TED Talks (Chris Anderson)

Chances are good you've heard of TED talks.  The organization's mantra is "ideas worth spreading," and their annual conference featuring a series of talks (each held to an 18-minute limit) about a wide variety of topics has become tremendously popular.  Speakers at these events are known for their top-notch presentations, and in TED Talks, organization president Chris Anderson shares their secrets.  The below summary shares thoughts and quotes presented in the book.

Summary

Public speaking matters- we shape each other's behavior by sharing ideas, and public speaking is a powerful forum in which to do so.  "Public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream."  "Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience's worldview."  And it can go beyond worldview to transform society itself: "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."

Though (or perhaps because) it has such power, fear of public speaking is common.  Why?  Perhaps because "there is no one way to give a great talk," and that can be intimidating.  And yet, it's important- "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 ideas effectively."  That's why the author believes "Presentation literacy . . . is a core skill for the twenty-first century."

The Basics
"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."  To do that, you need to have something worth saying.  And it's not about you- "The key principle is to remember that the speaker's job is to give to the audience, not take from them."  They are giving you time; you are giving them experiences and insights that are unique to you and worth sharing.  What are the issues that matter most- to them?  Ask yourself, "will it make a difference to the audience to have this knowledge?"  Be relevant to your audience- don't leave them wondering why you're talking to them.  Done correctly, your crowd will be intrigued, informed, and inspired.

Structure

To start, you should have a 'throughline'- a connecting theme.  Map it beforehand (to aid your preparation) and at the start of your talk (to aid audience comprehension).  Keep big picture in view and make people aware of it.  It's easier to follow a speaker when the audience has some idea where you are and where you're going.  And remember to do two things:
- show why your talk matters, and
- "flesh out each point you make with real examples, stories, facts."
But don't pack too much in- less is more.  It's better to be more focused, which will have more impact.  It's not what how much can you pack into [x] minutes- it's what can you do well in that time.

An example structure:

A. Introduction- getting settled, what will be covered
B. Context- why this issue matters
C. Main Concepts
D. Practical Implications
E. Conclusion

Tools
There are five tools speakers use:

1. Connection
• Hearing a talk is different than reading; "there has to be a human connection."  To connect, make eye contact, show vulnerability, use humor (hilarious true stories are the best), park ego, and tell a story (personal ones if possible).
2. Narration
• Everyone can relate to stories; use them if possible.  Make sure to provide the correct level of detail (not too little/much), use suspense, and include a satisfying resolution.  Remember why you're telling it.
3. Explanation
• Start where the audience is, make them curious, introduce concepts one by one, and use metaphors and examples to aid understanding.  When people understand, excitement follows.
• Language needs to be shared by speaker and listener (spell out acronyms/etc.).
• Beware the 'curse of knowledge'- just because you know it, don't assume your audience does!
4. Persuasion
• "means convincing an audience that the way they see the world isn't quite right.  And that means taking down the parts that aren't working, as well as rebuilding something better."  Must be done in steps, by 'priming' the mind.
• Not just about logic; anecdotes (showing how you grew passionate about a topic) and other devices can aid.
5. Revelation
• The most direct way is showing people what you mean.
• The goal is to "give us the inside scoop."

Preparing Your Talk

The author discusses "four key elements of the talk-preparation process."

1. Visuals (yes or no; if yes, which?)
• Visuals can be good and bad (show powerful concepts, but pull attention away from speaker and split attention).
• Key elements to strong visuals: "revelation [show something hard to describe], explanatory power, aesthetic appeal"
• "The main purpose of visuals . . . [is] to share things your mouth can't do so well: photographs, video, animations, key data."
2. Script/memorize your talk, or speak off the cuff?
• Either approach has merits and drawbacks; do what suits you best.  But either way, see next point.
3. How to practice
• Rehearse early and often.  By yourself; with practice listeners.  There's no substitute for preparation.
4. How to open and close well
• Open well: today's countless distractions, numerous responsibilities, and associated fatigue make this hard.  You can overcome this, though, by a few techniques: deliver drama, ignite curiosity, show a compelling item, and tease (but don't give away) something big.
• Closing well is also important; people could take away only your final statements.  Plan that in advance.

Other Matters

- Wardrobe: depends on event context.  Ask around (or use knowledge of institutional culture) and plan accordingly.

- What you do with your voice and body matter.  There are six voice tools: volume, pitch, pace, timbre, tone, prosody.  Be mindful of each of these.  And for body language, "find a mode of being on stage in which you're comfortable and confident, and which doesn't detract from what you're saying."  Ultimately, voice and body needs to convey passion.  "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."


Concluding Thoughts
Humans have a unique ability to dream of a world that doesn't today exist but might someday.  To do so, we need people from every discipline to come together and understand each other.  It enables imagination, invention, innovation, vision, etc.  Therefore, paint a compelling picture of the future.  Show "how your work connects to everything else."

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Review
This is a good read- succinct, well-written, and informative.  Of course, it's geared towards presentations of the nature and scale found at TED conferences, but many of the concepts are applicable to any speaking scenario.

Rating: A