how to write a ted talk speech

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How To Write A TED Talk In 7 Easy Steps

Taylorr Payne

Within the speaking industry, there’s more than one way to make it to the top. The most obvious path is the numbers game, in which you speak at as many events as possible. On the other hand, the second option for gaining prestige is by first doing so in your focus industry. For example, if you work in finance, you would climb the latter within the finance industry first. From there, you would branch into speaking as a secondary profession before eventually speaking full-time. In many cases, it is this route that leads to an invitation for a TEDx or TED event. As a result, learning how to write a TED talk can be a bit less structured than writing a normal speech. 

That said, although writing a TED talk can be a challenge, the benefits of speaking for TED events far outnumber the trials. Not only are they a stellar addition to your resume. They’re also a highly publicized and easily accessible way for you to share your message. Unlike in-person events, because TED talks are also available for free online, giving one allows you to reach people and groups that might not otherwise have the opportunity to hear you speak. Together, these benefits supplement your credibility and increase your exposure, aiding in that climb to the top of the speaking industry.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about how to write a TED talk that absolutely blows your audience away. Although, in this guide, we’ll focus on the seven steps below, feel free to check out our companion blog, “ What Is A TED Talk? The Fundamentals of TED Explained ” for more information about the TED Organization.

Choose a topic you care about. 

First and foremost, a great TED talk demands a great topic. As a rule, when choosing your topic, there are four questions to answer. The first, as recommended by the TED organization, is “Is my idea new?” Here, the goal is to either choose a completely new idea or put a new spin on an older idea. Likewise, the second question asks, “Is my idea interesting?” Regardless of your topic’s age, you need to demand attention. Dr. Guy Winch’s 2019 TED Talk , for instance, is a perfect example of this. As a psychologist and speaker , Dr. Winch takes the common idea of work/life balance and makes it relevant to the modern practice of telecommuting. 

That brings me to the third question to keep in mind when you write a TED talk: “Is my idea factual and realistic?” Besides capturing the audience’s attention, you also want to inspire them to action. In Dr. Winch’s talk, he suggests building a metaphorical barrier between your work life and personal life. Ultimately, there are a few ways he recommends doing this, but each way is achievable immediately. Similarly, as you choose your topic, keep in mind that although your idea can be big, the actions you inspire in the audience have to be smaller-scale and realistic.

Lastly, within the SpeakerFlow team, there’s a fourth question we recommend asking yourself as you write a TED talk: “Do I care about my idea?” Unsurprisingly, the more passionate you are about your topic, the easier it will be to write your talk. You’ll also be more confident about the topic, as a whole, making you more confident and comfortable on stage. Plus, if you’re passionate about your idea, the more likely it will be that you can answer “yes” to each of the questions above. 

Craft your message around that topic, and keep it clear and concise. 

The next step, after choosing a topic for your TED talk, is crafting a clear and concise message around it. At most, TED talks run 20 minutes total, some as short as 10 minutes. There are two reasons for this design, the first of which is for the audience. As seen with students throughout the world, there are many factors that contribute to people’s attention spans. In light of this, the more concise your talk, the less likely audience members’ focus will stray. The other reason TED talks are kept short is to test your speaking ability. Since the TED Conference was first hosted in 1984 , their mission has been to “change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world” through the ideas of their speakers. That means each TED speaker has to be exceptionally knowledgeable in their focus industry and able to explain their knowledge on a variety of levels. 

Depending on your topic, this may be easier said than done, especially if you’re discussing a complex subject. This is another reason to choose a topic you are passionate about. In most cases, the more you care about something, the more you know. Because of this, the more easily you’ll be able to identify the most important things the audience needs to know. You’ll also have an easier time when you write a TED talk, as each of these things can serve as a part of your speech. It’s almost like drafting a five-paragraph essay, as a high school student. The introduction and conclusion take care of two paragraphs, leaving three to outline yourself. When you write a TED talk, the same outline applies on a larger scale, and the most important pieces of your message are those body paragraphs. 

Define a key takeaway for the audience. 

After outlining the important bullet points to cover in your TED talk, the next piece of the puzzle is defining a key takeaway for your audience. In our essay analogy, this is like the thesis statement in your opening paragraph. In short, it needs to answer the question, “What sentence or phrase should the audience remember when they leave?” If you’re not sure how to define your thesis, the team at Ethos3 put it perfectly in one of their guides from 2018. In it, they recommended to write a TED talk and then sum it up in a single sentence. Although it sounds difficult, this ultimately forces you to narrow your message as much as possible. This makes it easier for the audience to remember your talk and gives you a reference point as you draft it. 

More inspiration can also be found in video titles in the library of past TED talks or on the TED YouTube channel . Some of my personal favorites include “ Dangerous times call for dangerous women ” by Pat Mitchell and “ To help solve global problems, look to developing countries ” by Bright Simons. In each of these examples, there’s enough information to see what the speaker’s main topic is and get an idea of their argument. Likewise, your key takeaway should be engaging and succinct. Think of it like you’re designing it to be a mini version of your main idea, and remember the questions we covered earlier. Is it new, interesting, factual, and realistic? Can I passionately back it up? If your key takeaway can answer these with a “yes,” you’re all set for the next piece of the puzzle. 

Draft your TED talk as a story. 

At this point, you should be all set to write a TED talk. With your main arguments outlined and your key takeaway narrowed down, all that’s left is to add the entertainment aspect. This is largely where you can bring in your personal style and really make the TED talk your own. If you’re an experienced speaker, although TED talks are unique, you probably already have this nailed down. 

On the other hand, if you’re a new speaker and still a little nervous about this, no worries! Learning to write a TED talk is like learning to write any speech in one way more than any other: the importance of stories. In addition to including facts and evidence, there are a handful of less structured ways to make your speech more of a story than a lecture. This not only makes you more relatable to members of the audience. It’s also yet another way to make your TED talk more engaging. After all, everyone loves a good story, right? 

Some of the simplest ways to write a TED talk as a story are outlined by Disney film writer and director Andrew Stanton . Overall, one of the greatest tips he has can be found in his own TED talk from 2012: “Use what you know. Draw from it. It doesn’t always mean plot or fact. It means capturing a truth from your experiencing it, expressing values you personally feel deep down in your core.” In short, your speech should have a beginning, middle, and end like a story, but it should also be personal. Your audience is full of people just like you, so although being a little emotional might feel scary, it also makes you easier to connect with. If you can make ‘em laugh, too, that’s an added bonus. 👏

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Tailor your visual aids to your audience, your story, and your brand. 

Besides the verbal aspects of your TED talk, you may want to consider a visual component, as well. In many of the examples we’ve touched on, this means a slideshow presentation to play behind you as you speak. Depending on the depth of your topic and the length of your talk, the complexity of your slideshow may vary. That said, it’s important to remember to keep things simple. The goal of the slides is to add to what you’re saying, not distract from it. Knowing this, as you create your visual aids, try to avoid gifs or images that could be distracting or disturbing. Conversely, take note of the less intriguing parts of your speech, too. Then, design your slides to include a visual aid or two during these points. That way, you can keep everyone engaged for necessary information, even if it’s not exciting. 

The other piece to keep in mind, as you write a TED talk, is branding. On any visual aids in your speech, be sure your style is consistent with your spoken language and your brand. For example, if you’re speaking about how to handle grief, steer clear of a slide show with holographic gifs or a hot pink outfit. Again, the goal of visual aids is to add to your message and your stage persona. That means each piece of your TED talk – clothes, body language, wording, cadence, visual aids – works together to convey your message. As you wrap up the drafting part of preparing for a TED talk, keep this in mind. 

Practice, practice, practice.

The final step in the pre-event steps to write a TED talk is a simple one: Practice, practice, practice. In front of as many people as you can, rehearse your speech and iterate as needed. Even as an experienced speaker, there could be ticks or bad habits that you may not notice but your audience will. Take one of my college professors, for example – We’ll call her Ms. Smith. Although Ms. Smith was a font of knowledge when it came to microbiology, she unknowingly was an incredibly distracting speaker. This was largely due to her constant gesticulating and the drama with which she moved her hands as she spoke. Obviously, for her students, this made it hard to follow her, but I’m sure to this day, she doesn’t even realize she does it. 

To sum up, when you write a TED talk and start practicing, learn from Ms. Smith and have someone watch you present. Not only can they catch any habits distracting from your speech. They can also provide their own perspective on your body language or the structure of your presentation. All in all, you’re giving a TED talk for the benefit of the audience, in-person and online. What better way to make sure you reach that audience than to practice with a few “test’ audiences beforehand?

Remember it’s okay to show your flaws. 

Lastly, as you write a TED talk, remember you don’t have to be perfect. Obviously, we all want to nail everything about our presentation, from our clothes to our body language to the words themselves. However, even if you’ve spoken thousands of times before, it’s normal to be nervous or slip up. In fact, tons of past TED speakers have felt the same. Just remember, in the words of artist (and TED speaker) Janice Tanton , “Fear is just a misguided form of creativity.” You entered the speaking industry because of your creativity and passion, so anything that you see as a flaw just makes you all the more memorable for your audience. Plus, if you do slip up on stage, being able to laugh at yourself helps connect you to your audience, too.

In conclusion, there are countless speaker awards and certifications out there that demonstrate how great a speaker you are and how much experience you have. The same validation also comes from speaking for the TED organization. Whether you appear at a small TEDx event or the yearly TED conference itself, having TED on your resume gives decision-makers their answer immediately. In other words, seeing that you’ve given a TED talk makes them more likely to hire you! 

So, this year, as you either write a TED talk for an upcoming event or simply work to gain the TED Organization’s attention, remember this checklist. Feel free to also check out TED’s illustrated preparation guide or TEDx speaker guide , for tips and tricks from the TED Organization itself. 

Have a TED talk in the books already? Let us know! Here at SpeakerFlow, we’re all about real connections with real people, and we’d love to give you and your TED talk a shoutout. 😊🎉

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How to Create Your TED Talk: An 8-Step Process

by Jezra on March 9, 2017

First, A Little Background on TED

The TED conference (which stands for  technology, entertainment, design ) began life in 1984 as a yearly and very expensive conference where industry leaders and creative types gathered to exchange “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

Back then, it was all about the live experience, and speakers were expected to bring some quirky spontaneity to the stage.

But fast forward more than 30 years, and TED has become an institution, spawning countless local “TEDx” events, putting hundreds of speeches online each year, getting millions upon millions of views, and changing the way we all think about public speaking!

So, What  IS  a TED Talk?

According to Chris Anderson, the owner and global curator of TED, every TED talk starts with an idea :

“You have something meaningful to say, and your goal is to re-create your core idea inside your audience’s minds.” —from TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

Anderson calls this idea “the gift in every great talk.” Your idea may:

• Be common-sense (“Every kid needs a champion”) or counter-intuitive (“The way we think about charity is wrong”)
• Describe a scientific breakthrough (“How bacteria talk”) or your own experience (“I am the son of a terrorist, here’s how I chose peace”)
• Motivate people to action (“We need to talk about an injustice”) or greater self-awareness (“Your elusive creative genius”)

But in every case, your TED talk will begin with an idea.

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And whether or not your talk actually builds a model of your idea in your listeners’ brain — Anderson takes that literally, and research on “neural coupling” backs him up — your TED talk exists to communicate this idea to your listeners.

That is your talk’s one and only goal.

Other Qualities of Successful TED Talks

In TED’s secret to great public speaking (an eight-minute video that’s worth watching), Anderson offers three guidelines for creating your TED talk:

• Focus on one major idea

Ideas are complex things; you need to slash back your content so that you can focus on the single idea you’re most passionate about , and give yourself a chance to explain that one thing properly… Everything you say [should link] back to it in some way.

• Give people a reason to care

Stir your audience’s curiosity. Use intriguing, provocative questions to identify why something doesn’t make sense and needs explaining. If you can reveal a disconnection in someone’s worldview , they’ll feel the need to bridge that knowledge gap.

• Build your idea with familiar concepts

Build your idea, piece by piece, out of concepts that your audience already understands … A vivid explanation… delivers a satisfying ah-hah! moment as it snaps into place in our minds.

These are important best practices, but they don’t tell you what to  do  to create a TED talk.

For that, try this…

8-Step Process for Creating Your TED Talk

Step 1. find an idea you want to share.

To hone in on your idea worth sharing, it can be useful to ask yourself things like:

• What’s one assumption I’d like to challenge?
• What’s a belief of mine that has changed, and why?
• What does everyone miss when they think about my area of interest or expertise?

And remember, you’re looking for an idea . As Jeremey Donovan says in How to Deliver a TED Talk ,

…an idea is not a theme, a general truth, a platitude or a big goal. “Everyone wants to feel included” is not an idea, it’s a general truth. “Empowering women” is not an idea, it’s a topic.

Step 2. Develop an unexpected and/or catchy way to state your idea

If your idea can be stated in a catchy way, listeners will pay more attention and remember it more easily. Here are some examples (with more conventional versions of the same idea in parentheses):

• We can solve malnutrition now (vs. Malnutrition is a problem that is finally, in our day and age, able to be resolved by advances in science.)
• Almost dying saved my life (vs. A near death experience created the motivation for me to face and overcome problems that otherwise would have slowly killed me.)
• Never, ever give up (vs. Cultivate the ability to commit without wavering; it’s an essential component of your lifelong success.)

Step 3. Collect anything and everything that relates to your idea

To re-create your idea in the minds of your listeners, you’ll need vivid examples, illustrations, stories, facts, questions, comments, etc.

So take a few days to notice anything and everything that relates to your idea, and collect these materials by writing them down, taking photos, recording your thoughts as sound files, etc.

Examples of things you might collect include:

• a snippet of conversation
• a quote you heard in high school
• a story that relates to your idea
• a fact, or cluster of data that supports it
• a metaphor or analogy that helps explain it
• a personal moment in your relationship with the idea
• a physical object that will help your audience understand it (here, my client Erika Frenkel presents an anesthesia machine )

Basically, anything that comes to your mind at this stage should be collected.

And don’t worry yet about which materials will end up in your talk.

You can’t collect  things and evaluate  them at the same time, so just collect for now; you’ll have a chance to evaluate later.

Step 4. Start imagining how you might open and end your talk

While it’s too soon to choose your opening and close, it’s not too soon to start playing with ideas for these important parts of your talk.

An effective way to begin any speech (not just a TED talk) is to grab your audience’s attention — often with a human interest story, a surprising statistic, an unexpected observation, or a thought-provoking question.

There are probably some great attention-grabbers in the material you collected for Step 3. Pick one that you particularly like, and flag it as a possible  opening for your talk.

As for the close , you’ll probably want to end your talk in a positive, forward-looking way . This is often done by:

• calling the audience to action;
• painting a hopeful picture of the future; and/or
• “paying off” (finishing, resolving) a story or discussion that has run through your talk, so that listeners get a sense of closure.

With your provisional opening and close in mind, you’re now ready to…

Step 5. Put the rest of your materials in a reasonable order

The middle of any speech is tricky, and a TED talk is particularly so, because TED talks can take just about any form you’d like.

So to tackle this part of your TED talk, take the materials you’ve collected and shuffle them until you find a good arrangement. To do this, you can:

• Create a high-level outline (leave out most of the detail, just arrange the big points or elements)
• Write each element (story, comment, observation, fact) on a 3 x 5 card and physically shuffle them to see different possible orders. (You can do this on a table, or digitally, by creating one slide per element and shuffling them with PowerPoint’s “slide sorter” feature)
• Use sound (speaking out loud) instead of writing to put your talk elements into different sequences (Ask: Does it sound right if I tell that story first, then give the fact? How about if I give the fact first, then tell the story?)
• Try any other method that works for you.

How will you know when the order is good?

Keep in mind that your goal is to create an understanding of your idea in the minds of your audience members , and try to arrange your explanations, comments, and stories in a way that leads to that goal. (You’ll get to test this on real people in Step 7.)

Trust your instincts: If something seems out of place to you, it probably is. Try moving it to a different part of your talk or even skipping it, and see if that works better.

And don’t expect to find the best organization for your talk the first time you try, because that almost never happens!

Step 6. Talk your way to a rough draft of your script

This is where your “speaking plan” becomes a “speech.”

Take your outline or list of ordered elements and talk about each item in turn.

When I’m writing a speech, I like to literally talk it out loud and type up what I’m saying as I’m saying it — but you can also use your computer’s voice recognition software to capture your words, or talk into the voice memo feature on your phone (this used to be called “dictating”) and type up the sound file later.

Why  record yourself talking  instead of just writing out the speech?

Because most of us get all formal and stiff when we write, and the ideal for a talk is that it sounds like you’re…  talking !

And here’s a hint:

As you do this step, pay particular attention to the way different elements (materials) that you’ve used in your talk are connected.

If, for example, you tell me that:

• The river flooded, and
• Some people moved out of the neighborhood…

I’ll want to know: Did people move  because  the river flooded? Did most people stay even though  the river flooded? Did the river flood  after  people had already moved?

When you spell things out clearly, people will form a clear picture of your point.

Step 7. Try out your Ted talk draft on a volunteer listener

The point of this step is to get feedback on how to improve the structure and clarity of your draft.

Ask someone you trust — a smart 10-year-old is perfect — to listen to your talk.

Read it to them (because you haven’t finalized, let alone memorized, it yet), and then ask them:

• Did I explain my idea clearly?
• Was there anything in my talk that you didn’t follow?
• Was there anything you didn’t understand?
• Did anything seem out of place?
• Did I lose your interest anywhere?

If your listener wants to discuss the 6,000 facts you left out, or how your talk should really be about X instead of Y, gently lead them back to these questions.

The point is not to  change  your talk. The point is to  improve  it’s effectiveness.

Step 8. Repeat the following steps as needed

• Based on your listener’s feedback, make changes that will improve your draft. But don’t get carried away editing; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! (And keep your old drafts in case you want to go back to something you did earlier; I number mine v1, v2, v3, etc.)

2. Practice delivering your new draft out loud.

3. Try out your new draft on a volunteer listener, get their feedback , and repeat these steps as often as needed until your talk has taken a satisfying shape.

And finally…

There’s no better time to start working on your talk than now. Even if your schedule is crammed, you’re better off working for a few minutes each day than leaving everything to the last minute!

And as you work this process, remember that perfection isn’t possible.

So instead of striving for perfection, prepare carefully, take your best shot, and try to  relax .

Your audience is going to love this talk — and you deserve to enjoy it, too!

Need Coaching or Speechwriting for Your TED Talk? Get in Touch!

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• Giving a TED-Style Talk? Here's How They're Different from Business Presentations
• TED Has Eliminated Two Things That Used to Be Said In Most Speeches: Hello and Thank You. Should You?
• Masterful Public Speaking: Daniel Kraft's TEDx Talk

5 steps to giving a perfect TED Talk

• James Haynes
• August 1, 2022

Table of Contents

Introduction.

If you’re pursuing a speaking career, you’ve likely seen or heard about TED Talks. But have you ever thought about giving one? TED Talks have become one of the most high-profile examples of public speaking gigs today. If you are excited to learn more about how to give a TED Talk or TEDx talk, let this be your guide! (Interested in other avenues for public speaking? We have a piece on how to best get started here .)

What is a TED Talk?

TED originated in the 1980s on the West Coast as a forum for learning about technological developments in particular in Silicon Valley. In the 1990s, the annual conference grew to a major event, spinning off independent events in major cities around the world under the TEDx banner in the 2000s.

According to TEDx Cambridge director Tamsen Webster , TED Talks are much more exclusive and invite-only, since speakers are invited from around the world. But TEDx Talks, the local, community-based independent forums for TED, are easier to access. If you speak at a TEDx, you’re recorded as a TEDx speaker, but your video may be promoted to the official TED website, ted.com and published on the TEDx official YouTube channel.

Some TEDx speakers, such as academic researcher Brené Brown, get invited to the “Big TED” stage after a breakout performance on the TEDx stage. In Brown’s case, her 2010 TEDx Houston talk, “The Power of Vulnerability”, became a top 5-viewed TED Talk online, and she followed it up with a TED Talk titled “Listening to Shame” in 2012. But, TEDx Cambridge director Tamsen Webster cautions, such cases are rare. Hear more from her interview with Grant Baldwin here (discussion of TEDx gigs begins around the 11:30 mark) .

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How to give a TED Talk in 5 steps

Want to learn how to give a TED Talk? Read on for 5 steps to make it unforgettable:

1. Begin with the end in mind

Have you ever been left at the end of a speech wondering, “What was the point of this talk?” Don’t do that to your audience. When creating your talk, determine the destination that you want to take them to. Once you pick a point, then you can work backwards and reverse engineer how to get your audience to that place. (for more on finding your big idea, check out this episode  of The Speaker Lab podcast)

Answer “now what?” for the audience. Your audience is always asking two questions: so what and now what? So what means what does this have to do with me? Now what is what you want the audience to do as a result of your talk. Give them action steps to implement what you taught them. If they hear you speak but literally don’t do anything differently, what’s the point?

2. Hone your big idea

Professional speakers often have an extra barrier to cross when it comes to being selected even for a TEDx event. While not prohibited from participanting, they are generally discouraged unless they have a particularly original new idea. In Webster’s words, “We want to catch the rising star. We want the new idea before it’s out there. If you’ve already got the book talk, and you’re already making money with that talk, that’s probably not the talk that we want.”

What’s the type of idea that TED or TEDx organizers are typically looking for? According to Webster, it needs to have the three Is: Interesting, Important, and Individual. In other words, it needs to have a speaker 1) who is an authority on the topic (due to background, life experiences, research, etc.), 2) who can address an important unmet need in the world, and 3) be passionate to share about it.

One way to break down the big idea is looking at a problem, an idea and a change. Webster gives the example of an entrepreneur unsuccessfully chasing work-life balance. The problem they see is that they want less pressure in their non-work lives. The idea Webster proposes is that what entrepreurs actually need to achieve work-life balance are not external skills: “That’s adding more pressure on you’re on entrepreneur already.” The change could be choosing to accept internal skills and abilities and delegating more things to de-stress.

3. Write out your material and tell a story

Professional speakers don’t just make stuff up. They don’t write a few thoughts on a notecard and then shoot from the hip for an entire presentation. They take the time to write and carefully craft their material.

Humans relate to stories. We connect to stories. Funny stories. Sad stories. Inspirational stories. We love stories. So tell them. Lots of them. Stories will keep your audience engaged and are also easier for you to memorize. Read  this super helpful post  by my speaker pal Josh Sundquist for his tips on writing your speech, setting your fee, and booking your first gigs.

There’s nothing wrong with telling a 3rd person story or using some case study or example. Telling stories that you lived and experienced generally makes the story better for you and the audience. For the audience, they can often times find themselves in your story. For you as the speaker, it’s much easier (and more powerful) to tell a story that you lived versus one you read in a book.

4. Prepare the presentation

Oftentimes speakers want to have Powerpoint or Keynote slides to use as notes for their presentation. This is lazy. Don’t do this. Any slides you use should be an enhancement not a replacement of your talk. If you’re just going to stand up there and read off the screen, what does the audience need you for?

Use Powerpoint to show images that make a point. Some speakers will build their talk around their slides. Start with the talk FIRST and then determine if slides are needed or necessary. Slides are generally most effective for showing images or videos that can’t be conveyed in words. For example, if you were in some death-defying crash and that’s part of your talk, it’s one thing to tell that story, but it’s incredibly more powerful if you show pictures or video of it all.

Consider writing out your material. Professional speakers don’t just make stuff up. They don’t write a few thoughts on a notecard and then shoot from the hip for an entire presentation. They take the time to write and carefully craft their material. There is no right way to create a talk. You don’t need to memorize your talk like a script, but manuscripting can help you to think through the entire presentation and to know exactly how it all flows together. Some speakers prefer to have an outline with several bullet points and flesh it out from there. Every speaker is different. Find a process that works for you.

5. On stage, be an amplified version of you

The bigger the venue, the bigger you need to be on stage. The way you would communicate to a group of 10 people is very different than how you would need to communicate to a room of 10,000. Both should be an authentic version of you, but simply amplified to the setting. The bottom line is don’t try to be something you’re not on stage. Be you.

Keep it slow and steady. When you are talking really fast, it becomes difficult for the audience to follow. It’s hard to keep up and process. Plus the faster you talk, the harder it is to understand what you’re saying. So slow down and enunciate. Give the audience the chance to keep up with where you’re going.

Don’t be afraid of the silence. The silence to a speaker can feel deafening but it can be powerful. Silence shows confidence that you’re in control of the talk and the room and you’re continuing to guide them towards a common purpose. When you make a strong point, don’t rush to the next line. Stop and let it hang there. The silence is your friend.

All in all, though giving a TED and TEDx Talk isn’t going to drive revenue for anyone’s speaking business, it can provide a tremendous platform for reach in your area of expertise, and giving either one is a great feather in anyone’s cap.

If you found this piece helpful, we have a great podcast with Tamsen Webster digging even deeper into the world of TED–especially the ins and outs of the TEDx selection process! She tells us how she helps her speakers prepare for their TEDx talks, how you can get your foot in the door with your local TEDx and how to know if your idea is interesting enough to be considered for a TEDx talk. You can listen to this “inside look” at TED here . Want to read more about speaking tips? Take a look at our 100 tips for motivational speaking for any speaking engagement!

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While you mull all of that over, here are a few rapid fire FAQs about TED Talks. Happy speaking!

What does TED Talk stand for?

TED is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, the original topics of TED Talks when the organization launched in the mid-1980s.

How long is a TED Talk?

TED Talks are limited in length to 18 minutes or less.

How much do you get paid to give a TED Talk?

Although TED and TEDx Conference speakers do not get paid, presenters may receive travel and lodging costs for the conference they speak at.

Does TED have any tips for giving a TED Talk?

TED has many resources for aspiring speakers at ted.com. And some past TED speakers have given talks of their own on how to deliver a great TED Talk! See below for a video from TED Curator Chris Anderson, who shares his secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common, along with four ways to make it work for you.

• Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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How to Prepare A TED Talk: The Complete Guide for Stage Success

At Thought-Leader, we’ve worked with hundreds of professionals across the globe. While they’ve all placed significant effort into building their businesses, they often find themselves confused and frustrated when hoping to land a spot on the TEDx stage. That’s because writing, memorizing, and delivering a stellar TED experience is different than any other speech or presentation you’ve ever given. Speech writing training is an essential part of this process.

How to Write A TED Talk

One of the common frustrations we hear from aspiring TED speakers is writing their talk. So often, these individuals feel overwhelmed by multiple thoughts and overshadowed by existing ideas. If left unchecked, these feelings of overwhelm can lead to self-doubt and keep you from hitting your TED talk goals.

TED talk preparation is less about creating the next biggest thing and more about overcoming the self-doubt that keeps you from reaching your goals. Therefore, one of the first steps you can take to write a TED talk is not to give up. You can also partner with TED-style speaker coaches to hold yourself accountable and reach your writing goals.

How To Write A TED Talk Script

Writing a TED talk script is often the dread of many aspiring speakers. After all, if writing doesn’t come naturally to you, a script might be the most significant hurdle you face in your speaking career. Yet, while many of our clients initially express this same fear to us, they often leave our talk-writing intensives satisfied with a written script in hand.

So, how do they do it? They follow a 3-step process we’ve created to help speakers reach their TEDx goals. Here’s a brief overview of what that process looks like:

Identify Your Idea

Decide on the main point you’re trying to make by giving your talk.

Select Your Stories

Select your stories that support or illustrate your main point and establish an emotional connection with the audience.

Create A Call-To-Action

Leave the audience with something they can do to take action in their lives immediately.

How to Write A Ted Talk Speech

Once you have your script written, it’s time to focus on your speech. Now you might be asking yourself what’s the difference between a ted talk script and a ted talk speech. The main difference is that a script is written to be read by others, whereas a speech is written to be spoken to an audience.

For example, you write your TED talk script for the event organizer you submit it to. They need a scripted version of your talk to know the details you will speak on. There aren’t emotional cues or other personalized messages involved. Meanwhile, your TED talk speech is for you more than anything. It serves as a guide so you can speak to the audience.

When writing a TED talk speech, you might include places to pause for audience feedback or hand gestures to use. Consider the role breathing plays in giving a speech and make sure to write in pauses for breath. You can also add memorization notes to help you when practicing your speech.

Preparing A TED Presentation

When you’re prepping to talk at TED or a TEDx event, you must consider the various presentation elements involved in giving a stellar performance. Things like body language, slides, and other visual aids can make or break your connection with your audience. So, let’s dive into how you can utilize these elements to affect the inner workings of your presentation.

Ted Talk Body Language

Have you ever watched low-scoring films where the actor’s movements didn’t seem to align with their statements? Perhaps a baseball coach was too stiff while giving a pep talk, or a kid couldn’t convey fear, which made the entire scene awkward.

Now think about your favorite tv show or movie. Consider how the actors aligned with their character’s message. One that comes to mind is the #2 Worldwide Box Office hit Avengers End Game. Actor Robert Downy Jr. knew his role as Iron Man was important to the film’s integrity. His heavy breathing, stoic expression, and pause in between the words, “And I…….am …Iron Man,” set the scene for the film’s ending. Knowing his character was going to die using up its energy to defeat villain Thanos, Downy’s use of body language and vocal expression makes the entire ending battle of the film.

As you’re prepping for your talk, it’s essential to think about body language’s role in delivering a speech. Take time to pause in between critical points so your audience has time to resonate with your message. You can also change your voice’s pitch as you transition between emotional sections of your speech. To learn even more about the role body language plays in who you are, consider checking out this TED talk by Amy Cuddy.

TED Talk Slides

Some of the most popular TED speakers use Powerpoint slides to deliver their messages. While the number of slides isn’t an indicator of success, the usage of slides in general is. Here are a few of the most viral TED talks that use slides along with their total number of views:

The Super Mario Effect – Tricking Your Brain into Learning More – 11,482,130 views Intermediate Fasting: A Transformational Technique – 10,079,396 views Waking Up As A Meme Hero – 7,392,226 views

Source: 15 Things We Learned From Analyzing The Top 100 TEDx Talks

When you’re thinking about adding slides or graphics to your TED Talk, consider how they will enhance the critical points of your presentation. For example, our client and popular TEDx speaker Cynthia Thurlow uses a few slides to showcase her data. This data adds to the credibility of her speech and makes her message stand out that much more.

Virtual TED Talks

Virtual TED or TEDx talks have risen in popularity since the 2020 pandemic, and we don’t think they’re going anywhere anytime soon. If you’re chosen to give a virtual TED Talk, it’s your lucky day. Unlike the pressure associated with giving a TED talk or TEDx presentation in front of a live audience, a virtual TED talk is pre-filmed in front of a green screen.

When preparing for a virtual talk, it’s vital to get an idea of the type of green screen you’ll be standing in front of ahead of time. In addition, knowing the theme of the screen background helps you coordinate your outfit so you don’t clash or blend in with your surroundings.

Since you’ll be on video, it also might be helpful for you to hire a videographer to film you ahead of time so you can practice in front of a camera ahead of time. You can review your recordings for areas of improvement and find ways to add more body language or facial expressions while remaining focused on the camera.

TED Talk: How to Practice

Once your talk is written, and your presentation is ready to go, it’s time to practice your talk until you’re blue in the face. Okay, we don’t recommend you turn blue. Layering breathing in your speech is an integral part of practicing your talk. But, we do want you to practice effectively. So here are some tips we’ve outlined that can help you do just that.

1. Use Muscle Memory

Often individuals look at memorization and practice as the repetition of words. If this is you, you might get hyperfocused on memorizing a line word for word. As a result, you don’t often move around or incorporate your body into memorization.

When preparing for a TED talk, you want to work towards muscle memorization. As opposed to mental memorization, muscle memorization involves using your body language to help you memorize. For example, combine speaking words out loud while moving around. This repetition of an action helps you remember where you were when you memorized a sentence. So, when it comes time to give your speech, you can picture yourself in the place and movement you had when you memorized a particular section.

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2. Focus On A Central Thought

Another important way to practice giving a TED talk is to zoom out the words you’re memorizing and focus on a central thought. It’s not a sequence of words that allows you to memorize something, but rather the flow of thoughts that make things click. Therefore, you need to define a section of your speech based on the topic or central thought and focus on that concept when saying words.

When you memorize ten clear thoughts with a pattern, you can pull out the words based on their connection to the central idea. This working of our brains becomes easier and more retainable than word for word focus.

3. Condition Your Body Using Playful Expression

When preparing for a speech, it’s easy to focus exclusively in your headspace, with little regard for your heart space. However, when you wrote your TED script, you didn’t write it to be read. Instead, you wrote it to be heard. Therefore, To deliver your talk successfully, you need to activate a relationship between body, breath, and voice.

If you’re a champion sprinter, you’re not going to get on the track until you’ve warmed up your legs and body. Similarly, a TED talk is 15 to18 minutes long, which takes stamina. Therefore, you have to condition your body so that your body is prepped to rise to the occasion when you deliver the talk.

To condition, your body for a TED talk presentation, get out of the habit of rigid movements. Instead, practice your talk with uncontrolled, dynamic movements and vocals. This playful physical expression gets the body active and works in unison. When you practice outside of your comfort zone, you can easily talk in front of an audience.

Focus On One Major Idea:

Note: For more information on effective practicing, consider watching this TED-Ed video by Annie Bosler and Don Greene.

Planning A TED Talk

Your planning process can begin now that you know what it takes to prepare for a TED talk. Consider the various suggestions we’ve listed above before preparing for your talk and let them guide you in your presentation creation process. Our TED coaching services can guide you in the right direction.

Think about the role self-doubt may have in keeping you from your goals, and give it a kick in the butt. Remind yourself of why you want to get on the TED stage and use that passion to drive your writing process forward. Anticipate what event organizers want in a script vs. what you need to deliver in a speech.

Check out more great articles from the Thought-Leader Blog covering TEDx Talks, success mindsets, and everything else in between

How to Get a TED Talk

How to prepare a ted talk, how to market yourself effectively, how to become a keynote speaker, how to speak professionally.

12 pieces of advice for giving talks that have impact

Courtney E. Martin hosts a session called “The 19th Minute,” and shared valuable insight on how to give a talk that has real impact. Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED

Sharing an idea isn’t like snapping your fingers — things don’t just instantly change. But as more people hear an idea over time, it can trickle into people’s thinking — and shifts, both subtle and extreme, can happen as a result. In a TEDWomen session called “The 19th Minute,” host Courtney E. Martin invited several guests to talk about what happened after they gave their 18-minute TED Talk — what changed, as well as what didn’t.

Deborah Rhodes spoke about the momentum her TEDWomen talk has built for using Molecular Breast Imaging rather than traditional mammography to screen for breast cancer under certain conditions. She still has a long way to go, she says, because, “mammography is very entrenched—culturally and medically.” Krista Donaldson talked about how her TEDWomen 2013 talk about a low-cost prosthetic knee led to more than 200 requests from 48 countries — and how the translation of her talk into more than 20 languages helped create that global impact.

After this, Martin shared some tips that she’s used as both a speaker and a coach. We thought they were too good not to pass on to you.

• Be unapologetically you . Martin warns speakers not to try to give the proverbial TED Talk. “The worst talks in the world are where someone is trying to give that talk they’ve seen before,” says Martin. “It’s fine to study your favorite TED Talks, but you don’t want to replicate them. Don’t try to be inspirational. Try to be you.” .
• Don’t do it all. Do one kickass thing . Martin looks at having a time limit as “a huge gift.” When she spoke at the first TEDWomen , she was given nine minutes to share her take on feminism. “It was the most important writing exercise I have ever done,” she says. “Knowing I had nine minutes to say what mattered most to me, it made me get absolutely clear on what I actually wanted to say.” .
• Story is queen . Instead of simply passing on information, Martin suggests thinking about how to reveal it through stories. “Stories are how we process information,” she says. “They’re how we get excited about things.” .
• Get sensual . When telling stories, it’s tempting to go abstract to allow them to apply to all those watching. But Martin urges speakers in the opposite direction. “Be highly specific and sensory. Give the smell, the taste, the feelings, the textures,” she says. “What’s so interesting is that people transpose their own experience onto that.” .
• Mind the power of threes . Three is the archetypical number for a reason, and Martin suggests thinking in trios to build arguments. “If you are trying to do too much, think about: are there three things that are most important?” she says. .
• Jargon is death . “That’s a little strongly worded, but it’s how I feel,” says Martin. “We spend a lot of time talking to people in our fields. But when we talk to people outside of the club, jargon is distancing. It tells us, ‘This talk is not for me.’” Martin has a clever tip for how to break through the jargon wall: Write your talk as a letter to someone who you care about, but who isn’t in your field. It can help you peel back technicality in a warm way. .
• Surprise your audience . “Give the counterintuitive conclusion,” says Martin. “People turn off when they think they’re hearing something too familiar. Jolt them awake.” .
• Be the (vulnerable) hero . “People don’t want to hear about the perfect person,” says Martin. “They love the person who has discovered something on a journey.” A few examples: Jill Bolte Taylor sharing her experience of having a stroke . Aimee Mullins revealing her feelings on the word ‘disabled.’ Martin urges speakers to reveal their flaws, wounds and even failures. .
• Do something scary before your talk . “Get that nervous energy out before you’re on stage,” says Martin. For her, that meant giving her talk as if it were the real thing in front of a writers group where she knew different members would be highly critical. “By the time I got to the stage, I wasn’t nearly as afraid.” .
• Stumble as yourself . Martin suggests a subtle re-aligning of what it means to give a successful talk. “The goal is not to give a perfect talk — perfect is boring,” she says. “What’s inspiring is a genuine person, sharing what they’re passionate about. Walk off the stage with your authentic integrity.” .
• Do what makes you feel badass . In a short Q&A session, an audience member asked what to wear and how to use body language. “Wear something that makes you feel badass,” says Martin. “If it’s boots, wear boots. If it’s stilettos, wear stilettos.” As for how to move, Martin says to do what feels best to you — just do it with purpose. “If you need to pace, pace intentionally,” she says. .
• Be okay with being scared . In the Q&A, another audience member asked Martin how she encourages speakers to deal with their fear of public speaking. “It’s people who are the most freaked out that bring that great, raw energy,” says Martin. “The biggest fear people have about public speaking is being exposed as imperfect — they’re afraid of showing their wounds, of stumbling on lines. But those are the things that an audience relates to. As a coach, my job is to steer people toward a talk that feels bravely genuine.”
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• Presentation Hacks

How to Write a TED Talk like a Pro

• By: Kelly Allison

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice, you can write a speech up to par with a TED Talk. The following tips and techniques will help you discover your primary message and write precisely what you want to convey for a killer presentation that will resonate with your audience long after it’s over.

Choose a Topic That You Have a Unique Perspective On

The internet is supersaturated with ideas that have been discussed, analyzed, and picked apart to death. You want your TED Talk to connect. Choose a topic that you have a unique perspective on. That doesn’t mean you have to pick an idea that no one’s ever discussed before. It just means that your take on it should be unique. Maybe you’ve found that, despite all of the buzz, a new trend or technology isn’t all that it’s cracked out to be. Similarly to writing a great article, it’s all about finding a new and compelling angle.

Find Out Why People Should Care About Your Topic

A key thing to remember about any speech is that your topic shouldn’t serve you, it should serve your audience. When preparing for a TED Talk, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the pressure. Instead, focus on what your audience can gain from the idea you’re delivering. Ask yourself not only why they should care, but why they need to care.

Write Your Topic as One Sentence

This sounds simple, but it might be the most difficult (and most important) step of this entire process. Distilling your idea into one single sentence will save you from going off topic. This one-sentence trick is a guidepost you can refer to throughout your preparations. Make certain that everything you’re writing and sharing supports the main point you’re trying to make. Anything else should be dropped and saved for another time.

Discover the Story in Your Topic

People have come to expect a TED Talk to be heavily delivered like a story. Stories are more engaging for the audience and will keep them interested in your topic. If you go up on stage and rattle off a bunch of facts and figures, you’ll lose your audience pretty quickly. People don’t want to be talked at, they want to be told a story. According to research found on the Harvard Business Review , storytelling not only helps people focus better, but it also helps them retain information and compels them to change. Fortunately, all data has a story to tell. You just have to find it.

Integrate a Bit About Who You Are Into the Topic

Make sure you share why this topic matters so much to you. Humans naturally gravitate toward vulnerability and authenticity because it helps us relate. After all, vulnerability and authenticity are among the few things we all have in common. Including one or two personal anecdotes that demonstrate both your personal values and your relationship to the topic. This goes a long way in helping your audience more deeply connect and relate to your message.

Make it Universal

Your TED Talk should be universal for all audiences to connect. For instance, if you’re passionate about mindfulness because it’s helped you overcome speech anxiety, share that. Take it a step further. Think about the universal problems that mindfulness can solve, like helping people focus better at work, be more present with their families and discover passions they never knew they had. The logic is pretty simple, really: the more universal your message, the more people that will connect to it.

Kelly Allison

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Prepare your speakers + performers

There is a lot of time and effort that goes into speaker preparation. Crafting, memorizing, and delivering a TED-like talk is drastically different from giving a speech or lecture.

You’ll want to be there for your speaker every step of the way, to help them feel supported and empowered. There are several steps to take in the prepping process:

Outline + script

Your speaker’s outline and script will be a multiple draft process, so be prepared to guide them through it.

TEDx Publishing Guidelines + Fact-Checking Guide

TEDx organizers share the responsibility of maintaining TED’s values and upholding our audience's trust. Our publishing guidelines and fact-checking guide will help you to responsibly share ideas with a global audience.

Create + prepare slides

Slides are a significant part of a speaker’s talk, so you want to make sure they create the most impressive slides possible.

Your speakers should be taking weeks or months to rehearse and memorize their talk. Learn more about speaker coaching, and how to spot warning signs that a speaker isn’t prepared.

Day of the event

TEDx speakers have just as much pressure as you do on the day of your TEDx event, so it’s critical to make them feel nurtured and excited.

Up first: Outline and script

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 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 that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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