconnectwitha
communitywhoarepassionateaboutsharingideas.
OpenTED UploadyourownTEDtalk!
Facebook JoinourthrivingFacebookcommunityandreceiveregular
updatesofthelatesttalksandinsights.
Instagram GorgeousandintriguingimagesfromTEDeveryday.
Twitter KeepupwithalertsofTEDreleasesandotherTEDnews.
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ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
CHRISANDERSONisTED’spresidentandheadcurator.Trainedasajournalist
aftergraduatingfromOxfordUniversity,Andersonlaunchedmorethan100
successfulmagazinesandwebsitesbeforeturninghisattentiontoTED,which
heandhisnonprofitorganizationacquiredin2001.HisTEDmantra—“ideas
worthspreading”—continuestoblossomonaninternationalscale.Helivesin
NewYorkCity.
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FOOTNOTES
1.Alongwithlogic,grammar,arithmetic,geometry,astronomy,andmusic.
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2.InTEDx,localorganizersapplyforafreelicense,allowingthemtoruna
TED-likeeventintheirlocale.Someeightorninesucheventsareheldevery
daysomewhereintheworld.
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3.Ofcourse,SophieScott’sideamaygetrefinedorcontradictedbyfuture
research.Inthatsense,ideasarealwaysprovisional.Butonceanideais
formedinourminds,noonecantakeitfromuswithoutourconsent.
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4.Tobekind,I’vechangedacoupleofdetails.
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5.TLA=ThreeLetterAcronym
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6.It’snotclearhesaiditinexactlythosewords,buttheideaiscreditedto
him.
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7.UnderTomRielly’sleadership,theTEDFellowsprogramhasattracted
morethanfourhundredfellowsoverthepasttenyears,aglobalnetworkof
talentthathasenergizedeveryrecentTEDconference.
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8.Theplatformconsistsofphysicalevents(theannualTEDconferencein
VancouverplusTEDGlobal,TEDYouth,TEDWomen,acorporateevent
series,varioussalons),theglobalTEDxmovementofself-organizedevents,
andnumerousonlinechannels(ourownTED.com,butalsoYouTube,iTunes,
TheTEDRadioHouronNPR,mobileapps,andabroadrangeof
collaborationswithdozensofotherorganizations).Thereisaseparate
initiativeaimedatstudentscalledTED-Ed,plustheannualTEDPrize,and
theTEDFellowsprogram.
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9.Youcanlocateyourclosesteventsorapplytoorganizeaneventofyour
ownathttp://ted.com/tedx.
[back]
10.TheTED-EdClubsprogramishousedathttp://ed.ted.com.
[back]
11.Detailsonhowtouploadyourtalkareathttp://open.ted.com.
[back]
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