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Tips on Persuading People From the Head of TED Talks

Chris anderson has the inside scoop on the famed lecture series and advice for our sixth grade listener..

Subscribe to How To! on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or Stitcher for the full episode. 

These days, TED Talks have become synonymous with great speeches. There’s Angela Duckworth on the importance of grit , Susan Cain on the power of introverts , and Dan Pink on the puzzle of motivation . Bill Gates even released live mosquitoes into the audience during his talk. So when a 6th grade listener named Lucy wrote into How To! looking for help with an important speech, she mentioned she too hoped to someday share the TED stage. So who better to help than Chris Anderson, the head of the TED Talk series and author of TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking ? On this recent episode of How To! , Chris helps Lucy craft the perfect speech to wow her school board and, in the process, reveals expert tips that can help all of us give TED-worthy speeches—whether in an auditorium, a conference room, or, these days, on Zoom. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

David Epstein: Chris, to start can you walk us through what makes a good TED Talk? 

Chris Anderson: Sometimes speakers think a talk is their chance to push their agenda onto the world. If that is how you’re thinking, the talk is almost certain to fail. So instead, know that in your head there is something really special called an idea, this little pattern of knowledge that can be amazingly transferred to the people in the audience. Just by opening your mouth and sending sound waves out, you can literally rewire their brains. And if you do that in the right way, you have given them a gift that can matter to them for the rest of their lives.

It starts with making a connection with the audience. You have to signal “It’s OK. You can open the doors of your mind to me. We can be friends for the next 15 minutes.” That’s why a lot of talk starts with relaxed humor or the telling of a story that is engaging. The second piece is showing early on why this even matters. It might be articulating a question: “Here is a problem in the world that I’ve been thinking about” or “Here’s something big that happened to me that had really big implications for me and I want to share them with you.” But you have to do something to give people an incentive that they should continue to pay attention.

David: We were hoping that you could give some of this advice directly to our 6th grade listener. Lucy, can you tell us why you wrote into us? 

Lucy: I was trying to write a speech and I was struggling with the beginning and the end especially. I recently read a book called Free to Learn , and I thought that maybe if I could write a speech and talk to my school board, then maybe some of the stuff from the book could be implemented into my school.

David: And so your speech, which you shared with us earlier, is about the benefits of less homework and non-age segregated play. Chris, what advice would you give to Lucy that might help anyone giving a speech for the first time? 

Chris: Goodness, Lucy. If I could have given that talk when I was in 6th grade, I’d have been a very proud boy. I would say a couple of the things you might tweak are first, you asked about how you begin it. [In the version of your speech I heard], you just went straight in—“My name’s Lucy and I’m here to talk about a book I read.” Is that the best way to really grab the attention of the school board? I think you could play with some ideas about why they should listen to this. The way to do that is to think about what is important to them. You could play with something like, “My name is Lucy, I’m in 6th grade and I want to talk about something that I know we all care a lot about here—how to make a great school even greater.”

Then the other main thing I’d say is a really clever technique to persuade someone of something that might seem a bit controversial is to recognize the likely objection. So less homework, right? You know, in some adults’ minds, they’re going, “Oh boy, here’s a sixth grader being lazy and wanting to spend more time playing rather than doing actual work.” I think there’s a case to try and take that head on and say, “I know that this sounds really self-serving. Of course, every 6th grader wants to have less homework, but what I’ve been persuaded of is that play could be more than you think it is. It’s not just wasting time. It’s actually learning.” Then to make that really land, you might need to do one more thing, which is to tell a personal story of when play did something important for you. A story will really make something vivid and land even deeper.

Lucy: OK. And I’d also add how less homework could benefit the teachers. They would have less stuff to do as well.

Chris: Yeah, a key piece [of a good speech] is that you’ve got to explain what’s in it for them. You also asked about the ending and how you could make that more powerful. If you want people to act on an idea, they need to be able to picture what the action is. So could you ask, for example, “I know this seems weird, but here’s a suggestion, why don’t we just try a little experiment. Pick a small group of us and try this policy for one semester and then see what happens. I’m betting you’re going to be amazed.” I always remember a couple of TED Talks where a person made a commitment at the end of the talk and it was super powerful. So if you’re willing to say, “Why don’t you try this and sign me up? I’ll be your guinea pig,” that could be something powerful given how confident and compelling you are.

David: So let’s say Lucy has the speech all written. How can she deliver it well when under pressure? 

Chris: Nerves are there for a reason. They’re there to tell us that this matters. Before the talk, breathe deep. Go for a really vigorous walk to get the blood flowing. Do what you can physically so that you’re relaxed. Also, give the talk to four people in different parts of the room. Give a sentence to one person and look at them and then look at the next person. That will help you ground it. I think that kind of practice is much more powerful than imagining the audience in their underwear. Don’t do that.

David: Have you ever had a mishap during a speech? 

Chris: Oh, goodness, yes. I’ve definitely had moments where I completely freeze. My biggest single failure on stage was when I was carrying a Burmese python. We had a session about the wonder of nature. I wanted to say, “Hey, this thing is incredible.” It was like a yellow python, so beautiful, around my neck. I was just saying, how nature was amazing and then, unfortunately, the audience started guffawing. And what I didn’t know was this python’s head had gone down my back and had emerged from between my legs, waving itself at the audience. That was kind of hilarious.

But I’ll be honest, in many ways I’m baffled by how the great orators do what they do. It’s a skill that arose in times well before microphones, well before the internet, well before television, where one person with a big crowd could weave a kind of magic. You are aware that you are one of thousands of people listening, and you are aware of the sort of the growing belief of those around you. It’s far, far more than simply listening to a talk. You’re part of a movement. I’m going to learn something and listen to this person. Oh gosh, I hope there’s some way to solve this problem. Wait a second, this is making sense . You end up coming to a place of sharing someone’s vision. You start with curiosity and you end with inspiration. That makes the difference between just understanding something and wanting to do something about it.

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To hear Lucy give her speech and more behind-the-scenes details about TED Talks from Chris, listen to the episode by clicking the player below or subscribing to How To! wherever you get your podcasts. 

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by TED Masterclass Team • May 14, 2020

Do you have a big presentation coming up for work? Are you just looking to learn a new skill? You don’t have to be a naturally charismatic orator to tell compelling stories, but a few tips can go a long way to help you share your ideas in the most engaging way possible. These TED Talks will help you get prepared and start mastering the art of communicating effectively:

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Why you should watch it.

What if there was a TED Talk on how to give a TED Talk? Well, there is. In this Talk, TED’s head curator helps you understand the secret ingredients to a TED Talk and how you can use those ingredients when developing your own talk or presentation.

Joe Kowan How I beat stage fright

If just the thought of standing in front of people makes your hands feel clammy and your mouth dry, this Talk is for you. In this funny Talk, singer-songwriter Joe Kowan shares his personal story of how he deals with stage fright and is able to sing in front of people every night.

Julian Treasure How to speak so that people want to listen

You’ve got something important to say, but how do you make sure people are actually listening? In this Talk, Julian Treasure, an expert on sounds, demonstrates how you can achieve powerful speaking by using vocal exercises and tips.

Nancy Duarte The secret structure of a great talk

What do Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech and Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch keynote have in common? According to this Talk: The structure of their speech. Watch now to learn how you, too, can use this simple structure in your next presentation or speech.

You’ve seen tips on structure, sound, stage fright, and what the secret sauce of a TED Talk is. Are you ready to use your newfound knowledge and get started on telling your story?

Check out the TED Masterclass course and learn how to communicate effectively and efficiently (even if it’s just a video call).

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

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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!

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You May Also Want to Read...

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• Masterful Public Speaking: Daniel Kraft's TEDx Talk

10 tips for speaking like a Ted Talk pro

Advice from the experts on how to make any presentation sing

By Katherine Lee

February 2017, Vol 48, No. 2

Print version: page 64

Psychologists and graduate students are often called upon to speak to an audience, whether to give a conference presentation, deliver a lecture to a class, lead a meeting or give a talk in the community. But public speaking is a skill that comes more naturally to some than to others, and there are some common pitfalls to avoid, such as seeming disorganized or looking down at notes rather than at your audience.

Regardless of how practiced you may be at public speaking, there are some very effective strategies to use to deliver engaging talks. The next time you have a speaking engagement, try these tips to deliver your message like a TED Talk presenter:

1. Know your audience. Keep in mind whom you are going to be addressing when you craft your presentation, says Robert Sternberg, PhD, a former APA president who is a professor of human development at Cornell University. Is the audience going to be mainly fellow psychologists, health professionals, other professional groups, students or consumers? What do they want and need to hear? Knowing whom you are speaking to will help you tailor the talk and will help keep the audience engaged.

2. Keep it simple, especially if you're going to give a talk to a general audience. "People have a tendency to give presentations the audience doesn't understand," says Barry Schwartz, PhD, a psychology professor emeritus at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He suggests giving a talk that makes people feel like they're smart and like they want to learn more about the topic. "The curse of knowledge is that once you know something, you forget what it was like when you didn't know it," he says. "I imagine that I'm going to present to my grandmother, who had a fifth-grade education."

3. Emphasize connection over content. To best engage listeners, build your speech from an emotional place rather than from the content, says Kristi Hedges, leadership coach and author of the 2011 book "The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others." Rattling off facts and figures and talking at the audience isn't effective if they aren't interested in what you are saying. "Be clear about what you want the audience to walk away with when they leave and use that intent as a structure to frame your talk," says Hedges. Your passion for a topic can draw people in; talking without any enthusiasm for the topic can deplete energy in the room and eclipse your message. "Talk to persuade, not just to inform," adds Sternberg.

4. Be authentic. Some speakers may try to sound like someone they admire instead of being themselves, notes Daniel Gilbert, PhD, professor of psychology at Harvard University. "Some people try to sing like their favorite singer or dance like their favorite dancer," says Gilbert. "Similarly, some speakers may try to sound like Martin Luther King Jr. or John F. Kennedy." Authenticity—sounding like yourself and using everyday language—is key to getting your message across to an audience, says Gilbert.

5. Diversify your delivery. People don't learn just by listening—different people learn in different ways, says Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, APA's 2016 president. Use visual tools (such as slides or a video), incorporate research and tell stories. Anecdotes can be a particularly effective way to connect with an audience. "It could be a story about yourself, especially if you're using humor and making fun of yourself," says McDaniel. One important tip to keep in mind about multimedia presentations: Don't let the technology obscure what you're trying to say, says Schwartz. "PowerPoint is incredibly powerful, but use it to get halfway there, rather than expecting it to do the whole job for you," he says.

6. Shake it up. Another reason to use different media in your talk is to make it more dynamic and compelling. "Using mixed media creates energy and vibrancy," says Hedges. Think about ways to use slides, video, audio, handouts, props and even spontaneous smartphone polls to engage your audience. You might, for instance, start with a video and then use powerful images later in your talk, says Hedges. Or you can begin with an engrossing question and use the audience feedback as data with polling software such as Poll Everywhere .

7. Stick to your points. Before you talk, determine your main points and outline them, says McDaniel. Some people refer to notes on stage while others may use PowerPoint or Keynote slides as prompts. One cautionary tip: Avoid simply putting the text of your speech in slides. "Writing out the words you'll be saying on slides is boring," says McDaniel. "Slides should be used for emphasis."

8. Know the setup. Have a run-through in the space you'll be speaking at if possible, especially if you'll be talking in front of a large audience. Test the tech system during that practice run to troubleshoot possible problems in advance. For instance, the sound may not run properly with your video or your slides may be set up behind you (which would mean you'll have to constantly turn your head to see where you are in your talk).

9. Don't lecture the whole time. Keep in mind that people don't have long attention spans. If you need to explore a topic deeply, use humor, an engaging video or other media to present various aspects of the topic. You can also break up a long talk by posing questions to the audience, suggests Hedges.

10. Leave time for questions. Talking until the last minute is a common mistake many speakers make, says Hedges. If you have an hourlong presentation, plan for 45 minutes of talking and 15 minutes for questions.

A Ted Talk on Ted Talks: To watch a video on how to give a great talk, go to www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_teds_secret_to_great_public_speaking .

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

Partner Center

How to give more persuasive presentations: A Q&A with Nancy Duarte

Stepping onto the TED or TEDx stage — or speaking in front of any group of people, for that matter — is truly nerve-wracking. Will you remember everything you wanted to say, or get so discombobulated that you skip over major points? Will the audience be receptive to your ideas, or will you notice a guy in row three nodding off to sleep?

Presentation expert Nancy Duarte , who gave the TED Talk “ The secret structure of great talks ,” has built her career helping people express their ideas in presentations. The author of  Slide:ology  and  Resonate , Duarte has just released a new book through the Harvard Business Review:  The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations .

What would you say are the three keys to giving a great presentation?

The number one thing, I think, is to be audience-centric. To take the time to think through who the audience is and develop all your material from a place of empathy toward them. You’re asking them to adopt your idea, which means they may have to abandon a belief they hold as true — and that’s hard. So, know your audience — take a walk in their shoes. What keeps them up at night? How are they wired to resist your message? Most presenters are consumed with preparing their content rapidly, which makes the material about their own narrow perspective. By flipping that paradigm to an audience-centric approach, your material will resonate and the audience can feel a deeper connection to you and your material.

Number two, you need to understand your role in the presentation. So many people feel like they’re the central figure — kind of like the hero of the story — because they’re the one talking the most. But in reality, your role is that of a mentor — you should be giving the audience a magical gift or a special tool, or helping them get unstuck in some way. You have to defer to your audience. When you put your idea out there for an audience to contend with — if they reject your idea, your idea will die. You have to think of it as, “The speaker needs the audience more than the audience needs the speaker.” Then you’ll start to approach a material with your audience in mind – you’ll have more of a stance of humility than one of arrogance. That will help you create the kind of movement needed to get your idea to spread.

And then the third thing — wrap your content in story. A story serves like the sugarcoating on the outside of a pill in some ways — it just makes it go down easier. If you look at preliterate generations for thousands and thousands of years, stories would pass down for generation after generation after generation — and stay almost completely intact. Yet, a lot of people can’t remember the last presentation they sat through. So, using principles of story — the tension and release that happens in a story — that’s what will help persuade the audience toward your idea.

What do you feel like you learned from giving your own TED Talk?

I learned so much. Being the “Presentation Lady,” I knew I couldn’t suck at it. The hardest part was getting [my talk] to fit within this finite amount of time. So I trimmed and trimmed, keeping in mind that you still have to nail why this is important to the audience. I had a person coach me and point out places where I could trim. “You took too long here, and that made this part of emphasis too long.” I worked with the timer counting up until I knew I was within the time window — then what I did was work with the timer counting down so I’d know, “When I’m a fourth of the way through, I should be on this slide. When I’m halfway through, I need to be on this slide.” I created markers in my mind so I would know how I was running on time. Sure enough, I finished the talk and I had six seconds left on the clock.

It was a great experience for me because I hadn’t gone through it myself. I’d coached people through it but — wow — to actually be a victim was interesting. I learned the power of rehearsing. If you rehearse really, really, really well — it looks improvisational. Some people rehearse to a point where they’re robotic, and they sound like they have memorized their presentation and didn’t take it to the next level. Going from sounding memorized and canned to sounding natural is a lot of work.

So, the classic advice for stage fright is to imagine the audience in their underwear. What do you recommend people do to calm their nerves?

I don’t usually get nervous, but when I got on [the TED] stage, I was nervous because it’s pretty high stakes. I recommend doing some breathing exercises — breathe in as deep as you can, and then take a couple more big gasps. Then, release it really slowly. That calms my heart down. But my favorite piece of advice isn’t my own — it’s from a guy named Nick Morgan. He said, “What you need to do right before you walk on stage is think of someone that you love dearly.” Doing that, I felt the chemistry in my whole body change. My shoulders relaxed and my heart melted. That feeling of affection makes your body calm itself down. That’s a really great way to stop stage fright.

What is the best way to start creating a presentation?

My best advice is to not start in PowerPoint. Presentation tools force you to think through information linearly, and you really need to start by thinking of the whole instead of the individual lines. I encourage people to use 3×5 note cards or sticky notes — write one idea per note. I tape mine up on the wall and then study them. Then I arrange them and rearrange them — just work and work until the structure feels sound. And from that sound structure, you start to fill it in using a presentation tool.

[For visuals], I think people tend to go with the easiest, fastest idea. Like, “I’m going to put a handshake in front of a globe to mean partnership!” Well, how many handshakes in front of a globe do we have to look at before we realize it’s a total cliche? Another common one — the arrow in the middle of a bullseye. Really? Everyone else is thinking that way. The slides themselves are supposed to be a mnemonic device for the audience so they can remember what you had to say. They’re not just a teleprompter for the speaker. A bullseye isn’t going to make anyone remember anything. Don’t go for the first idea. Think about the point you’re trying to make and brainstorm individual moments that you’re trying to emphasize. Think to the second, the third, the fourth idea — and by the time you get to about the tenth idea, those will be the more clever memorable things for the audience.

One thing that is really different about giving a TED Talk is the fact that you know it will be filmed. How do you think about the difference between live presentations and ones that will exist on video?

On stage, it feels really awkward to do large movements because — normally in life — we’re talking to someone in a more intimate setting and moving your arms really big feels melodramatic. But on the stage, you have to move your body in really big gestures. It feels awkward at first if you’re not used to it, so you have to kind of close your eyes and get used to it. Say things and move largely. Take big bold steps forward, big bold steps backward. You have this grand stage and people don’t use the space enough. I think one of the great things that Jill Bolte Taylor did was how she used her body. Her arms stretched all the way up when she talked about nirvana. Then she when she talks about her whole soul feeling constricted, she brings her hands down and folds her arms down in front of her. She’s using her body as a prop. That’s an important way to create meaning.

Also, with video, a tech rehearsal is important. Your audience on video is exponentially larger than the people in the room. So by familiarizing yourself with the cameras, you can at least look in that general direction. You know how you’re supposed to look around the audience — look and hold for five seconds, look and hold for five seconds? You should look at the camera as if it’s a human. Get used to seeing that circular lens as a face. Feel like it’s a person you’re talking to, because that audience on camera needs to feel like they’re there and that you’re looking right at them.

To me, presentations are the most powerful device. You can’t really name a movement that didn’t start with the spoken word. TED was once this exclusive, amazing event where ideas were exchanged, but you’ve moved to treating presentations as a media type. You guys have been so refined at it, that what it’s done is created a movement. What TED has done is made a platform for introverts, for scientists, for inventors — to share their ideas in a way that’s clear and appeals to a broad audience so that their ideas spread and get adopted. It’s completely changed how people present. It’s created this desire to be excellent in communication.

When you look at even how businesses communicated in the ’30’s, ’40’s and ’50’s — they were so much clearer and well-crafted. I recently went to the Stanford Library and I got a bunch of old GE Board meetings from, like, 1957. And I thought, “These are so beautiful!” Their presentations referenced history, they quoted things, they crafted their words in such a beautiful way. Then PowerPoint entered into the mix and suddenly there wasn’t any desire to craft anymore. I think TED Talks have brought the desire for the craft back.

Your new book is from the Harvard Business Review. Is it intended for someone who is in business, or for anyone?

All of my books are for anyone who has an idea that they need to communicate! I loved working with Harvard Business Review and I think because of the publisher, business professionals may be more interested in this book. But anyone with an idea can benefit from it. It’s a guidebook, so that people can think, “Oh, I need to know how to do this specific thing. I’m going to go get this book and find that one thing.”

Want more advice on giving talks? Our curator Chris Anderson is writing the official TED guide to public speaking —to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in spring 2016. Titled Talk This Way! , it will be packed with insights on what makes talks work.

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How to Give a Great TED Talk

Advice from entrepreneurs and ted organizers on giving a knockout speech on one of the world's most prestigious stages..

"It was the scariest f---ing thing I’ve done in my life,” Derek Sivers says. Before him sat Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former Vice President Al Gore, and about 400 other audience members. Sivers, a lifelong entrepreneur, was about to share leadership lessons--by way of narrating a YouTube video featuring dancing hippies. He had three minutes.

It was 2010, and Sivers was onstage at TED, the biannual gathering known for serving up exquisitely crafted talks to the world’s big thinkers and leaders. TED presenters aren’t typically professional speakers but researchers, technologists, and other people simply doing interesting work. Months in advance, TED organizers hunt for new speakers and solicit proposals from past attendees. Last year, TED also began hosting a talent search that allows hopefuls to apply online and submit videos. “We want people talking about the ideas they most love,” says conference programmer Kelly Stoetzel.

About two months before the conference, speakers must submit an outline or script. Then, Stoetzel and her team help them hone their ideas and incorporate anecdotes. A month beforehand, they schedule a Skype rehearsal, during which the presenter gives the talk and gets feedback on structure, pacing, and clarity. After that, they encourage speakers to practice--with a stopwatch, in front of nonexperts, in front of a mirror, over and over again, and get the talk down to their specified time limit.

Then, a day or two before the conference, speakers do a dry run on the actual stage, with countdown timers running, to get a feel for standing there, looking out at the seats, and projecting to the back row. The hope is that the training takes over when the unexpected happens. And the unexpected usually does happen. Nilofer Merchant, author of 11 Rules for Creating Value in the #SocialEra, remembers when an unexpected laugh threw off her TED talk about the benefits of walking meetings. “I thought, Oh, no; I just lost a line,” she recalls. “I literally threw out a point I was going to make.”

Sivers managed to narrate the hippie video, which showed how one crazy person can start a movement, just as he had practiced it, word for word. It got laughs, a standing ovation, and more than three million views online. “No other conference I’ve ever spoken at required me to do so much, so far in advance,” Sivers says. “But it really helps.“

Keeping it Real

The best presentations seem spontaneous, even if they are highly scripted. Here are tips  for staying cool onstage from TED organizer Kelly Stoetzel.

1. Tell the Story Your Way.  You may be tempted to copy the structure of popular TED talks from the past. But if you do that, your talk may very well end up feeling contrived. Instead, map out the structure that seems most natural.

2. Work The Crowd.  Before your speech, chat with conference attendees during coffee breaks, lunch, or cocktail parties. The small talk will give you a better sense of your audience. Even better, you’ll see a few friendly faces in the crowd when you take the stage.

3. It’s Not About You.  When you write and deliver your speech, don’t think, This is a message I must communicate, Stoetzel says. Rather, she suggests thinking, People will love knowing about this! “It’s almost like you’re providing a service on the stage, and makes it feel more like a conversation.”

Kelly Stoetzel describes some stand-out TED talks and the keys to a great presentation below.

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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The next time you’re preparing to speak to a group, remember to keep your audience at the center of your communication, says Briar Goldberg, the director of speaker coaching at TED. One way to do this is to ask yourself: “What gift are you giving to your audience?”

TED recently partnered with Marriott Hotels to offer a special day-long seminar on public speaking for Marriott Bonvoy members. Briar Goldberg — TED’s director of speaker coaching who has helped prepare hundreds of people for the TED stage — gave them tips and tools to be better communicators in their own lives.

Below, she takes a deeper dive into one aspect of public speaking that many of us overlook when drafting our speeches and presentations: our audience.

Let’s be honest, there’s no shortage of public speaking advice out there. There are countless books, blog posts and YouTube videos offering you instructions on how to tell engaging stories, make eye contact, use hand gestures, and more. I think that’s great, although I’ll admit I’m biased. I’ve spent my career teaching public speaking and coaching executives, and since 2015, I’ve been working with TED speakers. I truly believe that everyone benefits when we communicate more effectively.

But even with so much advice available, I still see one big communication mistake made all of the time. It’s this: Most people communicate in the wrong direction .

What is the wrong direction? Too many of us write our scripts, build our decks, or compile our talking points before we think about our audience and what they need or expect to get out of our communication. This has serious consequences. When your audience doesn’t feel like your words apply to them, when they don’t understand what you’re trying to say, or, worse yet, they don’t care about your ideas, then your carefully-crafted slides, agenda or jokes simply don’t matter.

My earliest mentor in this work, Jim Wagstaffe always tells speakers to practice their ABCs: Audience Before Content. I love that acronym so much because it captures the essence of what communication is really all about — it’s not about you, the speaker; it’s always about your audience. Your audience’s needs should always be your central focus.

At TED, when we’re helping speakers prepare their talks, we ask them to identify the “gift” they’re giving the audience. In my opinion, this is what every communicator should be asking themselves before any kind of communication — whether it’s a keynote or a TED Talk or something smaller like a pitch to your boss or a statement at a community meeting. What gift are you giving the audience?

The good news is, understanding how to put your audience at the center of your communication isn’t rocket science. And when you do it correctly, I can almost guarantee that your next speech, presentation or meeting will be a success.

What does it really mean to know your audience?

You’ve probably heard the phrase “know your audience.” I’ve even seen lists floating around that offer a series of questions designed to help you do this, with queries such as: “What’s the gender breakdown of your audience?” “Are they executives or middle-managers?” “Where are they from?”

While demographic information like this is important — for example, you should probably rethink a joke about swiping right if the average age of your audience is 76 — the kind of knowledge I’m talking about goes much deeper. It goes beyond the superficial to zoom in on these two key things: “What are my audience’s goals?” and “How do they make decisions?”

How to really understand your audience’s goals

This means you’ll need to ask a different set of questions — ones that get at your audience’s needs and expectations. These include:

“Why are these people taking time out of their busy schedules to listen to me speak?”

“What do they hope (or need) to gain from this presentation/speech/address/meeting?”

“What are their expectations coming in?”

“What can I say in order to meet or exceed those expectations?”

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can craft a communication that is tailored to your audience; when you do, your audience is more likely to stay focused, remember what you said, pass on the information you shared, and remember you as a good speaker.

But what happens if your goals as a speaker don’t align with the audience’s goals?

As a communicator, you will have your own goals. Perhaps you’re an executive and you have an important message that you need the rest of the company to hear. Maybe you’ve designed a new product that you want your customers to get excited about. Getting clear on your own communication goals is important because then you can evaluate if your goals line up with your audience’s goals. If they do, that’s great — and you can start crafting your communication.

But sometimes they won’t. When this happens, it’s your job to figure out how to close the gap and persuade the audience that your goals can — and should — be their goals, too. I’m not talking about manipulation or asking you to trick people into thinking something different. What I am advocating is that you work to understand your audience well enough to know how they make decisions and what kind of information they need to have to be persuaded of their own accord.

One of the most persuasive TED Talks this year was delivered by sleep expert Matt Walker . Everyone has different goals when they decide to watch a talk about sleep. But Matt was clear on his goal: to convince people to prioritize sleep above all else. To get the audience on his side, he had to persuade them that getting enough sleep is the single most important thing they could do with our time.

Understand how your audience makes decisions

You can’t effectively persuade anyone unless you know what kind of information they need to make a decision. Think about it this way: If a salesperson was trying to sell you a new computer, you wouldn’t decide to buy it until they told you the price. With your audience, you can’t expect to influence them until you provide them with the information they need to decide if they want to change their minds.

But every audience is different. How do you know what kind of information you need to offer in order to sway them? There are entire bodies of research that cover audience persuasion strategies. But let me offer a simple framework to get you started.

In general, audiences can be broken down into three types: expert, novice and mixed. An expert audience understands your topic and they might already know you, the speaker. If you’re a real-estate broker addressing an annual meeting of the nation’s realtors, you’re speaking to an expert audience. A novice audience doesn’t know much about the topic and doesn’t know anything about you. An example of this would be a real-estate broker speaking at an open-house for community residents interested in buying a first home. But more often than not, your audience will be a mix of experts, novices and everyone in-between. The large, international TED audience is a perfect example of a mixed audience.

When you’re speaking to an expert audience: Use logical/quantitative arguments to persuade them.

In general, expert audiences are more likely to be persuaded by logical arguments and quantitative information. If you’re a real-estate broker trying to convince your expert audience to invest in a new kind of property, you’re more likely to be successful if your presentation is built around data and statistics that support this plan.

When you’re speaking to a novice audience: Lean into your own credibility.

Because a novice audience doesn’t know much about you or your topic, they tend to make decisions based on your credibility and the credibility of your sources. Therefore, it can be important to build up your reputation and credentials so they’ll trust what you’re saying and follow your recommendations.

When I’m giving a lecture on public speaking to a group who doesn’t know me, I always mention the universities I’ve taught at and some of the names of executives I’ve coached. This isn’t to brag — and let me be clear, you’ll need to use your judgement to figure out how much information to give so it doesn’t sound like you’re bragging — but it’s a quick way for me to get my audience to accept that I’m a solid source of communication advice and that they should listen to me. In some cases, I’ll tell my audience where a particular piece of information in my lecture came from. By saying “Harvard published this study last year…” I’m referencing a respected source, which reinforces my credibility as a speaker.

When you’re speaking to a mixed audience: Appeal to their emotions.

Emotional appeals can be very persuasive, especially when you’re speaking to a mixed audience. After all, everyone has made a decision based on their emotions at one point or another in their lives. Last year, TED speaker Nora McInerny shared her own experience with death to teach us about moving forward with grief. It was an A+ example of an emotional appeal.

OK great, but how do I find out all this information about my audience?

Well, that’s part of the fun. OK, maybe it’s not always fun but it is your responsibility to take a deep dive into your audience, their needs, and their motivations and — trust me — this work will pay off ten-fold. If you’re speaking at an official conference or meeting, I recommend starting with the person or organization who asked you to speak. What can they tell you about the audience? Are they willing to share any of registration information? How did they market the event? If you’re speaking on an earnings call, what about the analysts who follow your company — have you ever asked them what they need or want? If you’re speaking at your company’s town hall, can you talk to your team and find out what they expect to hear from you? If you’re speaking at an event in another country, can you find a translator or local who can help you better understand the expectations of that audience?

The information is out there — you just need to find and use it. You’ll know when you’ve done it right, because your audience will stay engaged and, when you’re done speaking, they’ll help pass your message along.

This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.

About the author

Briar Goldberg is the Director of Speaker Coaching at TED.

• briar goldberg
• business advice
• communication
• public speaking

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The 10 Most Popular TED Talks You Need to Watch

• Nathan Mixon
• August 24, 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction.

TED Talks have become a phenomenon, offering insights, inspiration, and humor. Great speakers and great leaders inspire action when they speak. Whether you hope to gain some new insight, inspire creativity or motivation, or you simply love TED talks, these talks offer something for everyone. In this post, we’ve created a playlist of the 10 most popular TED talks from some great leaders that you need to watch.

10. Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test – Jon Ronson

Overview: In this popular TED talk, Jon Ronson shares his journey of exploring the world of psychopaths. He discusses his encounters with individuals who have been labeled as psychopaths and questions the criteria used to diagnose them. Ronson examines the nuances of psychopathy, exploring how the traits associated with it can be found in people in positions of power.

Views: 24 million

Why It Was Monumental/Successful: The success of this talk lies in Jon Ronson’s ability to speak with investigative journalism. The intriguing subject matter draws his audience in and challenges them to think critically about mental health, power, and the nature of psychopathy. The talk raises questions about the ethics of psychiatric diagnoses and the implications of labeling individuals as psychopaths.

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9. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are – Amy Cuddy

Overview: In this TED talk meant to inspire, social psychologist Amy Cuddy discusses how body language affects not only how others perceive us but also how we perceive ourselves. She talks about the concept of “power posing” – adopting postures that boost confidence and influence outcomes in high-pressure situations. Amy Cuddy shares research showing that simple changes in body language shapes us and can lead to significant improvements in how we feel about ourselves, which can ultimately shape our life.

Views: 25 million

Why It Was Successful: Cuddy’s talk offers practical advice on body language that is easy to implement and has the potential for immediate impact. The idea from Amy Cuddy that power posing and our body language shapes our minds and our outcomes resonates with a widely.

8. What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness – Robert Waldinger

Overview: In his inspiring, popular TED Talk, Robert Waldinger, the director of a Harvard study on adult development, shares insights into the puzzle of what truly brings happiness and health. His research followed the lives of 724 men, tracking a variety of metrics. Waldinger speaks about how close relationships are what help people attain happiness throughout their lives.

Views: 26 million

Why It Was Successful: Waldinger’s TED talk has resonated with a global audience because it challenges our most common assumptions about the puzzle of happiness. Using the best stats and evidence from the longest study of its kind, Waldinger talks on what leads to a fulfilling life for humans to his audiences. He talks on the importance of relationships and social connections strikes a chord with listeners and viewers, especially in this age where work and materialism can often take center stage.

7. The Future We’re Building — and Boring – Elon Musk

Overview: Not one to skirt controversial ideas, in his popular TED talk, the elusive, creative genius, Elon Musk, talks about his plans for the future. His focus is on several groundbreaking projects that his companies are developing. Musk talks about a wide range of topics, including the potential for electric vehicles (particularly interesting now, with the rise of Tesla), the colonization of Mars, and the creation of underground tunnel networks to alleviate traffic congestion. Musk talks about the advancements in AI and how these technologies could shape the future.

Why It Was Successful: Elon Musk’s TED talk is popular because it provides an insider’s look at the groundbreaking innovations that could change the way we live, work, and travel. Musk’s to think big and tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, like sustainable energy and urban congestion, makes this TED talk particularly inspiring. Although not the most articulate of speakers, Musk gives listeners a sense of the future that he is working to build – a future for our children.

6. The Art of Misdirection – Apollo Robbins

Overview: Apollo Robbins, a world-renowned pickpocket and deception expert, explores the concept of misdirection and the power it holds in shaping our perceptions. Through a series of on-stage demonstrations, Robbins’ TED talk shows his mysterious ability to control where his audiences’ attention goes, revealing how our minds can be distracted without us even realizing it. He uses his skills to highlight the vulnerabilities in our cognitive processes and explains how understanding these can lead to a deeper comprehension of human behavior and decision-making.

Views: 27 million

Why It Was Successful: This most popular TED talk is widely viewed because it offers a unique perspective on the workings of the human mind. Robbins’ talk is both deeply informative and entertaining, shedding light on the cognitive biases that affect our daily lives. His ability to demonstrate these principles in real-time makes the talk both memorable and thought-provoking.

5. Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model – Cameron Russell

Overview: In one of the most popular TED talks, Cameron Russell, a fashion model, takes the stage and talks about the privileges and pitfalls of, well, being beautiful. She starts by noting the advantages her looks have afforded her in life but soon pivots to a deeper critique of the modeling industry and society’s obsession with physical appearance. Russell shares personal stories and hard truths about the superficial nature of beauty, the insecurities models face, and the other side of the fashion world.

Views: 30 million

Why It Was Successful: Cameron Russell’s speech is an important listen because it breaks down the facade of the industry and challenges listeners to rethink their perceptions of beauty. Her vulnerability offers a unique perspective. It is one of the best and most popular TED talks not only because it comes from within the industry but also because it delivers a powerful message about self-acceptance.

4. The Orchestra in My Mouth – Tom Thum

Overview: Tom Thum takes to the TED stage to wow the audience using only the creativity of his mouth. He mimics an entire orchestra, creating sounds of various musical instruments and even everyday noises with precision and creativity. Thum’s performance is not only a demonstration of his talent but also a celebration of the human voice’s potential as an instrument and what makes TED talks so impactful – hence the video’s millions of views.

Views: 36 million

Why It Was Successful: This TED talk redefines what people think is possible with the human voice. Thum challenges the boundaries of vocal expression and shows that creativity can take many forms. The TED talk’s popularity lies in its combination of focused, jaw-dropping talent and charismatic stage presence and passion.

3. The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready – Bill Gates

Overview: This talk was delivered in 2015. In a stroke of genius, Bill Gates warns of the potential devastation a global pandemic could cause and criticizes the unpreparedness of governments and health organizations. He talks about the Ebola outbreak of 2014 and the potential for a more widespread infectious disease. Gates talks about the need for a global health system that can respond quickly to such threats and argues that pandemics have the potential to kill millions of people and devastate economies, yet the world we belong to remains unprepared.

Views: 37 million

Why It Was Successful: Like that of many great leaders, Bill Gates’ popular TED Talk became a sign for a global crisis that the world would face later with the COVID-19 pandemic. His informative talk and his reputation as a visionary and philanthropist lend weight to his warnings. Gates’ talk communicated the urgency of pandemic preparedness. The TED talk’s popularity lies in its foresight and the powerful message that ignoring such threats could lead to catastrophe.

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2. How to Speak So That People Want to Listen – Julian Treasure

Overview: Julian Treasure talks about the idea of speaking in a way that captures attention and creativity and inspires action. He identifies common habits that can undermine our communication and provides a set of vocal tools that can help anyone become a more effective speaker. Treasure introduces the acronym HAIL (Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, and Love) as a guide to fostering genuine and impactful communication.

Views: 41 million

Why It Was Successful: Julian Treasure’s speech is one of the most popular TED talks because it addresses a fundamental human skill—speaking—in a way that is accessible and actionable. His advice makes this talk highly relatable and applicable. The talk’s success comes from its ability to resonate with people who want to improve their communication, whether in personal conversations, public speaking , or professional settings.

1. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator – Tim Urban

Overview: In the most popular TED talk ever, with tens of millions of views, Tim Urban talks about the inner workings of a procrastinator’s mind. Urban uses his own experiences as a chronic procrastinator to explain why people tend to delay important tasks. He talks about the concept of the “Instant Gratification Monkey” and the “Panic Monster” to show the internal battle that procrastinators face.

Views: 56 million

Why It Was Successful: Urban’s TED Talk is successful because it combines humor with deep psychological insights and surprising science. By breaking down complex behaviors into simple, bite-sized concepts, Urban makes the topic of procrastination accessible. The talk resonates with viewers because it not only explains why procrastination happens but also offers motivation and a lighthearted look at a common struggle.

The best TED talks and their speakers show the power of ideas and the impact that a talk can have on millions of people around the world. Whether it’s changing perspectives and ideas, sparking new insight, or providing hope, each of these TED talks has earned its place on this list.

• Last Updated: August 16, 2024

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How to speak so that people want to listen

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