Why You Need To “Talk Like TED”

A few months ago I purchased Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds with my monthly Audible subscription (I listen to books when I am driving or at the gym…maybe another blog post on this at some point). I was so impressed with the book that I bought a hardcover version so that I could read it and take some detailed notes.

Talk Like TED interested me because I am always trying to improve myself in all areas of professional development. Although I will never be a Tony Robbins or a Sir Ken Robinson, I do quite a few presentations in the course of a year so any improvement that I can make in how I present will make a positive impact in my career. And, if a person is going to get tips on presentations, what better source to turn to than the world’s premier public speaking events!

Carmine Gallo did an outstanding job in boiling down the best TED presentations and establishing nine common elements that each of us can incorporate into our own presentations:

1. Unleash the Master Within – you must be inspired to inspire
2. Master the Art of Storytelling – tell an engaging story to illustrate your point
3. Have a Conversation – rate, volume, pitch, pauses, body language, gestures
4. Teach Me Something New – people love to learn new things
5. Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments – provide a unique illustration or experience and people will never forget what you talked about
6. Lighten Up – use humor in your presentations
7. Stick to the 18-Minute Rule – presentations that are too long cause your audience to zone out
8. Paint a Mental Picture with Multisensory Experiences – try to engage as many of your audience’s senses as possible
9. Stay in Your Lane – be authentic open and transparent

So, why do you need to strive to “Talk Like TED“?

Communicating to others is probably the most important skill anyone can learn. Almost everything we do depends on collaboration with others. In fact John D. Rockefeller said “The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee. And I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.” He was willing to pay more money for someone that can communicate with others than any other skill! If you cannot communicate effectively, you will not be able to collaborate effectively and your value will be limited by this.

Now the word communicate really does not just mean to talk. I know a few people that love to talk and they are really good at talking. The problem is, no one wants to listen to them because they are just focused on themselves. When you communicate effectively, you are connecting with the people that you are communicating with and these people are understanding the concepts, ideas and thoughts you are presenting. This means that while you are delivering your message, you are doing it in the most engaging way possible and you are adjusting your content and delivery to match the verbal, emotional and visual cues from your audience. The best communicators are masters of this whether they are communicating to one person or one thousand people.

When you communicate above average, you will have above average value in the marketplace and you will get above average opportunities and be paid above average wages. This is why you need to Talk Like TED!