CONTENTS

TitlePageContentsCopyrightDedicationTheNewAgeofFire

FoundationPresentationLiteracyIdeaBuildingCommonTrapsTheThroughline

TalkToolsConnectionNarrationExplanationPersuasionRevelation

PreparationProcessVisualsScriptingRun-ThroughsOpenandClose

OnStageWardrobeMentalPrepSetupVoiceandPresenceFormatInnovation

ReflectionTalkRenaissanceWhyThisMattersYourTurnAcknowledgmentsTalksReferencedwithintheBookIndex

TEDontheWebAbouttheAuthorFootnotes

Copyright©2016byChrisAnderson

Allrightsreserved

Forinformationaboutpermissiontoreproduceselectionsfromthisbook,writetotrade.permissions@hmhco.comortoPermissions,HoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany,3ParkAvenue,19thFloor,NewYork,NewYork10016.

www.hmhco.com

TheLibraryofCongresshascatalogedtheprinteditionasfollows:Names:Anderson,Chris,date.

Title:TEDtalks:theofficialTEDguidetopublicspeaking/ChrisAnderson.Description:Boston:HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,2016.|Includesindex.

Identifiers:LCCN2015048798|ISBN9780544634497(hardcover)|ISBN9780544809710(internationaleditionpbk.)

Subjects:LCSH:Publicspeaking—Handbooks,manuals,etc.Classification:LCCPN4129.15.A542016|DDC808.5/1—dc23LCrecordavailableathttp://lccn.loc.gov/2015048798

CoverdesignbyMikeFemia

eISBN978-0-544-66436-4v1.0516

InspiredbyZoeAnderson(1986–2010).

Lifeisfleeting.Ideas,inspiration,andloveendure.

Prologue

THENEWAGEOFFIRE

Thehouselightsdim.Awoman,herpalmssweating,herlegstremblingjustalittle,stepsoutontothestage.Aspotlighthitsherface,and1,200pairsofeyeslockontohers.Theaudiencesenseshernervousness.Thereispalpabletensionintheroom.Sheclearsherthroatandstartstospeak.Whathappensnextisastounding.The1,200brainsinsidetheheadsof1,200independentindividualsstartto

behaveverystrangely.Theybegintosyncup.Amagicspellwovenbythewomanwashesovereachperson.Theygasptogether.Laughtogether.Weeptogether.Andastheydoso,somethingelsehappens.Rich,neurologicallyencodedpatternsofinformationinsidethewoman’sbrainaresomehowcopiedandtransferredtothe1,200brainsintheaudience.Thesepatternswillremaininthosebrainsfortherestoftheirlives,potentiallyimpactingtheirbehavioryearsintothefuture.Thewomanonthestageisweavingwonder,notwitchcraft.Butherskillsare

aspotentasanysorcery.Antsshapeeachother’sbehaviorbyexchangingchemicals.Wedoitby

standinginfrontofeachother,peeringintoeachother’seyes,wavingourhandsandemittingstrangesoundsfromourmouths.Human-to-humancommunicationisatruewonderoftheworld.Wedoitunconsciouslyeveryday.Anditreachesitsmostintenseformonthepublicstage.

Thepurposeofthisbookistoexplainhowthemiracleofpowerfulpublic

speakingisachieved,andtoequipyoutogiveityourbestshot.Butonethingneedsemphasizingrightatthestart.Thereisnoonewaytogiveagreattalk.Theworldofknowledgeisfartoo

bigandtherangeofspeakersandofaudiencesandoftalksettingsisfartoovariedforthat.Anyattempttoapplyasinglesetformulaislikelytobackfire.Audiencesseethroughitinaninstantandfeelmanipulated.Indeed,eveniftherewereasuccessfulformulaatonemomentintime,it

wouldn’tstaysuccessfulforlong.That’sbecauseakeypartoftheappealofagreattalkisitsfreshness.We’rehumans.Wedon’tlikesameold,sameold.Ifyourtalkfeelstoosimilartoatalksomeonehasalreadyheard,itisboundtohavelessimpact.Thelastthingwewantisforeveryonetosoundthesameorforanyonetosoundasthoughhe’sfakingit.Soyoushouldnotthinkoftheadviceinthisbookasrulesprescribingasingle

waytospeak.Insteadthinkofitasofferingyouasetoftoolsdesignedtoencouragevariety.Justusetheonesthatarerightforyouandforthespeakingopportunityyou’refacing.Youronlyrealjobingivingatalkistohavesomethingvaluabletosay,andtosayitauthenticallyinyourownuniqueway.Youmayfinditmorenaturalthanyouthink.Publicspeakingisanancientart,

wireddeeplyintoourminds.Archaeologicaldiscoveriesdatingbackhundredsofthousandsofyearshavefoundcommunitymeetingsiteswhereourancestorsgatheredaroundfire.Ineverycultureonearth,aslanguagedeveloped,peoplelearnedtosharetheirstories,hopes,anddreams.Imagineatypicalscene.Itisafternightfall.Thecampfireisablaze.Thelogs

crackleandspitunderastarrysky.Anelderrises,andalleyesturnandlockontothewise,wrinkledface,illuminatedbytheflickeringlight.Thestorybegins.Andasthestorytellerspeaks,eachlistenerimaginestheeventsthatarebeingdescribed.Thatimaginationbringswithitthesameemotionssharedbythecharactersinthestory.Thisisaprofoundlypowerfulprocess.Itistheliteralalignmentofmultiplemindsintoasharedconsciousness.Foraperiodoftime,thecampfireparticipantsactasiftheywereasinglelifeform.Theymayrisetogether,dancetogether,chanttogether.Fromthissharedbackdrop,itisashortsteptothedesiretoacttogether,todecidetoembarktogetheronajourney,abattle,abuilding,acelebration.Thesameistruetoday.Asaleader—orasanadvocate—publicspeakingis

thekeytounlockingempathy,stirringexcitement,sharingknowledgeandinsights,andpromotingashareddream.Indeed,thespokenwordhasactuallygainednewpowers.Ourcampfireis

nowthewholeworld.ThankstotheInternet,asingletalkinasingletheatercanendupbeingseenbymillionsofpeople.Justastheprintingpressmassivelyamplifiedthepowerofauthors,sothewebismassivelyamplifyingtheimpactofspeakers.Itisallowinganyoneanywherewithonlineaccess(andwithinadecadeorso,wecanexpectalmosteveryvillageonearthtobeconnected)tosummontheworld’sgreatestteacherstotheirhomesandlearnfromthemdirectly.Suddenlyanancientarthasglobalreach.Thisrevolutionhassparkedarenaissanceinpublicspeaking.Manyofushave

sufferedyearsoflong,boringlecturesatuniversity;interminablesermonsatchurch;orroll-your-eyespredictablepoliticalstumpspeeches.Itdoesn’thavetobethatway.Doneright,atalkcanelectrifyaroomandtransformanaudience’s

worldview.Doneright,atalkismorepowerfulthananythinginwrittenform.Writinggivesusthewords.Speakingbringswithitawholenewtoolbox.Whenwepeerintoaspeaker’seyes;listentothetoneofhervoice;sensehervulnerability,herintelligence,herpassion,wearetappingintounconscious

vulnerability,herintelligence,herpassion,wearetappingintounconsciousskillsthathavebeenfine-tunedoverhundredsofthousandsofyears.Skillsthatcangalvanize,empower,inspire.Whatismore,wecanenhancetheseskillsinwaystheancientscouldnever

haveimagined:Theabilitytoshow—rightthereinbeautifulhigh-resolution—anyimagethatahumancanphotographorimagine.Theabilitytoweaveinvideoandmusic.Theabilitytodrawonresearchtoolsthatpresenttheentirebodyofhumanknowledgetoanyoneinreachofasmartphone.Thegoodnewsis,theseskillsareteachable.Theyabsolutelyare.Andthat

meansthatthere’sanewsuperpowerthatanyone,youngorold,canbenefitfrom.It’scalledpresentationliteracy.Weliveinanerawherethebestwaytomakeadentontheworldmaynolongerbetowritealettertotheeditororpublishabook.Itmaybesimplytostandupandsaysomething...becauseboththewordsandthepassionwithwhichtheyaredeliveredcannowspreadacrosstheworldatwarpspeed.Inthetwenty-firstcentury,presentationliteracyshouldbetaughtinevery

school.Indeed,beforetheeraofbooks,itwasconsideredanabsolutelycorepartofeducation,1albeitunderanold-fashionedname:rhetoric.Today,intheconnectedera,weshouldresurrectthatnobleartandmakeiteducation’sfourthR:reading,’riting,’rithmetic...andrhetoric.Theword’scoremeaningissimply“theartofspeakingeffectively.”

Fundamentally,that’sthepurposeofthisbook.Torecastrhetoricforthemodernera.Toofferusefulstepping-stonestowardanewpresentationliteracy.OurexperienceatTEDoverthelastfewyearscanhelppointtheway.TED

beganasanannualconference,bringingtogetherthefieldsoftechnology,entertainment,anddesign(hencethename).Butinrecentyearsithasexpandedtocoveranytopicofpublicinterest.TEDspeakersseektomaketheirideasaccessibletothoseoutsidetheirfieldbydeliveringshort,carefullypreparedtalks.Andtoourdelight,thisformofpublicspeakinghasprovedahitonline,totheextentthat,asof2015,morethan1billionTEDTalksareviewedannually.MycolleaguesandIhaveworkedwithhundredsofTEDspeakers,helping

fine-tunetheirmessagesandhowtheydeliverthem.Theseamazingpeoplehavecompletelychangedthewayweseetheworld.Overthepastdecade,wehavedebatedpassionatelyamongourselveshowexactlythesespeakershaveachievedwhatthey’veachieved.Fromourluckyringsideseats,wehavebeenintriguedandinfuriated,informedandinspired.Wehavealsohadthechancetoaskthemdirectlyfortheiradviceonhowtoprepareanddeliveranamazingtalk.Thankstotheirbrilliance,we’velearneddozensofinsightsintohowtheyachievedsomethingsoextraordinaryinjustafewminutes.Thatmakesthisbookacollaborativeeffort.It’sacollaborationwiththose

Thatmakesthisbookacollaborativeeffort.It’sacollaborationwiththosespeakers,andwithmytalentedcolleagues,especiallyKellyStoetzel,BrunoGiussani,andTomRielly,whocurateandhostthemainTEDeventswithme,andwhohavehadacentralroleovertheyearsinshapingtheTEDTalkapproachandformatandbringingremarkablevoicestoourplatform.Wehavealsotappedintothecollectivewisdomofthousandsofself-

organizedTEDxevents.2Thecontentemergingfromthemoftensurprisesanddelightsus,andithasexpandedourunderstandingofwhatispossibleinapublictalk.TED’smissionistonurturethespreadofpowerfulideas.Wedon’tcare

whetherthisisdonethroughsomethingcalledTED,TEDx,orinanyotherformofpublicspeaking.WhenwehearofotherconferencesdecidingtheywanttoputonTED-styletalks,we’rethrilled.Ultimately,ideasaren’towned.Theyhavealifeoftheirown.We’redelightedtoseetoday’srenaissanceintheartofpublicspeakingwhereveritishappeningandwhoeverisdoingit.SothepurposeofthisbookisnotjusttodescribehowtogiveaTEDTalk.It’s

muchbroaderthanthat.Itspurposeistosupportanyformofpublicspeakingthatseekstoexplain,inspire,inform,orpersuade;whetherinbusiness,education,oronthepublicstage.Yes,manyoftheexamplesinthisbookarefromTEDTalks,butthat’snotonlybecausethosearetheexampleswe’remostfamiliarwith.TEDTalkshavegeneratedalotofexcitementinrecentyears,andwethinktheyhavesomethingtoofferthewiderworldofpublicspeaking.Wethinktheprinciplesthatunderliethemcanactasapowerfulbasisforabroaderpresentationliteracy.Soyouwon’tfindspecifictipsongivingatoastatawedding,oracompany

salespitch,orauniversitylecture.Butyouwillfindtoolsandinsightsthatmaybeusefulforthoseoccasionsand,indeed,foreveryformofpublicspeaking.Morethanthat,wehopetopersuadeyoutothinkaboutpublicspeakinginadifferentway,awaythatyouwillfindexcitingandempowering.Thecampfiresofoldhavespawnedanewkindoffire.Afirethatspreads

frommindtomind,screentoscreen:theignitionofideaswhosetimehascome.Thismatters.Everymeaningfulelementofhumanprogresshashappenedonly

becausehumanshavesharedideaswitheachotherandthencollaboratedtoturnthoseideasintoreality.FromthefirsttimeourancestorsteameduptotakedownamammothtoNeilArmstrong’sfirststepontothemoon,peoplehaveturnedspokenwordsintoastonishingsharedachievements.Weneedthatnowmorethanever.Ideasthatcouldsolveourtoughest

problemsoftenremaininvisiblebecausethebrilliantpeopleinwhosemindstheyresidelacktheconfidenceortheknow-howtosharethoseideaseffectively.That

isatragedy.Atatimewhentherightideapresentedtherightwaycanrippleacrosstheworldatthespeedoflight,spawningcopiesofitselfinmillionsofminds,there’shugebenefittofiguringouthowbesttosetitonitsway,bothforyou,thespeaker-in-waiting,andfortherestofuswhoneedtoknowwhatyouhavetosay.Areyouready?Let’sgolightafire.

ChrisAndersonFebruary2016

FOUNDATION

Foundation

1

PRESENTATIONLITERACYTheSkillYouCanBuild

You’renervous,right?Steppingoutontoapublicstageandhavinghundredsofpairsofeyesturned

yourwayisterrifying.Youdreadhavingtostandupinacompanymeetingandpresentyourproject.Whatifyougetnervousandstumbleoveryourwords?Whatifyoucompletelyforgetwhatyouweregoingtosay?Maybeyou’llbehumiliated!Maybeyourcareerwillcrater!Maybetheideayoubelieveinwillstayburiedforever!Thesearethoughtsthatcankeepyouupatnight.Butguesswhat?Almosteveryonehasexperiencedthefearofpublicspeaking.

Indeed,surveysthataskpeopletolisttheirtopfearsoftenreportpublicspeakingasthemostwidelyselected,aheadofsnakes,heights—andevendeath.Howcanthisbe?Thereisnotarantulahiddenbehindthemicrophone.You

havezeroriskofplungingoffthestagetoyourdeath.Theaudiencewillnotattackyouwithpitchforks.Thenwhytheanxiety?It’sbecausethere’salotatstake—notjusttheexperienceinthemoment,but

inourlonger-termreputation.Howothersthinkofusmattershugely.Weareprofoundlysocialanimals.Wecraveeachother’saffection,respect,andsupport.Ourfuturehappinessdependsontheserealitiestoashockingdegree.Andwesensethatwhathappensonapublicstageisgoingtomateriallyaffectthesesocialcurrenciesforbetterorworse.

Butwiththerightmindset,youcanuseyourfearasanincredibleasset.Itcan

bethedriverthatwillpersuadeyoutoprepareforatalkproperly.That’swhathappenedwhenMonicaLewinskycametoTED.Forher,the

stakescouldn’thavebeenhigher.Seventeenyearsearlier,shehadbeenthroughthemosthumiliatingpublicexposureimaginable,anexperiencesointenseitalmostbrokeher.Nowshewasattemptingareturntoamorevisiblepubliclife,toreclaimhernarrative.Butshewasnotanexperiencedpublicspeaker,andsheknewthatitwouldbe

disastrousifshemessedup.Shetoldme:

NervousistoomildawordtodescribehowIfelt.Morelike...Guttedwithtrepidation.Boltsoffear.Electricanxiety.Ifwecouldhaveharnessedthepowerofmynervesthatmorning,Ithinktheenergycrisiswouldhavebeensolved.NotonlywasIsteppingoutontoastageinfrontofan

esteemedandbrilliantcrowd,butitwasalsovideotaped,withthehighlikelihoodofbeingmadepubliconawidelyviewedplatform.Iwasvisitedbytheechoesoflingeringtraumafromyearsofhavingbeenpubliclyridiculed.PlaguedbyadeepinsecurityIdidn’tbelongontheTEDstage.ThatwastheinnerexperienceagainstwhichIbattled.

AndyetMonicafoundawaytoturnthatfeararound.Sheusedsomesurprisingtechniques,whichI’llshareinchapter15.Sufficeittosay,theyworked.Hertalkwonastandingovationattheevent,rocketedtoamillionviewswithinafewdays,andearnedravereviewsonline.Itevenpromptedapublicapologytoherfromalongtimecritic,feministauthorEricaJong.ThebrilliantwomanIammarriedto,JacquelineNovogratz,wasalsohaunted

byfearofpublicspeaking.Inschool,atcollege,andintohertwenties,theprospectofamicrophoneandwatchingeyeswassoscaryitwasdebilitating.Butsheknewthattoadvanceherworkfightingpoverty,shewouldhavetopersuadeothers,andsoshejustbeganforcingherselftodoit.Todayshegivesscoresofspeecheseveryyear,oftenearningstandingovations.Indeed,everywhereyoulook,therearestoriesofpeoplewhowereterrifiedof

publicspeakingbutfoundawaytobecomereallygoodatit,fromEleanorRoosevelttoWarrenBuffetttoPrincessDiana,whowasknowntoallas“shyDi”andhatedgivingspeeches,butfoundawaytospeakinformallyinherownvoice,andtheworldfellinlovewithher.Ifyoucangetatalkright,theupsidecanbeamazing.Takethetalkthat

entrepreneurElonMuskgavetoSpaceXemployeesonAugust2,2008.Muskwasnotknownasagreatpublicspeaker.Butthatday,hiswords

markedanimportantturningpointforhiscompany.SpaceXhadalreadysufferedtwofailedlaunches.Thiswasthedayofthethirdlaunch,andeveryoneknewfailurecouldforcethecompany’sclosure.TheFalconrocketsoaredoffthelaunchpad,butrightafterthefirststagefellaway,disasterstruck.Thespacecraftexploded.Thevideofeedwentdead.Some350employeeshadgatheredand,asdescribedbyDollySingh,thecompany’sheadoftalentacquisition,themoodwasthickwithdespair.Muskemergedtospeaktothem.Hetoldthemthey’dalwaysknownitwouldbehard,butthatdespitewhathadhappened,theyhadalreadyaccomplishedsomethingthatdaythatfewnations,letalonecompanies,hadachieved.Theyhadsuccessfullycompletedthefirststageofalaunchandtakenaspacecrafttoouterspace.Theysimplyhadtopickthemselvesupandgetbacktowork.Here’showSinghdescribedthetalk’sclimax:

ThenElonsaid,withasmuchfortitudeandferocityashecouldmusterafterhavingbeenawakeforlike20+hoursbythispoint,“Formypart,IwillnevergiveupandImeannever.”Ithinkmostofuswouldhavefollowedhimintothegatesofhellcarryingsuntanoilafterthat.ItwasthemostimpressivedisplayofleadershipthatIhaveeverwitnessed.Withinmomentstheenergyofthebuildingwentfromdespairanddefeattoamassivebuzzofdeterminationaspeoplebegantofocusonmovingforwardinsteadoflookingback.

That’sthepowerofasingletalk.Youmightnotbeleadinganorganization,butatalkcanstillopennewdoorsortransformacareer.TEDspeakershavetoldusdelightfulstoriesoftheimpactoftheirtalks.Yes,

therearesometimesbookandmovieoffers,higherspeakingfees,andunexpectedoffersoffinancialsupport.Butthemostappealingstoriesareofideasadvanced,andliveschanged.AmyCuddygaveahugelypopulartalkabouthowchangingyourbodylanguagecanraiseyourconfidencelevel.Shehashadmorethan15,000messagesfrompeoplearoundtheworld,tellingherhowthatwisdomhashelpedthem.AndyoungMalawianinventorWilliamKamkwamba’sinspiringtalkabout

buildingawindmillinhisvillageasafourteen-year-oldsparkedaseriesofeventsthatledtohimbeingacceptedintoanengineeringprogramatDartmouthCollege.

THEDAYTEDMIGHTHAVEDIED

Here’sastoryfrommyownlife:WhenIfirsttookoverleadershipofTEDinlate2001,IwasreelingfromthenearcollapseofthecompanyIhadspentfifteenyearsbuilding,andIwasterrifiedofanotherhugepublicfailure.IhadbeenstrugglingtopersuadetheTEDcommunitytobackmyvisionforTED,andIfearedthatitmightjustfizzleout.Backthen,TEDwasanannualconferenceinCalifornia,ownedandhostedbyacharismaticarchitectnamedRichardSaulWurman,whoselarger-than-lifepresenceinfusedeveryaspectoftheconference.Abouteighthundredpeopleattendedeveryyear,andmostofthemseemedresignedtothefactthatTEDprobablycouldn’tsurviveonceWurmandeparted.TheTEDconferenceofFebruary2002wasthelastonetobeheldunderhisleadership,andIhadonechanceandonechanceonlytopersuadeTEDattendeesthattheconferencewouldcontinuejustfine.Ihadneverrunaconferencebefore,however,anddespitemybesteffortsoverseveralmonthsatmarketingthefollowingyear’sevent,onlyseventypeoplehadsignedupforit.

Earlyonthelastmorningofthatconference,Ihad15minutestomakemycase.Andhere’swhatyouneedtoknowaboutme:Iamnotnaturallyagreatspeaker.Isayumandyouknowfartoooften.Iwillstophalfwaythroughasentence,tryingtofindtherightwordtocontinue.Icansoundoverlyearnest,soft-spoken,conceptual.MyquirkyBritishsenseofhumorisnotalwayssharedbyothers.Iwassonervousaboutthismoment,andsoworriedthatIwouldlook

awkwardonthestage,thatIcouldn’tevenbringmyselftostand.InsteadIrolledforwardachairfromthebackofthestage,satonit,andbegan.Ilookbackatthattalknowandcringe—alot.IfIwerecritiquingittoday,

thereareahundredthingsIwouldchange,startingwiththewrinklywhiteT-shirtIwaswearing.Andyet...IhadpreparedcarefullywhatIwantedtosay,andIknewtherewereatleastsomeintheaudiencedesperateforTEDtosurvive.IfIcouldjustgivethosesupportersareasontogetexcited,perhapstheywouldturnthingsaround.Becauseoftherecentdot-combust,manyintheaudiencehadsufferedbusinesslossesasbadasmyown.MaybeIcouldconnectwiththemthatway?Ispokefromtheheart,withasmuchopennessandconvictionasIcould

summon.ItoldpeopleIhadjustgonethroughamassivebusinessfailure.ThatI’dcometothinkofmyselfasacompleteloser.ThattheonlywayI’dsurvivedmentallywasbyimmersingmyselfintheworldofideas.ThatTEDhadcometomeantheworldtome—thatitwasauniqueplacewhereideasfromeverydisciplinecouldbeshared.ThatIwoulddoallinmypowertopreserveitsbestvalues.That,inanycase,theconferencehadbroughtsuchintenseinspirationandlearningtousthatwecouldn’tpossiblyletitdie...couldwe?Oh,andIbrokethetensionwithanapocryphalanecdoteaboutFrance’s

MadamedeGaulleandhowsheshockedguestsatadiplomaticdinnerbyexpressingherdesirefor“apenis.”InEngland,Isaid,wealsohadthatdesire,althoughtherewepronouncedithappiness,andTEDhadbroughtgenuinehappinessmyway.Tomyutteramazement,attheendofthetalk,JeffBezos,theheadof

Amazon,whowasseatedinthecenteroftheaudience,rosetohisfeetandbeganclapping.Andthewholeroomstoodwithhim.ItwasasiftheTEDcommunityhadcollectivelydecided,injustafewseconds,thatitwouldsupportthisnewchapterofTEDafterall.Andinthe60-minutebreakthatfollowed,some200peoplecommittedtobuyingpassesforthefollowingyear’sconference,guaranteeingitssuccess.Ifthat15-minutetalkhadfizzled,TEDwouldhavedied,fouryearsbefore

everputtingatalkontheInternet.Youwouldnotbereadingthisbook.Inthenextchapter,I’llsharewhyIthinkthattalkendedupbeingeffective,

Inthenextchapter,I’llsharewhyIthinkthattalkendedupbeingeffective,despiteitsevidentawkwardness.It’saninsightthatcanbeappliedtoanytalk.Nomatterhowlittleconfidenceyoumighthavetodayinyourabilitytospeak

inpublic,therearethingsyoucandototurnthataround.Facilitywithpublicspeakingisnotagiftgrantedatbirthtoaluckyfew.It’sabroad-rangingsetofskills.Therearehundredsofwaystogiveatalk,andeveryonecanfindanapproachthat’srightforthemandlearntheskillsnecessarytodoitwell.

THEBOYWITHTHELION-HEART

Acoupleofyearsago,TED’scontentdirector,KellyStoetzel,andIwentonaglobaltourinsearchofspeakingtalent.InNairobi,Kenya,wemetRichardTurere,atwelve-year-oldMaasaiboywhohadcomeupwithasurprisinginvention.Hisfamilyraisedcattle,andoneofthebiggestchallengeswasprotectingthematnightfromlionattacks.Richardhadnoticedthatastationarycampfiredidn’tdeterthelions,butwalkingaroundwavingatorchdidseemtowork.Thelionswereapparentlyafraidofmovinglights!Richardhadsomehowtaughthimselfelectronicsbymessingaroundwithpartstakenfromhisparents’radio.Heusedthatknowledgetodeviseasystemoflightsthatwouldturnonandoffinsequence,creatingasenseofmovement.Itwasbuiltfromscrapyardparts—solarpanels,acarbattery,andamotorcycleindicatorbox.Heinstalledthelightsand—presto!—thelionattacksstopped.Newsofhisinventionspreadandothervillageswantedin.Insteadofseekingtokillthelionsastheyhaddonebefore,theyinstalledRichard’s“lionlights.”Bothvillagersandpro-lionenvironmentalistswerehappy.Itwasanimpressiveachievementbut,atfirstglance,Richardcertainly

seemedanunlikelyTEDspeaker.Hestoodhunchedoverinacorneroftheroom,painfullyshy.HisEnglishwashalting,andhestruggledtodescribehisinventioncoherently.ItwashardtoimaginehimonastageinCaliforniainfrontof1,400people,slottedalongsideSergeyBrinandBillGates.ButRichard’sstorywassocompellingthatwewentaheadanywayand

invitedhimtocomegiveaTEDTalk.Inthemonthsbeforetheconference,weworkedwithhimtoframehisstory—tofindtherightplacetobegin,andtodevelopanaturalnarrativesequence.Becauseofhisinvention,RichardhadwonascholarshiptooneofKenya’sbestschools,wherehehadthechancetopracticehisTEDTalkseveraltimesinfrontofaliveaudience.Thishelpedbuildhisconfidencetothepointwherehispersonalitycouldshinethrough.HegotonanairplaneforthefirsttimeinhislifeandflewtoLongBeach,

California.AshewalkedontotheTEDstage,youcouldtellhewasnervous,but

California.AshewalkedontotheTEDstage,youcouldtellhewasnervous,butthatonlymadehimmoreengaging.AsRichardspoke,peoplewerehangingonhiseveryword,andeverytimehesmiled,theaudiencemelted.Whenhefinished,peoplejuststoodandcheered.Richard’stalecanencourageusalltobelievewemightbeabletogivea

decenttalk.YourgoalisnottobeWinstonChurchillorNelsonMandela.It’stobeyou.Ifyou’reascientist,beascientist;don’ttrytobeanactivist.Ifyou’reanartist,beanartist;don’ttrytobeanacademic.Ifyou’rejustanordinaryperson,don’ttrytofakesomebigintellectualstyle;justbeyou.Youdon’thavetoraiseacrowdtoitsfeetwithathunderousoration.Conversationalsharingcanworkjustaswell.Infact,formostaudiences,it’salotbetter.Ifyouknowhowtotalktoagroupoffriendsoverdinner,thenyouknowenoughtospeakpublicly.Andtechnologyisopeningupnewoptions.Weliveinanagewhereyoudon’t

havetobeabletospeaktothousandsofpeopleatatimetohaveanoutsizedimpact.Itcouldjustbeyoutalkingintimatelytoavideocamera,andlettingtheInternetdotherest.Presentationliteracyisn’tanoptionalextraforthefew.It’sacoreskillforthe

twenty-firstcentury.It’sthemostimpactfulwaytosharewhoyouareandwhatyoucareabout.Ifyoucanlearntodoit,yourself-confidencewillflourish,andyoumaybeamazedatthebeneficialimpactitcanhaveonyoursuccessinlife,howeveryoumightchoosetodefinethat.Ifyoucommittobeingtheauthenticyou,Iamcertainthatyouwillbecapable

oftappingintotheancientartthatiswiredinsideus.Yousimplyhavetopluckupthecouragetotry.

Foundation

2

IDEABUILDINGTheGiftinEveryGreatTalk

InMarch2015,ascientistnamedSophieScottsteppedontotheTEDstage,andwithin2minutestheentireaudiencewashowlingwithuncontrollablelaughter.Sophieisoneoftheworld’sleadingresearchersonlaughter,andshewasplayinganaudioclipofhumanslaughingandshowingjusthowweirdaphenomenonitis—“morelikeananimalcallthanspeech,”assheputit.Hertalkwas17minutesofpuredelight.Bytheendofit,everyonewas

baskinginthewarmglowofadeeplypleasurableexperience.Buttherewassomethingelse.Noneofuswouldeverthinkoflaughterinquitethesamewayagain.Sophie’scoreideaaboutlaughter—thatitsevolutionarypurposeistoconvertsocialstressintopleasurablealignment—hadsomehowenteredourheads.Andnow,wheneverIseeagroupofpeoplelaughing,Iseethephenomenonthroughneweyes.Yes,Ifeelthejoy,Ifeeltheurgetojoinin.ButIalsoseesocialbonding,andastrangeandancientbiologicalphenomenonatworkthatmakesthewholethingseemevenmorewondrous.Sophiegavemeagift.Notjustthepleasureoflisteningtoher.Shegaveme

anideathatcanforeverbepartofme.3

I’dliketosuggestthatSophie’sgiftisabeautifulmetaphorthatcanapplyto

anytalk.Yournumber-onemissionasaspeakeristotakesomethingthatmattersdeeplytoyouandtorebuilditinsidethemindsofyourlisteners.We’llcallthatsomethinganidea.Amentalconstructthattheycanholdonto,walkawaywith,value,andinsomesensebechangedby.ThatisthecorereasonthatthescariesttalkIeverhadtogiveturnedouttobe

effective.AsIexplainedearlier,Ihad15minutestotrytoconvincetheTEDaudiencetosupportitsnewchapterundermyleadership.Thereweremanythingswrongwiththattalk,butitsucceededinonekeyaspect:Itplantedanideainsidethemindsofthoselistening.ItwastheideathatwhatwastrulyspecialaboutTEDwasnotjustthefounderIwastakingoverfrom.TED’suniquenesslayinbeingaplacewherepeoplefromeverydisciplinecouldcometogetherandunderstandeachother.Thiscross-fertilizationreallymatteredfortheworld,andthereforetheconferencewouldbegivennonprofitstatusandheldintrustforthepublicgood.Itsfuturewasforallofus.ThisideachangedthewaytheaudiencethoughtabouttheTEDtransition.It

nolongermatteredsomuchthatthefounderwasleaving.Whatmatterednowwasthataspecialwayofsharingknowledgeshouldbepreserved.

STARTWITHTHEIDEA

Thecentralthesisofthisbookisthatanyonewhohasanideaworthsharingiscapableofgivingapowerfultalk.Theonlythingthattrulymattersinpublicspeakingisnotconfidence,stagepresence,orsmoothtalking.It’shavingsomethingworthsaying.Iamusingthewordideaquitebroadlyhere.Itdoesn’thavetobeascientific

breakthrough,ageniusinvention,oracomplexlegaltheory.Itcanbeasimplehow-to.Orahumaninsightillustratedwiththepowerofastory.Orabeautifulimagethathasmeaning.Oraneventyouwishmighthappeninthefuture.Orperhapsjustareminderofwhatmattersmostinlife.Anideaisanythingthatcanchangehowpeopleseetheworld.Ifyoucan

conjureupacompellingideainpeople’sminds,youhavedonesomethingwondrous.Youhavegiventhemagiftofincalculablevalue.Inaveryrealsense,alittlepieceofyouhasbecomepartofthem.Doyouhaveideasthatdeserveawideraudience?It’samazinghowbadwe

areatjudgingananswertothatquestion.Alotofspeakers(oftenmale)appeartolovethesoundoftheirownvoiceandarehappytotalkforhourswithoutsharinganythingmuchofvalue.Buttherearealsomanypeople(oftenfemale)whomassivelyunderestimatethevalueoftheirwork,andtheirlearning,andtheirinsights.Ifyou’vepickedupthisbookjustbecauseyoulovetheideaofstruttingthe

stageandbeingaTEDTalkstar,inspiringaudienceswithyourcharisma,please,putitdownrightnow.Instead,goandworkonsomethingthatisworthsharing.Stylewithoutsubstanceisawful.But,morelikely,youhavefarmoreinyouworthsharingthanyou’reeven

awareof.Youdon’thavetohaveinventedlionlights.You’veledalifethatisyoursandyoursonly.Thereareexperiencesyou’vehadthatareuniquetoyou.Thereareinsightstobedrawnfromsomeofthoseexperiencesthatareabsolutelyworthsharing.Youjusthavetofigureoutwhichones.Areyoustressedaboutthis?Maybeyouhaveaclassassignment;oryouneed

topresenttheresultsofyourresearchatasmallmeeting;oryouhaveachancetospeaktoalocalRotaryaboutyourorganizationandtrytogaintheirsupport.Youmayfeelthatyou’vedonenothingthatwouldbeworthgivingatalkabout.You’veinventednothing.You’renotparticularlycreative.Youdon’tseeyourselfassuper-intelligent.Youdon’thaveanyparticularlybrilliantideasaboutthefuture.You’renotevensurethere’sanythingyou’resuper-passionateabout.Well,Igrantyou,that’satoughstartingpoint.Tobeworthanaudience’s

Well,Igrantyou,that’satoughstartingpoint.Tobeworthanaudience’stime,mosttalksrequiregroundinginsomethingthathassomedepth.It’stheoreticallypossiblethatthebestthingyoucandofornowistocontinueyourjourney,searchforsomethingthatreallydoesgrabyouandmakeyouwanttogodeep,andpickupthisbookagaininafewyears’time.Butbeforeyoucometothatconclusion,it’sworthdouble-checkingthatyour

self-assessmentisaccurate.Maybeyou’rejustlackingself-confidence.There’saparadoxhere:Youhavealwaysbeenyou,andyouonlyseeyourselffromtheinside.Thebitsthatothersfindremarkableinyoumaybecompletelyinvisibletoyou.Tofindthosebitsyoumayneedtohavehonestconversationswiththosewhoknowyoubest.Theywillknowsomepartsofyoubetterthanyouknowthemyourself.Inanycase,there’sonethingyouhavethatnooneelseintheworldhas:Your

ownfirst-personexperienceoflife.Yesterdayyousawasequenceofthingsandexperiencedasequenceofemotionsthatis,quiteliterally,unique.Youaretheonlyhumanamong7billionwhohadthatexactexperience.So...canyoumakeanythingofthat?Manyofthebesttalksaresimplybasedonapersonalstoryandasimplelessontobedrawnfromit.Didyouobserveanythingthatsurprisedyou?Maybeyouwatchedacoupleofchildrenplayinginthepark,orhadaconversationwithahomelessperson.Istheresomethinginwhatyousawthatmightbeinterestingtootherpeople?Ifnot,couldyouimaginespendingthenextfewweekswalkingaroundwithyoureyesopen,beingawareofthepossibilitythatsomepartofyouruniquejourneycouldbeofinterestandbenefittoothers?Peoplelovestories,andeveryonecanlearntotellagoodstory.Evenifthe

lessonyoumightdrawfromthestoryisfamiliar,that’sOK—we’rehumans!Weneedreminding!There’sareasonreligionshaveweeklysermonsthattellusthesamethingsoverandover,packageddifferentways.Animportantidea,wrappedupinafreshstory,canmakeagreattalk,ifit’stoldtherightway.Thinkbackoveryourworkofthelastthreeorfouryears;whatreallystands

out?Whatwasthelastthingyouwerereallyexcitedby?Orangeredby?Whatarethetwoorthreethingsyou’vedonethatyou’remostproudof?Whenwasthelasttimeyouwereinconversationwithsomeonewhosaid,“That’sreallyinteresting”?Ifyoucouldwaveamagicwand,whatistheoneideayou’dmostlovetospreadtootherpeople’sminds?

PROCRASTINATENOMORE

Youcanusetheopportunityofpublicspeakingasmotivationtodivemore

deeplyintosometopic.Weallsuffer,toagreaterorlesserdegree,fromsomeformofprocrastinationorlaziness.There’salotwe’dliketogetintoinprinciple,but,youknow,thatInternetthingjusthassomanydamndistractions.Thechancetospeakinpublicmaybejustthekickyouneedtocommittoaseriousresearchproject.Anyonewithacomputerorasmartphonehasaccesstoprettymuchalltheworld’sinformation.It’sjustamatterofdigginginandseeingwhatyoucanuncover.Infact,thesamequestionsyouaskasyoudoyourresearchcanhelpprovide

theblueprintforyourtalk.Whataretheissuesthatmattermost?Howaretheyrelated?Howcantheybeeasilyexplained?Whataretheriddlesthatpeopledon’tyethavegoodanswersfor?Whatarethekeycontroversies?Youcanuseyourownjourneyofdiscoverytosuggestyourtalk’skeymomentsofrevelation.So,ifyouthinkyoumighthavesomethingbutaren’tsureyoureallyknow

enoughyet,whynotuseyourpublic-speakingopportunityasanincentivetotrulyfindout?Everytimeyoufeelyourattentionflagging,justremembertheprospectofstandingonstagewithhundredsofeyespeeringatyou.Thatwillgetyouthroughthenexthourofeffort!In2015,wetriedanexperimentatTEDheadquarters.Wegrantedeveryone

ontheteamanextradayoffeverysecondweektodevotetostudyingsomething.WecalleditLearningWednesdays.Theideawasthat,becausetheorganizationiscommittedtolifelonglearning,weshouldpracticewhatwepreachandencourageeveryoneontheteamtospendtimelearningaboutsomethingthey’repassionateabout.ButhowdidwepreventthatjustbecomingalazydayofsittinginfrontoftheTV?Therewasastinginthetail:Everyonehadtocommit,atsomepointduringtheyear,togivingaTEDTalktotherestoftheorganizationaboutwhatthey’velearned.Thatmeantweallgottobenefitfromoneanother’sknowledgebut,crucially,italsoprovidedthekeyincentiveforpeopletogetonwithitandactuallylearn.Youdon’tneedLearningWednesdaystohavethismotivation.Anychanceat

speakingtoagroupyourespectcanprovidetheincentiveyouneedtogetoffyourbuttandworkonsomethinguniquetoyou!Inotherwords,youdon’tneedtohavetheperfectknowledgeinyourheadtoday.Usethisopportunityasthereasontodiscoverit.Andif,afterallthat,you’restillfloundering,maybeyou’reright.Maybeyou

shouldturndowntheoffertospeak.Youmightbedoingyourself—andthem—afavor.Morelikely,though,you’lllandonsomethingthatyou,andonlyyou,canshare.Somethingyou’dactuallybeexcitedtoseeoutthereintheworldalittlemorevisibly.Formostoftherestofthisbook,I’mgoingtoassumethatyouhave

somethingyouwanttotalkabout,whetherit’salifelongpassion,atopicyou’reeagertodiveintomoredeeply,oraprojectforworkthatyouhavetopresent.InthechapterstocomeI’llbefocusingonthehow,notthewhat.Butinthefinalchapterwe’llreturntothewhat,becauseI’mprettysurethateveryonehassomethingimportanttheycouldandshouldsharewiththerestofus.

THEASTONISHINGEFFICACYOFLANGUAGE

OK.Youhavesomethingmeaningfultosay,andyourgoalistore-createyourcoreideainsideyouraudience’sminds.Howdoyoudothat?Weshouldn’tunderestimatehowchallengingthatis.Ifwecouldsomehow

mapwhatthatideaaboutlaughterlookedlikeinSophieScott’sbrain,itwouldprobablyinvolvemillionsofneuronsinterconnectedinanincrediblyrichandcomplexpattern.Thepatternwouldhavetoinclude,somehow,imagesofpeopleguffawing,thesoundsthattheymake,theconceptsofevolutionarypurposeandofwhatitmeanstoeasestress,andmuchmore.Howonearthisitpossibletore-createthatwholestructureinagroupofstrangers’mindsinjustafewminutes?Humanshavedevelopedatechnologythatmakesthispossible.It’scalled

language.Itmakesyourbraindoincrediblethings.Iwantyoutoimagineanelephant,withitstrunkpaintedbrightred,wavingit

toandfroinsyncwiththeshufflingstepsofagiantorangeparrotdancingontheelephant’sheadandshriekingoverandoveragain,“Let’sdothefandango!”Wow!Youhavejustformedinyourmindanimageofsomethingthathas

neverexistedinhistory,exceptinmymindandinthemindsofotherswhoreadthatlastsentence.Asinglesentencecandothat.Butitdependsonyou,thelistener,havingasetofpreexistingconcepts.Youmustalreadyknowwhatanelephantandaparrotare,whatthecolorconceptsofredandorangeare,andwhatpainted,dancing,andinsyncmean.Thatsentencehaspromptedyoutolinkthoseconceptsintoabrand-newpattern.IfIhadinsteadstartedoutbysaying“Iwantyoutoimagineamemberofthe

speciesLoxodontacyclotis,withproboscispigmentedPantone032U,conductingoscillatorymotions...”youprobablywouldnothaveformedthatimage,eventhoughthisisthesamerequestinmorepreciselanguage.So,languageworksitsmagiconlytotheextentthatitissharedbyspeaker

andlistener.Andthere’sthekeycluetohowtoachievethemiracleofre-creatingyourideainsomeoneelse’sbrain.Youcanonlyusethetoolsthatyouraudiencehasaccessto.Ifyoustartonlywithyourlanguage,yourconcepts,yourassumptions,yourvalues,youwillfail.Soinstead,startwiththeirs.It’sonly

fromthatcommongroundthattheycanbegintobuildyourideainsidetheirminds.AtPrincetonUniversity,Dr.UriHassonhasbeendoinggroundbreaking

researchtotrytodiscoverhowthisprocessworks.It’spossibletocaptureinrealtimethecomplexbrainactivityassociatedwithbuildingaconceptorrememberingastory.Itrequiresatechnologycalledfunctionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI).Inoneexperimentin2015,Dr.HassonputagroupofvolunteersintofMRI

machinesandplayedthema50-minutefilmthattoldastory.Astheyexperiencedthestory,theirbrains’responsepatternswererecorded.Someofthosepatternscouldbematchedacrossalmosteveryvolunteer,givingconcretephysicalevidenceofthesharedexperiencetheywerehaving.Thenheaskedthevolunteerstorecordtheirownrecollectionsofthefilm.Manyoftheserecordingswerequitedetailedandlastedaslongas20minutes.Now—andthisistheastoundingpart—heplayedthoserecordingstoanothersetofvolunteerswhohadneverseenthefilm,andrecordedtheirfMRIdata.Thepatternsshowninthebrainsofthesecondsetofvolunteers,thosewholistenedtotheaudiorecollectionsonly,matchedthosepatternsshowninthemindsofthefirstsetofvolunteersastheywatchedthemovie!Inotherwords,thepoweroflanguagealoneconjuredupthesamementalexperiencesthatothershadwhilewatchingamovie.Thisisamazingevidenceoflanguage’sefficacy.Itisapowerthatevery

publicspeakercantapinto.

YES,WORDSMATTER

Somepublic-speakingcoachesseektodownplaytheimportanceoflanguage.Theymayciteresearchpublishedin1967byProfessorAlbertMehrabianandclaimthatonly7percentoftheeffectivenessofcommunicationisdowntolanguage,while38percentdependsontoneofvoiceand55percentcomesfrombodylanguage.Thishasledcoachestofocusexcessivelyondevelopingaspeakingstyleofconfidence,charisma,etc.,andnotworrysomuchaboutthewords.Unfortunately,thisisacompletemisinterpretationofwhatMehrabianfound.

Hisexperimentsweredevotedprimarilytodiscoveringhowemotionwascommunicated.Soforexample,hewouldtestwhatwouldhappenifsomeonesaid“That’snice,”butsaidsoinanangrytoneofvoice,orwiththreateningbodylanguage.Sureenough,inthosecircumstances,thewordsdon’tcountformuch.Butitisabsurdtoapplythistospeakingoverall(andMehrabianissosick

ofbeingmisappliedthathiswebsitecontainsaboldedparagraphbeggingpeoplenottodothis).Yes,communicatingemotionisimportant,andforthataspectofatalk,one’s

toneofvoiceandbodylanguagedoindeedmatteragreatdeal.Wediscussthisindetailinlaterchapters.Butthewholesubstanceofatalkdependscruciallyonwords.It’sthewordsthattellastory,buildanidea,explainthecomplex,makeareasonedcase,orprovideacompellingcalltoaction.So,ifyouhearsomeonetellyouthatbodylanguagemattersmorethanverballanguageinpublicspeaking,pleaseknowthattheyaremisinterpretingthescience.(Orforfun,youcouldjustaskthemtorepeattheirpointpurelywithgestures!)We’llspendmuchofthefirsthalfofthisbookdiggingintowaysinwhich

languagecanachieveitsmagic.Thefactthatwecantransferideasinthiswayiswhyhuman-to-humanspeakingmatters.Itishowourworldviewsarebuiltandshaped.Ourideasmakeuswhoweare.Andspeakerswhohavefiguredouthowtospreadtheirideasintoothers’mindsareabletocreaterippleeffectsofuntoldconsequence.

THEJOURNEY

There’soneotherbeautifulmetaphorforagreattalk.Itisajourneythatspeakerandaudiencetaketogether.SpeakerTierneyThysputsitthisway:

Likeallgoodmoviesorbooks,agreattalkistransporting.Welovetogoonadventures,travelsomeplacenewwithaninformed,ifnotquirky,guidewhocanintroduceustothingsweneverknewexisted,inciteustocrawloutwindowsintostrangeworlds,outfituswithnewlensestoseetheordinaryinanextraordinaryway...enraptureusandengagemultiplepartsofourbrainssimultaneously.SoIoftentrytofashionmytalksaroundembarkingonajourney.

What’spowerfulaboutthismetaphoristhatitmakesclearwhythespeaker,likeanytourguide,mustbeginwheretheaudienceis.Andwhytheymustensurenoimpossibleleapsorinexplicableshiftsindirection.

Whetherthejourneyisoneofexploration,explanation,orpersuasion,thenet

resultistohavebroughttheaudiencetoabeautifulnewplace.Andthattooisagift.Whichevermetaphoryouuse,focusingonwhatyouwillgivetoyour

audienceistheperfectfoundationforpreparingyourtalk.

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COMMONTRAPSFourTalkStylestoAvoid

Therearecountlesswaystobuildagreattalk.Butfirstsomeessentialsafetytips.Thereareuglytalkstylesoutthere,dangeroustobothaspeaker’sreputationandanaudience’swell-being.Herearefourtosteerclearofatallcosts.

THESALESPITCH

Sometimesspeakersgetitexactlybackwards.Theyplantotake,notgive.SeveralyearsagoafamedauthorandbusinessconsultantcametoTED.Iwas

excitedtohearhispresentationonhowtothinkoutsidethebox.Whathappenedinsteadhorrifiedme.Hebegantalkingaboutaseriesofbusinessesthathadapparentlymadeasignificantleapforwardasaresultofanactiontheytook.Andwhatwasthataction?Theyhadallbookedhisconsultancyservices.After5minutesofthis,theaudiencewasgettingantsyandI’dhadenough.I

stoodupandbegantointerrupt.Everyeyeturnedmyway.Iwassweating.Mymicrophonewason.Everyonecouldheareverything.

Me:Ihavearequesthere.Perhapsyoucouldtellusabouttheactualtypeofthinkingyourecommend?Wewanttoknowhowitactuallyworks,sothatwe’vegotatakeaway.Asis,it’sabittoomuchofanad.[Nervousapplause.Awkwardpause.]

Speaker:Ittakesthreedaystogointoit.In15minutes,thereisnowayIcantellyouallabouthowtodoit.Mypurposeistotellyouthatthesethingscanworkandthereforemotivateyoutolookfurtherintothem.

Me:Webelieveyouthattheywork.You’rearockstarinthisfield!Giveusaninstance,orjustteaseuswiththefirst15minutesofit.Please!

Atthispoint,theaudiencestartscheeringandthespeaker’sleftwithnochoice.Toeveryone’srelief,hefinallybeginstosharesomewisdomwecanuse.Here’stheirony.Thisgreedyapproachtospeakingdoesn’tevenservethe

speaker’sinterest.I’dbeamazedifhegotasinglebookingfromanyoneinthataudience.Andevenifhedid,ithadtobeoffsetbyalossofrespectfromothersintheroom.Needlesstosay,weneverpostedthetalkonline.Reputationiseverything.Youwanttobuildareputationasagenerousperson,

Reputationiseverything.Youwanttobuildareputationasagenerousperson,bringingsomethingwonderfultoyouraudiences,notasatediousself-promoter.It’sboringandfrustratingtobepitchedto,especiallywhenyou’reexpectingsomethingelse.Usually,ofcourse,pitcheshappenmuchmoresubtly.Theslideshowinga

bookcover;thebriefmentionaboutthespeaker’sorganization’sfundingshortfall.Inthecontextofanotherwisegreattalk,youmayevengetawaywiththeselittlenudges.(And,ofcourse,ifyou’vebeenspecificallyaskedtotalkaboutthebookortheorganization,that’sanothermatter.)Butyou’retakingabigrisk.That’swhyatTEDweactivelydiscouragespeakersfromdoingthesethings.

Thekeyprincipleistorememberthatthespeaker’sjobistogivetothe

audience,nottakefromthem.(Eveninabusinesscontextwhereyou’regenuinelymakingasalespitch,yourgoalshouldbetogive.Themosteffectivesalespeopleputthemselvesintotheirlisteners’shoesandimaginehowtobestservetheirneeds.)Ataconference,peopledon’tcometoatalktobesoldto.Assoonastheyunderstandthatmightbeyouragenda,theywillfleetothesafetyoftheiremailinbox.It’sasifyou’veagreedtohaveacoffeewithafriendanddiscovertoyourhorrorthatallsheactuallywantedtodowasexplainhermust-investtime-shareschemetoyou.You’reoutofthereatthefirstopportunity.It’spossibletodisagreewherethelineisbetweensharinganideaand

pitching,buttheprincipleiscrucial:Give,don’ttake.Andhere’sthething.Generosityevokesaresponse.Whenhuman-rights

lawyerBryanStevensonspokeatTED,hisorganizationwasinurgentneedof$1milliontocontinuefightingakeycaseintheUSSupremeCourt.ButBryandidn’tmentionthisonceinhistalk.InsteadhetransformedthewayweallthoughtaboutinjusticeinAmerica,offeringstories,insights,humor,andrevelation.Attheendtheaudienceroseasoneandapplaudedforseveralminutes.Andguesswhat?Helefttheconferencewithcontributionsfromattendeesexceeding$1.3million.

THERAMBLE

InthefirstTEDIorganized,oneofthespeakersbegan,“AsIwasdrivingdownherewonderingwhattosaytoyou...”Therefollowedanunfocusedlistofobservationsaboutpossiblefutures.Nothingobnoxious.Nothingthatwasparticularlyhardtounderstand.Butalsonoargumentsofpower.Norevelations.Noahamoments.Notakeaways.Theaudienceclappedpolitely.Butnoone

reallylearnedanything.

Iwasfuming.It’sonethingtounderprepare.Buttoboastthatyou’ve

underprepared?That’sinsulting.Ittellstheaudiencethattheirtimedoesn’tmatter.Thattheeventdoesn’tmatter.Somanytalksarelikethis.Meandering,nocleardirection.Aspeakermight

kidhimselfthatevenanunfocusedexplorationofhisbrilliantthinkingisboundtobefascinatingtoothers.Butif800peopleareplanningtodevote15minutesoftheirdaytoyourwords,youreallycan’tjustwingit.AsmycolleagueBrunoGiussaniputsit,“Whenpeoplesitinaroomtolisten

toaspeaker,theyareofferinghersomethingextremelyprecious,somethingthatisn’trecoverableoncegiven:afewminutesoftheirtimeandoftheirattention.Hertaskistousethattimeaswellaspossible.”Soifyou’regoingtogiftpeoplewithawondrousidea,youfirsthavetospend

somepreparationtime.Ramblingisnotanoption.Asitturnedout,thisparticularramblingspeakerdidgiveTEDagiftofsorts.

Fromthattalkon,weredoubledoureffortsonspeakerpreparation.

THEORGBORE

Anorganizationisfascinatingtothosewhoworkforit—anddeeplyboringtoalmosteveryoneelse.Sorry,butit’strue.AnytalkframedaroundtheexceptionalhistoryofyourcompanyorNGOorlabandthecomplex-but-oh-so-impressivewayitisstructured,andthefabulouslyphotogenicqualityoftheastonishinglytalentedteamworkingwithyou,andhowmuchsuccessyourproductsarehaving,isgoingtoleaveyouraudiencesnoozingatthestartingline.Itmaybeinterestingtoyouandyourteam.But,alas,wedon’tworkthere.Everythingchanges,though,whenyoufocusonthenatureoftheworkthat

you’redoing,andthepoweroftheideasthatinfuseit,notontheorgitselforitsproducts.Thiscanbeharderthanitsounds.Ofttimestheheadsoforganizationsareby

defaulttheirspokespersons,alwaysinsellingmode,believingit’stheirobligationtohonorthehard-workingteamthatsurroundsthem.Andbecausetheworktheywanttotalkabouthastakenplaceinsidetheorganization,themostobviouswaytodescribeitmaybetoanchorittoorganizationalacts.“Backin2005,wesetupanewdepartmentinDallasinthisofficebuilding[slideofglasstowerhere],anditsgoalwastoinvestigatehowwecouldslashourenergycosts,soIallocatedVicePresidentHankBorehamtothetask...”Yawn.

Comparethatstatementtothisone:“Backin2005wediscoveredsomethingsurprising.Itturnsoutthatit’spossibleforanaverageofficetoslashitsenergycostsby60percentwithoutanynoticeablelossofproductivity.Letmesharewithyouhow...”Onemoderetainsinterest.Onekillsit.Onemodeisagift.Theotherislazily

self-serving.

THEINSPIRATIONPERFORMANCE

Ihesitatetoincludethisexample,butIthinkImust.Let’sagreeonthisfirst:Absolutelyoneofthemostpowerfulthingsyoucan

experiencewhenwatchingatalkisinspiration.Thespeaker’sworkandwordsmoveyouandfillyouwithanexpandedsenseofpossibilityandexcitement.Youwanttogooutandbeabetterperson.TED’sgrowthandsuccesshavebeenfueledbythedeeplyinspirationalnatureofmanyofthetalks.Indeed,it’sthereasonIwasdrawntoTEDinthefirstplace.Ibelieveininspiration’spower.Butit’sapowerthatmustbehandledwithgreatcare.Whenagreatspeakerfinisheshertalkandthewholecrowdrisestoitsfeet

andapplauds,it’sathrillingmomentforeveryoneintheroom.Theaudienceisexcitedbywhatthey’veheard,andforthespeaker,it’sindescribablysatisfyingtoreceivesuchpowerfulrecognition.(Oneofthemoreawkwardmomentswe’veeverhadatTEDwaswhenaspeakerleftthestagetolukewarmapplauseandwhisperedtoherfriendbackstage,“Nobodystoodup!”Anunderstandablecomment.Itwasjustunfortunatethathermicrophonewasstillon,andeveryonecouldhearthepaininhervoice.)Whethertheyadmititornot,manypublicspeakersdreamofbeingcheeredas

theyleavethestage,followedbyscreensfulloftweetsattestingtotheirinspirationalprowess.Andthereinliesthetrap.Theintenseappealofthestandingovationcanleadaspiringspeakerstodobadthings.Theymaylookattalksgivenbyinspirationalspeakersandseektocopythem...butinformonly.Theresultcanbeawful:theruthlesspursuitofeverytrickinthebooktointellectuallyandemotionallymanipulatetheaudience.TherewasanupsettinginstanceofthisatTEDafewyearsago.4AnAmerican

maninhisfortieshadbecomeahugeTEDfan,andhesentusacompellingauditionvideo,urgingustolethimgivehisowntalk.Histalkpremiseexactlymatchedthethemewewerefocusedonthatyear,andhecamewellrecommended,sowedecidedtogivehimashot.Thefirstmomentsofhistalkwerepromising.Hehadabigpersonality.He

beamedattheaudience.Hehadsomeamusingopeningremarks,aclevervideo,andasurprisingvisualprop.Itwasasifhe’dstudiedeveryTEDTalkindetail

andasurprisingvisualprop.Itwasasifhe’dstudiedeveryTEDTalkindetailandwasbringingthebestofeachtohisowntalk.Sittingandwatching,Iwashopefulwemighthaveagianthitonourhands.Butthen...Istartedtofeelalittlequeasy.Therewassomethingnotquite

right.Hewaslovingbeingonstage.Lovingitjustalittletoomuch.He’dkeeppausing,hopingforaudienceapplauseorlaughter,andwhenhegotit,he’dstopandsay“thankyou,”subtlymilkingitformore.Hestartedinsertingad-libbedcommentsintendedtoamuse.Itwascleartheyamusedhim,butothers,notsomuch.Andtheworstofitwasthepromisedsubstanceofthetalkneverreallyarrived.Heclaimedtohaveworkedondemonstratingthetruthofanimportantidea.Butthecasehebroughtwasallwhimsyandanecdote.TherewasonemomentwherehehadevenPhotoshoppedanimagesothatitappearedtosupporthiscase.Andbecauseofhisgettingcarriedawayandsoakingupthelimelight,hewasrunningwayovertime.Towardtheend,hebegantellingpeoplethatyes,theyhaditintheirpowerto

adopthiswisdom,andhespokeofdreamsandinspiration,endingwithhisarmsoutstretchedtotheaudience.Becauseitwasclearthetalkmeantsomuchtohim,aportionoftheaudiencedidindeedstandtoclaphim.Me?Ifeltsicktomystomach.ThiswastheclichéofTEDthatwe’dtriedsohardtoeliminate.Allstyle,verylittlesubstance.Thetroublewithtalkslikethisisnotjustthattheyflattertodeceive.It’sthat

theygivetheentiregenreabadname.Theymaketheaudiencelesslikelytoopenupwhenagenuinelyinspiringspeakercomesalong.Andyet,moreandmorespeakers,attractedtothedrugofaudienceadoration,aretryingtowalkthispath.Pleasedon’tbeoneofthem.Here’sthethingaboutinspiration:Ithastobeearned.Someoneisinspiring

notbecausetheylookatyouwithbigeyesandaskyoutofinditinyourhearttobelieveintheirdream.It’sbecausetheyactuallyhaveadreamthat’sworthgettingexcitedabout.Andthosedreamsdon’tcomelightly.Theycomefromblood,sweat,andtears.

Inspirationislikelove.Youdon’tgetitbypursuingitdirectly.Infact,there’s

anameforpeoplewhopursuelovetoodirectly:stalker.Inlessextremecases,thewordsweusearealmostasbad:cloying,inappropriate,desperate.Andsadly,thisbehaviorpromptstheoppositeofwhatitdesires.Itpromptsapullingback.It’sthesamewithinspiration.Ifyoutrytotaketheshortcutandwinpeople

overpurelywithyourcharisma,youmaysucceedforamomentortwo,butsoon

overpurelywithyourcharisma,youmaysucceedforamomentortwo,butsoonyou’llbefoundout,andtheaudiencewillflee.Intheexampleabove,despitethepartialstandingovation,thatspeakerreceivedterribleaudiencefeedbackinourpostconferencesurvey,andweneverpostedthetalk.Peoplehadfeltmanipulated.Andtheywere.Ifyouhavedreamsofbeingarock-starpublicspeaker,pumpingupan

audienceasyoustridethestageandproclaimyourbrilliance,Ibegyoutoreconsider.Don’tdreamofthat.Dreamofsomethingmuchbiggerthanyouare.Goandworkonthatdreamaslongasittakestoachievesomethingworthwhile.Andthenhumblycomeandsharewhatyou’velearned.Inspirationcan’tbeperformed.It’sanaudienceresponsetoauthenticity,

courage,selflesswork,andgenuinewisdom.Bringthosequalitiestoyourtalk,andyoumaybeamazedatwhathappens.

It’seasytotalkaboutwhytalksfail.Buthowcantheybebuilttosucceed?Itallstartswithamomentofclarity.

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THETHROUGHLINEWhat’sYourPoint?

“Ithappenswaytoooften:you’resittingthereintheaudience,listeningtosomeonetalk,andyouknowthatthereisabetterandgreattalkinthatperson,it’sjustnotthetalkhe’sgiving.”That’sTED’sBrunoGiussaniagain,amanwhocannotstandseeingpotentiallygreatspeakersblowtheiropportunity.Thepointofatalkis...tosaysomethingmeaningful.Butit’samazinghow

manytalksneverquitedothat.Therearelotsofspokensentences,tobesure.Butsomehowtheyleavetheaudiencewithnothingtheycanholdonto.Beautifulslidesandacharismaticstagepresenceareallverywell,butifthere’snorealtakeaway,allthespeakerhasdone—atbest—istoentertain.Thenumber-onereasonforthistragedyisthatthespeakerneverhadaproper

planforthetalkasawhole.Thetalkmayhavebeenplannedbulletpointbybulletpoint,orevensentencebysentence,butnotimewasactuallyspentonitsoverallarc.There’sahelpfulwordusedtoanalyzeplays,movies,andnovels;itappliesto

talkstoo.Itisthroughline,theconnectingthemethattiestogethereachnarrativeelement.Everytalkshouldhaveone.Sinceyourgoalistoconstructsomethingwondrousinsideyourlisteners’

minds,youcanthinkofthethroughlineasastrongcordorrope,ontowhichyouwillattachalltheelementsthatarepartoftheideayou’rebuilding.Thisdoesn’tmeaneverytalkcanonlycoveronetopic,tellasinglestory,or

justproceedinonedirectionwithoutdiversions.Notatall.Itjustmeansthatallthepiecesneedtoconnect.Here’sthestartofatalkthrowntogetherwithoutathroughline.“Iwantto

sharewithyousomeexperiencesIhadduringmyrecenttriptoCapeTown,andthenmakeafewobservationsaboutlifeontheroad...”Comparethatwith:“OnmyrecenttriptoCapeTown,Ilearnedsomething

newaboutstrangers—whenyoucantrustthem,andwhenyoudefinitelycan’t.LetmesharewithyoutwoverydifferentexperiencesIhad...”Thefirstsetupmightworkforyourfamily.Butthesecond,withits

throughlinevisiblefromtheget-go,isfarmoreenticingtoageneralaudience.Agoodexerciseistotrytoencapsulateyourthroughlineinnomorethan

fifteenwords.Andthosefifteenwordsneedtoproviderobustcontent.It’snotenoughtothinkofyourgoalas,“Iwanttoinspiretheaudience”or“Iwanttowinsupportformywork.”Ithastobemorefocusedthanthat.Whatisthepreciseideayouwanttobuildinsideyourlisteners?Whatistheirtakeaway?

It’salsoimportantnottohaveathroughlinethat’stoopredictableorbanal,suchas“theimportanceofhardwork”or“thefourmainprojectsI’vebeenworkingon.”Zzzzz...Youcandobetter!HerearethethroughlinesofsomepopularTEDTalks.Noticethatthere’sanunexpectednessincorporatedintoeachofthem.

Morechoiceactuallymakesuslesshappy.Vulnerabilityissomethingtobetreasured,nothiddenfrom.Education’spotentialistransformedifyoufocusontheamazing(andhilarious)creativityofkids.Withbodylanguage,youcanfakeittillyoubecomeit.Ahistoryoftheuniversein18minutesshowsapathfromchaostoorder.Terriblecityflagscanrevealsurprisingdesignsecrets.

AskitrektotheSouthPolethreatenedmylifeandoverturnedmysenseofpurpose.Let’sbringonaquietrevolution—aworldredesignedforintroverts.Thecombinationofthreesimpletechnologiescreatesamind-blowingsixthsense.Onlinevideoscanhumanizetheclassroomandrevolutionizeeducation.

BarrySchwartz,whosetalkisthefirstoneinthelistabove,ontheparadoxofchoice,isabigbelieverintheimportanceofathroughline:

Manyspeakershavefalleninlovewiththeirideasandfindithardtoimaginewhatiscomplicatedaboutthemtopeoplewhoarenotalreadyimmersed.Thekeyistopresentjustoneidea—asthoroughlyandcompletelyasyoucaninthelimitedtimeperiod.Whatisitthatyouwantyouraudiencetohaveanunambiguousunderstandingofafteryou’redone?

ThelastthroughlineinthelistaboveisfromeducationreformerSalmanKhan.Hetoldme:

TherewerealotofreallyinterestingthingsthatKhanAcademyhaddone,butthatfelttooself-serving.Iwantedtoshareideasthatarebigger,ideaslikemastery-basedlearningandhumanizingclasstimebyremovinglectures.Myadvicetospeakerswouldbetolookforasinglebigideathatislargerthanyouoryourorganization,butatthesametimetoleverageyourexperiencetoshowthatitisn’tjustemptyspeculation.

experiencetoshowthatitisn’tjustemptyspeculation.

Yourthroughlinedoesn’thavetobeasambitiousasthoseabove.Butitstillshouldhavesomekindofintriguingangle.Insteadofgivingatalkabouttheimportanceofhardwork,howaboutspeakingonwhyhardworksometimesfailstoachievetruesuccess,andwhatyoucandoaboutthat.Insteadofplanningtospeakaboutthefourmainprojectsyou’verecentlybeenworkingon,howaboutstructuringitaroundjustthreeoftheprojectsthathappentohaveasurprisingconnection?Infact,RobinMurphyhadexactlythatasherthroughlinewhenshecameto

speakatTEDWomen.Here’stheopeningofhertalk.

Robotsarequicklybecomingfirstrespondersatdisastersites,workingalongsidehumanstoaidrecovery.Theinvolvementofthesesophisticatedmachineshasthepotentialtotransformdisasterrelief,savinglivesandmoney.I’dliketosharewithyoutodaythreenewrobotsI’veworkedonthatdemonstratethis.

Noteverytalkhastostateitsthroughlineexplicitlyupfrontlikethis.Aswe’llsee,therearemanyotherwaystointriguepeopleandinvitethemtojoinyouonyourjourney.Butwhentheaudienceknowswhereyou’reheaded,it’smucheasierforthemtofollow.Let’sthinkonceagainofatalkasajourney,ajourneythatthespeakerandthe

audiencetaketogether,withthespeakerastheguide.Butifyou,thespeaker,wanttheaudiencetocomewithyou,youprobablyneedtogivethemahintofwhereyou’regoing.Andthenyouneedtobesurethateachstepofthejourneyhelpsgetyouthere.Inthisjourneymetaphor,thethroughlinetracesthepaththatthejourneytakes.Itensuresthattherearenoimpossibleleaps,andthatbytheendofthetalk,thespeakerandaudiencehavearrivedtogetheratasatisfyingdestination.Manypeopleapproachatalkthinkingtheywilljustoutlinetheirworkor

describetheirorganizationorexploreanissue.That’snotagreatplan.Thetalkislikelytoendupunfocusedandwithoutmuchimpact.

Bearinmindthatathroughlineisnotthesamethingasatopic.Your

invitationmightseemsuper-clear.“DearMary.Wewantyoutocometalkaboutthatnewdesalinationtechnologyyoudeveloped.”“DearJohn.CouldyoucometellusthestoryofyourkayakingadventureinKazakhstan?”Butevenwhenthe

topicisclear,thethroughlineisworththinkingabout.Atalkaboutkayakingcouldhaveathroughlinebasedonenduranceorgroupdynamicsorthedangersofturbulentrivereddies.Thedesalinationtalkmighthaveathroughlinebasedondisruptiveinnovation,ortheglobalwatercrisis,ortheawesomenessofengineeringelegance.Sohowdoyoufigureoutyourthroughline?Thefirststepistofindoutasmuchasyoucanabouttheaudience.Whoare

they?Howknowledgeablearethey?Whataretheirexpectations?Whatdotheycareabout?Whathavepastspeakerstherespokenabout?Youcanonlygiftanideatomindsthatarereadytoreceivethattypeofidea.Ifyou’regoingtospeaktoanaudienceoftaxidriversinLondonabouttheamazingnessofadigitallypoweredsharingeconomy,itwouldbehelpfultoknowinadvancethattheirlivelihoodisbeingdestroyedbyUber.Butthebiggestobstacleinidentifyingathroughlineisexpressedinevery

speaker’sprimalscream:Ihavefartoomuchtosayandnotenoughtimetosayit!Wehearthisonealot.TEDTalkshaveamaximumtimelimitof18minutes.

(Why18?It’sshortenoughtoholdpeople’sattention,includingontheInternet,andpreciseenoughtobetakenseriously.Butit’salsolongenoughtosaysomethingthatmatters.)Yetmostspeakersareusedtotalkingfor30to40minutesorlonger.Theyfinditreallyhardtoimaginegivingapropertalkinsuchashortperiodoftime.It’scertainlynotthecasethatashortertalkmeansshorterpreparationtime.

PresidentWoodrowWilsonwasonceaskedabouthowlongittookhimtoprepareforaspeech.Hereplied:

Thatdependsonthelengthofthespeech.Ifitisa10-minutespeechittakesmealloftwoweekstoprepareit;ifitisahalf-hourspeechittakesmeaweek;ifIcantalkaslongasIwanttoitrequiresnopreparationatall.Iamreadynow.

Itremindsmeofthefamousquoteattributedtoavarietyofgreatthinkersandwriters:“IfIhadmoretime,Iwouldhavewrittenashorterletter.”Solet’sacceptthatcreatingagreattalktofitalimitedtimeperiodisgoingto

takerealeffort.Butthere’sarightwayandawrongwaytogoaboutit.

THEWRONGWAY

Thewrongwaytocondenseyourtalkistoincludeallthethingsthatyouthinkyouneedtosay,andsimplycutthemallbacktomakethemalotshorter.Funnilyenough,youmaywellbeabletocreateascriptthatachievesthis.Everymajortopicyouwanttocoveristhereinsummaryform.Yourworkiscovered!Youmayeventhinkthere’sathroughlineconnectingitall,somebroadunderpinningofyourwork.Toyouitmayfeellikeyou’vegivenityourallanddonethebestyoucantofitthetimeyou’vebeengiventospeak.Butthroughlinesthatconnectlargenumbersofconceptsdon’twork.There’sa

drasticconsequencewhenyourushthroughmultipletopicsinsummaryform.Theydon’tlandwithanyforce.Youknowthefullbackgroundandcontexttowhatyou’resaying,andsotheinsightsyouoffermayseemprofoundtoyou.Butfortheaudience,whichiscomingtoyourworkfresh,thetalkwillprobablycomeacrossasconceptual,dry,orsuperficial.It’sasimpleequation.Overstuffedequalsunderexplained.

Tosaysomethinginterestingyouhavetotakethetimetodoatleasttwo

things:

Showwhyitmatters...what’sthequestionyou’retryingtoanswer,theproblemyou’retryingtosolve,theexperienceyou’retryingtoshare?Fleshouteachpointyoumakewithrealexamples,stories,facts.

Thisishowideasthatyoucherishcanbebuiltinsomeoneelse’smind.Thetroubleisthatexplainingthewhyandthengivingtheexamplestaketime.Andthatleavesyouwithjustonechoice.

THERIGHTWAY

Toprovideaneffectivetalk,youmustslashbacktherangeoftopicsyouwillcovertoasingle,connectedthread—athroughlinethatcanbeproperlydeveloped.Inasense,youcoverless,buttheimpactwillactuallybesignificantlygreater.AuthorRichardBachsaid,“Greatwritingisallaboutthepowerofthedeleted

word.”It’strueofspeakingtoo.Thesecretofsuccessfultalksoftenliesinwhatisleftout.Lesscanbemore.ManyTEDspeakershavetoldusthatthishasbeenthekeytogettingtheir

talkright.Here’smusicianAmandaPalmer.

Ifoundmyegoreallytrappingme.IfmyTEDTalkgoesviral,IneedpeopletoknowwhatagreatpianistIam!ThatIcanalsopaint!ThatIwritefantasticlyrics!ThatIhavealltheseOTHERtalents!THISISMYCHANCE!But,no.Theonlywaythetalkcantrulysoarisifyoutakeyouregooutofitandletyourselfbeadeliveryvehiclefortheideasthemselves.IremembergoingtodinnerwithTEDregularNicholasNegroponteandaskedifhehadanyadviceformytalk.HesaidsomethingthatmyBuddhist-leaningmentorhasbeensayingforyears:leavespaceandSAYLESS.

EconomistNicMarksrecommendstheadviceoftengiventofledglingwriters:“Killyourdarlings.IhadtobepreparedtoNOTtalkaboutsomethingsIabsolutelyloveandwouldhavelikedtosqueezein,buttheywerenotpartofthemainnarrative.Thatwastoughbutessential.”OneofthemostpopularTEDspeakers,BrenéBrown,alsostruggledtomeet

TED’stighttimedemands.Sherecommendsthissimpleformula.“Planyourtalk.Thencutitbyhalf.Onceyou’vegrievedthelossofhalfofyourtalk,cutitanother50percent.It’sseductivetothinkabouthowmuchyoucanfitinto18minutes.Thebetterquestionformeis,‘Whatcanyouunpackinameaningfulwayin18minutes?’”Thissameissueappliestotalksofanylength.Letmetryapersonalexample

withyou.Let’ssayI’vebeenaskedtospeakforjust2minutestointroducewhoIam.Here’sversion1:

AlthoughI’mBritish,IwasborninPakistan—myfatherwasamissionaryeyesurgeon—andmyearlyyearswerespentthereandinIndiaandAfghanistan.Atagethirteen,IwassenttoboardingschoolinEngland,andafterthatIwenttoOxfordUniversityforadegreeinPhilosophy,Politics,andEconomics.IstartedworkasalocalnewspaperjournalistinWales,thenmovedtoapirateradiostationintheSeychellesIslandsforacoupleofyearstowriteandreadaworldnewsservice.BackintheUKinthemid-1980s,Ifellinlovewithcomputersand

startedaseriesofmagazinesdevotedtothem.Itwasagreattimetobelaunchingspecialistmagazines,andmycompanydoubledinsizeeveryyearforsevenyears.Isoldit,movedtotheUS,andtriedagain.Bytheyear2000mybusinesshadgrownto2,000employeesand150

magazinesandwebsites.Butthetechbubblewasabouttoburst,andwhenitdid,itnearlydestroyedthecompany.Besides,whoneedsmagazineswhenyouhavetheInternet?Ileftattheendof2001.

whenyouhavetheInternet?Ileftattheendof2001.Happily,IhadputsomemoneyintoanonprofitfoundationthatIwas

abletousetobuyTED,which,backthen,wasanannualconferenceinCalifornia.That’sbeenmyfull-timepassioneversince.

Andhere’sversion2:

Iwantyoutocomewithmetoastudent’sroomatOxfordUniversityin1977.Youopenthedoor,andatfirstitseemslikethere’snobodythere.Butwait.Overinthecorner,there’saboylyingonthefloor,faceup,

staringattheceiling.He’sbeenlikethatformorethan90minutes.That’sme.Twenty-year-oldme.Iamthinking.Hard.Iamtrying...pleasedon’tlaugh...Iamtryingtosolvetheproblemoffreewill.Thatdeepmysterythathasstumpedtheworld’sphilosophersforatleasttwomillennia?Yup,I’mtakingiton.Anyonelookingobjectivelyatthescenewouldhaveconcludedthatthis

boywassomeweirdcombinationofarrogant,deluded,orperhapsjustsociallyawkwardandlonely,preferringthecompanyofideastopeople.Butmyownnarrative?I’madreamer.I’vealwaysbeenobsessedbythe

powerofideas.AndI’mprettysureit’sthatinwardfocusthathelpedmesurvivegrowingupinboardingschoolsinIndiaandEngland,awayfrommymissionaryparents,andthatgavemetheconfidencetotrytobuildamediacompany.CertainlyitwasthedreamerinmethatfellinlovesodeeplywithTED.

MostrecentlyI’vebeendreamingabouttherevolutioninpublic

speaking,andwhatitcouldleadto...

Sowhichversiontellsyoumoreaboutme?Thefirstonecertainlyhasfarmorefacts.It’sadecentsummaryofbigpartsofmylife.A2-minuteresume.Thesecondonefocusesonjustasinglemomentofmylife.Andyet,whenItrythisexperimentonpeople,theysaytheyfindthesecondfarmoreinteresting,andalsofarmorerevealing.Whetheryourtimelimitis2minutes,18minutes,oranhour,let’sagreeto

thisasastartingpoint:Youwillonlycoverasmuchgroundasyoucandiveintoinsufficientdepthtobecompelling.Andthisiswheretheconceptofathroughlinereallyhelps.Bychoosinga

throughlineyouwillautomaticallyfilteroutmuchofwhatyoumightotherwise

say.WhenIdidtheaboveexperiment,Ithought,WhataspectofmeshouldIfocusonforalittlemoredepth?Thedecisiontogowith“dreamer”madeiteasytoanchorversion2onmytimestudyingphilosophyatOxfordandslashbackmostoftheotherpartsofmylife.IfIhadchosen“entrepreneur”or“nerd”or“globalsoul,”I’dhavemadedifferentcuts.Soathroughlinerequiresyoufirsttoidentifyanideathatcanbeproperly

unpackedinthetimeyouhaveavailable.Youshouldthenbuildastructuresothateveryelementinyourtalkissomehowlinkedtothisidea.

FROMTHROUGHLINETOSTRUCTURE

Let’spauseforamomentonthatwordstructure.It’scritical.Differenttalkscanhaveverydifferentstructurestiedontothatcentralthroughline.Atalkmightbeginwithanintroductiontotheproblemthespeakeristacklingandgiveananecdotethatillustratesthatproblem.Itmightthenmovetosomehistoricalattemptstosolvetheproblemandgivetwoexamplesthatultimatelyfailed.Itcouldcontinuetothespeaker’sproposedsolution,includingonedramaticnewpieceofevidencethatsupportstheidea.Thenitmightclosewiththreeimplicationsforthefuture.Youcanpicturethestructureofthattalkaslikeatree.There’sacentral

throughline,risingvertically,withbranchesattachedtoit,eachofwhichrepresentsanexpansionofthemainnarrative:oneatthebottomfortheopeninganecdote;twojustabovethatatthehistorysectionfortheexamplesthatfailed;oneattheproposedsolutiontomarkthenewevidence;andthreeatthetoptoillustratetheimplicationsforthefuture.Anothertalkmightbesimplysharing,oneaftertheother,fivepiecesofwork

thathaveaconnectedtheme,beginningandendingwiththespeaker’scurrentproject.Inthatstructureyoucanthinkofthethroughlineasaloopthatconnectsfivedifferentboxes,eachrepresentingoneofthepiecesofwork.ThemostviewedTEDspeakeratthetimeofwritingthisbookisSirKen

Robinson.Hetoldmethatmostofhistalksfollowthissimplestructure:

A.Introduction—gettingsettled,whatwillbecoveredB.Context—whythisissuemattersC.MainConceptsD.PracticalImplicationsE.Conclusion

Hesaid,“There’sanoldformulaforwritingessaysthatsaysagoodessay

answersthreequestions:What?SoWhat?NowWhat?It’sabitlikethat.”Ofcourse,theappealofSirKen’stalksgoeswaybeyondtheirstructural

simplicity,andneitherhenorIwouldrecommendthateveryoneadoptthatsamestructure.Whatmattersisthatyoufindthestructurethatmostpowerfullydevelopsyourthroughlineinthetimeavailable,andthatitisclearhoweachtalkelementtiesintoit.

TACKLINGTOUGHTOPICS

Yourthroughlineneedshandlingwithspecialcareifyouhavetospeakonaheavysubject.Thehorrorofarefugeecrisis.Thediabetesexplosion.Gender-relatedviolenceinSouthAmerica.Manyspeakersonthesetopicsviewtheirjobastohighlightacausethatneedstobemorewidelyknown.Thestructureofthesetalksistypicallytolayoutaseriesoffactsthatillustratehowawfulasituationisandwhysomethingmustbedonetofixit.Andindeedtherearetimeswhenthatistheperfectwaytoframeatalk...providedyou’reconfidentthatyourlistenersarereadyandwillingtobemadetofeeluncomfortable.Thetroubleisthatifanaudiencesitsthroughtoomanytalkslikethis,itwill

getemotionallyexhaustedandwillstarttoswitchoff.Compassionfatiguesetsin.Ifthathappensbeforeyourtalkisdone,you’llhavenoimpact.Howcanyouroutearoundthat?Thefirststepistothinkofyourtalknotas

beingaboutanissue,butaboutanidea.MyformercolleagueJuneCohenframedthedifferencethisway:Anissue-basedtalkleadswithmorality.Anidea-basedtalkleadswith

curiosity.Anissueexposesaproblem.Anideaproposesasolution.Anissuesays,“Isn’tthisterrible?”Anideasays,“Isn’tthisinteresting?”It’smucheasiertopullinanaudiencebyframingthetalkasanattemptto

solveanintriguingriddleratherthanasapleaforthemtocare.Thefirstfeelslikeagiftbeingoffered.Thesecondfeelslikeanask.

THECHECKLIST

Asyouworkondevelopingyourthroughline,here’sasimplechecklist:

IsthisatopicI’mpassionateabout?Doesitinspirecuriosity?

Willitmakeadifferencetotheaudiencetohavethisknowledge?Ismytalkagiftoranask?Istheinformationfresh,orisitalreadyoutthere?CanItrulyexplainthetopicinthetimeslotallocated,completewithnecessaryexamples?DoIknowenoughaboutthistomakeatalkworththeaudience’stime?DoIhavethecredibilitytotakeonthistopic?Whatarethefifteenwordsthatencapsulatemytalk?Wouldthosefifteenwordspersuadesomeonethey’dbeinterestedinhearingmytalk?

SpeakingcoachAbigailTenembaumrecommendstestingyourthroughlineonsomeonewhocouldbeatypicalaudiencemember,andtodosonotinwritingbutverbally.“Sayingitoutloudoftencrystallizesforthespeakerwhatisclear,whatismissing,andhowtosharpenit.”BestsellingauthorElizabethGilbertalsobelievesinplanningatalkforan

audienceofone.Sheofferedmethisadvice:“Chooseahumanbeing—anactualhumanbeinginyourlife—andprepareyourtalkasifyouwillbedeliveringittothatonepersononly.Choosesomeonewhoisnotinyourfield,butwhoisgenerallyanintelligent,curious,engaged,worldlyperson—andsomeonewhomyoureallylike.Thiswillbringawarmthofspiritandhearttoyourtalk.Mostofall,besureyouareactuallyspeakingtooneperson,andnottoademographic(‘Myspeechisforpeopleinthesoftwarefieldwhoarebetweentheagesoftwenty-twoandthirty-eight.’),becauseademographicisnotahumanbeing,andifyouspeaktoademographic,youwillnotsoundlikeyouarespeakingtoahumanbeing.Youdon’thavetogototheirhouseandpracticeyourtalkonthemforsixmonths;theydon’tevenneedtoknowthatyou’redoingthis.Justchooseyouroneideallistener,andthendoyourbesttocreateatalkthatwouldblowtheirmind,ormovethem,orfascinatethem,ordelightthem.”Butmostimportantofall,saysGilbert,istopickatopicthatlivesdeepwithin

you.“Talkaboutwhatyouknow.Talkaboutwhatyouknowandlovewithallyourheart.Iwanttohearaboutthesubjectthatismostimportanttoyourlife—notsomerandomsubjectthatyouthinkwillbeanovelty.Bringmeyourwell-wornpassionofdecades,notsomefresh,radicalgimmick,andtrustme—Iwillbecaptivated.”Onceyouhaveyourthroughline,you’rereadytoplanwhatyou’llattachtoit.

Therearemanywaystobuildideas.Overthenextfivechapterswe’lllookatfivecoretoolsthatspeakersuse:

ConnectionNarrationExplanationPersuasionRevelation

Theycanbemixedandmatched.Sometalkssticktoasingletool.Othersincorporatemultipleelements.Afewuseallfive(andoftenapproximatelyintheorderabove).Butit’sworthlookingatthemseparatelybecausethefivetechniquesarestrikinglydifferent.

TALKTOOLS

TalkTools

5

CONNECTIONGetPersonal

Knowledgecan’tbepushedintoabrain.Ithastobepulledin.Beforeyoucanbuildanideainsomeoneelse’smind,youneedtheir

permission.Peoplearenaturallycautiousaboutopeninguptheirminds—themostpreciousthingtheyown—tocompletestrangers.Youneedtofindawaytoovercomethatcaution.Andthewayyoudothatistomakevisiblethehumanbeingcoweringinsideyou.Hearingatalkisacompletelydifferentthingfromreadinganessay.It’snot

justthewords.Notatall.It’sthepersondeliveringthewords.Tomakeanimpact,therehastobeahumanconnection.Youcangivethemostbrillianttalk,withcrystal-clearexplanationsandlaser-sharplogic,butifyoudon’tfirstconnectwiththeaudience,itjustwon’tland.Evenifthecontentis,atsomelevel,understood,itwon’tbeactivatedbutsimplyfiledawayinsomesoon-to-be-forgottenmentalarchive.Peoplearen’tcomputers.They’resocialcreatureswithallmannerof

ingeniousquirks.Theyhaveevolvedweaponstoprotectagainstdangerousknowledgepollutingtheworldviewtheydependon.Thoseweaponshavenames:skepticism,mistrust,dislike,boredom,incomprehension.And,bytheway,thoseweaponsareinvaluable.Ifyourmindwereopentoall

incominglanguage,yourlifewouldquicklyfallapart.“Coffeegivesyoucancer!”“Thoseforeignersaredisgusting!”“Buythesebeautifulkitchenknives!”“Iknowhowtogiveyouagoodtime,baby...”Everysinglethingweseeorhearisevaluatedbeforewedareembeditintoanactionableidea.Soyourveryfirstjobasaspeakeristofindawaytodisarmthoseweapons

andbuildatrustinghumanbondwiththeaudiencesothatthey’rewilling—delighted,even—toofferyoufullaccesstotheirmindsforafewminutes.Ifmilitarymetaphorsaren’ttoyourliking,let’sgobacktotheideaofatalkas

ajourney.Itisajourneyyoutakeyouraudienceon.Youmayhavefiguredoutabrilliantroutetoapowerfuldestination.Butbeforeyoucantakepeoplethere,youhavetomakethejourneyseementicing.Taskoneistogotowheretheaudienceisandwinthemover.Yes,you’reaguidewhocanbetrusted.Withoutthat,thewholeendeavormaybogdownbeforeithasevenstarted.WetellourspeakersthatTEDoffersawarm,welcomingaudience.Buteven

so,there’sahugedifferenceinimpactbetweenthosespeakerswhoconnectandthosewhounconsciouslytriggerskepticismorboredomordislike.Happily,therearenumerouswaystomakethatvitalearlyconnection.Here

arefivesuggestions:

arefivesuggestions:

MAKEEYECONTACT,RIGHTFROMTHESTART

Humansaregoodatforminginstantjudgmentsaboutotherhumans.Friendorfoe.Likableorunlikable.Wiseordull.Confidentortentative.Thecluesweusetomakethesesweepingjudgmentsareoftenshockinglylight.Thewaysomeonedresses.Howtheywalk,orstand.Theirfacialexpression.Theirbodylanguage.Theirattentiveness.Greatspeakersfindawayofmakinganearlyconnectionwiththeiraudience.

Itcanbeassimpleaswalkingconfidentlyonstage,lookingaround,makingeyecontactwithtwoorthreepeople,andsmiling.TakealookatthefirstfewmomentsofKellyMcGonigal’sTEDTalkontheupsideofstress.“Ihaveaconfessiontomake.”[shepauses,turns,dropshands,givesalittlesmile]“Butfirst,IwantYOUtomakealittleconfessiontome.”[walksforward]“Inthepastyear”[looksaroundintentlyfromfacetoface]“Iwantyoutojustraiseyourhandifyou’veexperiencedrelativelylittlestress.Anyone?”[anenigmaticsmile,whichafewmomentslaterturnsintoamillion-dollarsmile].Thereisinstantaudienceconnectionthere.Now,notallofusareasnaturallyfluent,relaxed,orbeautifulasKelly.But

onethingwecanalldoismakeeyecontactwithaudiencemembersandsmilealittle.Itmakesahugedifference.TheIndianartistRaghavaKKmaintainsgreateyecontact,asdoesArgentinedemocracyadvocatePiaMancini.Withinsecondsofthemstarting,youjustfeelyourselfbeingreeledin.There’sareasonforthis.Humanshaveevolvedasophisticatedabilitytoread

otherpeoplebylookingattheireyes.Wecansubconsciouslydetectthetiniestmovementofeyemusclesinsomeone’sfaceanduseittojudgenotjusthowtheyarefeeling,butwhetherwecantrustthem.(Andwhilewe’redoingthat,they’redoingthesametous.)Scientistshaveshownthatjusttheactoftwopeoplestaringateachotherwill

triggermirrorneuronactivitythatliterallyadoptstheemotionalstateoftheotherperson.IfI’mbeaming,Iwillmakeyousmileinside.Justabit.Butameaningfulbit.IfI’mnervous,you’llfeelalittleanxioustoo.Welookateachother,andourmindssync.Andtheextenttowhichourmindssyncisdeterminedinpartbyhowmuch

weinstinctivelytrusteachother.Thebesttooltoengenderthattrust?Yup,asmile.Anaturalhumansmile.(Peoplecandetectfakesmilesandimmediatelyfeelmanipulated.RonGutmangaveaTEDTalkonthehiddenpowerofsmiles.It’swellworth7½minutesofyourtime.)

Eyecontact,backedbyanoccasionalwarmsmile,isanamazingtechnology

thatcantransformhowatalkisreceived.(It’sashame,though,thatit’ssometimesunderminedbyanothertechnology:stagelighting.Somelightingsetupsmeanaspeakerisdazzledbybrightspotlightsandcan’tevenseetheaudience.Talktotheeventorganizeraboutthisaheadoftime.Ifyou’reonstageandfeelingdisconnected,it’sOKtoaskforthehouselightstoberaisedorthestagelightsdimmedalittle.)AtTED,ournumber-oneadvicetospeakersonthedayoftheirtalkistomake

regulareyecontactwithmembersoftheaudience.Bewarm.Bereal.Beyou.Itopensthedoortothemtrustingyou,likingyou,andbeginningtoshareyourpassion.Whenyouwalkontothestage,youshouldbethinkingaboutonething:your

trueexcitementatthechancetoshareyourpassionwiththepeoplesittingrightthereafewfeetfromyou.Don’trushinwithyouropeningsentence.Walkintothelight,pickoutacoupleofpeople,lookthemintheeye,nodagreeting,andsmile.Thenyou’reonyourway.

SHOWVULNERABILITY

Oneofthebestwaystodisarmanaudienceistofirstrevealyourownvulnerability.It’stheequivalentofthetoughcowboywalkingintoasaloonandholdinghiscoatwideopentorevealnoweapons.Everyonerelaxes.BrenéBrowngaveawonderfultalkonvulnerabilityatTEDxHouston,andshe

beganitappropriately.

Acoupleyearsago,aneventplannercalledmebecauseIwasgoingtodoaspeakingevent.Andshesaid,“I’mreallystrugglingwithhowtowriteaboutyouonthelittleflyer.”AndIthought,“Well,what’sthestruggle?”Andshesaid,“Well,Isawyouspeak,andI’mgoingtocallyouaresearcher,Ithink,butI’mafraidifIcallyouaresearcher,noonewillcome,becausethey’llthinkyou’reboringandirrelevant.”

Youloveheralready.Bythesamelogic,ifyou’refeelingnervous,itcanactuallyworkinyour

favor.Audiencessenseitinstantlyand—farfromdespisingyouasyoumayfear,theoppositehappens—theybeginrootingforyou.Weoftenencouragespeakerswholookliketheymaystrugglewithnervestosimplybeready,ifnecessary,toacknowledgeit.Ifyoufeelyourselfchokingup,thenpause...pickupabottle

ofwater,takeasip,andjustsaywhatyou’refeeling.“Hanginthereamoment...Asyoucansee,I’mfeelingalittlenervoushere.Normalservicewillberestoredsoon.”Likelyasnot,you’llgetawarmroundofapplause,andacrowddyingforyoutosucceed.Vulnerabilitycanbepowerfulatanystageofatalk.Oneofthemoststunning

momentswitnessedontheTEDstagecamewhenneurosurgeonandbestsellingauthorSherwinNulandhadjustcompletedatour-de-forcehistoryofelectroshocktherapy,thetreatmentforseverementalillnessthatinvolvessendingelectriccurrentdirectlythroughapatient’sbrain.Hewasknowledgeableandfunny,andhemadeitallseeminteresting,ifalittleterrifying.Butthenhestopped.“WhyamItellingyouthisstoryatthismeeting?”Hesaidhewantedtosharesomethinghe’dneverspokenorwrittenaboutbefore.Youcouldhaveheardapindrop.“Thereason...isthatIamamanwho,almostthirtyyearsago,hadhislife

savedbytwolongcoursesofelectroshocktherapy.”Nulandwentontounveilhisownsecrethistoryofdebilitatingdepression,anillnessthatgotsobaddoctorswereplanningtoremovepartofhisbrain.Instead,asalastresort,theytriedelectroshocktherapy.Andeventually,aftertwentytreatments,ithadworked.Bymakinghimselfsodeeplyvulnerabletotheaudience,hewasabletoend

histalkwithextraordinarypower.

I’vealwaysfeltthatsomehowIwasanimpostorbecausemyreadersdon’tknowwhatIhavejusttoldyou.SooneofthereasonsthatIhavecomeheretotalkaboutthistodayisto—frankly,selfishly—unburdenmyselfandletitbeknownthatthisisnotanuntroubledmindthathaswrittenallofthesebooks.Butmoreimportantly,Ithink,isthefactthataverysignificantproportionofpeopleinthisaudienceareunderthirtyanditlookstomelikealmostallofyouareonthecuspofamagnificentandexcitingcareer.Anythingcanhappentoyou.Thingschange.Accidentshappen.Somethingfromchildhoodcomesbacktohauntyou.Youcanbethrownoffthetrack...IfIcanfindmywaybackfromthis,believeme,anybodycanfindtheirwaybackfromanyadversitythatexistsintheirlives.Andforthosewhoareolder,whohavelivedthroughdifficulttimes,perhapswheretheylosteverything,asIdid,andstartedoutalloveragain,someofthesethingswillseemveryfamiliar.Thereisrecovery.Thereisredemption.Andthereisresurrection.

Thisisatalkeveryoneshouldsee.SherwinNulandpassedawayin2014,buthisvulnerability,andconsequentinspiration,liveon.

hisvulnerability,andconsequentinspiration,liveon.Willingtobevulnerableisoneofthemostpowerfultoolsaspeakercan

wield.Butaswithanythingpowerful,itshouldbehandledwithcare.BrenéBrownhasseenalotofspeakersmisinterpretheradvice.Shetoldme:“Formulaicorcontrivedpersonalsharingleavesaudiencesfeelingmanipulatedandoftenhostiletowardyouandyourmessage.Vulnerabilityisnotoversharing.There’sasimpleequation:vulnerabilityminusboundariesisnotvulnerability.Itcanbeanythingfromanattempttohotwireconnectiontoattention-seeking,butit’snotvulnerabilityanditdoesn’tleadtoconnection.ThebestwayI’vefoundtogetclearonthisistoreallyexamineourintentions.Issharingdoneinserviceoftheworkonstageorisitawaytoworkthroughourownstuff?Theformerispowerful,thelatterdamagestheconfidencepeoplehaveinus.”Brownstronglyrecommendsthatyoudon’tsharepartsofyourselfthatyou

haven’tyetworkedthrough.“Weneedtohaveownedourstoriesbeforesharingthemisexperiencedasa

gift.Astoryisonlyreadytosharewhenthepresenter’shealingandgrowthisnotdependentontheaudience’sresponsetoit.”Authenticvulnerabilityispowerful.Oversharingisnot.Ifindoubt,tryyour

talkonanhonestfriend.

MAKE’EMLAUGH—BUTNOTSQUIRM!

Concentratingonatalkcanbehardwork,andhumorisawonderfulwaytobringtheaudiencewithyou.IfSophieScottisright,partoftheevolutionarypurposeoflaughteristocreatesocialbonding.Whenyoulaughwithsomeone,youbothfeelyou’reonthesameside.It’safantastictoolforbuildingaconnection.Indeed,formanygreatspeakers,humorhasbecomeasuperweapon.SirKen

Robinson’stalkonschools’failuretonurturecreativity,whichasof2015hadpowereditswayto35millionviewsonTED,wasgivenonthefinaldayoftheconference.Hestartedlikethis.“It’sbeengreat,hasn’tit?I’vebeenblownaway.Infact,I’mleaving.”Theaudiencegiggled.Andbasicallyneverstopped.Fromthatmoment,heownedus.Humorhacksawaythemainresistancetolisteningtoatalk.Byofferinglittlegiftsoflaughterfromthestart,youaresubtlyinformingyouraudience...Comealongfortheride,dearfriends.It’sgoingtobeatreat.Audienceswholaughwithyouquicklycometolikeyou.Andifpeoplelike

you,they’remuchreadiertotakeseriouslywhatyouhavetosay.Laughterblowsopensomeone’sdefenses,andsuddenlyyouhaveachancetotrulycommunicatewiththem.

communicatewiththem.There’sanotherbigbenefitoflaughterearlyinatalk.It’sapowerfulsignal

thatyou’reconnecting.MonicaLewinskytoldmethatthemomenthernervousnesswentawayduringherTEDTalkwaswhentheaudienceeruptedwithlaughter.Andifit’sasignaltothespeaker,it’salsoasignaltoeveryoneelseintheroom.Laughtersays,Weasagrouphavebondedwiththisspeaker.Everyonethenpaysmoreattention.It’sstrikingthatsomeoftheverybestspeakersspendasignificantportionof

theirtalksbuildingthisconnection.InSirKen’scaseabove,almostallofthefirst11minutesisaseriesofhilariouseducation-relatedstoriesthatdolittletoadvancehismainidea,butinsteadcreateanextraordinarybondwiththeaudience.We’rethinking:ThisisSOmuchfun.Ineverthoughteducationcouldbesuchanengagingtopic.Youaresuchanappealingperson...I’dgowithyouanywhere.Andwhenheeventuallygetsseriousandmovesintohismainpointaboutthelossofcreativityinschools,we’rehangingoneveryword.Likewise,inBryanStevenson’sspellbindingtalkaboutinjustice,hespentthe

firstquarterofhistimeonasinglestoryabouthowhisgrandmotherhadpersuadedhimnevertodrink.Thestoryendedhilariously,andsuddenlyweallfeltdeeplyconnectedtothisman.Caution:Successfullyspendingthatmuchtimeonhumorousstoriesisa

specialgift,notrecommendedformostofus.Butifyoucanfindjustoneshortstorythatmakespeoplesmile,itmayunlocktherestofyourtalk.Comicsci-fiauthorRobReidofferedaverydifferenttypeofhumor:satire.

Histonethroughoutwasserious.Heclaimedtobeofferingasoberanalysisof“copyrightmath.”Butafteraminuteorso,peoplebeganrealizingthatactuallyhewasmockingtheabsurdityofcopyrightlawsthatregardedeveryillegallydownloadedsongastheequivalentofstealing$150,000.Thegigglesstartedandquicklyflaredintoguffaws.Ofcourse,itdoesn’talwayswork.OnespeakeratTEDafewyearsago

clearlythoughthewasbeinghilariousintellingaseriesofevermoreawkwardstoriesabouthisex-wife.Maybeacoupleoffriendsintheaudiencewerechuckling.Therestofuswerecringing.Onanotheroccasion,aspeakertriedtoperformeveryquotationinhistalkintheaccentheimaginedtheauthorofthequotemighthavehad.Perhapshisfamilyfoundthistobeendearing.Onapublicstage,itwasjustembarrassing.(Unlessyou’reextremelytalented,Istronglyrecommendavoidingaccents,otherthanyourown!)Thirtyyearsago,speakerspackedtheirtalkswithjokesbasedongender,race,

anddisability.Don’tgothere!Theworldhaschanged.Humorisaskilledart,andnoteveryonecandoit.Ineffectivehumorisworse

thannohumoratall.TellingajokethatyoudownloadedofftheInternetwill

thannohumoratall.TellingajokethatyoudownloadedofftheInternetwillprobablybackfire.Indeedjokesperseseemhackneyed,clumsy,andunsophisticated.Whatyou’relookingforinsteadarehilarious-but-truestoriesthataredirectlyrelevanttoyourtopicorareanendearing,humoroususeoflanguage.ThefunniestpersononourteamisTomRielly,whorunsourfellowsprogram

andforyearsgaveafinalwrap-upoftheconferencethatskeweredeveryspeakerwithwickedhilarity.Here’shisadvice:

1. Tellanecdotesrelevanttoyoursubjectmatter,wherehumorisnatural.Thebesthumorisbasedonobservationofthingsoccurringaroundyouandthenexaggeratingorremixingthem.

2. Haveafunnyremarkreadyifyouflubyourwords,theA/Vgoesawry,oriftheclickerdoesn’twork.Theaudiencehasbeenthereandyouinstantlywintheirsympathy.

3. Buildhumorintoyourvisuals.Youcanalsohavethehumorbethecontrastbetweenwhatyou’resayingandwhatyou’reshowing.Therearelotsofgreatpossibilitiesforlaughter.

4. Usesatire,sayingtheoppositeofwhatyoumean,thenrevealingyourintent,thoughthisisreallyhardtogetright.

5. Timingiscritical.Ifthere’salaughtermoment,youhavetogiveitachancetoland.Thatmaytakethecouragetopausejustforamoment.Andtodosowithoutitlookinglikeyou’refishingforapplause.

6. Veryimportant:Ifyou’renotfunny,don’ttrytobefunny.Testthehumoronfamilyorfriends,orevenacolleague.Aretheylaughing?Ifnot,changeitorspikeit.

Dangers(eveninthehandsofpeopleblessedwiththegiftofhumor):

1. Off-colorremarksandoffensivelanguage:Don’t.You’renotspeakingatalate-nightcomedyclub.

2. Limericksorotherseeminglyfunnypoetry3. Puns4. Sarcasm5. Goingontoolong6. Anyattemptedhumorbasedonreligion,ethnicity,genderidentity,politics.

Membersofthosecommunitiesmaybecan;outsidersdefinitelycan’t.

Allofthesecanworkintherightcircumstancesbutarefraughtwiththepossibilityofbombingorcausingoffense.Iftheaudienceexperienceseither,it’shardtogetthemback.Ifyouplantodoalotofpublicspeaking,it’sreallyworthtryingtofindyour

ownbrandofhumorthatworks.Andifnot,don’tpanic.It’snotforeveryone.Thereareplentyofotherwaystoconnect.

PARKYOUREGO

Wouldyouwanttotrustyourmindtosomeonewhowascompletelyfullofhimself?Nothingdamagestheprospectsofatalkmorethanthesensethatthespeakerisablowhard.Andifthathappensearlyon...lookout.IvividlyrememberaTEDTalkfrommanyyearsagothatbegan:“BeforeI

becamealivingbrand...”Andthere,rightthere,youknewitwasn’tgoingtoendwell.Thespeakerwasonahighaftersomerecentmajorcommercialsuccess,andweweregoingtohearabouteverylastbitofit.That’stheonlytimeatTEDIrememberatalkbeinginterruptedbyhisses.Hisses!Evenifyoutrulyareagenius,adrop-dead-gorgeousathlete,andafearlessleader,it’sbesttoletyouraudiencefigurethatoutforthemselves.TEDspeakerSalmanKhanputitbeautifully:

Beyourself.Theworsttalksaretheoneswheresomeoneistryingtobesomeonetheyaren’t.Ifyouaregenerallygoofy,thenbegoofy.Ifyouareemotional,thenbeemotional.Theoneexceptiontothatisifyouarearrogantandself-centered.Thenyoushoulddefinitelypretendtobesomeoneelse.

Somespeakersusehumortolandadeliberateblowtotheiregos.DanPink,anaccomplishedspeakerwhosetalkonmotivationhas10million

viewsandcounting,walkedontothestagelookingjustabitoverconfidentandbeganspeakinginavoicethatwasjustatadtooloud.Butafterhisfirstfewsentences,wewereallinhispocket.Thisiswhathesaid:

Ineedtomakeaconfessionattheoutsethere.AlittleovertwentyyearsagoIdidsomethingthatIregret,somethingthatI’mnotparticularlyproudof,somethingthat,inmanyways,Iwishnoonewouldeverknow,buthereIfeelkindofobligedtoreveal.Inthelate1980s,inamomentofyouthfulindiscretion,Iwenttolawschool.

indiscretion,Iwenttolawschool.

Brilliant.Nowwelikedhimafterall.Self-deprecation,intherighthands,isabeautifulthing.TonyBlairisamaster

atit,oftenusingself-deprecationtowinoverpotentiallyhostileaudiences.Once,beforehewaselectedBritishprimeminister,hebegantotellastorywhich,hesaidapologetically,mightmakepeopleworrywhetherhewasqualifiedtogovern.HetoldofavisittotheNetherlands,where,atamealwithdignitaries,heencounteredawell-dressedwomaninherfifties.Sheaskedhimwhohewas.“TonyBlair.”“Andwhatdoyoudo?”“IleadtheBritishLabourParty.”Heaskedherwhoshewas.“Beatrix.”“Andwhatdoyoudo?”[awkwardpause]“I’mthequeen.”Anotherspeakerwouldhavejustname-droppedthathe’dhaddinnerwiththeQueenoftheNetherlandsandlosttheaudiencebeforehestarted.Bydeliberatelytalkinghimselfdown,Blairwonlaughter,affection,andtrust.Egoemergesinlotsofwaysthatmaybetrulyinvisibletoaspeakerwho’s

usedtobeingthecenterofattention:

Name-droppingStoriesthatseemdesignedonlytoshowoffBoastingaboutyouroryourcompany’sachievementsMakingthetalkallaboutyouratherthananideaotherscanuse.

Icouldtellyoutogobacktobasicsandtorememberthatthepurposeofyourtalkistogiftanidea,nottoself-promote.Buteventhenyoumightmissit.Itcanbehardtoseefromtheinside.Everyleaderneedssomeoneshecancountonforraw,honestfeedback.Someonewho’snotafraidtoupsetoroffendifneedbe.Ifyou’refeelingproudofwhatyou’verecentlyaccomplished,it’simportanttotryoutyourtalkonthattrustedperson,andthengivethemthechancetosay,“Thatwasgreatinparts.Buthonestly?Youcomeoveralittlefullofyourself.”

TELLASTORY

Storytellingissoimportantthattheentirenextchapterisdedicatedtoit,butoneofitsmostimportantfunctionsistobuildconnectionwiththeaudience.We’reborntolovestories.Theyareinstantgeneratorsofinterest,empathy,

emotion,andintrigue.Theycanbrilliantlyestablishthecontextofatalkandmakepeoplecareaboutatopic.Powerfulstoriescanappearatanystageofatalk.Agreatwaytoopen.A

Powerfulstoriescanappearatanystageofatalk.Agreatwaytoopen.Agreatwaytoillustrateinthemiddle.Andsometimes,thoughlessoften,agreatwaytoend.ErnestoSirolliwantedtogiveatalkaboutabetterapproachtodevelopment

aidinAfrica.Ifyou’regoingtotakeonatoughsubjectlikethat,it’saverygoodideatoconnectwiththeaudiencefirst.Here’showhedidit.

Ourfirstproject...waswhereweItaliansdecidedtoteachZambianpeoplehowtogrowfood.SowearrivedtherewithItalianseedsinsouthernZambiainthisabsolutelymagnificentvalleygoingdowntotheZambeziRiver,andwetaughtthelocalpeoplehowtogrowItaliantomatoesandzucchiniand...Andofcoursethelocalpeoplehadabsolutelynointerestindoingthat...Andwewereamazedthatthelocalpeople,insuchafertilevalley,wouldnothaveanyagriculture.Butinsteadofaskingthemhowcometheywerenotgrowinganything,wesimplysaid,“ThankGodwe’rehere.JustinthenickoftimetosavetheZambianpeoplefromstarvation.”Andofcourse,everythinginAfricagrewbeautifully.Wehadthesemagnificenttomatoes...Andwecouldnotbelieve,andweweretellingtheZambians,“Lookhoweasyagricultureis.”Whenthetomatoeswereniceandripeandred,overnight,sometwohundredhipposcameoutfromtheriverandtheyateeverything.AndwesaidtotheZambians,“MyGod,thehippos!”AndtheZambianssaid,“Yes,that’swhywehavenoagriculturehere.”

Whenyoucanpulltogetherhumor,self-deprecation,andinsightintoasinglestory,youhaveyourselfawinningstart.Thestoriesthatcangeneratethebestconnectionarestoriesaboutyou

personallyoraboutpeopleclosetoyou.Talesoffailure,awkwardness,misfortune,danger,ordisaster,toldauthentically,areoftenthemomentwhenlistenersshiftfromplainvanillainteresttodeepengagement.Theyhavestartedtosharesomeofyouremotions.Theyhavestartedtocareaboutyou.Theyhavestartedtolikeyou.Butbecareful.Somestoriescancomeoverasboastfuloremotionally

manipulative.Whenyouexplaintheamazingwayyouturnedaproblemintoathrillingsuccess,farfromconnecting,youmayactuallyturnpeopleoff.Whenyoupullthephotographofyoureldestsonfromyourjacketpocketrightattheendofyourtalk,declarethathe’sbeendiagnosedwithaterminalillness,andsaythatyourtalkisdevotedtohim,youmaymakeyouraudiencemoreuncomfortablethansympathetic.

Theguidelinehereisjusttobeauthentic.Isthattherealyoutellingthisstory?

Agoodtestistoimaginewhetheryouwouldtellthisstorytoagroupofoldfriends.Andifso,how.Friendsaregooddetectorsoftheinauthentic.Andsoareaudiences.Bereal,andyouwon’tgotoofarwrong.Andthatadviceappliestothisentirechapteronconnection.I’vesometimes

describedthesesuggestionsastoolsortechniques.It’simportanttheydon’tcomeoverthatway.Theyneedtobepartofanauthenticdesiretoconnect.You’reahuman.Yourlistenersarehumans.Thinkofthemasfriends.Andjustreachout.

AH,POLITICS

Ican’tendthischapterwithoutlamentingthebiggestkillerofconnection:tribalthinking.Whetherinpolitics,religion,orrace,peoplewhoarepartofacommunitythathasrejectedwholesaletheideasyouwanttoarticulate,are,tosaytheleast,achallengingaudience.DidmyreferenceabovetoTonyBlairmakeyouangryatme?Afteryearsin

power,andespeciallybecauseofhissupportforthewarinIraq,hebecamehatedbysometothepointwherejustmentioninghisnameraisedtheirstresslevels.Forthem,theexampleabovewillhaveseemedpoorlychosen.Itsexplanatorypurposewillhavebeenignored.Politicscandothis.Andsocanreligion.Someviewsareheldsodeeplythatif

aspeakerseemstobethreateningthem,peoplegointoadifferentmode.Insteadoflistening,theyshutdownandsmolder.Thisisaverybigproblem.Oneofthemostconsequentialpiecesofpublic

speakinginrecenttimeshasbeenthepresentationAlGorebeganmakingin2005thatwasturnedintothedocumentaryAnInconvenientTruth,proclaimingaglobalclimatecrisis.Hemadepowerfuluseofeverytalktechniqueyoucanimagine:compellingslides,carefullogic,eloquence,humor,passionateadvocacy,devastatingmockeryofopposingviews,andevenatouchingpersonalstoryabouthisdaughter.Whenhegavethepresentationataspecialoff-the-recordsessionofTED,itprofoundlyimpactedthelivesofmanyparticipants,persuadingsometochuckintheirjobsandworkfull-timeonclimateissues.Therewasoneproblem,though.AlGorewasapoliticianinacountrysharply

dividedonpartisanlines.Ourpartisaninstinctsbuildnear-impregnablebarriersagainstpropagandafromtheotherside.HalfofthecountryconnectedmoredeeplywithGorethanever,embracedAnInconvenientTruth,andhadtheirworldviewspermanentlyaltered.Theotherhalfneverconnectedatall.They

simplyshutitout.TheveryfactthatitwasGorethepoliticianmakingthecasemeantthatitcouldn’tbetrue.Adecadelater,theclimateissuewasaspoliticizedasever.Whatshouldbeamatterofsciencehadtragicallybecomeatestofpoliticalalignment.(It’spossiblethesamethingwouldhavehappenedontheleftifDickCheneyorKarlRovehadledthechargeonamajorglobalissue.)Thetoxicityofourpolitical(andreligious)nonconversationsisatruetragedy

ofthemodernworld.Whenpeoplearen’tpreparedorreadytolisten,communicationcan’thappen.Ifyouwanttoreachpeoplewhoradicallydisagreewithyou,youronlychance

istoputyourselfintheirshoesasbestyoucan.Don’tuselanguagethatmaytriggertribalresponses.Startwithavisionoftheworldasseenthroughtheireyes.Anduseeveryoneofthetoolsdescribedheretobuildaconnectionbasedonyoursharedhumanity.Happily,mostspeakingopportunitiesarewithfundamentallywelcoming

audiences.Youshouldreadilybeabletomakeaconnectionwiththem.Andthenyourtalkcantrulyshine.

TalkTools

6

NARRATIONTheIrresistibleAllureofStories

Storieshelpedmakeuswhoweare.Imeanthisliterally.Thebestevidencefromarchaeologyandanthropologysuggeststhatthehumanmindcoevolvedwithstorytelling.Aboutamillionyearsago,ourhominidancestorsbegangainingcontrolofthe

useoffire,anditseemstohavehadaprofoundimpactontheirdevelopment.Warmth,yes.Defenseagainstpredators,yes.Cookinganditsremarkableconsequencesforthegrowthofourbrains,yes.Buttherewassomethingelse.Firecreatedanewmagnetforsocialbonding.Itswarmthandflickeringlight

drewpeopletogetherafterdark.Thisseemstohavehappenedineveryancienthunter-gatherercultureoverthelastthreehundredthousandyears.Andwhatdidtheydowiththistimetogether?Itseemsthat,inmanycultures,

oneformofsocialinteractionbecameprevalent:storytelling.AnthropologistPollyWiessnerhasspentfortyyearsresearchingcertain

foragerculturesandperiodicallyrecordingwhosaidwhatandwhen.In2014,shepublishedapaperthatshowedadramaticdifferencebetweendaytimeandnighttimegatherings.Daytimetalk,evenwhenlargergroupswereinvolved,centeredoneconomicdiscussionsandsocialgossip.Atnight,themoodmellowed.Theremightbesinging,dancing,rituals.Butthemosttimewasspentonstorytelling.Talesthatbroughtpeoplefromdistantplacestothehearthandintotheheartsandmindsoflisteners.Talesofpeoplealiveanddead.Presentanddistant.Talesevokinghilarity,tension,andawe.Talestoldbymen.Talestoldbywomen.Oftenthestarstorytellerswereelders.Insomecases,theyhadlosttheirsightbutwerestillveneratedfortheiroralstorytelling.ProfessorWiessnertoldmethatthesestoriesplayedacrucialroleinhelping

expandpeople’sabilitytoimagineanddreamandunderstandthemindsofothers.Theyallowedhumanmindstoexplorevastsocialnetworksandtobuildimaginedcommunitiesfarbeyondthebordersoftheirlocalsocialgroup.Storiesbroughtsocialstatustogreatstorytellersandactionableinsightstogreatlisteners.(Forexample,anattentivelistenercouldlearnhowtoavoidthelife-threateningdangersdescribedinastory.)Therefore,thosenarratingandlisteningskillsarelikelytohavebeenselectedforasmodernhumansevolved.Soit’snotjustthatwealllovehearingstories.Theyprobablyhelpedshape

howourmindsshareandreceiveinformation.Certainly,thepowerofstorieshascontinuedtothisday,asevidencedbythe

multi-billion-dollarindustriesbuiltaroundnovels,movies,andTV.Andit’snosurprisetodiscoverthatmanyofthebesttalksareanchoredin

Andit’snosurprisetodiscoverthatmanyofthebesttalksareanchoredinstorytelling.Unlikechallengingexplanationsorcomplexarguments,everyonecanrelatetostories.Theytypicallyhaveasimplelinearstructurethatmakesthemeasytofollow.Youjustletthespeakertakeyouonajourney,onestepatatime.Thankstoourlonghistoryaroundcampfires,ourmindsarereallygoodattrackingalong.Andanaturalpartoflisteningtostoriesisthatyouempathizewiththe

experiencesofthecharacters.Youfindyourselfimmersedintheirthoughtsandemotions.Infact,youphysicallyfeelwhattheyfeel;ifthey’restressedorexcitedorexhilarated,soareyou.Andthatmakesyoucareabouttheoutcome.Yourattentionisheld.

Whataretheelementsofagreatstory?Theclassicformulais:Aprotagonist

withgoalsmeetsanunexpectedobstacleandacrisisresults.Theprotagonistattemptstoovercometheobstacle,leadingtoaclimax,andfinallyadenouement.(Therecanalsobeinterruptionsandplottwists.)Whenitcomestosharingastoryfromthestage,remembertoemphasizefour

keythings:

Baseitonacharacteryouraudiencecanempathizewith.Buildtension,whetherthroughcuriosity,socialintrigue,oractualdanger.Offertherightlevelofdetail.Toolittleandthestoryisnotvivid.Toomuchanditgetsboggeddown.Endwithasatisfyingresolution,whetherfunny,moving,orrevealing.

Ofcourse,it’sallintheexecution,soit’sreallyworthfine-tuningyourstories.Often,especiallywithstoriesfromourownlives,weoverstuffwithdetailsthatareimportanttous,butthatawideraudiencejustdoesn’tneedtoknow.Or,worse,weforgetanessentialpieceofcontext,withoutwhichthestorydoesn’tmakemuchsense.Here’sagreatstory:

Once,whenIwaseightyearsold,myfathertookmefishing.Wewereinatinyboat,fivemilesfromshore,whenamassivestormblewin.Dadputalifejacketonmeandwhisperedinmyear,“Doyoutrustme,son?”Inodded.Hethrewmeoverboard.[pause]Ikidyounot.Justtossedmeover!Ihitthewaterandbobbeduptothesurface,gaspingforbreath.Itwasshockinglycold.Thewaveswereterrifying.Monstrous.Then...Dad

divedinafterme.Wewatchedinhorrorasourlittleboatflippedandsank.Buthewasholdingmethewholetime,tellingmeitwasgoingtobeOK.Fifteenminuteslater,theCoastGuardhelicopterarrived.ItturnedoutthatDadknewtheboatwasdamagedandwasgoingtosink,andhehadcalledthemwithourexactlocation.Heguesseditwasbettertochuckmeintheopenseathanriskgettingtrappedwhentheboatflipped.AndthatishowIlearnedthetruemeaningofthewordtrust.

Andhere’shownottotellit:

IlearnedtrustfrommyfatherwhenIwaseightyearsoldandwegotcaughtinastormwhileoutfishingformackerel.Wefailedtocatchasingleonebeforethestormhit.Dadknewtheboatwasgoingtosink,becauseitwasoneofthoseSaturnbrandinflatableboats,whichareusuallyprettystrong,butthisonehadbeenpuncturedonceandDadthoughtitmighthappenagain.Inanycase,thestormwastoobigforaninflatableboatanditwasalreadyleaking.SohecalledtheCoastGuardrescueservice,who,backthen,wereavailable24/7,unliketoday.Hetoldthemourlocation,andthen,toavoidtheriskofgettingtrappedunderwater,heputalifejacketonmeandthrewmeoverboardbeforejumpinginhimself.WethenwaitedfortheCoastGuardtocomeand,sureenough,15minuteslaterthehelicoptershowedup—IthinkitwasaSikorskyMH-60Jayhawk—andwewerefine.

Thefirststoryhasacharacteryoucareaboutandintensedramathatbuildstoincredulitybeforebeingbeautifullyresolved.Thesecondversionisamess.Thedramaiskilledbyrevealingthefather’sintenttooearly;there’snoattempttosharetheactualexperienceofthekid;therearetoomanydetailsincludedthatareirrelevanttomostoftheaudience,whileothergermanedetailslikethegiantwavesareignored.Worstofall,thekeylinethatanchorsthestory,“Doyoutrustme,son?,”islost.Ifyou’regoingtotellastory,makesureyouknowwhyyou’retellingit,andtrytoeditoutallthedetailsthatarenotneededtomakeyourpoint,whilestillleavingenoughinforpeopletovividlyimaginewhathappened.Someofthegreatesttalksarebuiltaroundasinglestory.Thisstructureoffers

thespeakerhugebenefits:

Thethroughlineistakencareof.(Itissimplythenarrativearcofthestory.)Providedthestoryiscompelling,youcanevokeanintenseresponseintheaudience.

Ifthestoryisaboutyou,youwillcreateempathyforsomeofthethingsyoucaremostabout.It’seasytorememberwhatyou’regoingtosaybecausethestructureislinear,andyourbrainisextremelycomfortablerecallingoneeventrightafteranother.

Manyspeakersthereforeuseaspeakingslotsimplytosharetheirownstory.Itisthesimplest,easiest-to-preparetypeoftalkthereis.Andthere’sacomforttoit.Youknowyourstory.Youcertainlyknowmoreaboutitthananyoneintheaudience.Ifyourjourneyhasbeenremarkable,andifthere’sacoherencetothe

narrative,thistypeoftalkcanworkreallywell.Butthere’satrapheretoo.Remember,thegoalistogive.Personalstories

sometimesfailtodothat.Theymayentertainorintrigueorboostthespeaker’sego.Buttheydon’tautomaticallygivetheaudiencesomethingtheycanwalkawaywith:Insights,actionableinformation,perspective,context,hope.Andthat’sarealshame.Oneofthebiggestreasonsweturndownapplications

tospeakatTEDiswhenwe’reofferedcompellinganecdotesbutnocentralideathatwrapsthenarrativetogether.Thisisheartbreaking,becausethespeakersareoftenwonderful,fascinatingpeople.Butwithoutthewraparoundofanidea,it’sanopportunitymissed.

Thekeyshiftneededisanartfuleditofyourjourneythatlinkstogether

criticalmomentsinawaythatsomeoneelsecanderivemeaningfromthem.Withoutthat,evenifyourlifehasbeenimpressive,thetalkmayfeelramblingandself-indulgent.Butifthejourneyrevealssomethingpowerfulyouhavelearned,andifeachstepinyourjourneyisrevealedwithhumilityandhonestyandvulnerability,itisajourneywewillgladlymakewithyou.There’soneothernonnegotiableessentialifyou’retotellyourownstory.It

hastobetrue.Thismayseemobvious,but,alas,speakersaresometimestemptedtoexaggerateorevenfabricate.Preciselybecauseastorycanhavesomuchimpact,theywanttocastthemselvesortheirorganizationsinthebestpossiblelight,andtheysometimescrossthatlinecalledtruth.Doingthisistheeasiestwaytodestroyyourreputation.Whentalksgopublic,theremaybethousandsofeyeswatchingthem.Itonlytakesonepersontonoticethatsomething’snotquiteright,andyoucanfindyourselfinhotwater.It’snotworththerisk.Whenyoucombineatruthfulstorywithadesiretouseitforothers’benefit,

youcangiveyourlistenersanextraordinarygift.

youcangiveyourlistenersanextraordinarygift.PsychologistEleanorLongdenwaswillingtosharepubliclyhowatuniversity

shebeganhearingvoicesinherhead,andhowthatledtoherbeingdiagnosedwithschizophrenia,institutionalized,anddriventothepointofsuicide.Thestoryaloneisriveting,butshebuildsitsothatyouleavethetalkwithinspiringinsightsonschizophrenia,mentalillness,andhowwemightrethinkourresponsestothem.Here’spartoftheending:

Thereisnogreaterhonororprivilegethanfacilitatingthatprocessofhealingforsomeone;tobearwitness,toreachoutahand,tosharetheburdenofsomeone’ssuffering,andtoholdthehopefortheirrecovery.Andlikewise,forsurvivorsofdistressandadversity,thatwedon’thavetoliveourlivesforeverdefinedbythedamagingthingsthathavehappenedtous.Weareunique.Weareirreplaceable.Whatlieswithinuscanneverbetrulycolonized,contorted,ortakenaway.Thelightnevergoesout.

ExplorerBenSaunderswentonatrektotheSouthPolethatalmosttookhislife.He’sapowerfulstorytellerandhasgreatphotographstoillustratewhathappened.Ashedrewneartheendofhistalk,wewaitedexpectantlyfortheusualadmonitionsadventurersofferustogooutanddiscoverourtrueselvesinwhateverchallengewetakeon.ButBensurprisedus.Hesharedsomedarkmomentshe’dexperiencedsincethetrekandsaidthedestinationhe’dbeendreamingofforyearswaslesssatisfyingthanthejourney.Thetakeaway?Don’tpinyourhappinessonthefuture.

Ifwecan’tfeelcontenthere,today,now,onourjourneys,amidstthemessandthestrivingthatweallinhabit,theopenloops,thehalf-finishedto-dolists,thecould-do-better-next-times,thenwemightneverfeelit.

WriterAndrewSolomondescribedhowhewashumiliatedasachild,evenbeforehecameoutasgay,andturnedthestoryintoanexhilaratingessayonidentitythatanyonecouldrelatetoandlearnfrom.

There’salwayssomebodywhowantstoconfiscateourhumanity,andtherearealwaysstoriesthatrestoreit.Ifweliveoutloud,wecantrouncethehatredandexpandeveryone’slives.

SirKenRobinson’shilariouscelebrationoftheimportanceofcreativityinchildrenisanchoredinastory.Hedescribeshowadoctorinthe1930snoticed

thatayounggirlwhowasfailingatschoolhadanirresistibledesiretodance.Insteadofmedicatingher,hepersuadedhermothertosendhertodanceschool.ThegirlwasGillianLynne,whobecamethehugelysuccessfulchoreographerforAndrewLloydWebber.Thisstory,toldinSirKen’sinimitablestyle,isamovingillustrationoftheperilsandpotentialinhowschoolshandlecreativity,anditisthepartofthetalkthatturnshilarityintoinspiration.

THEPOWEROFPARABLE

Somestoriesarecarefullydesignedasmetaphors.There’sausefulwordforthistypeofstory:parable.Traditionally,aparableisastorythatcarriesamoralorspirituallesson.It’sa

toolthat’sbeenusedbyreligiousteachersthroughouthistorytogreateffect.ThestoriesofJesus,Ithinkwecanagree,haveclockedupevenmoreviewsthanSirKen’s.Butwecanextendtheword’smeaningtocoveranystorythatcarrieswithitthepowerofmetaphor.LawprofessorLawrenceLessigisabrilliantpurveyorofparables.Hecameto

TEDin2013toarguethatAmerica’spoliticalprocesshadbecomeirredeemablycorruptedbymoney.HehadusimagineafoolishcountrycalledLesterlandinwhichonlythepeoplenamedLesterwereabletovote.Clearlythatwouldberidiculous.ButthenhepointedoutthatthenumberofpeoplenamedLesterintheUSisaboutthesameasthenumberofsignificantpoliticalfunders.AndthatmembersofCongresshavetheirprioritieslargelysetbythosefunders,sothateffectivelyit’sonlythefunderswhoseviewsandvotesmatter.Inthisparable,weallliveinLesterland.WriterMalcolmGladwellalsospecializesinparables—andtheappealofthis

formisreflectedintheamazingsalesofhisbooksandthehighnumberofviewsonhisTEDTalks.Hismostpopulartalkis,believeitornot,ataleaboutthedevelopmentofnewformsofspaghettisauce.Butheusesitasaparablefortheinsightthatdifferentpeoplewantverydifferentthingsbutoftendon’thavethelanguagetosaywhattheywant,untilyoufindtherightquestionstoaskthem.What’ssatisfyingabouteachofthesetalksisthewaytheydrawoutthe

meaningfromthestory.Youdon’twanttoinsulttheintelligenceoftheaudiencebyforce-feedingexactlytheconclusiontheymustdrawfromthetaleyou’vetold.Butyouabsolutelydowanttobesurethere’senoughthereforyourlistenerstobeabletoconnectthedots.Andthisiswhereknowingyouraudiencewellisimportant.Aparablemightworkverywellwithanaudiencethatalreadyknowsyourfield,butitwillneedmuchgreaterelucidationforthoseoutsideit.It’simportanttotestyourmaterialonsomeonewhoknowstheaudiencetoseeifitlandswithclaritybutwithoutclumsiness.

itlandswithclaritybutwithoutclumsiness.Thereareplentyofotherrisksingoingtheparableroute.Sometimesthe

analogydoesn’tquitefit.Itcanmisleadasmuchasenlighten.Oryoucanspendsomuchtimetellingthestorythatyoumissdrawingoutthenecessaryconclusions.Butintherighthands,aparablecanentertain,inform,andinspireallinone.

Thereisanotherpowerfulfunctionthatstoriesoffer:Explanation.Forthispurposetheyaren’tusuallythemainattraction,butmorethesupport.Andtheyusuallycomeintheformofshortinsertsdesignedtoillustrateorreinforceanidea.We’lldigintothisuseofstoriesinthenextchapter.Meanwhile,rememberthis:Storiesresonatedeeplyineveryhuman.Bygiving

yourtalkasastoryoraseriesofrelatedstories,youcangreatlyincreaseyourconnectionwithyourlisteners.But,please:letitmeansomething.

TalkTools

7

EXPLANATIONHowtoExplainToughConcepts

HarvardpsychologistDanGilbertcametoTEDwithadauntingtask.Injustasingleshorttalk,heplannedtoexplainasophisticatedconceptcalled“synthesizedhappiness”andwhyitledustomakewildlyinaccuratepredictionsaboutourownfutures.Let’sseehowhesetaboutit.Here’showhebegins:

Whenyouhave21minutestospeak,twomillionyearsseemslikeareallylongtime.

Anopeninglineanchoredinthehereandnow,butimmediatelycreatingintrigue.

Butevolutionarily,twomillionyearsisnothing.Andyetintwomillionyears,thehumanbrainhasnearlytripledinmass,goingfromtheone-and-a-quarter-poundbrainofourancestorhere,[Homo]habilis,tothealmostthree-poundmeatloafthateverybodyherehasbetweentheirears.Whatisitaboutabigbrainthatnaturewassoeagerforeveryoneofustohaveone?

Doyoufeelalittlesparkofcuriosity?That’sthefirststeptoasuccessfulexplanation.Onceamindisintrigued,itopensup.Itwantsnewideas.Gilbertcontinuestotease:

Well,itturnsoutwhenbrainstripleinsize,theydon’tjustgetthreetimesbigger;theygainnewstructures.Andoneofthemainreasonsourbraingotsobigisbecauseitgotanewpart,called...theprefrontalcortex.Whatdoesaprefrontalcortexdoforyouthatshouldjustifytheentirearchitecturaloverhaulofthehumanskullintheblinkofevolutionarytime?

Whilecontinuingtostokeourcuriosity,Gilbertjustslottedinthefirstconcepthe’llbebuildingon:prefrontalcortex.

Oneofthemostimportantthingsitdoes:it’sanexperiencesimulator.Pilotspracticeinflightsimulatorssothattheydon’tmakerealmistakesinplanes.Humanbeingshavethismarvelousadaptationthattheycanactuallyhaveexperiencesintheirheadsbeforetheytrythemoutinreallife.Thisisatrickthatnoneofourancestorscoulddo,andthatnootheranimalcando

atrickthatnoneofourancestorscoulddo,andthatnootheranimalcandoquitelikewecan.It’samarvelousadaptation.It’suptherewithopposablethumbsandstandinguprightandlanguageasoneofthethingsthatgotourspeciesoutofthetreesandintotheshoppingmall.

Slippedinalongwiththehumor,wegetanothercoolnewconcept.Experiencesimulator.That’sakeybuildingblock.Itwasdroppedintoplacecourtesyofasimplemetaphor,theflightsimulator.Wealreadyknowwhatthatis,soit’spossibletoimaginewhatanexperiencesimulatormightbe.Butcoulditbemadeclearerwithanexample?Yes,itcould:

BenandJerry’sdoesn’thaveliver-and-onionicecream,andit’snotbecausetheywhippedsomeup,triedit,andwent,yuck.It’sbecause,withoutleavingyourarmchair,youcansimulatethatflavorandsayyuckbeforeyoumakeit.

Asinglevividexampleofthesimulatorinaction,andyoutotallygetit.Butnowthetalktakesanintriguingtwist.

Let’sseehowyourexperiencesimulatorsareworking.Let’sjustrunaquickdiagnosticbeforeIproceedwiththerestofthetalk.HerearetwodifferentfuturesthatIinviteyoutocontemplate.Youcantrytosimulatethemandtellmewhichoneyouthinkyoumightprefer.Oneofthemiswinningthelottery.Andtheotherisbecomingparaplegic.

Theaudienceislaughing,butalittlenervously,wonderingwhat’stocome.Andwhat’stocomeisatrulyastonishingslide.Gilbertshowsusdatasuggestingthat,oneyearafterwinningthelotteryorbecomingaparaplegic,bothgroupsareactuallyequallyhappy.What?!Thatcan’tberight.Thiscoolnewconceptoftheexperiencesimulatorhassuddenlytakenyoutoaplaceyoudidn’texpect.Abafflingplace.Thefactsyou’representedwithmakenosense.You’reexperiencingaknowledgegapandyourmindiscravingthatitbefilled.SoGilbertproceedstofillit,byofferinganothernewconcept.

Theresearchthatmylaboratoryhasbeendoing...hasrevealedsomethingreallyquitestartlingtous,somethingwecalltheimpactbias,whichisthetendencyforthesimulatortoworkbadly...tomakeyoubelievethatdifferentoutcomesaremoredifferentthaninfacttheyreallyare.

Byputtinganameonit—impactbias—themysterysomehowbecomesmorebelievable.Butourcuriosityisburningmorebrightlythaneverinitsattempttobridgethisgap.Canitreallybethecasethatwecouldmispredictourfuturehappinesslevelstothisdegree?Gilberttapsintothatveinofcuriositytounveilhiskeyconcept.

Fromfieldstudiestolaboratorystudies,weseethatwinningorlosinganelection,gainingorlosingaromanticpartner,gettingornotgettingapromotion,passingornotpassingacollegetest,onandon,havefarlessimpact,lessintensity,andmuchlessdurationthanpeopleexpectthemtohave.Thisalmostfloorsme—arecentstudyshowinghowmajorlifetraumasaffectpeoplesuggeststhat,ifithappenedoverthreemonthsago,withonlyafewexceptions,ithasnoimpactwhatsoeveronyourhappiness.Why?Becausehappinesscanbesynthesized!...Humanbeingshave

somethingthatwemightthinkofasapsychologicalimmunesystem.Asystemofcognitiveprocesses,largelynonconsciouscognitiveprocesses,thathelpthemchangetheirviewsoftheworldsothattheycanfeelbetterabouttheworldsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.

Thereitis,synthetichappinessexplained.It’sbeenbuiltontheconceptsofprefrontalcortex,experiencesimulator,andimpactbias.Andtomakeitclear,Gilbertusesanothermetaphor,thatoftheimmunesystem.Youalreadyknowwhatanimmunesystemis,sotothinkofthisasapsychologicalimmunesystemiseasy.Theconceptisnotdeliveredinasingleleapbutpiecebypiece,andwithmetaphorstoguideandshowhowthepiecesfittogether.Butperhapswe’restillnotfullybelievingit.SoGilbertencouragesusthathe

reallydoesmeanwhatheseemstobesayingbygivingaseriesofexamplesofpeople’spsychologicalimmunesystemsatwork:

Adisgracedpoliticianwhoisgratefulforhisfall,Afalselyconvictedinmatewhodescribeshisthirty-sevenyearsinjailas“agloriousexperience,”AndPeteBest,theFabFour’srejecteddrummer,whofamouslysaid,“I’mhappierthanIwouldhavebeenwiththeBeatles.”

Theexamplesreallydrivehispointhome.Gilbertgoesontoshowhowthisphenomenoncanbeobservedeverywhere,andhowyoucanliveawiser,happierlifeifyoutakeitintoaccount.Afterall,whydowechasehappinesswhenwe

havethecapacitywithinourselvestomanufacturetheverycommoditywecrave?Butalreadywe’veseenenoughtorevealthecoreelementsofamasterful

explanation.Let’srecap:

Step1.Hestartedrightwherewewere.Bothliterally,“Whenyouhave21minutestospeak...,”andconceptually,withoutdauntingassumptionsaboutourknowledgeofpsychologyorneuroscience.

Step2.Helitafirecalledcuriosity.Curiosityiswhatmakespeopleaskwhy?andhow?It’sthefeelingthatsomethingdoesn’tquitemakesense.Thatthere’saknowledgegapthathastobeclosed.Thishappenedrightatthestartandthenwasdialedupdramaticallywithhisunexpecteddataaboutparaplegicsandlotterywinners.

Step3.Hebroughtinconceptsonebyone.Youcan’tunderstandthemainconceptwithoutfirstbeingintroducedtothepiecesonwhichitdepends,inthiscaseprefrontalcortex,experiencesimulator,andimpactbias.

Step4.Heusedmetaphors.Ittookmetaphorsliketheflightsimulatorandthepsychologicalimmunesystemtomakeclearwhathewastalkingabout.Foranexplanationtobesatisfyingithastotakepuzzlingfactsandbuildaconnectionfromthemtosomeone’sexistingmentalmodeloftheworld.Metaphorsandanalogiesarethekeytoolsneededtodothis.Theyhelpshapetheexplanationuntilfinallyitsnapsintoplacewithasatisfyingaha!

Step5.Heusedexamples.Littlestories,likethatofPeteBest,helplocktheexplanationintoplace.Thisislikesayingtothebrain:Youthinkyouunderstandthisidea?Thenapplyittothesefacts.Ifitfits,you’vegotthisfiguredout.

Attheendofhisexplanation,ourmentalmodeloftheworldhasbeenupgraded.It’sricher,deeper,truer.Abetterreflectionofreality.Explanationistheactthatconsciouslyaddsanewelementtosomeone’s

mentalmodelorreordersexistingelementsinamoresatisfyingway.If,asIhavesuggested,thegoalofagreattalkistobuildanideainsidesomeone’smind,thenexplanationistheessentialtoolforachievingthatgoal.

mind,thenexplanationistheessentialtoolforachievingthatgoal.ManyofthebestTEDTalksachievetheirgreatnessthroughmasterful

explanation.Andthere’sabeautifulwordforthegifttheygive:Understanding.Wecandefineitastheupgradingofaworldviewtobetterreflectreality.Thereisevidencefromnumerousdiversesources,fromneuroscienceto

psychologytoeducationaltheory,thatthisishowunderstandingmusthappen.It’sbuiltasahierarchy,witheachlayersupplyingtheelementsthatconstructthenextlayer.Westartwithwhatweknow,andweaddbitspiecebypiece,witheachpartpositionedbyusingalreadyunderstoodlanguage,backedbymetaphorsandexamples.Themetaphors,perhapsliterally,revealthe“shape”ofthenewconceptsothatthemindknowshowtoslotitineffectively.Withoutthisshaping,theconceptscan’tbeputinplace,soakeypartofplanningatalkistohavethebalancerightbetweentheconceptsyouareintroducingandtheexamplesandmetaphorsneededtomakethemunderstandable.LexicographerErinMcKeanoffersthisasaniceexampleofthepowerof

metaphor.

IfyouweregivingatalkaboutJavaScripttoageneralaudience,youcouldexplainthatpeopleoftenhaveamentalmodelofacomputerprogramasbeingasetofinstructions,executedoneafteranother.ButinJavaScript,instructionscanbeasynchronous,whichmeansthatyoucan’tbeconfidentthatlinefivewillalwayshappenafterlinefour.Imagineifyouweregettingdressedinthemorninganditwaspossibletoputyourshoesonbeforeyourjeans(oryourjeansonbeforeyourunderpants)!ThatcanhappeninJavaScript.

Asingle-sentencemetaphorand:click!thelightcomeson.Ifthecoreofyourtalkisexplainingapowerfulnewidea,itishelpfultoask:

Whatdoyouassumeyouraudiencealreadyknows?Whatwillbeyourconnectingtheme?Whataretheconceptsnecessarytobuildyourexplanation?Andwhatmetaphorsandexampleswillyouusetorevealthoseconcepts?

THECURSEOFKNOWLEDGE

Unfortunately,thisisn’tthateasy.WeallsufferfromacognitivebiasforwhicheconomistRobinHogarthcoinedtheterm“thecurseofknowledge.”Inanutshell,wefindithardtorememberwhatitfeelslikenottoknowsomethingthatweourselvesknowwell.Aphysicistlivesandbreathessubatomicparticles

andmayassumethateveryoneelseofcourseknowswhatacharmquarkis.Iwasshockedinarecentcocktail-partydiscussiontohearatalentedyoungnovelistask:“Youkeepusingtheterm‘naturalselection.’Whatexactlydoyoumeanbythat?”Ithoughteveryonewithhalfaneducationunderstoodthebasicideasofevolution.Iwaswrong.InTheSenseofStyle:TheThinkingPerson’sGuidetoWritinginthe21st

Century,StevenPinkersuggeststhatovercomingthecurseofknowledgemaybethesinglemostimportantrequirementinbecomingaclearwriter.Ifit’strueaboutwriting,whenreadershaveachancetopauseandrereadasentenceseveraltimesbeforecontinuing,thenit’sevenmoretrueaboutspeaking.Pinkersuggeststhatsimplybeingconsciousofthisbiasisnotenough.Youhavetoexposeyourdraftstofriendsorcolleaguesandbegforruthlessfeedbackonanythingtheydon’tunderstand.Thesameistruefortalks,andespeciallythosetalksthatseektoexplainsomethingcomplex.Firstshareadraftscriptwithcolleaguesandfriends.Thentryitoutinfrontofaprivateaudience.Andspecificallyaskthequestions,Didthatmakesense?Wasanythingconfusing?I’velongadmiredPinker’sabilitytoexplainourminds’machinations,soI

askedhimforsomemoreguidancehere.Hetoldmethat,fortrueunderstandingtotakeplace,thefullhierarchicalstructureofanideamustbecommunicated.

Amajorfindingofcognitivepsychologyisthatlong-termmemorydependsoncoherenthierarchicalorganizationofcontent—chunkswithinchunkswithinchunks.Aspeaker’schallengeistousethefundamentallyone-dimensionalmediumofspeech(onewordafteranother)toconveyamultidimensional(hierarchicalandcross-linking)structure.Aspeakerbeginswithawebofideasinhishead,andbytheverynatureoflanguagehehastoconvertitintoastringofwords.

Thistakesgreatcare,rightdowntoindividualsentencesandhowtheylink.Aspeakerhastobesurethatlistenersknowhoweachsentencerelateslogicallytotheprecedingone,whethertherelationshipissimilarity,contrast,elaboration,exemplification,generalization,before-and-after,cause,effect,orviolatedexpectation.Andtheymustknowwhetherthepointtheyarenowponderingisadigression,apartofthemainargument,anexceptiontothemainargument,andsoon.

Ifyouimaginethestructureofanexplanatorytalkasacentralthroughline

withotherpartsconnectedtoit—anecdotes,examples,amplifications,digressions,clarifications,etc.—thenoverallthatstructuremaylooklikeatree.

digressions,clarifications,etc.—thenoverallthatstructuremaylooklikeatree.Thethroughlineisthetrunk,andthebranchesarethevariouspiecesattachedtoit.Butforunderstandingtotakeplace,it’scrucialthelistenerknowswheresheisonthattree.Thisisoftenwherethecurseofknowledgestrikeshardest.Everysentenceis

understandable,butthespeakerforgetstoshowhowtheylinktogether.Tohim,it’sobvious.Here’sasimpleexample.Aspeakersays:

Chimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans.Humanslearnedhowtousetoolstoamplifytheirnaturalstrength.Ofcourse,chimpanzeesalsousetools.

Andanaudienceisleftconfused.Whatisthepointbeingmadehere?Maybethespeakerwastryingtoarguethattoolsmattermorethanstrengthbutdidn’twanttoimplythatchimpanzeesneverusetools.Orthatchimpanzeesarenowcapableoflearninghowtoamplifytheiralreadygreaterstrength.Thethreesentencesdon’tconnect,andtheresultisamuddle.Theaboveshouldhavebeenreplacedwithoneofthese:

Althoughchimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans,humansaremuchbettertoolusers.Andthosetoolshaveamplifiedhuman’snaturalstrengthfarbeyondthatofchimpanzees’.

Or(andwithaverydifferentmeaning),

Chimpanzeeshavevastlygreaterstrengththanhumans.Andnowwe’vediscoveredthattheyalsousetools.Theycouldusethosetoolstolearnhowtoamplifytheirnaturalstrength.

Whatthismeansisthatsomeofthemostimportantelementsinatalkarethelittlephrasesthatgivecluestothetalk’soverallstructure:“Although...”“Onerecentexample...”“Ontheotherhand...”“Let’sbuildonthat...”“Playingdevil’sadvocateforamoment...”“Imustjusttellyoutwostoriesthatamplifythisfinding.”“Asanaside...”“Atthispointyoumayobjectthat...”“So,insummary...”Equallyimportantistheprecisesequencingofsentencesandconceptssothat

understandingcanbuildnaturally.Insharingearlydraftsofthisbooktherewerecountlessoccasionswhenpeoplepointedout,“IthinkIgetit.Butitwouldbemuchclearerifyouswitchedthesetwoparagraphsandexplainedthelink

muchclearerifyouswitchedthesetwoparagraphsandexplainedthelinkbetweenthemalittlebetter.”It’simportanttoachieveclarityinabook,andit’sevenmoreimportanttohaveclarityinatalk.Ultimately,yourbestbetistorecruithelpfrompeoplenewtothetopic,becausetheywillbebestatspottingthegaps.TEDspeakerDeborahGordon,whoexplainedhowantcoloniescanteachus

crucialnetworkingideas,toldmethatthequestforexplanationgapswasacrucialpartoftalkpreparation:

Atalkisn’tacontainerorabinthatyouputcontentin,it’saprocess,atrajectory.Thegoalistotakethelistenerfromwhereheistosomeplacenew.Thatmeanstryingtomakethesequencesostepwisethatnoonegetslostalongtheway.Nottobegrandiose,butifyoucouldflyandyouwantedsomeonetoflywithyou,youwouldtaketheirhandandtakeoffandnotletgo,becauseoncethepersondrops,that’sit!Irehearsedinfrontoffriendsandacquaintanceswhoknewnothingaboutthetopic,askingthemwheretheywerepuzzledorwhattheywonderedabout,hopingthatbyfillingthosegapsforthemI’dbefillingthesamegapsforotherpeople.

It’sespeciallyimportanttodoajargoncheck.Anytechnicaltermsoracronymsthatmaybeunfamiliartoyourlistenersshouldbeeliminatedorexplained.Nothingfrustratesanaudiencemorethantoheara3-minutediscussionofTLAswhentheyhavenoideawhatTLAsare.5Maybeonesuchtransgressioncanbehandled,butwhenjargontermspileup,peoplesimplyswitchoff.Iamnotadvocatingthateverythingbeexplainedonalevelappropriatefor

sixth-graders.AtTEDwehaveaguidelinebasedonEinstein’sdictum,“Makeeverythingassimpleasitcanbe.Butnosimpler.”6Youdon’twanttoinsultyouraudience’sintelligence.Sometimesspecialisttermsareessential.Formostaudiences,youdon’thavetospelloutthatDNAisaspecialmoleculethatcarriesuniquegeneticinformation.Andyoudon’thavetooverexplain.Indeed,thebestexplainerssayjustenoughtoletpeoplefeellikethey’recomingupwiththeideaforthemselves.Theirstrategyistobringinthenewconceptanddescribeitsshapejustenoughsothatthepreparedmindsoftheaudiencecansnapitintoplaceforthemselves.That’stime-efficientforyouanddeeplysatisfyingforthem.Bytheendofthetalkthey’rebaskingintheglowoftheirownsmarts.

FROMEXPLANATIONTOEXCITEMENT

There’soneotherkeyexplanationtool.Beforeyoutrytobuildyouridea,considermakingclearwhatitisn’t.You’llnoticeI’veusedthattechniqueinthisbookalready,forexample,bydiscussingtalkstylesthatdon’tworkbeforegoingontothosethatdo.Ifanexplanationisbuildingasmallmentalmodelinalargespaceofpossibilities,it’shelpfulfirsttoreducethesizeofthatspace.Byrulingoutplausiblepossibilitiesyoumakeitaloteasierforyouraudiencetocloseinonwhatitisyouhaveinmind.When,forinstance,neuroscientistSandraAamodtwantedtoexplainwhymindfulnesswashelpfulfordieting,shesaid:“I’mnotsayingyouneedtolearntomeditateortakeupyoga.I’mtalkingaboutmindfuleating:learningtounderstandyourbody’ssignalssothatyoueatwhenyou’rehungryandstopwhenyou’refull.”SuperbTEDTalkexplainersincludeHansRosling(revelatoryanimated

charts),DavidDeutsch(outside-the-boxscientificthinking),NancyKanwisher(accessibleneuroscience),StevenJohnson(whereideascomefrom),andDavidChristian(historyonagrandcanvas).Ithoroughlyrecommendthemall.Theyeachbuildinsideyousomethingnewandpowerfulthatyouwillvalueforever.Ifyoucanexplainsomethingwell,youcanusethatabilitytocreatereal

excitementinyouraudience.BonnieBasslerisascientistworkingonhowbacteriacommunicatewitheachother.Shegaveatalkthatdoveintosomeprettycomplexbutmind-blowingresearchherlabhadbeenundertaking.Byhelpingusunderstandit,sheopenedupaworldofintriguingpossibilities.Here’show.Shestartedbymakingthetalkrelevanttous.Afterall,it’snotagiventhat

anyoneintheaudienceactuallycaredthatmuchaboutbacteria.Soshebeganlikethis:

Iknowyouguysthinkofyourselfashumans,andthisissortofhowIthinkofyou.There’saboutatrillionhumancellsthatmakeeachoneofuswhoweareandabletodoallthethingsthatwedo,butyouhavetentrillionbacterialcellsinyouoronyouatanymomentinyourlife.So,tentimesmorebacterialcellsthanhumancellsonahumanbeing...Thesebacteriaarenotpassiveriders,theyareincrediblyimportant;theykeepusalive.Theycoverusinaninvisiblebodyarmorthatkeepsenvironmentalinsultsoutsothatwestayhealthy.Theydigestourfood,theymakeourvitamins,theyactuallyeducateyourimmunesystemtokeepbadmicrobesout.Sotheydoalltheseamazingthingsthathelpusandarevitalforkeepingusalive,andtheynevergetanypressforthat.

OK.Nowit’spersonal.Thesebugsmattertous.Next,anunexpectedquestionstirsourcuriosity:

stirsourcuriosity:

Thequestionwehadishowcouldtheydoanythingatall?Imean,they’reincrediblysmall;youhavetohaveamicroscopetoseeone.Theylivethissortofboringlifewheretheygrowanddivide,andthey’vealwaysbeenconsideredtobetheseasocial,reclusiveorganisms.Andsoitseemedtousthattheyarejusttoosmalltohaveanimpactontheenvironmentiftheysimplyactasindividuals.

Thisisgettingintriguing.She’sgoingtotellusthatsomehowbacteriahuntinpacks?I’meagertoknowmore!Bonniethentakesusonadetective’sinvestigationthroughvariouscluesthatpointtohowbacteriamustactinconcert.There’sanamazingstoryaboutabioluminescentsquidthatusesthesynced-upbehaviorofbacteriatomakeitselfinvisible.Andfinallywegettoherdiscoveryofhowinvasivebacteriamightlaunchanattackonahuman.Theycan’tdoitindividually.Instead,theyemitacommunicationmolecule.Asmorebacteriamultiplyinyourbody,theconcentrationofthismoleculeincreasesuntilsuddenlytheyall“know”collectivelythatthereareenoughofthemtoattack,andtheyallbeginemittingtoxinsatthesametime.It’scalledquorumsensing.Wow!Shesaidthisdiscoveryopenedupnewstrategiesforfightingbacteria.Don’t

killthem,justcuttheircommunicationchannels.Withantibioticimmunityspreading,thatisatrulyexcitingconcept.

Thensheendedhertalkbyteasingupanevenbroaderimplication:

Iwouldargue...thatthisistheinventionofmulticellularity.Bacteriahavebeenontheearthforbillionsofyears;humans,[a]couplehundredthousand.Wethinkbacteriamadetherulesforhowmulticellularorganizationworks...ifwecanfigurethemoutintheseprimitiveorganisms,thehopeisthattheywillbeappliedtootherhumandiseasesandhumanbehaviorsaswell.

AteverystageofBonnie’stalk,eachpiecewascarefullybuiltonlyonwhatcamebefore.Therewasnotasinglepieceofjargonthatwasn’texplained.Andthatgavehertheabilitytoopennewdoorsofpossibilityforus.Itwascomplexscience,butitgotournonexpertaudiencewildlyexcited,andattheend,muchtoherastonishment,weallstoodandapplaudedher.Youcan’tgiveapowerfulnewideatoanaudienceunlessyoucanlearnhow

Youcan’tgiveapowerfulnewideatoanaudienceunlessyoucanlearnhowtoexplain.Thatcanonlybedonestepbystep,fueledbycuriosity.Eachstepbuildsonwhatthelisteneralreadyknows.Metaphorsandexamplesareessentialtorevealinghowanideaispiecedtogether.Bewarethecurseofknowledge!Youmustbesureyou’renotmakingassumptionsthatwillloseyouraudience.Andwhenyou’veexplainedsomethingspecial,excitementandinspirationwillfollowclosebehind.

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PERSUASIONReasonCanChangeMindsForever

Ifexplanationisbuildingabrand-newideainsidesomeone’smind,persuasionisalittlemoreradical.Beforeconstruction,itfirstrequiressomedemolition.Persuasionmeansconvincinganaudiencethatthewaytheycurrentlyseethe

worldisn’tquiteright.Andthatmeanstakingdownthepartsthataren’tworking,aswellasrebuildingsomethingbetter.Whenthisworks,it’sthrillingforbothspeakerandaudience.CognitivescientistStevenPinkerblewupmymentalmodelofviolence.Anyonewhogrowsuponanormalmediadietassumesthatourworldis

crippledbyconstantviolence—wars,murders,assaults,terrorism—andthatitseemstobegettingworse.Pinker,injust18minutes,persuadedtheTEDaudiencethatthisassumptionwasdeadwrong.Thatactually,whenyoupulledthecamerabackandlookedattherealdata,theworldisbecominglessviolent,andthatthistrendhasextendedacrossyears,decades,centuries,andmillennia.Howdidhedoit?Firstwithalittledemolition.Ourmindsneedtobeprimed

beforetheycanbepersuaded.Pinkerstartedbyremindingpeoplehowhideoussomeoftheviolentpracticesofearliererashadbeen,liketheFrenchpublicentertainmentoffivehundredyearsagoofloweringlivecatsintoafiretohearthemshriek.Orthefactthat,inmanyancientsocieties,morethanathirdofadultmalesdiedinviolence.Essentiallyhewassaying,Youmaythinkviolenceisgettingworse,butyou’veforgottenjusthowawfulitreallywashistorically.Thenheshowedhowmodernmediahaveanincentivetoleadwithstoriesof

dramaandviolence,regardlessofwhetherthoseeventsarerepresentativeoflifeasawhole.Hewasrevealingamechanismbywhichwemightplausiblybeoverestimatingtheactuallevelsofviolenceoutthere.Withthispriminginplace,itwasmucheasiertotakeseriouslyhisstatistics

andcharts,whichshowedsubstantialdeclinesinallformsofviolence,frommurdertomajorwars.Onekeystrategyherewastopresentthestatsasrelativetopopulationsize.Whatmattersisnotthetotalnumberofviolentdeathsbutthechancethatyouindividuallywillmeetaviolentdeath.Hewentontodiscussfourpossibleexplanationsforthisunexpectedtrendand

endedwiththisbeautifullyupbeatstatement:

Whateveritscauses,thedeclineofviolence,Ithink,hasprofoundimplications.Itshouldforceustoasknotjust,whyistherewar?Butalso,whyistherepeace?Notjust,whatarewedoingwrong?Butalso,whathavewebeendoingright?Becausewehavebeendoingsomethingright,

havewebeendoingright?Becausewehavebeendoingsomethingright,anditsurewouldbegoodtofindoutwhatitis.

Thetalkled,fouryearslater,toamajorbook,TheBetterAngelsofOurNature,whichfurtherdevelopedhisargument.Let’sassumethatPinkerisright.Ifso,hehasgivenabeautifulgifttomillions

ofpeople.Mostofusspendourwholelivesundertheassumptionthatthedailynewsisforevergettingworseandthatwarsandterrorismandviolenceareoutofcontrol.Whenyoureplacethatwiththepossibilitythat,eventhoughthingscanbebad,they’reactuallyonanupwardtrend,whatacloudthatlifts!Persuasioncanaltersomeone’soutlookforever.

PERSUASIONANDPRIMING

PsychologistBarrySchwartzchangedthewayIthinkaboutchoice.IntheWest,we’reobsessedwithmaximizingchoice.Freedomisourmantra,andmaximizingchoiceisthewaytomaximizefreedom.Schwartzbegstodiffer.Inhistalkontheparadoxofchoice,hegraduallybuildsthecasethat,innumerouscircumstances,toomuchchoiceactuallymakesusunhappy.Hisdemolitiontoolkitwassurprisinglypainless.Hemixedsnippetsofpsychologicaltheorywithaseriesofexamplesrangingfromhealthinsurancebehaviortoafrustratingshoppingexperience,allinterspersedwithdelightfulon-topicNewYorkercartoons.Theideaswerecounterintuitive,butthejourneywasthoroughlyenjoyable,andwealmostdidn’tnoticethataworldviewweallgrewupwithwasbeingsmashedtopieces.AuthorElizabethGilbertshowedhowthepowerofstorytellingcanbeakey

partofthepersuasiontoolkit.Hergoalwastochangethewaywethoughtaboutcreativegenius.Insteadofimaginingthatgeniusispartofsomepeople’smakeupandyoueitherhaveitoryoudon’t,thinkofitassomethingthatyoumayreceivefromtimetotimeasagift,ifyoumakeyourselfreadyforit.Putjustlikethat,itmaynotsoundveryconvincing,butGilbertusedherbrillianceasastorytellertopersuadeusotherwise.SheopenedupwithherowntaleofterrorattheprospectofhavingtorepeatthesuccessofherbestsellerEat,Pray,Loveandsharedhilariousandtouchingstoriesoffamouscreativesbesetbyangstovertheirinabilitytoperformondemand.Shealsoshowedhowthetermgeniuswasvieweddifferentlyinhistory,notassomethingyouwere,butassomethingthatcametoyou.OnlythencouldsheshareastoryaboutthepoetRuthStone,whotoldherofthemomentwhenshesensedthatapoemwascoming.

Andshefeltitcoming,becauseitwouldshaketheearthunderherfeet.Sheknewthatshehadonlyonethingtodoatthatpoint,andthatwasto,inherwords,runlikehell.Andshewouldrunlikehelltothehouseandshewouldbegettingchasedbythispoem,andthewholedealwasthatshehadtogettoapieceofpaperandapencilfastenoughsothatwhenitthunderedthroughher,shecouldcollectitandgrabitonthepage.

Whatwouldhaveseemedanoutlandishstoryifpresentedatthestartofthetalkseemedthoroughlynaturalbytheend,anditcementedhercoreideaintoplace.Ineachcase,thekeytopromptingthatworldviewshiftistotakethejourney

onestepatatime,primingourmindsinseveraldifferentwaysbeforegettingtothemainargument.WhatdoImeanbypriming?ThephilosopherDanielDennettexplainsitbest.

Hecoinedthetermintuitionpumptorefertoanymetaphororlinguisticdevicethatintuitivelymakesaconclusionseemmoreplausible.Thisispriming.Itisnotarigorousargument;itissimplyawayofnudgingsomeoneinyourdirection.BarrySchwartz’sshoppingstorywasanintuitionpump.Hadhejustgonestraightto“Toomanychoicescanmakeyouunhappy,”wemighthavebeenskeptical.Insteadheprimedus:

Therewasatimewhenjeanscameinoneflavor,andyouboughtthem,andtheyfitlikecrap,theywerereallyuncomfortable,butifyouworethemandwashedthemenoughtimes,theystartedtofeelOK.Iwenttoreplacemyjeansafteryearsofwearingtheseoldones,andIsaid,“Iwantapairofjeans.Here’smysize.”Andtheshopkeepersaid,“Doyouwantslimfit,easyfit,relaxedfit?Youwantbuttonflyorzipperfly?Youwantstonewashedoracid-washed?Doyouwantthemdistressed?Youwantbootcut,tapered,blahblahblah.”

Ashetellsthestory,wesensehisstressandwerememberallthetimeswehaveourselvesbeenstressedbyendlessshoppingexcursions.Eventhoughhisstoryisasinglestoryofasinglemanandcan’tpossiblybyitselfjustifythestatementthattoomuchchoicemakesyouunhappy,nonethelesswegetwhereheisheading.Suddenly,thecasehe’sbuildingseemsalotmoreplausible.

Dennettpointsoutthatmanyofthemostreveredpassagesofphilosophicalwritingarenotreasonedarguments,butpowerfulintuitionpumpslikePlato’scaveorDescartes’demon.Inthelatter,Descarteswantedtodoubteverythingthatcouldbedoubted,soheimaginedhisentireconsciousexperienceasadeceptionfoistedonhimbyamaliciousdemon.Thedemoncouldhaveinventedtheentireworldhethoughthesaw.TheonlythingDescartescouldbecertainofwastheexperienceofthinkinganddoubting,butthatatleastmeantheexisted.Hence:Ithink,thereforeIam.Withoutthedemon,thelogicishardtofathom.Ourmindsarenotroboticlogicmachines.Theyneedtobenudgedintherightdirection,andintuitionpumpsarevividwaystodothis.Oncepeoplehavebeenprimed,it’smucheasiertomakeyourmainargument.

Andhowdoyoudothat?Byusingthemostnobletoolofthemall,atoolthatcanwieldthemostimpactovertheverylongterm.Andit’snamedusinganold-fashionedphilosophicalwordthatIlove:Reason.

THELONGREACHOFREASON

Thethingaboutreasonisthatit’scapableofdeliveringaconclusionatawholedifferentlevelofcertaintythananyothermentaltool.Inareasonedargument,providedthestartingassumptionsaretrue,thenthevalidlyreasonedconclusionsmustalsobetrueandcanbeknowntobetrue.Ifyoucanwalksomeonethroughareasonedargumentconvincingly,theideayouhaveplantedinhermindwilllodgethereandneverletgo.Butfortheprocesstowork,itmustbebrokendownintosmallsteps,eachof

whichmustbetotallyconvincing.Thestartingpointofeachstepissomethingtheaudiencecanclearlyseetobetrue,orit’ssomethingthatwasshowntobetrueearlierinthetalk.Sothecoremechanismhereisif-then:ifXistrue,dearfriends,then,clearly,Yfollows(becauseeveryXimpliesaY).OneoftheTEDTalksratedmostpersuasiveisthatofcharityreformerDan

Pallotta,whoarguesthatthewaywethinkaboutcharitymeansthatournonprofitorganizationsarehopelesslyhandicapped.Tomakehiscase,hetakesfivedifferentaspectsofanorganization:salarylevels,marketingexpectations,willingnesstotakerisks,timeallowedforimpact,andaccesstocapital.Ineachcaseheusesrazor-sharplanguagebackedbybeautifulinfographicstoshowanabsurddichotomybetweenwhatweexpectofourcompaniesandournonprofits.Andthetalkissimplyteemingwithcompellingif-thenstatements.Forexample,afterpointingoutthatweencouragecompaniestotakerisksbut

frownonnonprofitsfordoingso,hehasthisstatement.“Well,youandIknowwhenyouprohibitfailure,youkillinnovation.Ifyoukillinnovationin

fundraising,youcan’traisemorerevenue.Ifyoucan’traisemorerevenue,youcan’tgrow.Andifyoucan’tgrow,youcan’tpossiblysolvelargesocialproblems.”QED.Caseproven.Ifwewantournonprofitstosolvelargesocialproblems,wemustnotprohibitthemfromfailure.There’sanotherformofreasonedargument,knownasreductioadabsurdum,

thatcanbedevastatinglypowerful.Itistheprocessoftakingthecounterpositiontowhatyou’rearguingandshowingthatitleadstoacontradiction.Ifthatcounterpositionisfalse,yourpositionisstrengthened(orevenproven,iftherearenootherpossiblepositionsthatcouldbetaken).Speakersrarelyengageinthefull,rigorousversionofreductioadabsurdum.Buttheyoftentapintoitsspiritbyofferingadramaticcounterexampleandshowingittobeself-evidentlyridiculous.Here’sanothersnippetfromDanPallotta’stalk.He’sarguingthatit’scrazyhowwefrownonhighsalariesfornonprofitleaders.“Youwanttomakefiftymilliondollarssellingviolentvideogamestokids,goforit.We’llputyouonthecoverofWiredmagazine.Butyouwanttomakehalfamilliondollarstryingtocurekidsofmalaria,you’reconsideredaparasiteyourself.”Rhetorically,that’sahomerun.Undercuttingthecredibilityoftheoppositepositionisanotherpowerful

device,butitneedstobehandledwithcare.It’sbetterusedonissuesthandirectlyonopponents.I’mfinewith:“It’snothardtounderstandwhywe’vebeengivenadifferentimpressionbythemediaonthisforyears.Yousellnewspaperswithdrama,notboringscientificevidence.”Butuncomfortablewith:“Ofcoursehesaysthat.He’spaidtosaythat.”Thatcandriftveryquicklyfromreasontomudslinging.

MAKEUSDETECTIVES

Here’samoreattractivewaytobuildacase.AtTED,wecallitthedetectivestory.Someofthemostcompellingpersuasiontalksarestructuredentirelyaroundthisdevice.Youstartwiththebigmystery,thentraveltheworldofideasinsearchofpossiblesolutionstoit,rulingthemoutonebyone,untilthere’sonlyoneviablesolutionthatsurvives.AsimpleexampleisartistSiegfriedWoldhek’stalk.Hewantedtoprovethat

threefamousLeonardodaVincidrawingswereactuallyself-portraitsfromdifferentstagesofhislife.Tomakethecase,heframedthetalkashisquesttodiscover“thetrueface”ofLeonardodaVinci.Hestartswithafullpaletteofthe120portraitsofmalesthatLeonardoiscreditedwith,andasks:Wereanyoftheseself-portraits?Howcouldweknow?Andthen,likeadetectiveeliminatingsuspects,hestartscuttingthemdown,usinghisownskillsasaportraitpainter,

untilonlythreeremain.Next,theclincher.Althoughtheydepictmenofdifferentages,andtheywere

paintedatdifferenttimes,theyallsharethesamefacialfeatures.AndtheymatchastatueofdaVinci,theonlyproventhird-partyimageofhim.Whatmakesthispersuasiveisthatwefeelasifwehavegoneonthesame

learningjourneyasthespeaker.Insteadofbeingtoldfacts,we’vebeeninvitedtojointheprocessofdiscovery.Ourmindsarenaturallymoreengaged.Asweeliminaterivaltheoriesonebyone,wegraduallybecomeconvinced.Wepersuadeourselves.Thisdevicecanbeusedtoturnthemostdauntingtopicintosomethingtruly

intriguing.Aregularchallengeforspeakersishowtoturndifficultsubjectslikediseaseorstarvationorhumandegradationintotalksthataudienceswillshowupforandengagewith.EconomistEmilyOsterwantedtopersuadeusthatthetoolsofeconomics

couldallowustothinkdifferentlyaboutHIV/AIDS,butinsteadofjustpresentinganeconomicargument,shebecameadetective.ShepresentedaslidetitledFOURTHINGSWEKNOW.Takingeachoneinturn,shepresentedsomesurprisingpiecesofevidenceandeffectivelydemolishedthem,onebyone,openingthedoorforhertopresentanalternativetheory.Thepowerofthisstructureisthatittapsdeepintoourloveofstories.The

wholetalkfeelslikeastory—betteryet,amysterystory.Curiositybuildstomorecuriositythroughtoasatisfyingconclusion.Butatthesametime,there’sapowerfullogicunderlyingit.Ifeachofthesealternativesisfalse,andthere’sonlyoneotherviablealternative,thenthatalternativemustbetrue.Casesolved!

ITWILLTAKEMORETHANLOGIC

Itcansometimesbehardtomakereason-basedtalksreallycomealive.Peoplearen’tcomputers,andtheirlogiccircuitsaren’talwaystheonestheyengagemosteasily.Tomakeatalktrulypersuasive,itisnotenoughtobuilditoutofwatertightlogicalsteps.Thosearenecessary,tobesure,butnotsufficient.Mostpeoplearecapableofbeingconvincedbylogic,buttheyaren’talwaysenergizedbyit.Andwithoutbeingenergized,theymayquicklyforgettheargumentandmoveon.Sothelanguageofreasonmayhavetobebolsteredbyothertoolsthatmaketheconclusionsnotjustvalid,butmeaningful,exciting,desirable.Therearelotsoftoolsyoucanusehere,inadditiontotheintuitionpumps

mentionedearlier,orthedetectivestoryapproach.

Injectsomehumorearlyon.Thiscommunicatesausefulmessage:I’mgoingtopullyouthroughsomedemandingthinking...butit’sgoingtobefun.We’llsweattogetherandlaughtogether.Addananecdote.Maybeonethatrevealshowyougotengagedinthisissue.Ithumanizesyou.Ifpeopleknowwhyyou’repassionateabouttheissue,they’remorelikelytolistentoyourlogic.Offervividexamples.IfIwantedtopersuadeyouthatexternalrealityisnothinglikeyoubelieveittobe,Imightfirstshowaslideofadramaticopticalillusion.Justbecausesomethinglooksacertainway,doesn’tmakeitso.Recruitthird-partyvalidation.“MycolleaguesatHarvardandIhavespenttenyearslookingatthedata,andwe’veunanimouslyconcludedithastobeseenthisway.”Or,“Andthat’swhyit’snotjustmearguingthis;everymotherofatwo-year-oldboyknowsthistobetrue.”Statementsliketheseneedcarefulhandlingasneitherisavalidargumentinitself,but,dependingontheaudience,theymaymakeyourargumentmorepersuasive.Usepowerfulvisuals.Atonepointinhistalk,DanPallottausespiechartstoshowtheresultsoftwononprofits’fundraisingefforts.First,abakesalewith5percentoverhead,andsecond,aprofessionalfundraisingenterprisewith40percentoverhead.Thesecondonelooksterrible,wasteful,untilDansays:

Weconfusemoralitywithfrugality.We’veallbeentaughtthatthebakesalewith5percentoverheadismorallysuperiortotheprofessionalfundraisingenterprisewith40percentoverhead,butwe’remissingthemostimportantpieceofinformation,whichis:Whatistheactualsizeofthesepies?Whatifthebakesaleonlynettedseventy-onedollarsforcharitybecauseitmadenoinvestmentinitsscale,andtheprofessionalfundraisingenterprisenetted71milliondollarsbecauseitdid?Nowwhichpiewouldweprefer,andwhichpiedowethinkpeoplewhoarehungrywouldprefer?

Whilehe’sspeaking,thesecondpiechartexpandsandthefirstoneshrinks.Thenon-overheadportionofthesecondchartisnowvastlybiggerthanthatinthefirst.Hispointlandswithgreatimpact.DanPallotta’stalkwonahugestandingovationandhasbeenseenmorethan

3milliontimes.Threemonthsafteritwasposted,thethreebiggestcharityevaluationagenciesputoutajointpressreleasethattookonboardmanyofhisarguments,concludingthat,“Thepeopleandcommunitiesservedbycharitiesdon’tneedlowoverhead,theyneedhighperformance.”

Butnoteverytalkthatisreasonbasedwillseesuchimmediatesuccess.Thesetalksaregenerallyhardertoprocessthansomeothers,andtheymaynotbethemostpopular.However,Ibelievetheyareamongthemostimportanttalksonoursite,becausereasonisthebestwayofbuildingwisdomforthelongterm.Arobustargument,evenifitisn’timmediatelyacceptedbyeveryone,willgraduallygathernewadherentsuntilitbecomesunstoppable.Indeed,there’saTEDTalkspecificallyaboutthis:aSocraticdialogue

betweenpsychologistStevenPinkerandphilosopherRebeccaNewbergerGoldsteininwhichshegraduallypersuadeshimthatreasonisthedeepestunderlyingforcebehindmoralprogressthroughouthistory.Notempathy,notculturalevolution,althoughthosehaveplayedtheirparts.Reason.Sometimesitsinfluencecantakecenturiestoberealized.Inthetalk,Goldsteinsharespowerfulquotesfromhistory’sreasonersonslavery,genderinequality,andgayrightsthatpredatethemovementstheyinspiredbymorethanahundredyears.Nonetheless,theseargumentswerekeytothesuccessofthosemovements.ThePinker/Goldsteindialoguemaybethesinglemostimportantargument

containedinanyTEDTalk,yet,asof2015ithasfewerthan1millionviews.Reasonisnotafast-growingweed,butaslow-growingoaktree.Nonetheless,itsrootsrundeepandstrong,andoncegrownitcantransformalandscapeforever.Iamhungryformanymorereason-basedtalksonTED.

Inthreesentences...

Persuasionistheactofreplacingsomeone’sworldviewwithsomethingbetter.Andatitsheartisthepowerofreason,capableoflong-termimpact.Reasonisbestaccompaniedbyintuitionpumps,detectivestories,visuals,orotherplausibility-primingdevices.

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REVELATIONTakeMyBreathAway!

Connection,narration,explanation,persuasion...allvitaltools.Butwhat’sthemostdirectwayofgiftinganideatoanaudience?Simplyshowittothem.Manytalksareanchoredthisway.Yourevealyourworktotheaudienceina

waythatdelightsandinspires.Thegenericnameforthisisrevelation.Inatalkbasedonrevelation,you

might:

Showaseriesofimagesfromabrand-newartprojectandtalkthroughitGiveademoofaproductyou’veinventedDescribeyourvisionforaself-sustainingcityofthefutureShowfiftystunningphotosfromyourrecenttripthroughtheAmazonjungle

There’saninfinitevarietyofpossiblerevelationtalks,andtheirsuccessdependsonwhatisbeingrevealed.Inatalkbasedonimages,yourmaingoalmightjustbetocreateasenseof

wonderandaestheticdelight.Ifit’sademo,you’reprobablyseekingtoamazeandtocreateanewsenseofpossibility.Ifit’savisionofthefuture,youwantittobesovividandcompellingthatyouraudiencemakesittheirown.Let’stakethesethreebroadcategoriesanddigindeeper.

THEWONDERWALK

Awonderwalkisatalkbasedontherevelationofasuccessionofimagesorwondermoments.Ifatalkisajourney,thenawonderwalkcanbethoughtofasastudiotourwithanartistwhogivesyourevealinginsightsintoeachartwork.Orahikeindramaticterrainwithagreatexplorerasyourguide.Eachstepisasimpleone,fromonepieceofworktothenext,withasenseofwonderbuildingallthewhile.“Ifyoulikedthat...justwaittillyouseethis!”Assumingtheworkisstrong,thejourneycanbeenjoyable,informative,or

inspiring.Thistalkstructureismostoftenusedbyartists,designers,photographers,andarchitects,althoughanyonewithabodyofvisualworkcanuseit.Includingscientists.Forexample,DavidGallo’sbrieftalkonunderwaterastonishmentswasa

Forexample,DavidGallo’sbrieftalkonunderwaterastonishmentswasagloriouswonderwalk—or,inthiscase,awonderdive.Heshowedusaseriesofincredibleimagesandvideosofbioluminescentcreaturesthatascience-fictionartistcouldbarelyimagine.Thiswasfollowedbyastonishingfootageofanoctopusvanishingfromviewbychangingitsskinpatterninaninstanttoexactlymatchthatofthecoralbehindit.AndGallo’sexcitementattheawesomenessofexoticoceanlifequicklybecameinfectious.Aswellasdescribingwhatwewereseeing,heprovidedcontextthathadtheeffectofdialingupthesenseofwonder.

That’stheunknownworld,andtodaywe’veonlyexploredabout3percentofwhat’soutthereintheocean.Alreadywe’vefoundtheworld’shighestmountains,theworld’sdeepestvalleys,underwaterlakes,underwaterwaterfalls...Andinaplacewherewethought[therewas]nolifeatall,wefindmorelife...anddiversityanddensitythanthetropicalrainforest,whichtellsusthatwedon’tknowmuchaboutthisplanetatall.There’sstill97percent,andeitherthat97percentisemptyorjustfullofsurprises.

It’sjusta5-minutetalkwithasimplestructure.Butit’sbeenseenmorethan12milliontimes.Anothersimplebutsuper-compellingwonderwalkwassciencewriterMary

Roach’stalkonorgasm.Shewalkedusthroughtenthingsweneverknewaboutorgasm,includingavideoofaDutchfarmerwithapigthatyouperhapsshouldnotwatchinthecompanyofeitheryourparentsoryourchildren!Wonderwalksdon’thavetobeearnest.Theycanbefunny,provocative,andpunchy.Theappealofthistypeoftalkfromaspeaker’spointofviewisthatthe

structureisclear.You’resimplywalkingtheaudiencethroughyourwork,orthroughsomethingyou’repassionateabout,onepieceatatime.Eachpieceisaccompaniedbyslidesorvideo,andyousimplyproceedfromonetothenext,buildingexcitementasyougo.Butwonderwalksworkbestwhenthere’saclearlinkingtheme.Something

strongerthanjustaseriesofrecentexamplesofyourwork.Withoutthat,thistypeoftalkcanquicklybecometedious.“Nowwe’llturntomynextproject”isaflattransitionlinethatinvitestheaudiencetostartshiftingintheirseats.Muchstrongeristogiveusalink.“Thisnextprojecttookthatideaanddialeditupbyanorderofmagnitude...”Andstrongerstillistohaveathroughlinethatpullsallthepiecestogether.

SheaHembreytookusthrough“anexhibitionofahundredartists’work.”Eachpiecewascompletelydifferent...paintings,sculptures,photographs,videos,andmixedmedia,coveringavastswathofartisticideas.Thethroughline?Every

artistwashim!Yup,Sheahadcreatedeverysinglework.Becauseofthat,themorewildlydifferenteachnewpiecewas,themoreoursenseofwondergrew.

Therearemanywaysthewonderwalkcangowrong,however.Foremostis

whentheworkisdescribedininaccessiblelanguage.Someprofessionshaveaghastlytraditionofusingneedlesslyobscure,overintellectualizedlanguagetodescribetheirwork,withartandarchitecturetoppingthelist.Whenpractitionersfeeltheneedtousethatsamelanguageinatalk,theyshouldn’tbesurprisedtoseetheirinvitedguestsquietlyslippingoutthebackdoor.InthisworkIsoughttochallengetheparadigmofidentityversuscommunalityinthecontextofapostmodernistdialectic...Ifyou’reevertemptedtosayanythingremotelylikethat,please,pleasetakeoutyoursharpestpairofscissorsandslashitoutofyourscript.StevenPinkerpointedouttomethatthistypeoflanguageismuchworsethan

simplythemisuseofjargon.

ParadigmanddialecticarenottechnicaltermslikeDNAthatspecialistscan’tavoid.They’remetaconcepts—conceptsaboutotherconcepts,ratherthanconceptsaboutthingsintheworld.Academese,bizspeak,corporateboilerplate,andart-criticbafflegabaretediousandincomprehensiblebecausetheyarefilledwithmetaconceptslikeapproach,assumption,concept,condition,context,framework,issue,level,model,perspective,process,range,role,strategy,tendency,andvariable.

There’savaliduseforthesetermsindividually.Butusethemsparingly.Whentheypileuponeachother,you’reendangeringaudiencecomprehension.Instead,thegoalshouldbetogiveustheinsidescoop.Sharewithus,in

accessiblehumanlanguage,whatyouweredreamingofwhenyoustartedthework.Showusyourcreativeprocess.Howdidyougetthere?Whatmistakesdidyoumakealongtheway?WhenillustratorDavidMacaulaysharedhisdrawingsofRome,heshowednotjustthefinishedworks,buthismistakesanddeadendsandhowhegotfromtheretothepublishedillustrations.Thatmeantthateverycreativepersonintheroomcouldlearnsomethingfromit.Liftingthelidonyourprocessisoneofthekeygiftsofanycreativetalk.Aboveall,designthetalktogiveusmaximumexperienceoftheworkitself.

Ifyourworkisvisual,considercuttingwaybackthenumberofwordsyouuse,andinsteadputthefocusonthevisuals.A12-minutetalkcancomfortablyrevealmorethan100images.Perhapssomesequencesareallowedjust2secondsof

screentimeperslide.Andtheycanbeamplifiedintheirpowerbyatoolalltoorarelyusedbyspeakers:silence.OneofthebestexamplesonTEDofawonderwalkisbykineticsculptorReubenMargolin.Hisvoiceisthewhisperedbackdroptohisastonishingworks,theperfectspokencaptionstoagalleryofpureinspiration.Andhehasthecouragetobesilentfromtimetotime.Someofthemostpowerfulmomentsofthetalkcomewhen,havingsetthecontext,heletsussimplyimmersevisuallyinhiswork.Onecleverwaytoensurethatthewalkmaintainsenergyistomaketheslides

automaticallyadvance.TakealookatRossLovegrove’sengagingwalkthroughhisnature-inspireddesignprojectsforasuperbexampleofthis.Morethanonehundredslidesandvideosofhisworkarerevealedinapre-timedsequence,andLovegrovesimplytalksabouteachasitarrives,theformatensuringadynamicpace.LouisSchwartzbergdidsomethingsimilarwithhistalkabouthisastonishingmovieMysteriesoftheUnseenWorld.Heletclipsofthemovieplaythroughthewholetalk,whilehisvoiceactsaslyricalnarration.Theresultisjaw-droppingimpact.Manytalksgivenwithincompaniescouldbeimprovediftheywerethoughtof

aswonderwalks.Presentationsthatplodthroughyourdepartment’srecentworkbulletpointbybulletpointcanquicklygetboring.Suppose,instead,aneffortweremadetoask:Howcanwelinktheseprojectstogethertobuildexcitement?Howcanwecommunicatewhatisdelightful,unexpected,orhumorousaboutthem?Howcanweswitchthetonefrom“lookwhatwe’veachieved”to“lookhowintriguingthisis”?Suppose,insteadofaseriesofbulletpoints,therewasanattempttopaireachstepofthewalkwithanintriguingimage?Supposetherewasarealefforttofigureoutwhatuniqueandshareableideayou’veuncoveredthatothersinthecompanycouldbenefitfrom?Ah,nowthatcouldbeatalkworthshuttingdownyouriPhonefor.Whetherit’sbusiness,science,design,orart,don’tjustwalkpeoplethrough

yourwork.Figureouttheroutethatengages,intrigues,andenlightens.Theroutethatbringsinalittlewonderanddelight.

THEDYNAMICDEMO

Supposewhatyou’rerevealingisnotjustvisual,it’satechnology,aninvention,orabrand-newprocess.Thenit’snotenoughjusttolookatit.Weneedtoseeitworking.Weneedademonstration.Greatdemoscanbethemostmemorablepartofanyconference.Rightthere,

liveonstage,yousnatchalittleglimpseofthefuture.WhenJeffHanshowedthepotentialformultitouchtechnologybackin2006,

twoyearsbeforetheiPhonewaslaunched,youcouldheartheaudiencegasp.

twoyearsbeforetheiPhonewaslaunched,youcouldheartheaudiencegasp.PranavMistry’sdemoofSixthSensetechnologyhadsimilarimpact,revealingtheamazingpossibilitieswhenyoucombinedacellphonewithapersonalprojectorandacamerathatcandetectyourgestures.Forexample,justframingadistantobjectwithyourfingerswouldtakeaphotoofitthatcouldthenbedisplayedonanynearbywhitesurface.Togivesuchatalk,thesinglethingthatmattersmost,ofcourse,isthequality

ofwhateveritisyou’regoingtodemonstrate.Isittrulyacompellinginventionordesign?Assumingitis,therearenumerouswaystounveilit.Whatyoushouldn’tdoisspendthefirsthalfofthetalkgivingacomplicatedcontexttothetechnology.Youraudiencehasn’tyetseenitinactionandmayswitchoff.Whenyouhavesomethingamazingtoshow,allowyourselftoindulgeina

littleshowmanship.Idon’tmeanthatyoushouldstartsoundingglibandpuffedup,butyoushouldexciteusalittle.Giveusahintofwhatwe’reabouttosee.Thentakeusthroughthenecessarycontext,ideallybuildingtowardapowerfulclimax,oncethegroundworkhasbeenlaid.MarkusFischerisanincredibleinventor.AtTEDGlobalinEdinburghin2011

heshowedoffanextraordinaryrobotthatlooked—andflew—likeagiantseagull.Infact,itwassorealisticthat,whenheflewitforusatthepicnicaftertheevent,itwaspoop-attackedbyaflockofrealseagulls,clearlystartledbytheirnewcompetitor.Inhistalk,hespentthefirst10minutesonthetechnicalitiesofflight,withoutreallygivingahintatwhatwastocome.Helostsomeoftheaudience.Thejaw-droppingnatureofthedemoitself—flyinghisseagullaroundtheauditorium—soonfixedthat.Butfortheonlineversionwechangedtheorderofhistalkalittlesothatheopenedwiththephrase“Itisadreamofmankindtoflylikeabird.”Thatimmediatelygavebeautifulcontexttothetalk,helpingitsoartomillionsofonlineviews.JeffHangotitright,startinghistalklikethis:

I’mreallyexcitedtobeheretoday.I’llshowyousomestuffthat’sjustreadytocomeoutofthelab,literally,andI’mgladthatyouguysaregoingtobeamongthefirsttoseeitinperson,becauseIthinkthisisgoingtoreallychangethewayweinteractwithmachinesfromthispointon.

Injustafewwordshehadgivenintriguinghintsthatweweretogetanexcitingpeekintothefuture.Nowhewasfreetogoaheadandexplainthetechnologybeforeshowingitinaction.Hegavethebackground,thenhestartedshowingwhatthetechnologywascapableof,drawinggaspsandapplause,and

showingwhatthetechnologywascapableof,drawinggaspsandapplause,andbuildingamazementalltheway.InventorMichaelPritchardusedasimilarstructure.Firsthesharedaquick

thoughtexperimentonhowlifewouldbewithoutsafedrinkingwater.Thenheembarkedonanexplanationofthetechnologybehindthe“lifesaverbottle”he’ddesigned.Somemighthaveendedthetalkthere.Butthepowerofthetalkwasinshowing,nottelling,andMichaelpulledoutallthestops.Hehadabigglasscontaineronstage,intowhichhepouredmuddypondwater,sewagerunoff,andrabbitdroppings,turningthewateranastybrown.Thenhepumpeditthroughhisbottleintoanemptyglassandofferedittometodrink.Happily,ittastedjustfine.Andtechnologicaltheorywasturnedintotheatricalproof.Michaelthenwentontospeakoftheimplicationsofhistechnologyfordisasterreliefandforglobalpublichealth;truthwas,he’dalreadywonovertheaudiencewiththepowerfuldemooftheideaatwork.ThestructureHanandPritchardusedisgoodformostdemos:

AninitialteaseNecessarybackground,context,and/ortheinventionstoryThedemoitself(themorevisualanddramaticthebetter,solongasyou’renotfakingit)Theimplicationsofthetechnology

Sometimesademoisstunningenoughthatitallowsanaudiencetoimaginetrulyexcitingapplicationsandimplications.Andthenthedemobecomesnotjustademo,butavisionofthefuture.That’swhereweturnnext.

THEDREAMSCAPE

Humanshaveaskillthat,sofarasweknow,nootherspeciespossesses.Itissoimportantaskillthatwehavemultiplewordstolabelitsdifferentflavors:imagination,invention,innovation,design,vision.Itistheabilitytopatterntheworldinourmindsandthenre-patternittocreateaworldthatdoesn’tactuallyexistbutsomedaymight.Amazingly,wearealsoabletorevealthesenonexistentworldstoothers,in

thehopethattheytoomaybecomeexcitedbythem.Andoccasionally,andevenmoremiraculously,afterseveralpeopleshareavisionamongthemselves,theyareabletouseitasablueprinttoactuallymakethatworldbecomereal.Thescreenwriterpersuadesthestudiotomakethemovie.Theinventorpersuadesacompanytobuildthegizmo.Thearchitectpersuadestheclienttofundthe

companytobuildthegizmo.Thearchitectpersuadestheclienttofundthebuilding.Theentrepreneurenergizesastartupteamwiththebeliefthattheywillreshapethefuture.Dreamscanbesharedwithimages,withsketches,withdemos...orjustwith

words.Someofthemostpowerfulspeechesinhistoryhavebeenpowerfulprecisely

becausetheycommunicatedadreamwithirresistibleeloquenceandpassion.Mostfamously,ofcourse,wasMartinLutherKingJr.attheLincolnMemorialinWashington,DC,onAugust28,1963.Aftercarefullypreparingtheground,andfillinghisaudiencewithanintensedesiretoendcenturiesofinjustice,helaunchedintoit:

Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseup,liveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal.”IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiasonsofformer

slavesandthesonsofformerslave-ownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratthetableofbrotherhood...Ihaveadreamthatmyfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveinanation

wheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheircharacter.

Hisspeechlasted17minutesand40seconds.Anditchangedhistory.PresidentKennedytookhumankindtothemoonbyfirstsharingadream.And

someofthelanguagehechoseissurprising:

Wechoosetogotothemooninthisdecadeanddotheotherthings,notbecausetheyareeasy,butbecausetheyarehard....Irealizethatthisisinsomemeasureanactoffaithandvision,forwedonotnowknowwhatbenefitsawaitus.ButifIweretosay,myfellowcitizens,thatweshallsendtothemoon,240,000milesawayfromthecontrolstationinHouston,agiantrocketmorethan300feettall,thelengthofthisfootballfield,madeofnewmetalalloys,someofwhichhavenotyetbeeninvented,capableofstandingheatandstressesseveraltimesmorethanhaveeverbeenexperienced,fittedtogetherwithaprecisionbetterthanthefinestwatch,carryingalltheequipmentneededforpropulsion,guidance,control,communications,foodandsurvival,onanuntriedmission,toanunknowncelestialbody,andthenreturnitsafelytoearth,re-enteringtheatmosphereatspeedsofover25,000milesperhour,causingheatabouthalfthatofthe

temperatureofthesun—almostashotasitisheretoday—anddoallthis,anddoitright,anddoitfirstbeforethisdecadeisout—thenwemustbebold...Butitwillbedone.Anditwillbedonebeforetheendofthisdecade.

Youmightthinkthatthisframingoftheinitiative,asonefraughtwithperilanduncertainty,wouldbecounterproductive.Thereasonitworksisnotjustthatitmakesvividwhatistocome.Itisthatheismakingusdreamofheroism.Heisgivingusatripintothefuturetoreadthenarrativethatwilleventuallybetoldaboutthisendeavor.AtTED,mostofourtalksaretoldinmoreconversationallanguage.Butthe

abilitytopaintacompellingpictureofthefutureistrulyoneofthegreatestgiftsaspeakercanbring.Indeed,dreamscapespeakershavebeenamongTED’smostthrilling.Theyspeaknotoftheworldasitis,butasitmightbe.Whenthesetalksaredoneright,theygetanaudience’sheartstopoundandtheirmindstoexplodewithasenseofpossibility.SalmanKhan’svisionforaneducationrevolutioninwhichvideolessons

allowkidstomastertopicsattheirownpacewasrevealedbeautifully,piecebypiece,andyoucouldfeeltheexcitementintheroombuilding.FilmmakerChrisMilkshowedhisworkusingvirtualrealitytopowerfullyre-

createtheexperienceoflifeinsideaSyrianrefugeecamp.Peopleworrythatvirtualrealitywillshutusofffromeachother.Milkofferedathrillingcounterview;thatvirtualrealitydevicescouldbecometheultimateempathy-generatingmachines.MarinebiologistSylviaEarleusedpowerfulimagesandeloquentlanguageto

describethecrisispresentedbyouroverfished,overpollutedoceans.Butshedidn’tstopthere.Shespokeofwhatmightbeifwebegancreating“hopespots,”marineprotectedareaswheresealifecouldrecover.Hervisionwassocompellingthatoneaudiencememberwroteheracheckfor$1milliononthespotandisstillsupportingherworksixyearslater.Inthattime,theamountofprotectedspaceinouroceansworldwidehasmorethantripled.Therearetwokeystosharingadreameffectively:

Paintaboldpictureofthealternativefutureyoudesire;Dosoinsuchawaythatotherswillalsodesirethatfuture.

Doingbothoftheseinthesametalkischallenging.Thefirstpartoften

Doingbothoftheseinthesametalkischallenging.Thefirstpartoftenrequiresvisualaids.KentLarsonspent18minutessharingradicaldesignideaslikefoldingcarsandform-shiftingapartmentstoallowmorepeopletofitintocitieswithoutovercrowding.Theindividualideasdidn’tnecessarilylooklikesurefirebets,butbyrevealingthemvisually,hemadethemseemmuchmoreconvincing.ArchitectThomasHeatherwickincludedaslideinhistalkthatmightbethe

singlemostappealingslideI’veeverseenatTED.ItshowedadesignforanapartmentcomplexinKualaLumpurwithelegantcurvedhigh-risebuildingsthatswelledoutfromanarrowbasetoallowspaceforagorgeousparkatgroundlevel.ItpaintedapictureofafutureIwouldhavebeenthrilledtohavebeenborninto.Butthat’snotalwaysthecase.Often,whentechnologiesareunveiled,the

audiencedoesn’tknowwhethertobeexcitedortofreakout.In2012,thethenheadofDARPA,ReginaDugan,revealedasequenceoftechnologies,suchashigh-speedglidersandhummingbirddrones,thatwerebothjaw-droppingandsomewhatdisturbing,giventheirlikelymilitaryuse.Andtalksaboutgeneticengineering,oracomputer’sabilitytorecognizefacesinacrowd,orthedevelopmentofhumanlikerobots,canseemmorecreepythanappealing.Howdoesaspeakeravoidthatkindofaudiencediscomfort?Theonlywayis

tomakeitclearwhythisfutureisworthpursuing.Orpresenttheideainawaythatemphasizeshumanvalues,notjustclevertechnology.BranFerrenattemptedthisatTED2014.Hespokeofhowautonomous

vehicleswouldusherinadramaticallydifferentfuture.Buthistalkbeganwiththeinspirationhe’dhadasachildonavisittothePantheoninRomewithhisparents,anditendedwithacalltoinspirethechildrenofthefuture.“Weneedtoencouragethemtofindtheirownpath,evenifit’sverydifferentfromourown.Wealsoneedthemtounderstandsomethingthatdoesn’tseemadequatelyappreciatedinourincreasinglytech-dependentworld,thatartanddesignarenotluxuries,norsomehowincompatiblewithscienceandengineering.Theyareinfactessentialtowhatmakesusspecial.”Whatcouldhavebeenpuretechvision,andperhapsalittlescary,endeduphumanandhopeful.Humorhelpstoo.JuanEnriquezhaspresentedaseriesofmind-bendingtalks

atTED,showcasingcomingdevelopmentsinbiologyandgeneticsthatmighthaveseemeddeeplyalarmingifhedidn’tfindawayofinjectingalittlelaughterwitheveryslide.WithJuanatyourside,thefutureseemswondrousratherthanworrisome.Finally,themoreactionableafuturevisioncanbe,thebetter.StoryCorps

founderDaveIsayspokeofthepowerofpeopleaskingthoseclosetothemdeepquestionsaboutthemeaningoftheirlivesandrecordingthoseinterviews.He

questionsaboutthemeaningoftheirlivesandrecordingthoseinterviews.HethensharedanappthatwouldallowanyonetodothissimplyandtouploadtheresulttotheLibraryofCongress,creatingapermanentrecord.Hisvisionofaworldinwhichpeopletrulylistenedtoeachotherwasinspiring,andwithindaysofhistalkbeingreleased,thousandsofpeoplerecordedmeaningfulconversationsthey’dneverhadbefore.That’sthepowerofourdreams.Theycanspreadtoothers,buildexcitement

andbelief,andtherebymakethemselvescometrue.Bygivingusasenseofincreasedpossibility,theyalsoinspireustoworkharderonourowndreams.Ifyou’reinvitedtogoonajourneywithaninspireddreamer,that’saninvitationyoucanneverrefuse.

MIXANDMATCH

Here’sthereality.Mosttalksdonotfitneatlyintojustoneofthecategorieswe’vediscussedsofar.Rather,theyincludeelementsfrommanyofthem.Forexample,AmyCuddy’spopulartalkonhowyourbodylanguageaffectsyourownconfidenceisanartfulmixofexplanationandpersonalstorytelling.AndSalmanKhan’stalkbeginswithhisownstoryandmorphsintoawonderwalkthroughtheremarkablefeatureshisKhanAcademyisbuilding,beforeendingupindreamscapeterritory—athrillingvisionofthepotentialforanewtypeofeducation.SoIwillreemphasize:Theabovetechniquesarenottobeseenasinanyway

limitingyou.Theyaretoolstohelpyouimaginehowyoucanbestundertakeyourownremarkableconstructionprojectinyourlisteners’minds.Select,mix,match,andaugmentinthewaythatworksmostpowerfullyandauthenticallyfortheideayouwishtobuild.So,nowlet’sassumeyouhavethethroughline,thetalkcontent,andhave

woventogetheryourownartfulmixofconnection,narration,explanation,persuasion,andrevelation.Whatnext?It’stimetogetthisshowontheroad.We’regoingtolookatfourkeyelementsofthetalk-preparationprocessthat

willdetermineifyourtalksingsorcroaks:

Whetherornottoincludevisuals,andifso,whatvisuals?Whethertoscriptandmemorizeyourtalk,orplantospeak“inthemoment”HowtopracticebothtypesoftalksAndhowtoopenandcloseformaximumimpact

Areyouready?Comealong;there’sworktobedone.

Areyouready?Comealong;there’sworktobedone.

PREPARATIONPROCESS

PreparationProcess

10

VISUALSThoseSlidesHurt!

Inthetwenty-firstcenturywehavetheabilitytosupplementthespokenwordwithadazzlingarrayoftechnologiesthat,doneright,maytakeatalktoawholenewlevel.Photographs,illustrations,eleganttypography,graphs,infographics,animation,video,audio,bigdatasimulations—allcandialupboththeexplanatorypowerofatalkanditsaestheticappeal.Despitethis,thefirstquestiontoaskyourselfiswhetheryouactuallyneedany

ofit.It’sastrikingfactthatatleastathirdofTED’smostviewedtalksmakenouseofslideswhatsoever.Howcanthatbe?Surelyatalkplusimagesisalwaysgoingtobemore

interestingthanjustatalk?Wellno,actually.Slidesmoveatleastalittlebitofattentionawayfromthespeakerandontothescreen.Ifthewholepowerofatalkisinthepersonalconnectionbetweenspeakerandaudience,slidesmayactuallygetinthewayofthat.Now,itiscertainlynotthecasethatthereisazero-sumattentiontradeoff

betweenscreenandspeaker.Whatisbeingshownonscreenoftenoccupiesadifferentmentalcategorythanwhatisbeingsaid.Aestheticversusanalytical,forexample.Nonetheless,ifthecoreofyourtalkisintenselypersonal,orifyouhaveotherdevicesforliveningupyourtalk—likehumororvividstories—thenyoumaydobettertoforgetthevisualsandjustfocusonspeakingpersonallytotheaudience.

Andforeveryspeaker,thefollowingistrue:Havingnoslidesatallisbetter

thanbadslides.Havingsaidthat,themajorityoftalksdobenefitfromgreatslides,andfor

sometalks,thevisualsaretheabsolutedifferencebetweensuccessandfailure.TEDwasoriginallyaconferencedevotedpurelytotechnology,entertainment,

anddesign,andthepresenceofdesignersquicklyfosteredtheexpectationthatslideswouldbeelegantandimpactful.Arguably,thattraditionisacorereasonwhyTEDTalkstookoff.Sowhatarethekeyelementstostrongvisuals?Theyfallintothreecategories:

RevelationExplanatorypower

Aestheticappeal

Let’shandlethoseinturn.

REVEAL!

Themostobviouscaseforvisualsissimplytoshowsomethingthat’shardtodescribe.Presentingtheworkofmostartistsandphotographersofcoursedependsondoingthis.Anexplorerrevealingavoyageorascientistunveilingadiscoverycanalsousevisualsinthisway.EdithWidderwaspartoftheteamthatfirstcapturedthegiantsquidonvideo.

WhenshecametoTED,herentiretalkwasbuiltaroundthatmomentofrevelation.Whentheincrediblecreatureeventuallyappearedonscreen,theaudiencenearlyjumpedoutofitsskin.Butuseofimagesforrevelationdoesn’thavetobeasdramatic.Thekeyistosetthecontext,primetheaudience,andthen...BAM!Letthevisualsworktheirmagic.Runthemfull-screen,withminimaladornment.

EXPLAIN!

Apictureisworthathousandwords(eventhoughittakeswordstoexpressthatconcept).Oftenthebestexplanationshappenwhenwordsandimagesworktogether.Yourmindisanintegratedsystem.Muchofourworldisimaginedvisually.Ifyouwanttoreallyexplainsomethingnew,oftenthesimplest,mostpowerfulwayistoshowandtell.Butforthattowork,thereneedstobeacompellingfitbetweenwhatyoutell

andwhatyoushow.Sometimesaspeakerwillhittheaudiencewithaslideofimmensecomplexity.Perhapsheisunconsciouslytryingtoimpresswiththesheerscopeandnuanceofhiswork.Ashecontinueschurningoutthewords,theaudienceisdesperatelyscanningtheslide,tryingtofigureouthowtomatchwhatisbeingsaidwithwhattheyarelookingat.Thekeytoavoidingthisistolimiteachslidetoasinglecoreidea.Some

speakers,andespeciallyscientists,seemtohavetheunconsciousoperatingassumptionthattheyshouldminimizethenumberofslides,thereforecrammingatonofdataontoeachone.Thismayhavebeentrueindayswhenslideswerephysicalthingsthatyouhadtoloadintoaslideprojector.Today,though,thecostoftenslidesisthesameasthecostofone.Theonlythingthat’slimitedisthetimeyouhavetodeliveryourtalk.Soanoverlycomplexslidethatmighttake2minutestoexplaincouldbereplacedwiththreeorfoursimplerslidesthatyoucanclickthroughinthesameamountoftime.

youcanclickthroughinthesameamountoftime.TED’sTomRiellyspeaksabouttheneedtomanagecognitiveload:

Withatalkandslidesyouhavetwostreamsofcognitiveoutputrunninginparallel.Thespeakerneedstoblendbothstreamsintoamastermix.Talkingabouttheoreticalphysicshasahighcognitiveload.Sodoesaslidewithdozensofelements.Inthesecircumstances,theaudiencemember’sbrainhastodecidewhethertofocusonyourwords,yourslides,orboth,andit’smostlyinvoluntary.Soyoumustdesignwhereattentionisgoingandmakesureahighcognitiveloadonaslidedoesn’tfightwithwhatyou’resaying.

Similarly,itdoesn’tmakesensetoleaveaslideonscreenonceyou’vefinishedtalkingaboutit.Here’sTomagain.

Justgotoablank,blackslideandthentheaudiencewillgetavacationfromimagesandpaymoreattentiontoyourwords.Then,whenyougobacktoslides,theywillbereadytogobacktowork.

Ifyourgoalisonekeyideaperslide,thenitmakessensetoconsiderwhetheranythingmorecanbedonewithaslidetohighlightthepointitistryingtomake.Thisisespeciallytruewithgraphsandcharts.Ifyou’retalkingabouthowrainfallinFebruaryisalwaysgreaterthaninOctober,andyoushowagraphofannualrainfall,whynotgivetheaudiencethegiftofhighlightingFebruaryandOctoberindifferentcolors?AndifyouthengoontomakeacomparisonbetweenMarchandNovember,

dothatwithaseparatebuildoronaseparateslidewiththosemonthsdifferentiated.Don’tleaveitallcrammedononeslide.DavidMcCandlessisamasteratturningdataintounderstandingbytheuseof

elegantslides.AtTEDGlobalin2010,forexample,heshowedtwoslides.ThefirstwastitledWHOHASTHEBIGGESTMILITARYBUDGET?Itshowedtensquaresofdifferentsizes,eachsquarerepresentingacountry,inproportiontothesizeoftheirbudgets.TheUS,ofcourse,wasthelargestbyfar.Thesecondslide,however,showedsquaresrepresentingmilitarybudgetasa

percentageofGDP.AndsuddenlytheUSisineighthplace,behindMyanmar,Jordan,Georgia,andSaudiArabia.Injusttwoslides,yourworldviewissharpeneddramatically.Otherspeakersstillseemtobelievethatyouenhancetheexplanatorypowerof

Otherspeakersstillseemtobelievethatyouenhancetheexplanatorypowerofyourslidesbyfillingthemwithwords,oftenthesamewordsthattheyplantoutter.Nothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.ThoseclassicPowerPointslidedeckswithaheadlinefollowedbymultiplebulletpointsoflongphrasesarethesurestsinglewaytoloseanaudience’sattentionaltogether.Thereasonisthattheaudiencereadsaheadofthespeaker,andbythetimethespeakercoversaspecificpoint,itfeelsoldhat.WhenweseespeakerscometoTEDwithslidedeckslikethis,wepourthemadrink,goandsitwiththematacomputermonitor,andgentlyasktheirpermissiontodelete,delete,delete.Maybeeachbulletpointbecomesitsownslide;manyphrasesarereducedtoasinglephrase;they’rereplacedbyanimage;ortheyaredeletedaltogether.Thepointisthereisnovalueinsimplyrepeatingintextwhatyouaresaying

onstage.Conceivably,ifyouaredevelopingapointoveracoupleofminutes,itmaybeworthhavingawordoraphraseonscreentoremindpeopleofthetopicathand.Butotherwise,wordsonthescreenarefightingyourpresentation,notenhancingit.Evenwhenatextslideissimple,itmaybeindirectlystealingyourthunder.

Insteadofaslidethatreads:Ablackholeisanobjectsomassivethatnolightcanescapefromit,you’ddobetterwithonethatreads:Howblackisablackhole?Thenyou’dgivetheinformationfromthatoriginalslideinspokenform.Thatway,theslideteasestheaudience’scuriosityandmakesyourwordsmoreinteresting,notless.Whenyouthinkaboutit,it’sfairlysimple.Themainpurposeofvisualscan’t

betocommunicatewords;yourmouthisperfectlygoodatdoingthat.It’stosharethingsyourmouthcan’tdosowell:photographs,video,animations,keydata.Usedthisway,thescreencanexplaininaninstantwhatmighttakehours

otherwise.AtTED,ourfavoriteproponentofexplanatoryvisualsisHansRosling.Backin2006,heunveiledananimatedgraphicsequencethatlastedjust48seconds.Butinthose48secondshetransformedeveryone’smentalmodelofthedevelopingworld.Andhere’sthething:Ifyouhaven’tseenit,Ican’tactuallyexplainittoyou.Totrywouldtakeseveralparagraphs,andeventhenIwouldn’tbeclose.That’sthewholepoint.Ithadtobeshownonascreen.Sonexttimeyou’renearacomputer,Google“HansRosling:Thebeststatsyou’veeverseen.”Watchandmarvel.(The48-secondclipstartsat4:05.)NoteveryonecanbeaHansRosling.Buteveryonecanatleastaskthemselves

thequestion,ArevisualskeytoexplainingwhatIwanttosay?And,ifso,howdoIbestcombinethemwithmywordssothatthey’reworkingpowerfullytogether?

DELIGHT!

Anoftenoverlookedcontributionofvisualsistheirabilitytogiveatalkimmenseaestheticappeal.Itamazesmethatvisualartistswilloftenrestrictwhattheyshowtojustatiny

fractionoftheirwork.Yes,conceptsinatalkneedtobelimited.Butimages?Notsomuch.Themistakeistoassumethatyouhavetoexplaineveryimage.Youdon’t.Ifyouhadinvitedaprizedaudienceintoyourownvastexhibitionhalltoseeyourwork,butyouonlyhadtimetofocusonasinglegallery,youwouldnonethelessfirstleadthemquicklythroughtherestofthehall,ifonlytotaketheirbreathawayandexpandtheirunderstandingofyourbroaderbodyofwork.Withimages,a5-secondviewing,evenwithoutanyaccompanyingwords,canhaveimpact.Ifit’ssoeasytooffersuchagifttotheaudience,whywithholdit?Therearenumerouswaystostructureatalkthatcanallowmomentsofvisual

indulgencethatwillsignificantlyincreasetheaudience’ssenseofdelight,evenwhenthetopicitselfisn’tnecessarilybeautiful.ThedesignerandTEDFellowLucyMcRaepackeddozensofintriguing,

gorgeousimagesandvideosintohertalk,allofwhichgeneratedtheirownsenseofwonder—evenwhenshewastalkingaboutbodyodor.Likewise,thegraphicstyleofapresentation,withelegantfontchoices,

illustrations,and/orcustomanimations,canmakeitirresistible.Thesearesomecoreprinciples.Butwithvisuals,thedevilisinthedetails.To

takeusalittledeeper,letmeinvitebacktothepageTomRielly,amanforwhombadvisualsareasourceofphysicalpain.Tom,overtoyou!

TomRiellywrites:

Great!Let’sstartwiththetoolsyou’lluse.

PRESENTATIONSOFTWARETIPS

Asof2016,therearethreemainpresentationtools:PowerPoint,Keynote(forMac),andPrezi.PowerPointisubiquitous,thoughIfindKeynoteeasiertouse,andwithbettertypographyandgraphics.Prezi(inwhichTEDwasanearlyinvestor)offersanalternativemodeinwhich,insteadofalinearsuccessionofslides,youmovearoundatwo-dimensionallandscape,zoominginandouttofocusonwhatmatterstoyou.Mostprojectorsandscreensthesedaysarethedimensionsofamodern

widescreentelevision:16:9,asopposedtothe4:3ofoldTVs.Yetpresentationsoftwareopensupin4:3mode.Youwanttoimmediatelychangethesettingsto

softwareopensupin4:3mode.Youwanttoimmediatelychangethesettingsto16:9(unlessyou’respeakingatavenuewheretheymightstillhaveonly4:3projectors).Don’tusethesoftware’sbuilt-intemplatesofbullets,letters,anddashes.Your

presentationwilllookthesameaseveryoneelse’s,andthetemplatesendupbeinglimiting.Irecommendyoustartwithatotallyblankslide.Ifyou’reshowingalotofphotos,useblackasthebackground—itwilldisappearandyourphotoswillpop.Mostphotographsshouldbeshown“fullbleed.”That’snotahorror-movie

termbutanoldprintingtermmeaningthattheimagecoverstheentirescreen.Bettertohavethreefull-bleedphotosinarowthanthreeononeslide.Photosareoftenstillshotat4:3,soifyouwishtoshowapicturewithoutcroppingitstopandbottom,putitonablackslide,whichwillleaveunobtrusiveblackbordersontheleftandright.Photoresolution:Usepictureswiththehighestresolutionpossibletoavoid

annoyingpixelationoftheimageswhenprojectedonlargescreens.Thereisnosuchthingastoohigharesolution,unlessitslowsthesoftwaredown.

FONTS/TYPEFACES

It’susuallybesttouseonetypefaceperpresentation.Sometypefacesarebettersuitedthanothers.Weusuallyrecommendmedium-weightsans-seriffontslikeHelveticaorArial.Butdon’tuseexcessivelythinfontsastheyarehardtoread,especiallyonadarkbackground.Ifindoubt,keepitsimple.

FontsizeTinytypecausestheaudiencetostruggle.Use24pointsorlargerinmostcases.Useatmostthreesizesofyourchosentypefaceperpresentation,andthereshouldbeareasonforeachsize.Largesizeisfortitles/headlines;mediumsizeisforyourmainideas;smallsizeisforsupportingideas.

FontbackgroundIfyou’regoingtoplacetypeoveraphoto,makesureyouplaceitwhereyouraudiencecanreadit.Ifaphotoistoobusytoputtypeondirectly,addasmallblackbaratthebottomandputthetypeonit.

FontcolorHeretheoperativewordsaresimpleandcontrast.Blackonwhite,adarkcoloronwhite,andwhiteoryellowonblackalllookgoodbecausetheyhavegreat

contrastandareeasytoread.Useonlyonecoloroffontperpresentationunlessyouwanttoshowemphasisorsurprise.Neverusealight-colortypeonalight-colorbackgroundordark-colortypeonadark-colorbackground—forexample,lightblueonyelloworredonblackjustwon’tbeeasytoread.

LEGIBILITY

Afteryoumakeyourfontandcolorchoices,lookatyourpresentationonyourcomputeror—waybetter—onyourTVoraprojector,andstandback6to12feet.Canyoureadeverything?Dothephotoslookclearwithoutpixelation?Ifnot,readjust.

WHATNOTTODO

BulletsbelonginTheGodfather.Avoidthematallcosts.DashesbelongattheOlympics,notatthebeginningoftext.Resistunderlininganditalics—they’retoohardtoread.boldtypefacesareOK.Dropshadowscanoccasionallybeusefultoimprovelegibility,especiallyfortypeontopofphotos,butusetheeffectsparingly.Don’tusemultipletypeeffectsinthesameline.Itjustlooksterrible.

EXPLANATIONSANDDIAGRAMS

Usebuilds—addwordsandimagestoaslidethroughaseriesofclicks—tofocuspeople’sattentionononeideaatatime.Giveyouraudienceenoughtimetoabsorbeachstep.Don’tfeedtoomuchoftheslideatatimeorpeoplewillgetoverwhelmed.

PHOTOCREDITS

Inthescientificcommunityit’sespeciallyimportanttocrediteachphotooneveryslide.Butit’sbettertoavoidlargetype,becausethosecitationswilldrawtheaudience’seyeawayfromyourslide.Ifalltheimagesarefromonesource,youcansaythankstoNationalGeographicoutloud,oryoucanaddonephotocreditthatsays:“PhotoscourtesyofNationalGeographic,”andthenyoudon’thavetorepeatitoneveryslide.

Ifyoudoneedtoincludecredits,theyshouldbepositionedandstyledconsistently,inthesameplace,samefont,samesize(nomorethan10point)oneveryslide.Andcutthemdownfrom“PhotoCredit:AugustinAlvarez,AmesResearchCenter,NASA,MountainView,CA”to“AugustinAlvarez,NASA.”Notethatsomerightsholders,suchasmuseums,mayresistabbreviatingtheircredits.Butit’sworthasking.Iusuallysetcreditsinwhite,reversedoutoftheimageandrotated90degreessotheysitvertically,uptherightsideoftheslide.Askyourfriends:arethecreditspullingfocusawayfromtheimages?Ifso,theyaretooprominent.

PICTURESOFYOUANDYOURTEAM

It’sgreattoincludeaphotoofyouinyourworkingenvironment:lab,bush,LargeHadronCollider.Butresistincludingmorethanoneunlessthereisareason.BenSaunderstoldushowhejourneyedtotheNorthandSouthPoles.Hisimageisnecessaryinmostphotostotellthatstory.TherewasalsoawholeteamofpeoplewhoworkedtirelesslytomakeBen’sexpeditionpossible,buttoshowphotosofthemwouldhavetakentheaudience’sfocusawayfromthemainstory.Whileweunderstandthatyouwanttosharethecredit,picturesofyourteam,especiallyinayearbook-stylecompilationofindividuals,mattertoyoubutnottoyouraudience.Resist,andifyoumusthaveonephoto,makeitanorganicgrouping.It’smuchbettertodepictyourteamincontextduringapresentation.

VIDEOS

Videoscanbeamazingtoolstodemonstrateyourworkandideas.However,youshouldrarelyshowclipslongerthan30seconds.Andinan18-minutetalk,shownomorethantwotofourclipsunlessyourworkabsolutelydependsonit.It’sbestifvideoclipsareofyourworkandyouhaverightstothem(versusaclipfromStarWars);explainsomethingthatcan’tbeexplainedbystillimages;andhavegreatproductionvalue(shotinhigh-definition,withgoodlightingandespeciallygoodsound).Abadlyproducedvideowillhaveyouraudiencethinkingmoreaboutitspoorqualitythanaboutitscontent.Makesureit’sorganicandauthentic,notproducedbyyourPRdepartmentorwithbombasticcannedmusic.Hint:Whenyouareworking,capturevideoofeverything,becauseyoumaydecidetouseitlater,evenifyoudon’tknowwhen.TEDinvestsinhigh-qualityvideoandphotographs,andtheyjustgetmorevaluableastheyearspass.Youcanembedavideoinyourpresentation,butremembertocheckwiththe

Youcanembedavideoinyourpresentation,butremembertocheckwiththeA/Vteamtobesureit’sdefinitelyworkingbeforeyougoonstage.

TRANSITIONS

Thisisthedreadedquicksandofmanyapresenter.Ruleofthumb:Avoidnearlyallofthem.Shimmer,sparkle,confetti,twirl,clothesline,swirl,cube,scale,swap,swoosh,fireexplosions,anddroppingandbouncingareallrealKeynotetransitions.AndIneveruseanyofthem,exceptforhumorandirony.Theyaregimmickyandservetodropyououtofyourideasandintothemechanicsofyoursoftware.TherearetwotransitionsIdolike:none(aninstantcut,likeinfilmediting)anddissolve.None(orcut)isgreatwhenyouwantaninstantresponsetoyourclicker,anddissolvelooksnaturalifit’ssettoatimeintervaloflessthanhalfasecond.Cutanddissolveevenhavetwosubconsciousmeanings:Withcutyou’reshiftingtoanewidea,andwithdissolvethetwoslidesarerelatedinsomeway.That’snotahardandfastrule,butit’svalid.Youcanusecutsanddissolvesinthesamepresentation.Ifthereisnoreasonforatransition,don’tuseone.Insummary,yourtransitionshouldnevercallattentiontoitself.

TRANSPORTINGFILES

Sendyourpresentationtoyourhosts,andbringaUSBstickwithyourcompletepresentationandyourvideo,separatefromyourpresentation.Alsoincludethefontsusedinthepresentation.EvenifIhavesentapresentationinadvancetothevenuewhereI’llbespeaking,Ialwaysbringitwithmetoo.Important:BeforesendingovertheInternetorcopyingtoUSB,putallthesefilesintoafolderandcompressthefolderintoa.zipfile.ThatwillmakesurethatKeynoteorPowerPointwillgatherallthepiecesofyourpresentationinoneplace.Dolabeleachvideoclearly,includingitslocation.Forexample,SIOBHANSTEPHENSSLIDE12:VIDEO:MOTHEMERGESFROMCOCOON.

RIGHTS

Makesureyouhavealegallicensetousethephotos,videos,music,andanyspecialfonts,orthattheyareintheCreativeCommonsoroutrightfreetouse.It’salwayseasiestandbesttouseyourownwork.IfyouuseaWhitneyHoustonsong,forexample,itcouldcostthousandsofdollarstoclearitforuseinyourlivetalkandespeciallyonline.

TESTING

Therearetwokindsoftesting:humanandtechnical.First,forhumantesting,Irecommendthatyoutestyourpresentation—especiallyyourslides—onfamilyorfriendswhoarenotinyourfield.Askthemafterwardswhattheyunderstood,whattheydidn’t,andwhatfurtherquestionstheyhave.Testingisextremelyimportant,especiallyonverytechnicalorabstrusesubjects.Equallyimportantistechnicaltesting.IboughtaKensingtonremotefor$35

thatplugsintomycomputer’sUSBsoIcanclickthroughthetalkasIwouldonstage.Aretheslidescrispandbright?Arethetransitionsquickenough?Arethefontscorrect?DothevideosplayOK?Arethereanytechnicalglitchesofanykind?Runningthroughyourtalkalotwillhelpyouknowifitisreliable.Alwaysaskwhatkindofcomputerwillbeusedtoshowyourpresentation,if

itcanbeshowninthesameprogramandwiththesamefontsyouusedtocreateit,and,ifyourhostisusingthesamesoftware,askwhatversiontheyareusing.Makesureyouusetheverylatestversionofthesoftwarebecausethat’s

generallywhatorganizerswillhave,andonsiteconversionsfromoneversiontoanotherarestressfulandsometimesrequirelotsoffinessing.Once,IcreatedapresentationinKeynoteonaMacanditwasimportedintoPowerPointonaPC.Itlookedlikeadisasterinrehearsal.IconvincedthemtogetaMacandKeynoteanditworkedgreat.Nevergiveapresentationunlessyouhavewalkedthroughyourslides—and

especiallyvideos—ontheequipmentthatwillactuallybeusedtoshowthem.It’sparticularlyimportanttogetthesoundpersontocheckthesoundlevelsofanyaudioinyourpresentation,especiallyifyouplantospeakoverit.Inaudibilityorastartlingburstofsoundwillthrowyouoff.

WORKINGWITHDESIGNERS

Mostpeoplecanlearntomakegoodslides,butifthestakesarehighandbudgetpermits,byallmeansenlistthehelpofapresentationgraphicsdesigner.NoticehowIdidn’tsayjustanydesigner.Someonewhofocusesonwebsitesorprintedmaterialsmaynotbeasfluidwiththeartandgrammarofconveyingideasthroughslides.Askforpreviouswork.YoucanfindthemonBehanceandotherwebsites.Fourmoreimportantpoints:

1. Evenifyouhaveacorporategraphicsdepartmenttodothework,you

shouldbeinvolvedfromthebeginning.Beproactive.Don’tjustreviewthefinishedvideo;makesureyouarepresentandparticipating.Mostdesignersaregreatatwhattheydo,butthey’rehelpingyouexpressyourself,soitjustmakessensetobeinvolved.

2. Ifyouareuncomfortablewithsomeoneelse’ssliderecommendations,trustyourinstincts.It’syouupthereonstage,afterall.

3. Weworkwithalotofdesignersremotely,usingSkype,email,andDropbox,anditworkswell.Thereisnoreasonyourdesignershavetobenearby.

4. Helpdoesn’tneedtobeexpensive.Forpresentationgraphics,IliketoworkwithsmalldesignshopsofjustonetoaboutfifteenpeoplebecauseIgettoworkmorewiththeprincipals.ThereisalsoasteadysupplyofrecentartanddesignschoolgraduatesfromplaceslikeRISD,ArtCenterCollegeofDesign,Pratt,ArtInstitutes,CooperUnion,andmanymorecollegesaroundtheworld.

VERSIONCONTROL

Useversioncontrolreligiously,andatoollikeDropboxtostoreallyourdraftsaswellasyourfonts,photos,videos,andsound.It’salwaysagoodideatonamefileswiththeversionnumber,yourname,thevenue,andlatertheTEDsession,ifyouknowit.Forexample,likethis:v4trjwTomRiellyPrezTED2016Session11.Theinitials(“trjw”)tellwhoworkedonitlast.Hint:Puttheversionnumberandlastperson’sinitialsatthebeginningofthefilename,otherwiseyoumightnotbeabletotelleasilywhichiswhich.Everytimeyoupassittoorfro,saveanewversionwithanewnumber,andbeforeyousharetheDropboxlinkwiththeproductionteamatanevent,makeafolderinsideDropboxfortheoldversionsandkeepthelatestversionseparate.Markthefinalversion“FINAL”atthebeginningorendofthefilename.Yourdesignerwillloveyouifyouorateammemberassembleasmanyofthe

assets(photos,videos,sounds)aspossibleinafolderbeforehestartsdesigning.Also,tohelpthedesigner,sometimesI’llopenanewKeynotefileandmakedummyslideswithinstructions,forexample:Thisslidewillshowoneofthespecieswe’retryingtoconserve.Thisslidewillshowthedrylakebed;etc.Dothatforasmanyslidesasyoucan,arrangethem,andsendthefiletothe

designer.Thisistheequivalentofafilmmaker’sPost-itNotesonthewall—theyhelpherorganizeherideas.Finally,asinallthingswithgraphics,lessismore.

AndbacktoChris:

AroundofapplauseforTom,please!Andfinally,ifyouwanttoseestateoftheartinaction,herearethreemore

speakerswhosevisualsweadore.ThegloriousimagesshownbyconservationphotographerMacStoneat

TEDxUCfullyjustifythetitleofhistalk,“PhotosthatmakeyouwanttosavetheEverglades.”AtTEDxVancouver,JerThorpspokeoftheimpactofclearinfographicsand

provedhispointwithcountlessexamples.

AndatTEDxSydney,biomedicalanimatorDrewBarryusedastounding3D

animationstorevealhiddenprocessesinourcells.Onceyouhaveaplanforyourvisuals,it’stimetogobacktothewords,and

thenfigureouthowyouwillturnthemintoanactualtalk.Therearetwoquitedifferentapproacheshere,and,aswe’llsee,theworld’sbestspeakersdisagreestronglyonthistopic.Happily,there’sawaytobridgethedivide.

PreparationProcess

11

SCRIPTINGToMemorizeorNottoMemorize?

AtarecentTEDconferencewehadinvitedabrilliantup-and-comingphysicisttogiveatalkaboutremarkablenewdevelopmentsinthefield.Hehadareputationashisuniversity’sfinestsciencespeaker.Hislectureswerealwayspackedbecauseofhisgiftformakingthecomplexplain,theobscureexciting.Andinrehearsalhewoweduswithhispassionandeloquenceandclarity.Iwassolookingforwardtohisbigmoment.Hestartedoutwell,stridingthestageandofferingupanintriguingmetaphor

thatthecapacityaudiencewasenjoyinggettingitsheadaround.Andthen...thefirstglitch.Helosthiswayforamoment.Hesmiledandaskedforamoment,pulledouthisiPhoneandremindedhimselfwherehewas.Thenhemovedon.Noproblem.Exceptithappenedagain40secondslater.Themetaphorwasstartingtogetimpossiblyconvoluted.Peoplewerescratchingtheirheadsandstartingtofeelstressedforhim.Youcouldhearhisvoicestartingtotighten.Hecoughed.Ihandedhimabottleofwater.Foramomentitseemedtohelp.Butno.Inhorrifyingslowmotion,thetalkimplodedinfrontofus.AscomedianJuliaSweeneylaterremarked,itwasasifhewasdisappearingintooneoftheblackholeshewastalkingabout.Outcamethephoneagaintwo,three,fourmoretimes.Hebeganreadingfromit.Thesmileandpassionhadgone.Theentirewaterbottlehadbeendowned.Beadsofsweatwereglisteningonhisforehead.Hesoundedlikehewaschokingtodeath.Hesomehowgottotheend,toaroundofawkward,sympatheticapplause.Histalkwasthetalkoftheconference.Butnotinthewayhehaddreamedit

wouldbe.Here’sthething.Thiswasn’thisfault.Itwasmine.Inpreparinghim,Ihad

encouragedhimtotakethetimetocreateatrulyblockbustertalkandtoscriptitoutcarefullyinadvance.ItwastheapproachmostTEDspeakersused,anditseemedtobeworkingwellinrehearsal.Butitwasn’thisnaturalspeakingstyle.Hehadexplainedthattopicmasterfullytocountlessclassesofstudentsusingfluent,in-the-momentlanguagethatcamestraightoutofhisamazingbrain.IshouldhaveaskedhimtobringthatskilltoTED.(Infact,hedidbringthatskilltoTED.Justthepriordayhehadcomeonstagetogiveabrilliant,off-the-cuffexplanationofamajorbreakingstoryinPhysics.Itwasthescriptingthatmessedhimup.)Therearemanywaystoprepareforanddeliveratalk,andit’simportantto

findtheonethat’srightforyou.Becausewhenitcomestotheexactmoment,evenifyou’vepreparedsomethingthatisstunning,thereisalonglistofthings

evenifyou’vepreparedsomethingthatisstunning,thereisalonglistofthingsthatcangowrong,amongthem:

Yourtoneofvoiceputsyouraudiencetosleep.Yousoundlikeyou’rereciting.Yourunoutoftimebeforeyou’vecompletedhalfofwhatyouwantedtosay.Yougetflusteredtryingtorememberhowyourslidesfitwiththewordsyouprepared.Yourvideosfailtostart,andyourslideclickerdoesn’tworkproperly.Youfailtomakeeyecontactwithasinglememberoftheaudience.Youfeeluncomfortableonstage,notknowingwhetheryoushouldwalkaroundalittleorstayrootedtoonespot.Soinsteadyoucompromiseandshuffleawkwardlyfromlegtoleg.

Theaudiencefailstolaughwhentheyweresupposedto.Theaudiencelaughswhentheymostdefinitelywerenotsupposedto.Thestandingovationyoudreamedofisreplacedbyasmatteringofpoliteapplause.And—theonethingpeopledreadmost—youforgetwhatyouweregoingtosaynext,yourmindgoesblank,andyoufreeze.

Happily,withdiligentpreparation,theriskofanyofthesehappeningcanbetrulyminimized.Butasthestoryaboveillustrates,ithastobetherighttypeofpreparation.Andthatbeginswithknowinghowyouplantodeliveryourtalk.Differentspeakerstakeverydifferentapproaches.Inthischapterwe’lltrytohelpyoufigureoutwhatapproachisbestforyou.Someyearsago,TEDusedtobequiterigidinitsrulesontalkdelivery:No

lecterns.Neverreadyourtalk.And,ingeneral,thoserulesmakesense.Peopletrulyrespondtothevulnerabilityofaspeakerwhostandsthereunprotectedbyalecternandspeaksfromtheheart.Thatishuman-to-humancommunicationinitspurestform.Butthereisalsopowerinvariety.Ifeveryspeakerstoodinthecenterofthe

stage,enunciatingwiththrillingclarityaperfectlymemorizedtalk,itwouldsoongettiresome.Whenagroupofpeoplegoesawayforaweektoaconference,thespeakerswhohavethemostimpactareoftenthosewhodothingsdifferently.Ifeveryoneisspeakingwithoutascript,thequirkyprofessorwhosidlesouttoalecternandmischievouslyreadshistalkmaywellbetheonewhois

remembered.Andmorethananythingelse,whatmattersisthatspeakersarecomfortable

andconfident,givingthetalkinthewaythatbestallowsthemtofocusonwhatthey’repassionateabout.WediscoveredthiswhenweinvitedtheNobellaureateDanielKahnemanto

TED.Knownasthefatherofbehavioraleconomics,he’sanextraordinarythinkerwithatoolkitofideasthatcanchangeanyworldview.WehadoriginallyaskedhimtospeakinthetraditionalTEDway.Nolectern.Juststandonthestage,withsomenotecardsifneedbe,andgivethetalk.Butinrehearsal,itwasclearthathewasuncomfortable.Hehadn’tbeenabletofullymemorizethetalkandsokeptpausingandglancingdownawkwardlytocatchhimselfup.FinallyIsaidtohim,“Danny,you’vegiventhousandsoftalksinyourtime.

Howareyoumostcomfortablespeaking?”Hesaidhelikedtoputhiscomputeronalecternsothathecouldrefertohisnotesmorereadily.Wetriedthat,andherelaxedimmediately.Buthewasalsolookingdownatthescreenalittletoomuch.Thedealwestruckwastogivehimthelecterninreturnforlookingoutattheaudienceasmuchashecould.Andthat’sexactlywhathedid.Hisexcellenttalkdidnotcomeacrossasarecitedorreadspeechatall.Itfeltconnected.Andhesaideverythinghewantedtosay,withnoawkwardness.Sotoday,wedon’thavesetrules.Wejusthavesuggestionsforhelping

speakersfindthemodeofdeliverythatwillbemostpowerfulforthem.Oneofthefirstkeydecisionsyouneedtomake—andideallyyou’llmakeit

earlyoninyourtalkpreparation—iswhetheryouwill:

A.writeoutthetalkinfullasacompletescript(toberead,memorized,oracombinationofthetwo),orB.haveaclearlyworked-outstructureandspeakinthemomenttoeachofyourpoints.

Therearepowerfulargumentsinfavorofeachstrategy.

SCRIPTEDTALKS

Thehugeadvantageofgoingthescriptedrouteisthatyoucanmakethebestpossibleuseofyouravailabletime.Itcanbeincrediblyhardtocondenseallyouwanttosayinto10,15,or18minutes.Iftherearetrickyexplanationsinvolved,orimportantstepsinyourpersuasionprocess,itmaybeessentialforyoutogeteveryworddownandtweakeverysentenceandparagraphtoperfection.Scriptingalsohastheadvantagethatdraftsofthetalkcanbesharedaheadof

Scriptingalsohastheadvantagethatdraftsofthetalkcanbesharedaheadoftime.Weloveitwhenspeakerssendusadraftacoupleofmonthsaheadoftheconference.Thatallowsustimetogivefeedbackonwhichelementsmightbecutandwhichmightneedfurtherexplanation.Butthebigdrawbackofascriptisthat,unlessyoudeliveritintherightway,

thetalkmaynotfeelfresh.Beingreadtoandbeingspokentoaretwoverydifferentexperiences.Ingeneral(andthereareexceptions),audiencesrespondfarmorepowerfullytothelatter.Thisissomethingofapuzzle.Ifthey’rethesamewords,andeveryonepresentknowstheywerewrittenbythespeaker,whyshouldwecarehowtheyaredeliveredtous?Itmaybebecausehuman-to-humancommunicationisadynamicprocess,

unfoldinginrealtime.Yousaysomething.Ilookatyoureyesandmakeallmannerofunconsciousjudgments.Isthissomethingyoureallymean?Areyoupassionateaboutit?Areyoucommittedtoit?Asalistener,untilIknowthesethings,it’stooriskytoopenupmymindtoyou.Thatmeansthere’shugepowertowatchingsomeone“thinkoutloud”inthemoment.Wecansenseyourconviction,andwegettobepartoftheexcitementofseeingabigideaidentified,battledwith,andfinallyshakenintoshape.Thefactthatwecansensethatyoutrulymeanwhatyou’resayinginthemomenthelpsgiveuspermissiontoembracethatmeaning.

Bycontrast,whenthewordsareread,theymayfeelimpersonalanddistanced.

It’sabitlikewatchingasportseventonDVR.Thegamehasalreadybeenwonorlost.Evenwhenwedon’tknowtheoutcome,wedon’tcarequiteasmuch.(AndimaginehowmuchworsethatDVRexperiencewouldbeifwesensedthatthecommentaryhadbeenaddedafterthegameandwasbeingread,notevokedinrealtime.That’showreadtalkscansound.)Soifyougothescriptroute,youhavethreemainstrategiesopentoyou:

1. Knowthetalksowellthatitdoesn’tforamomentsoundscripted.(Moreonthisshortly.)

2. Refertothescript(eitherfromalectern—preferablynotonethatblocksoutyourwholebody—orpossiblyfromascreenorconfidencemonitor),butcompensatebylookingupduringeachsentencetomakeeyecontactwiththeaudience.NoticeIdidn’tsaytoreadthescript.Youmayhavetheentirethingthereinfrontofyou,butit’simportantthatyoufeelasifyou’reinspeakingmode,notreadingmode.Theaudiencecantellthedifference.It’sallaboutgivingmeaningtothewordsasyouspeakasnaturallyand

passionatelyasyoucan.It’saboutaudienceeyecontactandsmilesorotherfacialexpressions.It’saboutbeingfamiliarenoughwiththescriptthatyou’rereallyjustglancingdownonceeverysentenceortwo.Yes,thistakeswork,butit’sworthit,andit’sstillfarlessdauntingthanfullmemorization.

3. Condensethescripttobulletpointsandplantoexpresseachpointinyourownlanguageinthemoment.Thishasitsownsetofchallenges,coveredbelowinUnscriptedTalks.

Thereareonlytwocircumstanceswhereyoumightgetawaywithactuallyreadingyourscript:

1. Yourtalkisaccompaniedbyabsolutelygorgeousimagesorvideosthatplaywhileyouarespeaking.Inthisscenario,youarethelyricalcaptionprovider.Theaudience’sattentionisonthescreen.PhotographerJamesNachtwey’sTEDPrizetalkwaslikethis.

2. Youareatrulygreatwriter,andtheaudienceunderstandsthattheyarelisteningtoapieceofwrittenwork.But,aswe’llseebelow,evenforgreatwriterswithascriptinlyricallanguage,itcanbemorepowerfulnottoread.

Despitethesecaveats,forthemajorityofspeakers,themostreliablewaytosaywhatyoureallywanttosayinthemostpowerfulwayistofirstscriptitoutandgettoknowitsoit’spartofyou.Butthatishardwork.Formostofus,an18-minutetalkcaneasilytakefiveorsixhourstomemorize.Anhouradayforaweek.Ifyoudon’thavethattimeavailable,don’teventrytogothisroute.Whenyoushowuponstage,youreallydon’twanttobestrugglingtorememberascript.Whenthathappens,theproblemisnotsomuchtheriskofthetotalfreeze.It’s

thattheaudiencecantellyou’rereciting.Theymayseeyoureyesrollaroundbetweenparagraphsasyoubringthenextsentencetomind.Morelikelytheywillnoticethatyourtoneisslightlyflatandrobotic,becauseyouarefocusedonbringingtherightsentencesoutinsteadofbringingrealmeaningtothosesentences.Thisisactuallysomethingofatragedy.Youputinallthatworktocreatean

amazingtalk,butthenneverreallygaveitachancetohaveimpact.Thisproblemisfixable.Butittakessomeeffort.Imagineyougettoobserveafriendwho,overthecourseofaweekorso,tries

tomemorizehistalk.Let’ssaythatyouaskhimeverydaytogivethebestversionofthetalkthathecanwithoutusingnotes.Youwouldnoticesomethingodd:Earlyonintheprocess,hewouldbequiteconvincing(ifalittleunstructured).Hedoesn’tactuallyknowanyofthetalkbyheartyet,sohesimplydoeshisbesttogiveyoutheinformationheknowsinapproximatelytheorderhe’splanned.Butafewdaysintotheprocess,younoticeachange.Hehasreachedthepoint

whereheknowsquiteabitofthetalkbyheart,andsothosepartscomeoutineloquentparagraphs.But,youdon’tfeelthesameoriginallivelinessfromthem.Youfeelhisstress.Youhearwordslike,Let’ssee;Justaminute;Letmestartthatagain.Oryousimplyhearthoseparagraphsrattledoffalittlerobotically.Thosecluesaregiveawaysthatthetalkisbeingrecitedratherthanspoken

withmeaning.IcallthisphaseofpreparationtheUncannyValley.It’satermborrowedfromaphenomenonincomputeranimationwherethetechnologyofanimatinghumanlikecharactersissuper-closetoseemingrealbutisnotquitethere.Theeffectiscreepy:worsethaniftheanimatorhadsteeredclearofrealismaltogether.Ifyourspeakerfriendcomestothestageinthismode,histalkwillprobablyfail.He’ddobettertoforgetaboutdeliveringascriptedtalkandinsteadwritedownsevenbulletpointsandspeakabitabouteachofthem.Ortakethescriptwithhimtothestage.Butifhepersistsinthememorizationprocess,bythesixthorseventhday,

youwillnoticeathrillingchange.Suddenlythespeakerreallyknowsthetalk.Heknowsitsowellthatrecallingitisasnap.Suddenlyyourfriendcanusehisconsciousattentiontofocusonthemeaningofthewordsonceagain.SowhatI’dsaytospeakersplanningtomemorizetheirtalksisthis:That’s

great.You’regivingyourselfthebestchanceforahugehit.ButitisabsolutelyessentialthatyoutakeyourselfthroughUncannyValleyanddon’tgetstuckthere.Ifyou’renotwillingtocommittodothat,donotmemorize!Andhowshouldyoumemorize?TEDspeakersuselotsofdifferentmethods.

PamelaMeyer,whogaveahittalkonhowtodetectaliar,appearedtobespeakinghonestlywiththisadvice:

AtCampSeafarerinNorthCarolina,wehadtotreadwaterwhilesingingcampsongs.Then,tomakeitharder,wehadtotreadwaterwhilealsowigglingourforefingersincomplicatedpatternstothebeatofthesong.Youhaven’treallymemorizedyourtalkthoroughlyuntilyoucandoanentireotheractivitythatrequiresmentalenergywhilegivingyourtalk.Canyougiveyourtalkwhilemeasuringouttheingredientstomakebrownies?Canyougiveyourtalkwhilefilingallthemessypapersonyourdeskintoa

filecabinet?Ifyoucangiveyourtalkwhilethecognitiveloadisthathighonyoursystem,youcangiveitwellwhilefocusedonstage.

WatchPam’stalk.Doesitsoundmemorized?Itdoesnot.Itsoundscompletelynatural.TEDspeakerandvoiceartistRivesagreeswithheradvice:

WhenIhavetimetomemorizeatalk,Imemorizethe$#@!outofit.Imemorizethetalkuntilthetalkislikeatune.Iworkshopthetalkinmymouth.Irunitfastandslow,singsongandstentorian,coolandcooler.IrehearsethetalkuntilI’mperformingthetalk,notrememberingit.Andgoodriddance,reciting.Mypersonalmemorizationritualusuallyhappensthenight(s)beforemytalk,inahotelroom.IturnonaTVinterviewshow,slightlylouderthanusual,tocreatemaximumcognitiveinterference.Then(nokidding)Iholdonelegbehindmeandrecitemytalktomyreflectioninthemirror.IfIstopsmiling,Ihavetostartover.IfIstallout,Ihavetostartover.IfIsurviveoneentirerecitation,Iwon’tforgetmytalkandthesmileswillhappenastheymay.

Ifyoudrivealot,youcouldconsiderrecordingthetalk(justreaditintoyoursmartphone,forexample)andthenplayingitbackonlowvolume,whileyoutrytospeakjustaheadofit.Thentryagainwiththespeedaccelerated(mostphonescandothis).OneofTED’sfavoritespeakercoaches,GinaBarnett,believesthekeyistobeabletorecitethetalkatdoublespeed.Whenyoucandothatcomfortably,givingthetalkatnormalspeedwillbeautomaticandyoucanfocus100percentonmeaning.Shealsohasawonderfulinsightintohowtothinkofmemorization.“ThisiswhatItellpeople:Practicedoesn’tmakeperfect.Practicemakesimperfectionlivable.Becausewhenyouknowsomethinginsideout,youcanPLAYwithwhatcomesyourway,ratherthanshutitout.”Sothat’sthekey.Don’tthinkofitasrecitingthetalk.You’resupposedtolive

it.Embodyit.Yoursolegoalistogettothepointwhererememberingthewordsisnolongeraneffortandyoucanuseyourstagetimetoimpartpassionandmeaningtotheaudience.Itmustcomeacrossasifyouaresharingtheseideasforthefirsttime.Itcanbedone.Noteveryspeakingoccasionjustifiesthiskindoftime

investment.Butforthosethatdo,it’strulyworthit.Oneotherkeyquestionforscriptedtalksiswhattypeoflanguageyoushould

use.Spokenlanguageorwrittenlanguage?Thelanguageweuseineveryday

use.Spokenlanguageorwrittenlanguage?Thelanguageweuseineverydayspeechisquitedifferentfromthelanguagewritersuse.Moredirect,lesslyrical.Theadviceofmostspeakingcoachesistostickrigidlytospokenlanguage.

Thatwayitcanbespokenfromtheheart,inthemoment.Itis,afterall,atalknotawrite.MartinLutherKingdidn’tsay,“Vivid,powerful,unforgettableisthevisionIbringtoyouthisday.”Hesaid,“Ihaveadream.”HarvardprofessorDanGilbertadviseshisstudentstospeaktheirtalksintoa

recorderfirst,thentranscribethem,andusethatastheinitialdraftoftheirtalk.Why?“Becausewhenpeoplewrite,theytendtousewords,phrases,sentencestructures,andcadencesthatnooneusesinnaturalspeech.Sowhenyoustartwithwrittentextandthentrytoadaptitforperformance,youarebasicallytryingtoturnoneformofcommunicationintoanother,andoddsarethatyouralchemywillfail.”Andmanyotherspeakers,aswe’llsee,believethebestwayto“write”atalk

issimplytotrytospeakitoutloudmultipletimes.But,onceagain,it’samistaketobetoorigidaboutthis.Greatwriterscan

makeadifferenttypeoftalk,oneinwhichtheelegantprewrittenlanguageisthewholepoint.TakealookatthisparagraphfromamemorabletalkatTED2014byAndrew

Solomon:

Wedon’tseekthepainfulexperiencesthathewouridentities,butweseekouridentitiesinthewakeofpainfulexperiences.Wecannotbearapointlesstorment,butwecanenduregreatpainifwebelievethatit’spurposeful.Easemakeslessofanimpressiononusthanstruggle.Wecouldhavebeenourselveswithoutourdelights,butnotwithoutthemisfortunesthatdriveoursearchformeaning.

Solomonisanextraordinarywriter,anditshows.Thisislanguagethatwouldnaturallyappearinabookormagazinefeature,notlanguagethatyouwouldnaturallyuseinaone-to-oneconversationwithafriendatabar.Thecluesareinthelanguage’slyricism—wordslikehewandtorment.Thisisapowerfulpieceofwriting,andit’smeanttobeheardthatway.Eventhoughhewasspeakingfromnotes,thelyricalpowerofthelanguagemadeusfeelwewereinthehandsofamastercraftsman.Wewantedthetalktohavebeenprewritten.(Bytheway,Andrewtoldmethatthisactuallyishowhespeakstofriendsatbars.IwishIcouldbeabystander.)TalkslikeAndrew’scanberead.Perhapstheyshouldberead.Butifyougo

thisroute,evenifyou’reatrulygreatwriter,doyouraudiencethehonorof

knowingyourscriptsowellthatyoucanstillgiveasenseoffeelingitinthemoment.Meaneverysentence.Lookupasoftenasyoucanandmakeeyecontact.Andperhaps,ifyouwanttoaddamomentofpowerfulimpacttowardtheend,abandonyourscriptbeforethelastpage.Walkawayfromthelectern,tossawayyournotes,movetothefrontofthestage,andspeaktheconclusiondirectlyfromtheheart.

UNSCRIPTEDTALKS

Thistermcoversalargelandscape,fromimpromptuad-libbingtointricatelypreparedandstructuredtalksaccompaniedbyrichvisuals.Whattheyallhaveincommonisthat,inthemomentofdelivery,youarenottryingtorecallaspecificprewrittensentence.Insteadyouarethinkingaboutthesubjectmatterandlookingforthebestwordstoconveythepointathand.Atmost,youhaveasetofnotestoguideyouthroughthemainelementsofthetalk.There’salottobesaidforgoingunscripted.Itcansoundfresh,alive,real,

likeyouarethinkingoutloud.Ifthisisyourmostcomfortablespeakingstyle,andifyouarecoveringmaterialthatisveryfamiliartoyou,thismaybeyourbestchoice.Butitisimportanttodistinguishunscriptedfromunprepared.Inanimportant

talk,there’snoexcuseforthelatter.Manyunscriptedtalks,alas,resultinhalf-bakedexplanations,nonsequiturs,keyelementsmissed,andramblingoverruns.Sohowdoyouprepareforanunscriptedtalk?Alotwilldependonwhattype

ofjourneyyouplantotaketheaudienceon.Atalkbuiltaroundasinglestorywillbealoteasierthanonewhereyou’retryingtoconstructacomplexexplanationoranuancedargument.Butthekeytotheprocessistogobacktothemetaphorofthejourneyandaskyourselfwhateachstepofthejourneylookslike.Ataminimum,alabelforeachstepcanbeyoursetofbulletpointsormentalnotes.Youalsoneedastrategytoavoidtheobviouspitfallsofsuchanapproach:

1. Thatsuddenlyyoucan’t,inthemoment,findthewordstoexplainakeyconcept.Antidote:Practiceoutloudseveralversionsofeachstepinyourjourneyuntilyou’reconfidentthatyouhavecompletementalclarityaroundeachone.

2. Thatyouleaveoutsomethingcrucial.Itmaybeworthworkingonatransitionfromeachsteptothenextthatmakesthesequencecomenaturally.Perhapsyoucommittorememberingthosetransitionphrases,or

addthemtoyournotes.3. Thatyouoverrunyourtimeslot.Thisisupsettingtoconferenceorganizers,

andtoallthespeakerswhofollowyou.Itcanalsostressoutyouraudience.Don’tdoit.TheonlyantidotesaretoA.Tryoutthetalkseveraltimestobesureitcanindeedbedonewithinthetimelimit.Ifnot,youmustcutmaterial.B.Bedisciplinedaboutwatchingtheclockandknowhowfaryouneedtobewhenhalfofyourtimehasgoneby.C.Prepareatalkthatisnomorethan90percentofyourtimelimit.

Onetemptationmanyspeakersfallpreytoistousetheirslidesascrutches.Intheworstform,thismeansaseriesofdismalslidescoveredwithtextandbulletpointsthatthespeakerworksthroughlaboriously.Mostpeoplebynowunderstandthatthisisatrulyterriblewaytogiveatalk.Everywordyouspeakthatsomeonehasalreadyseenonaslideisawordthatcarrieszeropunch.It’snotnewsanymore.Awell-structuredsetofslidescanboostyourconfidenceinkeepingthetalk

movingalong,butitneedstobedonesubtly.Forexample,youcouldhaveanewimagethatlinksthematicallytoeachelementinyourtalk.Ifyougetstuck,advancetothenextslideanditshouldpullyoubackontrack.Butnotethatthisisnotideal.Eleganttimingofslidetransitionscanaddalottoatalk’simpact.Youshouldoftenaimtoteasethearrivalofaslidebeforerevealingit.Andthatbringsustothefutureofcities[click],ismuchmorepowerfulthan[click]Ah,yes.NextIwanttotalkaboutthefutureofcities.Frankly,theold-fashionedmethodofasetofpunchynoteshandwrittenon

cardsisstilladecentwaytokeepyourselfontrack.Usethewordsthatwilltriggerakeysentenceoraphrasethatlaunchesthenextstepinyourtalk.Onethingtounderstandisthataudiencesreallydon’tmindonebitifyou

pauseyourtalkforamomenttotakestock.Youmightfeelsomediscomfort.Theywon’t.Thekeyistoberelaxedaboutit.WhensuperstarDJMarkRonsoncametoTED2014,hewasmasterfulatthis.Helosthiswayatonepoint,buthesimplysmiled,walkedovertoabottleofwater,sippedit,toldtheaudiencethiswashismemorycrutch,studiedhisnotes,sippedagain,andbythetimehegotgoingagain,everyonelikedhimevenmore.TEDspeakershavewidelydifferentopinions,bytheway,onwhethera

memorizedscriptorapreparedtalk-in-the-momentisthebetterwaytogo.AuthorElizabethGilbertisfirmlyintheformercamp.

Ialwaysmemorizemytalks—oratleastIcomeasclosetocompletememorizationasIamcapable.Memorizationmakesmefeelcomfortable

andsafe;improvisationmakesmefeelchaoticandexposed.Publicspeaking,evenforthoseofuswhoenjoyit,canbefrightening,andfearcanmakeyougoblank.ButwhenIhaveworkedhardtomemorizeaspeech,justasifitwereapoemorasong,thenIcansimplystandthereandreciteit,evenasmyconsciousmindisblankingout.IwouldratherrisksoundinglikeIamrecitingsomethingfrommemorythansoundinglikeIlostmyway,orlikeIneverhadaplan,orlikeIhavenoideawhattheheckI’mtalkingaboutupthere.DuringmyfirstTEDTalk,Iwassonervousandagitatedthatmyconsciousmindwasflat-outnotworkingatallforthefirst5minutesonstage.Thankfully,though,mydeep-brainmemoryandmymouthstillworked,sothewordsjustcamespillingoutexactlyasIhadrehearsedthem.Astheminutestickedby,andasIfellintothefamiliargrooveofmytalk,Iwasabletoslowlyrelaxandwarmup,andbythemiddleofthespeech,Iwasactuallyenjoyingmyselfandimprovisingabit.Butthestrictmemorizationwaswhatkeptmesafeduringthatopeningboutofnerves.Therefore,Ihavecometothinkofmemorizationassomethinglikeasoldier’scombattraining;whenthemomentofbattlecomes,youwanttobeoperatingbyinstinct,notbyconsciousthought.

AmandaPalmeragrees:

I’mamasterimproviser,buttalksaren’ttheplaceforimprovising,especiallyonastagelikeTEDwherethetimelimitissostrict.IconsideredleavingspotswhereIcouldletmyselfmuseandwaffleabit,butasIwroteandrewroteandpracticed,IrealizedthatIcouldconveyMUCHmoremeaningifIdidtheworkaheadoftimeanddistilledmy40-secondwaffledownintoabite-sized,5-secondproteinpill.

PamMeyertoldmethereasontoscriptatalkissothatyoucanmakesureeverysentencecounts:

Youknowhowwhenyougiveatalk,youlikecertainpartsmorethanothers?Youhavetoloveeverysinglesentence.Youactuallyhavetogothroughyourscriptandyourslidesandaskthequestion,“Isthisessentialtoadvancingmymessage,andisthisinteresting,reallyinteresting?DoIlovesayingthisline?”andputeverysinglesentenceandslidethroughthetest.Ifanythinglandsinthemaybepile...it’sout.

SalmanKhanhasadifferentstance:

Believingwhatyouaresayinginrealtimehasamuchlargerimpactthansayingtheexactrightwords.IpersonallytendtolistoutbulletpointsofwhatIwanttotalkaboutandthentrycommunicatingthoseideasinmynaturallanguageasifI’mtalkingtofriendsatadinnertable.Thekeyistokeepyourmindfocusedontheideasandletthewordsfallout.Theaudienceknowswhenyouarethinkingaboutwhatyouaresayingversuswhenyouhavejustmemorizedascript.

StevenJohnsonagrees.

InallofmyTEDTalks,Iverydeliberatelydidnotmemorizethem,preciselybecausetheaudiencecanhearmemorizedtextveryclearly,andittakesawayfromthespontaneous,engagednatureofspeakingtoaliveaudience.Theotherproblemwithamemorizedspeechisthatwhenitfails,itfailscatastrophically.Ifyou’rejusttalking,followingaroughoutline,ifyouslipupabitandforgetasmallpiece,it’sbarelynoticeabletoanyonebutyou.Butifyou’rerecitingsomethingfrommemoryanddrawablank,you’relikelytofreezewithnowheretogo.It’slikeyourmentalteleprompterhasfrozen.

Oneoftheworld’smosttalentedspeakers,SirKenRobinson,isalsointhiscamp.HetoldmethatseveralpartsofhisblockbusterTEDTalkoncreativitywereimprovisedinthemoment.

Peopleshoulddowhatevermakesthemcomfortableonstageandhelpsthemtorelax.Ifmemorizingworks,theyshoulddothat.Itdoesn’tforme.Oneofmyprioritiesingivingatalkistoestablishapersonalrelationshipwiththeaudience,andtodothatIwantroomtoimprovise.Whetherit’stenpeopleortenthousand,aseminarorarally,Ifeelit’sessentialtotalkwithpeople,notatthem,andtobeauthenticindoingit.Idoplantalkscarefully,however.WhenIwalkonstage,IalwaysknowwhatIwanttohavesaidbeforeIwalkoffagain.ButIalsowanttoconnectwiththesepeopleinthisroomtoday.Itdoesn’tmatterhowmanyroomsI’vespokeninbefore,today’saudienceisalwaysnewanddifferent.

Meanwhile,DanGilbertthinksit’snoteither/or.Firstofallhewritesascriptforhistalks(beingcarefultousespokenEnglish).

Butthen,whenIdeliverthem,Idon’tsticktothescriptIwrote.Sowhydo

Butthen,whenIdeliverthem,Idon’tsticktothescriptIwrote.SowhydoIwritethem?Becausewritingastoryishowyoufindoutwheretheholesare!AgreattalkisbothscriptedANDimprovisational.Itispreciselylikeagreatjazzperformance:First,theopeningandclosingarealwayscompletelyscripted;second,thegeneralstructureisfullydeterminedbeforethefirsthornblows;butthird,whatmakesjazzinterestingandcaptivatingisthatinthemiddleofatunethereisalwayssomepoint(orseveralpoints)inwhichtheplayercangooffscriptandspontaneouslycreatesomethingthatcapturesthemoodofthatparticularaudienceinthatparticularroomatthatparticularmomentintime.Theplayercantakeafewmomentstodothis,buthemustalwaysknowwhentocomehome,andhemustalwaysknowwherehomeis.Atotallyimprovisationaltalkislikefreejazz:anutterabominationalmosteverytimeithappens.Atotallyscriptedtalkislikeaclassicalmusicconcert:intricate,deep,andflawlesslyexecuted,butoftenpredictableenoughtoputtheaudiencetosleepbecausetheyknowfromthestartthattherewillbenosurprises.

AndadguruRorySutherlandalsorecommendsthebestofbothworlds:

Churchill,Ithink,saidthis—“Rehearseyourimprompturemarks.”Oratleastleaveroominyourtalkforafewoptionalasides.Ifeverythinginatalkleadsinperfectlockstepfashiontowarditsconclusion,itwinspointsforlogicbutcanleavetheaudiencefeelingasthoughtheyhavebeenonaforcedmarchratherthanapleasant,companionablewalk.

Here’sthebottomline:ThemajorityofTEDspeakersdoinfactscripttheirwholetalkandmemorizeit,andtheydotheirbesttoavoidlettingitsoundmemorized.Ifyouhavetimetodothat,andtoworkyourwaypasttheroboticUncannyValley,itprobablygivesyouyourbestshotatencapsulatingallyouwanttosayandavoidingtheusualtrapsofamemorizedtalk.Butifyoudon’thavethetimetotrulymemorizeuntilthetalkissecondnature,orifyoualreadyknowthat’sjustnothowyougiveagreattalk,pleasedon’tgothisroute.Thekeyistofindthemodeyoucanfeelconfidentabout,andcommittoit.Ifthatchoiceseemsalittlestressful,here’ssomegoodnews:Asyoustartto

rehearse,thedifferencebetweenthetwomodesstartstofade.Thestartingpointsmaybedifferent,butinbothcasesyouendupwithatalkthatismeticulouslypreparedandpassionatelydelivered.

PreparationProcess

12

RUN-THROUGHSWait,INeedtoRehearse?

Whichevermodeofspeakingyoudecideon,there’saverysimple,veryobvioustoolyoucanusetoimproveyourtalk,butit’sonethatmostspeakersrarelyundertake:Rehearse.Repeatedly.Musiciansrehearsebeforeplaying.Actorsrehearsebeforeopeningthetheater

doorstothepayingpublic.Forpublictalks,thestakesmaywellbeashighorhigherthananyconcertorplay,yetmanyspeakersseemtothinktheycanjustwalkonthestageandgetitrightthefirsttime.Thusitisthat,timeandagain,hundredsofpeopleintheaudiencehavetosuffercountlessminutesofneedlesspainsimplybecauseonepersondidn’tprepareadequately.’Tisacryingshame.Thegreatestcorporatecommunicatorofrecenttimes,SteveJobs,didn’tget

therebytalentalone.HeputinhoursofmeticulousrehearsalforeverymajorproductlaunchAppledid.Heobsessedovereverydetail.MostofthebigTEDhitshappenedonlybecauseofthehoursofprepthe

speakersputin.JillBolteTaylor,whosetalkaboutherstrokeexplodedacrosstheInternetin2008,toldme:

Ipracticedliterallyhundredsofhours.Overandoveragain,eveninmysleepasIwouldawakeandfindmyselfrecitingthetalk.Becausethepiecewassoemotionalforme,IwouldrelivethemorningofthestrokeeverytimeIsharedthestory.Becausemyemotionwasauthentic,thestorywasperceivedasauthentic,andwetookthejourneytogether.

StemcellscientistSusanSolomonisequallypassionateaboutthepowerofrehearsal:

Bythetimeyouarereadytogiveyourtalk,youshouldhaverehearseditsomanytimesthatyoufeelasifyoucoulddoitinyoursleep,andinfrontofanyaudience.Rehearseinfrontoffriends.Rehearsebyyourself.Rehearsewithyoureyesclosed.Rehearsewalkinginthegarden.Rehearsesittingatyourdesk,butwithoutusingyournotes.Andbesurethat,inyourrehearsals,youincludeyourvisuals,sincetimingwiththemiscritical.

RachelBotsmansaysyoushouldtakecarewithwhomyoupractice:

Practiceyourspeechinfrontofsomeonewhoknowsnothingaboutyour

Practiceyourspeechinfrontofsomeonewhoknowsnothingaboutyourwork.ImadethemistakeofrunningthroughminewithpeoplewhoareveryfamiliarwithmeandwhatIamdoing.Thebestfeedbackwillbefrompeoplewhocantellyouwheretherearegapsinyournarrativeorwhereyouaremakingassumptionsthatpeoplewillknowx,y,z.

Self-professedintrovertSusanCaincreditsherrehearsalaudienceforsignificantimprovementstohertalk:

ItookTED’sadvicetoheart:Ifyou’regoingtomemorizeyourtalk,makesureyouknowitsowellthatthewordscomefromtheheart.It’snotenoughtopracticeitinfrontofthemirrororwhileyou’rewalkingthedog.Usearealstage,andspeaktoatleastoneaudiencemember.TheFridaynightjustbeforemytalk,theamazingWhartonprofessorAdamGrantgatheredanaudienceofhisthirtytopstudentsandalums,andIgavemytalktothem.TheirfeedbackwassoinsightfulthatIstayedupallnighttorewritethefinalthirdofthetalk.ThenIhadtospendtherestoftheweekendre-memorizing.Idon’tadvisewaitinguntilthelastminutelikethis!ButIdorecommendworkingwitharealaudienceandasagefriendlikeAdam.

Buthere’sasurprise.Evenspeakerswhodon’tbelieveinscriptingandmemorizingtheirtalkshavestillmadeabigpointofrehearsing.Here’seducationreformerSalmanKhan:

Deliverthespeechatleastfivetimesinyourbedroom,paraphrasingthecoreideas.Evenifyoumessuporforgetsomething,forceyourselftofinishwitheachgo(andalwayskeeptime).Inmymind,thevalueofpracticeislessaboutmemorizationthanaboutmakingyoucomfortableandlessstressed.Ifyouareconfidentandatease,everyonewillhaveabettertime.

SciencewriterMaryRoachconcurs:

Mytalkwasnotwrittenoutwordforwordormemorized.Butitwasrehearsed—atleasttwenty-fivetimes,usingtennotecardsandatimer.There’sakindofunintentionalmemorizationthatdevelopsnaturallyfromrepetition.Ithinkthat’swhatyou’reafter.Memorizationfeelssafer,butalittleriskisgood.Fearisenergy,andyouwantsomeofthatrunningthroughyourwires.

throughyourwires.

Thatphraseunintentionalmemorizationisanimportantone.Ifyourehearseenough,youmayfindyourselfsimplyknowingthetalkinitsbestform.WhenClayShirkycametotheTEDofficestogiveatalkaboutaballooningcontroversyregardingcopyrightlegislation,Imarveledathisabilitytosmoothlydeliverthewholecomplicatedthingwithoutascript,withoutnoteseven.Iaskedhimhowhedidit.Answer:Repeatedrehearsals.Butrehearsalsthatactuallycreatedthetalk.Here’swhathesaid:

IonceheardRonVawter,thegreatestactorI’veeverknown,answeraquestionabouthisrehearsaltechnique.Hereplied,“Ijustsaythewordsenoughtimesthattheysoundlikethey’recomingfromme.”That’swhatIdo—Iprepareforatalkbytalking.Istartwithabasicidea,figureoutanintroductorysentenceortwo,andthenjustimaginemyselfexplainingittopeoplewhocareabouttheidea.

Inthebeginning,thetalkingistogetasenseofwhatfitsanddoesn’tfit

—it’smoreeditingthanrehearsing.InthatTEDTalkIhadawholebitaboutscarcityinindustriesotherthanTV,butitkeptfeelingawkwardtocramitin,soIdroppedit.Afterawhile,thetalkingbecomesforpacingandtiming.Andbytheend,I’mmostlyjusttalkingoutthetransitions.Slideshelp,ofcourse,butrehearsingthetransitionsisespeciallyimportant.Theaudienceneedstohearinyourvoicewhenyou’redoublingdownonanidea,versuswhenyou’rechangingsubjects.Ialwaysmakewrittennotes,butIneverwriteoutthetalk—talks

shouldn’tfeellikewritingreadaloud.Instead,Iwritedownalistofwhattheaterpeoplecallbeats:here’sathoughtabouttheDMCA,thenoneaboutSOPA,thenoneabouttheDNS,andsoon.ImakethelastlistofthesebeatsjustbeforeIgoonstage,asalasthead-clearingreminder.

IfyoupulltogethertheadvicefromCain,Khan,Roach,andShirky,youwillseethatthegapbetweenmemorizedandin-the-momenttalksstartstofade.Thebestmemorizedtalksareknownsowellthatspeakerscanconcentrateontheirpassionfortheideastheycontain.Thebestin-the-momenttalkshavebeenpracticedenoughtimesthattheirspeakersknowexactlywhattrajectorytheyshouldtake,andtheyfindmanyofthemostpowerfulphrasesalreadythereinmind.

Whatwe’rereallytalkingabouthereisnottwodifferentwaysofdeliveringatalk,butrather,it’stwodifferentwaysofconstructingatalk.Somepeoplestartwithascript,otherswithasetofbulletpoints,buttheprocessofrehearsalmovesthesemuchclosertogether.Inbothcases,thegoalisacarefullystructuredtalk,deliveredwithin-the-momentfocus.Maybe,atthispoint,you’llpushbackandsaythatyouhatetalksthatare

rehearsed.Youcanalwaystell,howevereffortlesssomeonethinksthey’remakingitseem.Talksshouldbefresh,unique,live!

Iknowmaybeatinyhandfulofspeakerswhocandothat.They’rebuildingon

alifetimeofexperienceand/oranunusualabilitytoconstructandfocusanideainrealtime.Butformostofus,givingatalk“fresh”bringswithitterribletradeoffs:lackoffocus,missedkeypoints,lackofclarity,andtimeoverrun,justtonameafew.Ireallydon’trecommendthisapproach.Whenpeoplethinkatalksoundsrehearsed,theproblemisnottoomuchrehearsal,it’stoolittlerehearsal.ThespeakerisstuckintheUncannyValley.Butlet’sacknowledgethis:Rehearsalsarehard.They’reinherentlystressful.

Evencommittingtoarun-throughoutloudinyourbedroomishard.Theremaybesomespeakingoccasionswhereyousimplycan’tjustifytakingthetimetodothis(inwhichcase,speakingfromahand-heldsetofbulletpoints,orfromascriptthatyoulookupfromasmuchasyoucan,areyourbestoptions).Butifatalkisimportant,youreally,reallyoweittoyourselfandtheaudiencetoworkthroughthatstressbyrehearsing.Indoingthatthestressstartstobecomereplacedbyconfidence,andthenbyexcitement.AuthorTracyChevalierovercameherreluctancetorehearseanddiscovered

howitcanactuallyshapethetalk.

TEDorganizersplacealotofemphasisonrehearsing.TheytoldmetopracticesooftenIgotannoyed.IhavegivenmanypublictalksandneverpracticedthewayTEDexpectedmeto.Intheend,however,Ididrehearse,andwasverygladofit.Mosttalksarenottimedsotightly,andmystyleisoftenconversationalandtangential.Practicingmakesyourealizejusthowmuchwafflethereisinmosttalks.Practice,timeyourself,andstartcuttingoutalltheasidesandunnecessarystuff.Ialsofoundthatinsayingitaloud,Icameupwithphrasesthatworkedwell.Imemorizedthose,thenusedthemasanchors,orlandingpadstotouchdownon.Ididn’tmemorizethewholetalk—thatcansoundprettyfakeunlessyou’reanactor—butIdidmemorizethestructureandthosefewlandingpadphrases,andthatmade

thetalktighterandbetter.

EvenBillGates,oneoftheworld’sbusiestmen,putsahugeeffortintolearningandrehearsinghisTEDTalks.Onceuponatimehewasconsideredapoorpublicspeaker.Bytakingpreparationseriously,he’sturnedthataroundandhasproducedpowerfultalksonpublichealth,energy,andeducation.Ifit’sworthBillGates’stimeandSusanCain’stimeandTracyChevalier’s

timeandSalmanKhan’stimetorehearseforamajortalk,it’sprobablyworthyourtimetoo.Somethingstoaskyouraudienceduringoraftertheserehearsals:

DidIgetyourattentionfromtheget-go?WasImakingeyecontact?Didthetalksucceedinbuildinganewideaforyou?Waseachstepofthejourneysatisfying?Werethereenoughexamplestomakeeverythingclear?Howwasmytoneofvoice?Diditsoundconversational(usuallygood)orasifIwaspreaching(usuallybad)?Wasthereenoughvarietyoftoneandpacing?DidIsoundasifIwasrecitingthetalk?Weretheattemptsathumornaturaloralittleawkward?Wasthereenoughhumor?Howwerethevisuals?Didtheyhelporgetintheway?Didyounoticeanyannoyingtraits?WasIclickingmytongue?Swallowingtoooften?Shiftingfromsidetoside?Repeatedlyusingaphraselike“youknow”or(worse)“like”?Weremybodygesturesnatural?DidIfinishontime?

Weretheremomentsyougotalittlebored?WastheresomethingIcouldcut?

Irecommendyouhavesomeonerecordtheserehearsalsonasmartphonesothatyoucantakealookatyourselfinaction.Youmayimmediatelynoticesomephysicaltraitthatyou’recompletelyunconsciousofthatyou’dpreferwasn’tthere.Finally,let’stalkabouttimelimits.It’sreallyimportantthatyoutakethe

clockseriously.Thisiscertainlytruewhenyou’repartofapackedprogram.Overrunningtheclockisstealingtimefromthespeakerswhofollowyou.But

Overrunningtheclockisstealingtimefromthespeakerswhofollowyou.Butit’snotjustaboutavoidingupsettingthemandtheeventorganizer.It’salsoaboutlandingyourbesttalk.Inourcrazymodernattentioneconomy,peoplerespondtocrisp,powerfulcontent.Theyhavenopatienceforflab.Andit’snotjustamodernphenomenon.Inhistory,manyofthemostpowerfultalkswereshortandtothepoint.AbrahamLincoln’sGettysburgAddressclockedinatjustover2minutes.Thespeakerbeforehimdronedonfor2hours;whathesaidislongforgotten.Whenitcomestotheactualday,thelastthingyouwantistobeworriedabout

time.Toavoidthis,useyourrehearsalstofine-tuneyourtalk.Youshouldplantocutyourmaterialuntilyou’resureyoucanfinishwellunderthelimit.Thiswillallowtimeforaudiencelaughterandaweeglitchortwo.Onthedayitself,ifyouknowyou’regoingtobeOKontime,itwillallowyoutofocus100percentonthetopicyoushouldbefocusedon:explainingwithpassiontheideayoucaresomuchabout.SpokenwordartistRiveshasaniceguidelinehere.

Yourfinishlineisyourtimetimes0.9.Writeandrehearseatalkthatisnine-tenthsthetimeyouweregiven:1hour=54minutes,10minutes=9,18minutes=16:12(yes,itis).Thengetonstageandignoretheclock.You’llhavebreathingroomtopaceyourself,topause,toscrewupalittle,tomilktheaudience’sresponse.Plusyourwritingwillbetighterandyou’llstandoutfromtheotherspeakerswhoaredancingtotherhythmsofthesametimelimit.

Let’ssumitup.

Forahigh-stakestalk,it’sveryimportanttorehearsemultipletimes,preferablyinfrontofpeopleyoutrust.Workonituntilit’scomfortablyunderyourallocatedtimelimitandinsistonhonestfeedbackfromyourrehearsalaudience.Yourgoalistoendupwithatalkwhosestructureissecondnaturetoyousothatyoucanconcentrateonmeaningwhatyousay.

PreparationProcess

13

OPENANDCLOSEWhatKindofImpressionWouldYouLiketoMake?

Whetherornotyoumemorizeyourtalk,it’simportanttopayattentiontohowyoubeginandhowyouendit.Atthebeginningofyourtalk,youhaveaboutaminutetointriguepeoplewithwhatyou’llbesaying.Andthewayyouendwillstronglyinfluencehowyourtalkisremembered.Howeveryoudelivertherestofthetalk,Istronglyencourageyoutoscript

andmemorizetheopeningminuteandtheclosinglines.Ithelpswithnerves,withconfidence,andwithimpact.

FOURWAYSTOSTARTSTRONG

Audienceattentionisatrulypreciouscommodity.Youalwayshaveitwhenyoufirstarriveonstage.Don’tfritteritawaywithsmalltalk.Itreally,trulydoesn’tmatterthatmuchthatyouarehonoredtobethere,orthattheorganizer’swifeneedstobethanked.Whatmattersispersuadingtheaudiencethattheydarenotswitchoffforananosecond.Youwantanopeningthatgrabspeoplefromthefirstmoment.Asurprisingstatement.Anintriguingquestion.Ashortstory.Anincredibleimage.Thereare,tobesure,occasionswhenyoucanstartwithathank-youortwo,

especiallywhenyou’respeakingataneventwherethere’sastrongsenseofcommunity.Thereitmayabsolutelybetherightthingtobeginwithacknowledgingacoupleofpeople.Itmakesyoupartofthecommunity.Butifyoudothis,pleasedoitinasuper-personalway,preferablywithhumororgenuinewarmth.BillClintonisamasteratthis.He’llfindapersonalanecdotethatmakesthehostfeellikeamillionbucks,whilesimultaneouslyconnectingwiththerestoftheguestsasaresult.However,eveninthatcommunitysetting,keepyourthank-yousincheck.Long,drylistsofacknowledgmentsareabsoluteattentionkillersinanycontext.Andwhenyoubeginyourtalkproper,makesureithasacompellingopening.Rememberthateverypieceofcontentinourmoderneraispartofanattention

war.It’sfightingagainstthousandsofotherclaimsonpeople’stimeandenergy.Thisistrueevenwhenyou’restandingonastageinfrontofaseatedaudience.Theyhavedeadlydistractersintheirpocketscalledsmartphones,whichtheycanusetosummontotheireyesathousandoutsidealternatives.Onceemailsandtextsmaketheirclaim,yourtalkmaybedoomed.Andthenthere’sthatlurkingdemonofmodernlife,fatigue.Allthesearelethalenemies.Youneverwanttoprovidesomeonewithanexcusetozoneout.Youhavetobeasavvygeneral

providesomeonewithanexcusetozoneout.Youhavetobeasavvygeneraldirectingthiswar’soutcome.Startingstrongisoneofyourmostimportantweapons.Thisisespeciallytrueifyourtalkisbeingrecordedforonlineposterity.

Dozensofotherenticingtalks,articles,andquizzesarejustoneclickaway.Ifyouwastetheopeningminuteofyourtalk,you’regoingtoloseasignificantportionofyouronlineaudiencebeforetheyeverrealizethere’saninterestingbit.Andthatmaymakethedifferencebetweenyourtalkgoingviralordyingatragicdeath.Herearefourwaystostakeyourclaimtotheaudience’sattention.

1.Deliveradoseofdrama

Yourfirstwordsreallydomatter.

ComicMaysoonZayid,whosuffersfromcerebralpalsyduetoabotched

medicalprocedureatherbirth,cameontothestageshaking,andbeganhertalklikethis:“Iamnotdrunk...butthedoctorwhodeliveredmewas.”Kapow!Despiteherunexpectedappearanceweimmediatelyknewwewereinforatreat.Sheownedeveryeyeballandeverybraincellintheroom.ActivistchefJamieOlivercametoTEDtoacceptourannualTEDPrize.

Here’showheopened.“Sadly,inthenext18minutes...fourAmericansthatarealivewillbedead...throughthefoodthattheyeat.”Ithinkyouwanttohearmore.Inplanningyouropening,letyourtalk’sthroughlinebeyourguide.Howcan

youteaseuptheideaofyourtalkinthemostcompellingwayimaginable?Askyourself:ifyourtalkwereamovieoranovel,howwoulditopen?Thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetocramsomethingdramaticintotheopeningsentence;youdefinitelyhaveafewmomentsofaudienceattention.Butbytheendofthefirstparagraph,somethingneedstoland.ZakEbrahimcametoTED2014withanincrediblestory.Butinhisoriginal

script,heplannedtoopenlikethis:

IwasborninPittsburgh,Pennsylvania,in1983toalovingAmericanmotherandanEgyptianfatherwhotriedtheirbesttocreateahappychildhoodforme.Itwasn’tuntilIwassevenyearsoldthatourfamilydynamicstartedtochange.MyfatherexposedmetoasideofIslamthatfewpeople,includingthemajorityofMuslims,gettosee.But,infact,whenpeopletakethetimetointeractwithoneanother,itdoesn’ttakelongtorealizethat,forthemostpart,weallwantthesamethingsoutoflife.

It’sanOKopening...butitdoesn’treallygrabyou.WebrainstormedwithZak,andhere’shisrevisedopening:

OnNovemberfifth,1990,amannamedEl-SayyidNosairwalkedintoahotelinManhattanandassassinatedRabbiMeirKahane,theleaderoftheJewishDefenseLeague.Nosairwasinitiallyfoundnotguiltyofthemurder,

JewishDefenseLeague.Nosairwasinitiallyfoundnotguiltyofthemurder,butwhileservingtimeonlessercharges,heandothermenbeganplanningattacksonadozenNewYorkCitylandmarks,includingtunnels,synagogues,andtheUnitedNationsheadquarters.Thankfully,thoseplanswerefoiledbyanFBIinformant.Sadly,the1993bombingoftheWorldTradeCenterwasnot.Nosairwouldeventuallybeconvictedforhisinvolvementintheplot.El-SayyidNosairismyfather.

Theaudiencewasriveted.Theopeningworkedonlinetoo,histalkquicklynotchingup2millionviews.Here’stheopeningoftheoriginalscriptsenttousbysociologistAlice

Goffman.

WhenIwasafreshmanincollegeattheUniversityofPennsylvania,Itookasociologyclasswhereweweresupposedtogooutandstudythecitythroughfirsthandobservationandparticipation.Igotajobworkingatacafeteriaoncampus,makingsandwichesandsalads.MybosswasanAfricanAmericanwomaninhersixtieswholivedinablackneighborhoodnotfarfromPenn.ThenextyearIbegantutoringhergranddaughterAisha,whowasafreshmaninhighschool.

She’sjusttellingherstoryinawaythat’snaturaltoher,butbythetimeshegottotheconference,shehadarevisedopeningworthyofthesearingpassionofhertalk.

OnthepaththatAmericanchildrentraveltoadulthood,twoinstitutionsoverseethejourney.Thefirstistheonewehearalotabout:college.Collegehassomeshortcomings.It’sexpensive;itleavesyoungpeopleindebt.Butallinall,it’saprettygoodpath...

TodayIwanttotalkaboutthesecondinstitutionoverseeingthejourney

fromchildhoodtoadulthoodintheUnitedStates.Andthatinstitutionisprison.

ThatbrilliantframingallowedhertotalkaboutthetragedyofAmerica’sincarceratedinawaythatdemandsattention:Hey,theycouldhavebeencollegekids.Ofcourse,it’spossibletooverdothedramaandactuallylosepeople.Maybe

youwanttoconnectwiththeaudiencealittlebeforehittingthemwithadramaticthunderbolt.Andyoucertainlydon’twanttooversimplifywhatyou’re

dramaticthunderbolt.Andyoucertainlydon’twanttooversimplifywhatyou’regoingtotalkabout.Butdoneright,thisisacompellingwaytogetatalkstarted.

2.Ignitecuriosity

IfIofferedyouthechancetohearatalkonparasites,I’mguessingyoumightdecline.Butonlyifyouhadn’tmetsciencewriterEdYong.Here’showheopenedhistalk.

Aherdofwildebeests,ashoaloffish,aflockofbirds.Manyanimalsgatherinlargegroupsthatareamongthemostwonderfulspectaclesinthenaturalworld.Butwhydothesegroupsform?Thecommonanswersincludethingslikeseekingsafetyinnumbersorhuntinginpacksorgatheringtomateorbreed,andalloftheseexplanations,whileoftentrue,makeahugeassumptionaboutanimalbehavior,thattheanimalsareincontroloftheirownactions,thattheyareinchargeoftheirbodies.Andthatisoftennotthecase.

Hegoesontodescribehowaspeciesofshrimphuddletogetheronlybecausetheirbrainshavebeentakenoverbyparasiteswhoneedtheshrimptobevisibletopredatorflamingosinwhosebelliestheparasitecancontinueitslifecycle.Inlessthanaminuteflat,yourbrainisdoingsomersaults.Whaaat?!Cannaturereallydothat??Andyou’recryingouttoknowmore.How?Why?Whatdoesthismean?Ignitingcuriosityisthesinglemostversatiletoolatyourdisposalforensuring

audienceengagement.Ifatalk’sgoalistobuildanideainlisteners’minds,thencuriosityisthefuelthatpowerslisteners’activeparticipation.Neuroscientistsspeakofquestionscreatingaknowledgegapthatthebrain

fightstoclose.Theonlywaythebrainsoftheaudiencecandothatisbyhavingtheirownerslistenhardtowhatyouhavetosay.Thisisgood.Howdoyousparkcuriosity?Theobviouswayistoaskaquestion.Butnot

justanyquestion.Asurprisingquestion.Howdowebuildabetterfutureforall?Toobroad.Toomuchofacliché.I’m

boredalready.Howdidthisfourteen-year-oldgirl,withlessthan$200inherbankaccount,

giveherwholetownagiantleapintothefuture?Nowwe’retalking.Sometimesalittleillustrationcanturnaso-soquestionintofull-oncuriosity

ignition.Here’showphilosopherMichaelSandelbegan:

Here’saquestionweneedtorethinktogether:Whatshouldbetheroleofmoneyandmarketsinoursocieties?

moneyandmarketsinoursocieties?

Areyouinterestedyet?Maybe,maybenot.Buthere’showhecontinues.

Today,thereareveryfewthingsthatmoneycan’tbuy.Ifyou’resentencedtoajailterminSantaBarbara,California,youshouldknowthatifyoudon’tlikethestandardaccommodations,youcanbuyaprisoncellupgrade.It’strue.Forhowmuch,doyouthink?Whatwouldyouguess?Fivehundreddollars?It’snottheRitz-Carlton.It’sajail!Eighty-twodollarsanight.

Ifhisopeningquestiondidn’timmediatelygrabyou,thecrazyjailexamplerevealswhythequestionmightmatteralotafterall.Infact,curiosity-generatingspeakersoftendon’texplicitlyaskaquestion.At

leastnotatfirst.Theysimplyframeatopicinanunexpectedwaythatclicksthatcuriositybutton.Here’sV.S.Ramachandran:

Istudythehumanbrain,thefunctionsandstructureofthehumanbrain.AndIjustwantyoutothinkforaminuteaboutwhatthisentails.Hereisthisthree-poundmassofjellyyoucanholdinthepalmofyourhand,anditcancontemplatethevastnessofinterstellarspace.Itcancontemplatethemeaningofinfinityanditcancontemplateitselfcontemplatingonthemeaningofinfinity.

Areyouintrigued?Iam.Likewise,astronomerJannaLevinfoundawaytomakemeintenselycuriousaboutherwork.

Iwanttoaskyoualltoconsiderforasecondtheverysimplefactthat,byfar,mostofwhatweknowabouttheuniversecomestousfromlight.WecanstandontheEarthandlookupatthenightskyandseestarswithourbareeyes.TheSunburnsourperipheralvision.WeseelightreflectedofftheMoon.AndinthetimesinceGalileopointedthatrudimentarytelescopeatthecelestialbodies,theknownuniversehascometousthroughlight,acrossvasterasincosmichistory.Andwithallofourmoderntelescopes,we’vebeenabletocollectthisstunningsilentmovieoftheuniverse—theseseriesofsnapshotsthatgoallthewaybacktotheBigBang.Andyet,theuniverseisnotasilentmoviebecausetheuniverseisn’tsilent.I’dliketoconvinceyouthattheuniversehasasoundtrackandthatsoundtrackis

convinceyouthattheuniversehasasoundtrackandthatsoundtrackisplayedonspaceitself,becausespacecanwobblelikeadrum.

Curiosityisthemagnetthatpullsyouraudiencealongwithyou.Ifyoucanwielditeffectively,youcanturnevendifficultsubjectsintowinningtalks.Andby“difficultsubjects,”Idon’tjustmeanAdvancedPhysics.Evenharder

aretalksaboutchallengingissuesandcauses.IfyouwanttoadvancenewideasaboutHIVormalariaorhumanslavery,youhavetobeawarethatit’shardforpeopletoopenuptothesetopics.Theyknowthey’regoingtobemadetofeeluncomfortableatsomepoint.It’stemptingtothemtoshutdownaheadoftimeandpullouttheiPhone.Agreatwaytocounterthatistoleadwithcuriosity.Asmentionedearlier,EmilyOsterdidthisinhertalkaboutAIDS.Insteadof

theexpectedlitanyofhorrorsheraudiencemayhavebeenexpecting,shestartedbyaskingwhetherthefourthingsweallthoughtweknewaboutAIDSinAfricawereactuallytrue.Shehadaslidelistingthem.Theylookedright,butitwasclearshewasgoingtochallengeeachone.Andjustlikethat,adifferentpartofthebrainswingsintoaction.Attentionwaswon.Ifyourtalktopicischallenging,curiosityisprobablyyourmostpowerful

engineofengagement.

3.Showacompellingslide,video,orobject

Sometimesthebestopeninghookisaglorious,impactful,orintriguingpictureorvideo.ArtistAlexaMeadebeganbyshowingastrikingimageofoneofherworks

andspeakingthesewords.“Youmaywanttotakeacloserlook.There’smoretothispaintingthanmeetstheeye.Andyes,it’sanacrylicpaintingofaman,butIdidn’tpaintitoncanvas.Ipainteditdirectlyontopoftheman.”Wow.EloraHardybegan:“WhenIwasnineyearsold,mymomaskedmewhatI

wouldwantmyhousetolooklike,andIdrewthisfairymushroom.”Sheshowsacutechild’sdrawing.“Andthensheactuallybuiltit.”Youcanheartheaudience’sintakeofbreathassheshowsanimageofthebamboohousehermotherbuilt.It’sjustthesetupforaseriesofstunningimagesofElora’sownworkasanarchitect,butlookhowrapidlyshehasengagedtheaudience.Twosentencesin,andthey’realreadygasping.Ifyouhavetherightmaterial,thisisclearlyagreatwaytostartatalk.Instead

ofsaying,“TodayIplantotalktoyouaboutmywork,butfirstIneedtogiveyousomebackground...,”youcanjuststartbysaying:“Letmeshowyousomething.”Obviouslythisapproachcanworkwellforphotographers,artists,architects,

anddesigners,orotherswhoseworkisfundamentallyvisual.Butitcanalsoworkbeautifullyforconceptualtalks.WhenDavidChristiangavehishistoryoftheuniversein18minutes,hebeganwithvideoofaneggbeingscrambled.Itwasonlyafter10secondsorsothatyourealizedtheprocesswashappeninginreverse—theeggwasbeingunscrambled.Rightthere,rightinhisintriguingopeningvideo,herevealedthethroughlineofhisstory...thatthereisadirectiontotime.Thatthestoryoftheuniverseisoneofgrowingcomplexity.Agorgeousimagecapturesattention.Butthefullimpactoftencomesin

revealingsomethingsurprisingaboutit.CarlZimmerbeganwithastunninglybeautifulpictureofajewelwasp.Buthethenrevealedthatitmadeitslivingbyturningcockroachesintozombiesandlayingitseggsinsidetheircomatosebodies(anothertriumphantentryinthatstrangenicheofTEDTalksdevotedtotrulydisturbingparasites).Dependingonwhatmaterialyouhave,thereareplentyofwaystoponder

evenmoreintriguingstarts.“Theimageyou’reabouttoseechangedmylife.”“I’mgoingtoplayyouavideothat,atfirstviewing,mayseemtobe

impossible.”

“Here’smyopeningslide.Canyoufigureoutwhatthisthingis?”

“Untiltwoandahalfmonthsago,nolivinghumanhadcasteyesonthis

object.”Findtheonethatfeelsrightforyou.Compelling,butalsoauthentic.An

openingthatwillboostyourownconfidencegoingintothetalk.

4.Tease,butdon’tgiveitawayOccasionally,speakerstrytobringtoomuchtotheiropeningparagraph.Theyessentiallygiveawaythepunchlineoftheirtalk.“TodayI’mgoingtoexplaintoyouthatthekeytosuccessasanentrepreneurissimplythis:determination.”Aworthygoal.Butthespeakermayhavealreadylosttheaudience.Theythinktheyknowthetalkalready.Evenifwhatfollowsisfullofnuance,logic,passion,andpersuasion,theymaynolongerbelistening.Supposeinsteadthetalkstartedthisway:“OverthenextfewminutesIplanto

revealwhatIbelieveisthekeytosuccessasanentrepreneur,andhowanyoneherecancultivateit.You’llfindcluestoitinthestoryI’mabouttotell.”You’llprobablygivethatspeakeratleastafewmoreminutesofyourattention.Soinsteadofgivingitallawayupfront,imaginewhatkindoflanguagewill

seducetheaudienceintowantingtocomealongfortheride.Differentaudience,differentlanguage.Imentionedthat,asachild,Ididn’tmuchliketobedraggedoutwalking.Myparentsmadeavalianteffortataudienceempathy...butfailed.They’dsay,“Let’sgoforahike.We’llgettoseeabeautifulviewofthevalley.”Andtheunfitlittlesix-year-oldthatwasme,whofranklydidn’tcareatallaboutviews,wouldwhineallthewaythereandback.Later,theygotwiseandwentforamorecleverlycraftedpitch.“We’vegotatreatforyou.We’regoingsomewherespecialwhereyoucanlaunchapaperairplaneintofivemilesofemptyspace.”Asafanofanythingthatflew,Iwasoutthedoorbeforetheywere.Itwasthesamewalk.It’sOKtosavethebigrevelationsforthemiddleorendofyourtalk.Inthe

openingsentencesyoursolegoalistogiveyouraudienceareasontostepawayfromtheircomfortzoneandaccompanyyouonanamazingjourneyofdiscovery.AsJ.J.AbramspointedoutinhisTEDTalkonthepowerofmystery,the

movieJawsowesalotofitsimpacttothefactthatdirectorStevenSpielberghidthesharkforthefirsthalfofthemovie.Youknewitwascoming,forsure.Butitsinvisibilityhelpedkeepyouontheedgeofyourseat.Asyouplanyourtalk,there’snoharminchannelingyourinnerSpielberg.

EdithWidderdidjustthat,albeitwithhelpfromadifferentseacreature.When

EdithWidderdidjustthat,albeitwithhelpfromadifferentseacreature.Whenshegaveatalkonherteam’sdiscoveryofthegiantsquid,sheofcoursewantedapowerfulopening.Didsheshowtheamazingfootageofthesquid?Ohno.Instead,heropeningslidewasadramaticartist’simageofthekraken,thesquidlikeseamonsterofNorwegianlegend.Thatallowedhertosetupthestoryshewasgoingtotellasrooteddeepinmythology.Themomentwhenthegiantsquidappearsisahundredtimesmoredramaticforbeingheldback.Thetechniqueworksforastonishingcreatures,anditalsoworksfor

astonishingbreakthroughs.StanfordprofessorFei-FeiLicametoTEDin2015topresentherremarkablework,showinghowmachinelearninghasenabledcomputerstovisuallyidentifythecontentsofphotographs.Butshedidn’tstartwithademo.Shestartedwithavideoofathree-year-oldchildlookingatpicturesandidentifyingtheircontents.“That’sacatsittinginabed.”“Theboyispettingtheelephant.”Shethenhelpedusunderstandhowamazingtheskillbeingdemonstratedbythechildwas,andhowconsequentialitwouldbeifwecouldtraincomputerstodevelopsimilarcapabilities.Itwasabeautifulsetuptodescribeherwork.Thejaw-droppingdemosofartificialintelligencecamelater,andwewerehookedalltheway.Ifyoudecidetoteasealittle,pleasenotethatit’sstillveryimportantto

indicatewhereyou’regoingandwhy.Youdon’thavetoshowtheshark,butwedoneedtoknowit’scoming.Everytalkneedsmapping—asenseofwhereyou’regoing,whereyouare,andwhereyou’vebeen.Ifyourlistenersdon’tknowwheretheyareinthestructureofthetalk,theywillquicklygetlost.

Incraftingyourownopening,youcandrawinspirationfromanyoralloftheabove.Youcanalsobuildinsomeofthetechniquesdiscussedearlier:tellastory,maybe,orgetpeoplelaughing.Thekeyissimplytofindagoodfitforyouandforwhatyou’retalkingabout.Testitonfriends.Ifitfeelscontrivedoroverlydramatic,changeit.Justbearinmindthatyourgoalistopersuadesomeone,inonlyafewmoments,thatyourtalkisgoingtobeaworthyinvestmentoftheirattention.WhenIwasinthemagazinebusiness,Iurgedoureditorsanddesignersto

thinkofmagazinecoversashavingtocompeteinatwo-stagewarforattention.First,thehalf-secondwar:assomeone’seyesscannedacrossanewsstand,wastheresomethingattention-grabbingonthecoverthatwouldmakeherstopforamoment?Next,the5-secondwar:onceshe’dstoppedtolook,wouldshereadsomethingcompellingenoughonthecovertomakeherpickupthemagazine?Youcanthinkofatalkopeningthesameway,exceptwithdifferenttimings.

Firstthereisthe10-secondwar:canyoudosomethinginyourfirstmomentsonstagetoensurepeople’seagerattentionwhileyousetupyourtalktopic?Second

stagetoensurepeople’seagerattentionwhileyousetupyourtalktopic?Secondisthe1-minutewar:canyouthenusethatfirstminutetoensurethatthey’recommittedtocomingonthefulltalkjourneywithyou?Thefourtechniquesaboveofferexcellentoptionsforwinningbothstagesof

thatwar,therebygivingyourtalkitsbestshot.Youmaywanttocombinetwoormoreoftheminyouropening,thoughyoucertainlyshouldn’ttrytouseallofthem.Picktheonesthatfeelrighttoyou.Andthenyou,andyourfullyengagedaudience,willbeonyourwaytogether.

SEVENWAYSTOENDWITHPOWER

Ifyou’veheldpeople’sattentionthroughthetalk,don’truinitwithaflatending.AsDannyKahnemanexplainedsopowerfullyinbothhisbookThinking,FastandSlowandinhisTEDTalk,howpeoplerememberaneventmaybeverydifferentfromhowtheyexperiencedit,andwhenitcomestoremembering,yourfinalexperienceisreallyimportant.Inshort,iftheendingisn’tmemorable,thetalkitselfmaynotbe.Here’shownottoend:

“Well,that’smytimegone,soI’llwrapupthere.”(Youmean,youhadalotmoretosaybutcan’ttellusbecauseofbadplanning?)“Finally,Ijustwanttothankmyawesometeam,whoarepicturedhere:David,Joanna,Gavin,Samantha,Lee,Abdul,andHezekiah.Also,myuniversity,andmysponsors.”(Lovely,butdoyoucareaboutthemmorethanyouridea,andmorethanus,youraudience?!)“So,giventheimportanceofthisissue,Ihopewecanstartanewconversationaboutittogether.”(Aconversation?!Isn’tthatalittlelame?Whatshouldbetheoutcomeofthatconversation?)“Thefutureisfullofchallengesandopportunities.Everyoneherehasitintheirhearttomakeadifference.Let’sdreamtogether.Let’sbethechangewewanttoseeintheworld.”(Beautifulsentiment,buttheclichésreallydon’thelpanyone.)“I’llclosewiththisvideowhichsummarizesmypoints.”(No!Neverendwithavideo.Endwithyou!)“Sothatconcludesmyargument,nowarethereanyquestions?”(Or,howtopreemptyourownapplause.)“I’msorryIhaven’thadtimetodiscusssomeofthemajorissueshere,buthopefullythishasatleastgivenyouaflavorofthetopic.”(Don’t

apologize!Planmorecarefully!Yourjobwastogivethebesttalkyoucouldinthetimeavailable.)

“Inclosing,Ishouldjustpointoutthatmyorganizationcouldprobablysolvethisproblemifwewereadequatelyfunded.Youhaveitinyourpowertochangetheworldwithus.”(Ah,sothiswasafundraisingpitchallalong?)“Thanksforbeingsuchanamazingaudience.Ihavelovedeverymoment,standinghere,talkingtoyou.I’llcarrythisexperiencewithmeforalong,longtime.You’vebeensopatient,andIknowthatyou’lltakewhatyou’veheardtodayanddosomethingwonderfulwithit.”(“Thankyou”wouldhavebeenjustfine.)

It’samazinghowmanytalkssimplyfizzleout.Andhowmanymoregothroughaseriesoffalseendings,asifthespeakercan’tbeartoleavethestage.Unlessyouplanyourendingcarefully,youmaywellfindyourselfaddingparagraphafterparagraph.Finally,thekeypoint,asIsaid...So,inconclusion...Andjusttoemphasizeagain,thereasonthismatters...Andofcourseit’simportanttostillbearinmind...Oh,andonelastthing...It’sexhausting.Anditwilldamagethetalk’simpact.Herearesevenbetterwaystoend:

Camerapull-backYou’vespentthetalkexplainingaparticularpieceofwork.Attheend,whynotshowusthebiggerpicture,abroadersetofpossibilitiesimpliedbyyourwork?DavidEaglemanshowedthatthehumanbraincouldbethoughtofasapattern

recognizer,andthatifyouweretoconnectnewelectricaldatatoabrain,itcouldcometointerpretthatdataasifcomingfromabrand-newsenseorgan,sothatyoucouldintuitivelysensebrand-newaspectsoftheworldinrealtime.Heendedbyhintingatthelimitlesspossibilitiesthisbroughtwithit.

JustimagineanastronautbeingabletofeeltheoverallhealthoftheInternationalSpaceStation,or,forthatmatter,havingyoufeeltheinvisiblestatesofyourownhealth,likeyourbloodsugarandthestateofyourmicrobiome,orhaving360-degreevisionorseeingininfraredorultraviolet.Sothekeyisthis:Aswemoveintothefuture,we’regoingtoincreasinglybeabletochooseourownperipheraldevices.WenolongerhavetowaitforMotherNature’ssensorygiftsonhertimescales,butinstead,likeanygoodparent,she’sgivenusthetoolsthatweneedtogoout

instead,likeanygoodparent,she’sgivenusthetoolsthatweneedtogooutanddefineourowntrajectory.Sothequestionnowis,howdoyouwanttogooutandexperienceyouruniverse?

CalltoactionIfyou’vegivenyouraudienceapowerfulidea,whynotendbynudgingthemtoactonit?HarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorAmyCuddyconcludedhertalkonpower

posingbyinvitingpeopletotryitintheirownlives,andtopassitontoothers.

Giveitaway.Shareitwithpeople,becausethepeoplewhocanuseitthemostaretheoneswithnoresourcesandnotechnologyandnostatusandnopower.Giveittothembecausetheycandoitinprivate.Theyneedtheirbodies,privacy,and2minutes,anditcansignificantlychangetheoutcomesoftheirlife.

Perhapsthatconfidentcallcontributedtothetalk’sextraordinaryviralsuccess.Inhistalkonpublicshaming,authorJonRonson’sfinalcalltoactionwas

admirablysuccinct.

Thegreatthingaboutsocialmediawashowitgaveavoicetovoicelesspeople,butwe’renowcreatingasurveillancesociety,wherethesmartestwaytosurviveistogobacktobeingvoiceless.Let’snotdothat.

PersonalcommitmentIt’sonethingtocallontheaudiencetoact,butsometimesspeakersscorebymakingagiantcommitmentoftheirown.ThemostdramaticexampleofthisatTEDwaswhenBillStonespokeofthepossibilitiesofhumansreturningtothemoon,andhisconvictionthatanexpeditioncouldcreateamassivenewindustryandopenupspaceexplorationforanewgeneration.Thenhesaidthis:

IwouldliketocloseherebyputtingastakeinthesandatTED.Iintendtoleadthatexpedition.

Apersonalcommitmentlikethatcanbeincrediblycompelling.RemembertheElonMuskexamplefromchapter1?“Formypart,IwillnevergiveupandImeannever.”ThatwasthekeytoreenergizinghisSpaceXteam.In2011,theswimmerDianaNyadgaveaTEDTalkinwhichshedescribed

In2011,theswimmerDianaNyadgaveaTEDTalkinwhichshedescribedhowshehadtriedtodowhatnoonehadeverachieved,toswimfromCubatoFlorida.Shehadtriedonthreeoccasions,sometimespersistingfor50hoursofconstantswimming,bravingdangerouscurrentsandnear-lethaljellyfishstings,butultimatelyfailing.Attheendofhertalksheelectrifiedtheaudiencebysayingthis:

Thatocean’sstillthere.Thishopeisstillalive.AndIdon’twanttobethecrazywomanwhodoesitforyearsandyearsandyears,andtriesandfailsandtriesandfailsandtriesandfails...IcanswimfromCubatoFlorida,andIwillswimfromCubatoFlorida.

Andsureenough,twoyearslatershereturnedtotheTEDstagetodescribehow,atagesixty-four,shehadfinallydoneit.Aswitheverything,makingamajorcommitmentrequiresjudgment.Done

wrong,itcouldleadtoawkwardnessinthemoment,andalossofcredibilitylater.Butifyou’repassionateaboutturninganideaintoaction,itmaywellbeworthsteppingupto.

ValuesandvisionCanyouturnwhatyou’vediscussedintoaninspiringorhopefulvisionofwhatmightbe?Manyspeakerstry.ThelateRitaPierson,whogaveabeautifultalkonhowteachersneedtobuildrealrelationshipswiththeirkids,endedwiththis:

Teachingandlearningshouldbringjoy.Howpowerfulwouldourworldbeifwehadkidswhowerenotafraidtotakerisks,whowerenotafraidtothink,andwhohadachampion?Everychilddeservesachampion,anadultwhowillnevergiveuponthem,whounderstandsthepowerofconnection,andinsiststhattheybecomethebestthattheycanpossiblybe.Isthisjobtough?Youbetcha.OhGod,youbetcha.Butitisnotimpossible.Wecandothis.We’reeducators.We’reborntomakeadifference.Thankyousomuch.

Ritapassedawayacoupleofmonthsaftergivingthistalk,buthercallcontinuestoresonate.TeacherKittyBoitnottwroteamovingtribute:“IdidnotknowherandIdidnotknowofheruntiltoday,buttoday,throughhertalk,shetouchedmylifeandremindedmewhyIwasateacherforoverthreedecades.”

SatisfyingencapsulationSometimesspeakersfindawaytoneatlyreframethecasethey’vebeenmaking.TherapistEstherPerelcalledforanew,morehonestapproachtoinfidelitythatincludedthepossibilityofforgiveness.Sheendedlikethis:

Ilookataffairsfromadualperspective:hurtandbetrayalononeside,growthandself-discoveryontheother—whatitdidtoyou,andwhatitmeantforme.Andsowhenacouplecomestomeintheaftermathofanaffairthathasbeenrevealed,Iwilloftentellthemthis:TodayintheWest,mostofusaregoingtohavetwoorthreerelationshipsormarriages,andsomeofusaregoingtodoitwiththesameperson.Yourfirstmarriageisover.Wouldyouliketocreateasecondonetogether?

AndAmandaPalmer,whohaschallengedthemusicindustrytorethinkitsbusinessmodel,endedthisway:

Ithinkpeoplehavebeenobsessedwiththewrongquestion,whichis,“Howdowemakepeoplepayformusic?”Whatifwestartedasking,“Howdoweletpeoplepayformusic?”

Inbothcases,asurprisingquestioncarriedwithitapleasingmomentofinsightandclosure,andpromptedalongstandingovation.

NarrativesymmetryAtalkbuiltcarefullyonathroughlinecandeliverapleasingconclusionbylinkingbacktoitsopening.StevenJohnsonbeganhistalkonwhereideascomefrombyrevealingthesignificanceofcoffeehousesinindustrialBritain.Theywereplaceswhereintellectualsgatheredtosparkoffeachother.TowardtheendhetoldthepowerfulstoryofhowGPSwasinvented,illustratingallhispointsonhowideasemerge.Andthen,brilliantly,hethrewinthefactthatGPSwasprobablyusedbyeveryoneintheaudiencethatweektodothingslike...findtheirnearestcoffeehouse.Youcanhearintheaudiencealittlegaspofappreciationandapplauseatthesatisfyingwaythenarrativehascomefullcircle.

LyricalinspirationSometimes,ifthetalkhasopenedpeopleup,it’spossibletoendwithpoeticlanguagethattapsdeepintomattersoftheheart.Thisshouldnotbetriedlightly.Butwhenitworks,it’squitebeautiful.Here’showBrenéBrownendedhertalkonvulnerability.

onvulnerability.

ThisiswhatIhavefound:toletourselvesbeseen,deeplyseen,vulnerablyseen;tolovewithourwholehearts,eventhoughthere’snoguarantee...topracticegratitudeandjoyinthosemomentsofterror,whenwe’rewondering,CanIloveyouthismuch?CanIbelieveinthispassionately?CanIbethisfierceaboutthis?justtobeabletostop...andsay,“I’mjustsograteful,becausetofeelthisvulnerablemeansI’malive.”Andthelast,whichIthinkisprobablythemostimportant,istobelievethatwe’reenough.Becausewhenweworkfromaplace,Ibelieve,thatsays,I’menough,thenwestopscreamingandstartlistening,we’rekinderandgentlertothepeoplearoundus,andwe’rekinderandgentlertoourselves.That’sallIhave.Thankyou.

Andhuman-rightslawyerBryanStevensonclosedhisblockbustertalkontheinjusticesoftheUSprisonsystemwiththis:

I’vecometoTEDbecauseIbelievethatmanyofyouunderstandthatthemoralarcoftheuniverseislong,butitbendstowardjustice.Thatwecannotbefullyevolvedhumanbeingsuntilwecareabouthumanrightsandbasicdignity.Thatallofoursurvivalistiedtothesurvivalofeveryone.Thatourvisionsoftechnologyanddesignandentertainmentandcreativityhavetobemarriedwithvisionsofhumanity,compassion,andjustice.Andmorethananything,forthoseofyouwhosharethat,I’vesimplycometotellyoutokeepyoureyesontheprize,holdon.

Irepeat,youcannotdothislightly.Itonlyworkswhentherestofthetalkhasalreadypreparedthegroundwork,andwhenit’sclearthespeakerhasearnedtherighttoevokesuchsentiment.Butintherighthandsandattherightmoment,theseclosingscanbetranscendent.Whicheverwayyouend,makesureit’splanned.Anelegantclosing

paragraph,followedbyasimple“thankyou,”offersthebestshotatasatisfyingendtoyourefforts.It’sworthfiguringout.

ONSTAGE

OnStage

14

WARDROBEWhatShouldIWear?

Manyspeakersworryabouttheclothestheyshouldweartomakethebestimpression.AndI’mprobablythelastpersontheyshouldturntoforadvice.I’mtheguywhoshoweduponstageoneyearwithmybeautiful,brightyellowsleevelesssweatervestoverahip-as-hellblackT-shirtandblacktrousers,thinkingIlookedterrific,whiletheaudiencesimplywondered,Whydidthatmandressasabumblebee?IthereforehavehandedoverthissectiontoTED’scontentdirector,Kelly

Stoetzel,whohasbothfabulousstyleandamagnificentabilitytoputspeakersattheirease.Here’sheradvice.

KellyStoetzelwrites:

Thelastthingyouneediswardrobestressinthehoursleadinguptoyourtalk,andselectinganoutfitisonethingyoucancheckoffyourto-dolistearly.Inmostsettingsallthatmattersisthatyouwearsomethingyoufeelgreatin.

AtTED,welikereasonablycasualclothes,givingthesensethatwe’reallonaretreattogether.Otherplacesmayexpectasuitandtie.Youprobablydon’twanttheaudience’sfirstunconsciousthoughtaboutyoutobeanyofthefollowing:stodgy,slovenly,tasteless,boring,ortryingtoohard.Butifyouavoidthosepotentialtraps,wearingsomethingthatmakesyoufeelgoodwillhelpyouprojectrelaxedconfidence.Andaudienceswillrespondtothat.Believeitornot,yourclothingcanearnyouanaudienceconnectionbeforeyou’veevenspokenaword.Asyouthinkaboutwhatyou’llwear,thereareafewquestionsworthasking,

suchas,Isthereadresscode?Howistheaudiencelikelytobedressed?You’llprobablywanttodresssomewhatliketheydo,butalittlebitsmarter.Willyoubefilmed?Ifso,avoidwearingbrilliantwhite(itcanblowoutthe

shot)orjetblack(youmightlooklikeafloatinghead),oranythingwithasmallortightpattern(itcancauseastrange,shimmery,moiréeffectoncamera).Willyoubeusinganover-the-earmicrophone?Therearesomeriskshere:

Severaltimesaspeakerhadjuststartedspeakingwhenstrange,loud,clankingnoiseseruptedfromnowhere.They’recausedbyearringsbangingintothemicrophoneattachment.Avoiddanglingearrings!Also,men’sbeardstubblecancausescratchingsounds.Ifyou’rechoosingaccessories,avoidjanglybraceletsoranythingflashythat

mightcauseareflection.Scarvescanbeagoodwaytobringinapopofcolorif

mightcauseareflection.Scarvescanbeagoodwaytobringinapopofcolorifyou’vechosentowearsomethingneutral.You’lllikelybewearingthemike’sbatterypackonyourbelt,andyou’ll

probablyfeelmostsecureifyouhaveafirmbeltordefinedwaistlinewhereyoucanattachthepack.Whatwillthestagelooklike?Considerwearingsomethingbrightthatsetsyou

apartfromthebackground.Thinkaboutdressingforthepeoplesittinginthebackrow.TEDWomenspeakerLindaCliatt-Waymanworeabeautifulbright-pinkdressthatensuredshedidn’tblendin,andalleyeswereonherfromthemomentshetookthestageuntilherfinalapplause.Theaudiencelovesbold,vibrantcolors,andsodoesthecamera.Fittedclothingtendstolookbetteronstagethanoutfitsthatarelooseand

baggy.Lookforsomethingwithanicesilhouette,andmakesureit’stherightsize—nottooslack,nottootight.Whileit’sgoodtoconsidertheseguidelines,personalexpressionsofstylecan

trumpthemall.AcoupleofweeksbeforeTED2015,wesentoutanotetospeakerswithafewfinalreminders,includingarecommendationthatmensteerclearofties.RadiohostRomanMarsrepliedwith,“Whynoties?Tiesaregreat.”Wetoldhimthatiftieswerehisspecialthing,thenheshouldsimplyignoreoursuggestion.Heworeone,hefeltgreat,lookedgreat,andfitrightin.BookdesignerChipKiddhasalsodelightfullybrokentheTEDno-tierulewithhisstrong,wonderfulsenseofstyle.Ifyou’restillunsurewhattowear,bookashoppingdatewithafriendwhose

tasteyoutrust.Sometimesthewayyouseeyourselfinthemirrorisn’texactlythesamewayothersseeyou.Ialmostalwaysdothismyself,andI’veregretteditthetimesIhaven’t.Anotheropinioncanbeinvaluable.Beforeyoutakethestage,besureyourclothesareneatlypressed.Wrinkled

clothesarethesingleeasiestwaytotelegraphthatyoudidn’ttryveryhard.Ifyou’respeakinglateintheday,itmayevenbeworthbringingyourclothesonahangerandchangingintothemclosertothetimeofyourpresentation.AnimportantlessonI’velearnedthehardway:Ifyouplantouseahoteliron,pressyourclothesthenightbeforeandtesttheirononatowelfirst.Thoseironsoftenaren’tinthebestshape,andtheycanbeleakyorevendirty.(TheTEDFellowsteambringsasmall,packable,personalsteamerwiththemtohelpwrinkledspeakers!)It’sworthrehearsingyourtalkintheoutfityouplantowear.Iremembera

speakerwhoseclothingshiftedearlyinhertalksothatbothbrastrapsfelloffhershouldersandwerehangingdownonherarmsthroughalmosttheentiretalk.Oureditorswereabletoworksomemagicsoyoucan’tnoticethismishapinthe

video,butitcouldhavebeenavoidedcompletelywithadressrehearsalandacoupleofsafetypins.Onceagain,themostimportantthingisjusttowearsomethingthatboosts

yourconfidence.Thisissomethingyoucancontrolinadvance.Anditwillgiveyouonelessthingtoworryaboutandonemorethingworkinginyourfavor.

AndbacktoChris:

Thankyou,Kelly.People,takenote!Andwhenall’ssaidanddone,don’toverthinkthispart.Yourpassionand

yourideasmatteralotmorethanhowyoulook.WhenProfessorBarrySchwartzshowedupattheTEDstageinOxfordforhis

talkontheparadoxofchoice,itwasahotsummer’sday,andhewaswearingaT-shirtandshorts.Hetellsmeifhe’dknownweweregoingtovideohimandputhimonline,hemighthavechosensomethingelse.Butitdidn’tstophistalknotchingup7millionviews.AmandaPalmersayshersoleregretofhertalkprepwaschoosingagrayshirt

thatturnedblackwithunderarmperspiration.Buttheaudiencethoughtitwasjustpartofherbreak-the-rulesapproachtolife,andthetalkwasamassivehitbothliveandonline.So,insummary:

1. DowhatKellysays.2. Makeanearlycommitmenttoanoutfityou’llfeelgreatin.3. Focusonyourideas,notyourclothes!

OnStage

15

MENTALPREPHowDoIControlMyNerves?

Feartriggersourancientfight-or-flightresponse.Yourbodyiscoiledupchemically,readytostrikeorflee.Thisismeasurablephysicallybyahugeriseinadrenalinecoursingthroughyourbloodstream.Adrenaline’sgreatforpoweringasprinttosafetyacrossthesavannah,andit

cancertainlybringenergyandexcitementtoyourstagepresence.Buttoomuchofitisabadthing.Itcandryupyourmouthandtightenyourthroat.Itsjobistoturbo-chargeyourmuscles,andifyourmusclesarenotbeingused,theadrenalinerushmaystartthemtwitching,hencetheshakingassociatedwithextremecasesofnerves.Somecoachesadvisemedicationinsuchcases,typicallybeta-blockers,but

thedownsideisthattheycandeadenyourtone.Thereareplentyofothercounterstrategiestoturnallthatadrenalinetoyouradvantage.Let’sreturntoMonicaLewinsky.Inchapter1shedescribedtheintensityof

hernervousnessinapproachingherTEDTalk.Ifshecouldovercomehernerves,I’mguessingyoucantoo.Inherownwords,here’showshedidit:

Insomeformsofmeditation,theguidanceistoreturntothebreathoryourmantrawhenyourmindwandersor“monkeymind”setsin.Ididthatwithmyanxiety.Itriedmybesttoreturntothepurposeofmyspeechasoftenaspossible.OneofmytwomantraswasTHISMATTERS.(Infact,Ihadscrawleditacrossthetopofpageoneofmyspeechthatwasonstagewithme.)TheothermantrathatworkedwellformewasI’VEGOTTHIS.Ifyouaregoingtobestandingonastage,addressinganaudience,it

meanssomeone,somewheredecidedyouhadsomethingofimporttoimparttoothers.IspenttimearticulatingtomyselfhowIhopedmyspeechmighthelpotherswhoweresuffering.Iclungtothemeaningandpurposeofmyspeechasaliferaft.Ihadtoolsthatworkedforme.Ipulledoutallthestopsintermsof

supportandhavingmytanksasfullaspossibleforthedayofthespeechandleadinguptoit.Ihavespentalotoftimeinthelastseventeenyearslearningtomanagemyanxietyandpasttrauma.Themorningofthespeech,innoparticularorder,Iusedbioresonancesoundwork,breathingexercises,atherapycalledEmotionalFreedomTechnique(commonlyknownas“tapping,”Ididthisbackstagemomentsbeforegoingon),chanted,didvariouswarm-upexerciseswithmypublic-speakingcoach,wentforawalktomovetheadrenalineinmybody,madesureIlaughedatleastonce,

tomovetheadrenalineinmybody,madesureIlaughedatleastonce,groundingvisualization,andlastly,Ipowerposed(luckyme,withtheinimitableAmyCuddy).TherewasmorethanonemomentwhereIdoubtedmyabilitytoseethe

speechthrough.Thenightbeforethespeechcontentrehearsal,threeweeksbeforetheconference,Ibrokedownintears,exasperatedthatthecontentwasjustnotgelling.IplannedtobowoutaftertherehearsalbutIwasshockedbythepositivereception.IkeptwaitingfortheHowever...andBut.Theynevercame.Isatwiththeresponseforalongtimeafter,stillunsure,butIultimately

concluded,ifpeoplewhoknewwhattheyweredoingwhenitcametoTEDTalksthoughtthespeechwascompellingenough,Ishouldstickwithit;Iwassimplytooclosetoit.

Throughouttheprocess,whenfacedwithself-doubt,Ifocusedasmuch

asIcouldonthemessagetodeliver,insteadofthemessenger.WheneverIfeltnervousorunsure,Ihadtosimplysteelmyselfandtrytoself-reasonthatallIcoulddowasmybest...andthatifIcouldreachonepersonwithmymessageandhelpjustonepersonfeellessaloneintheirexperienceofshameandonlinehumiliation,itwouldbeworthit.Theexperienceprovedtobelifechangingformeonmanylevels.

That’sasexhaustiveasetofnervousness-controllingtoolsasyou’lleversee.ShouldyoutrytoadopteveryoneofMonica’stechniques?No.Everyone’sdifferent.Butthefactthatshewasabletoturncripplingfearintoacalm,confident,engagingstagepresenceshouldencourageanyonethatitcanbedone.Here’swhatIrecommend:

Useyourfearasmotivation.That’swhatit’stherefor.Itwillmakeiteasierforyoutotrulycommittopracticingyourtalkasmanytimesasittakes.Indoingthat,yourconfidencewillrise,yourfearwillebb,andyourtalkwillbebetterthanitotherwisewouldhavebeen.

Letyourbodyhelpyou!There’saseriesofimportantthingsyoucandobeforegoingonstagethatreallyhelpcircumventtheadrenalinerush.Thesinglemostimportantoneistobreathe.Breathedeeply,meditationstyle.Theoxygeninfusionbringscalmwithit.Youcandothisevenifyou’reseatedintheaudience,waitingtobecalledup.Justtakeadeepbreathrightintoyourstomach,andletitoutslowly.Repeatthreetimesmore.Ifyou’re

offstageandyou’refeelingtensionsurgingthroughyourbody,it’sworthtryingmorevigorousphysicalexercise.

AtTED2014,Iwassuper-stressedabouttheprospectofinterviewing

RichardLedgettoftheNSAabouttheEdwardSnowdencontroversy.Tenminutesbeforethesession,Iescapedtoabackstagecorridorandstarteddoingpushups.AndIcouldn’tstop.Iendedupdoing30percentmorethanIthoughtwasthemostIwascapableof.Itwasalladrenaline,andbyburningitthatway,calmandconfidencereturned.

Drinkwater.Theworstaspectofnervesiswhentheadrenalinesucksthewaterfromyourmouthandyoustruggletospeak.Controllingtheadrenaline,asabove,isthebestantidote,butit’salsogoodtomakesureyou’refullyhydrated.Fiveminutesbeforeyougoon,trytodrinkathirdofabottleofwater.It’llhelpstopyourmouthfromgettingdry.(Butdon’tdothistooearly.SalmanKhandid,andthenhadtorushtothemen’sroomjustbeforehisintroduction.Hewasbackinthenickoftime.)

Avoidanemptystomach.Whenyou’renervous,eatingmaybethelastthingyouwanttodo,butanemptystomachcanexacerbateanxiety.Getsomehealthyfoodintoyourbodyanhourorsobeforeyou’reon,and/orhaveaproteinbarhandy.

Rememberthepowerofvulnerability.Audiencesembracespeakerswhoarenervous,especiallyifthespeakercanfindawaytoacknowledgeit.Ifyoufluborstutteralittleinyouropeningremarks,it’sfinetosay,“Ooops,sorry,alittlenervoushere.”Or“Asyoucansee,Idon’tdoalotofpublicspeaking.Butthisonematteredtoomuchtoturndown.”Yourlistenerswillbeginrootingforyouevenmore.AtapackedSydneyOperaHouse,singer/songwriterMeganWashingtonconfessedtotheTEDxaudiencethatshehadbattledallherlifewiththestuttertheycouldhear.Herhonestyandinitialawkwardnessmadethesongsheflawlesslyperformedallthemoreglorious.

Find“friends”intheaudience.Earlyoninthetalk,lookoutforfacesthatseemsympathetic.Ifyoucanfindthreeorfourindifferentpartsoftheaudience,givethetalktothem,movingyourgazefromonetothenextinturn.Everyoneintheaudiencewillseeyouconnecting,andthe

encouragementyougetfromthosefaceswillbringyoucalmandconfidence.Maybeyouevenensurethatsomeofyouractualfriendsareseatedaroundtheauditorium.Speaktothem.(Asanaside,speakingtofriendswillhelpyoufindtherighttoneofvoice,too.)

Haveabackupplan.Ifyou’reworriedaboutthingsgoingwrong,planafewbackupmoves.Youfearyoumightforgetwhatyouweregoingtosay?Havenotesorascriptwithinreach.(RozSavagehadherstuckedinsidehershirt.Noonemindedatallwhenshelostherwayacoupleoftimesandreferredtothem.)Scaredthetechnologymaygowrongandyou’llhavetovamp?Well,firstofall,that’stheorganizer’sproblem,notyours,butnoharminhavingalittlestorytotellifyouneedtofillin,allthebetterifit’spersonal.“Whiletheysortthatout,letmesharewithyouaconversationIjusthadwithataxidriver...”or“Oh,thisisgreat.NowIhaveachancetomentiontoyousomethingIhadtocutfromthetalkfortimereasons...”Or“Great,wehaveacoupleofextraminutes.Soletmeaskaquestionofyou.Whoherehasever...”

Focusonwhatyou’retalkingabout.Monica’ssuggestiontowriteTHISMATTERSonyournotesiswonderful.ThisisthesinglebiggestpieceofadviceIcangiveyou.It’snotaboutyou,it’sabouttheideayou’repassionateabout.Yourjobistobethereinserviceofthatidea,toofferitasagift.Ifyoucanholdthatinmindasyouwalkontothestage,you’llfinditliberating.

SingerJoeKowanwasparalyzedbynervestothepointthatitpreventedhimfromdoingwhathemostloved:singingtopeople.Sohetookiton,onestepatatime,forcinghimselftoperforminsmallvenuesevenwhenhecouldhearthenervoussqueakinhisvoice,andeventuallywritingastagefrightsongthathe’dwheeloutinperformancesifneedbe.Audienceslovedit,andhecametoembracehisnervesasfriends.Hehasadelightfultalk(andsong)explaininghowhedidit.AtaconferenceinTorontofifteenyearsago,IwatchedasnovelistBarbara

Gowdyfrozeonstage.Shesimplystoodtherequaking.Shecouldn’tspeak.Shehadthoughtshewasgoingtobeinterviewedbutatthelastminutewastoldshehadtospeak.Thefearwasoozingoutofeveryporeinherbody.Butthemostamazingthinghappened.Theaudiencebeganapplaudingherandcheering.Shestartedhesitantly,stopped.Moreapplause.Andthenshebegansharingthemost

startedhesitantly,stopped.Moreapplause.Andthenshebegansharingthemosteloquent,intimateinsightsintoherthinkingandprocess.Itwasthemostmemorabletalkofthatconference.Ifshe’djustcomeonconfidentlyandstartedspeakingwewouldn’thavelistenedasclosely,orcaredasintensely.Nervesarenotacurse.Theycanbeturnedtogreateffect.Makefriendswith

yournervousness,pluckupyourcourage—andgo!

OnStage

16

SETUPLectern,ConfidenceMonitor,NoteCards,or(Gulp)Nothing?

Thephysicalsetupofyourtalkreallymatters.ComparesetupA:aspeakerstandingonapodiumbehindabig,bulkylectern,readingfromascripttoasomewhatdistantaudience,withsetupB:aspeakerstandingunprotectedonasmallstagesurroundedonthreesidesbyanaudience.Botharecalledpublicspeaking,butthey’reactuallyverydifferentactivities.

SetupBcanseemterrifying.Youstandthere,vulnerable,withnolaptop,noscript,yourwholebodyvisible,nowheretohide,painfullyawareofalltheeyesstaringatyoufromnotveryfaraway.SetupAhasevolvedovertheyearstoaccommodateeveryspeakerneed.

Beforeelectricity,aspeakermighthavehadasmalllecternonwhichtoplacesomenotes.Butoverthetwentiethcentury,lecterns(orpodiums)gotbiggerandbiggertoaccommodatealightforthescript,buttonstoadvanceslides,and,morerecently,alaptop.Therewasevenatheorythatbyblockingoutmostofthespeaker’sbodysoyoucouldonlyseeherface,youwereboostingherauthority,perhapsbyunconsciousassociationwithapreacherinapulpit.Whetherdeliberateorunintentional,theeffectoflargerlecternshasbeentocreateahugevisualbarrierbetweenspeakerandaudience.Fromaspeaker’spointofview,thiscanbeverycomfortable.What’snotto

like?Allyouneedforyourtalkisrightthereatyourfingertips.Andyoufeelpersonallysecure.Thefactthatyouforgottoshineyourshoesorthatyourshirtisalittlewrinkledjustdoesn’tmatter.Noonecanseethat.Doyouhaveawkwardbodylanguageorbadposture?Noproblem.Thelecternhidesthattoo.Prettymuchallthat’svisibleisyourface.Phew!Andhurrah!Butfromtheaudience’spointofview,there’sabiglosshere.Wespenta

wholechaptertalkingabouttheimportanceofmakingaconnectionbetweenaudienceandspeaker.Andasignificantpartofthatisdrivenbythespeaker’swillingnesstobevulnerable.It’sanunspokenbutpowerfulinteraction.Ifaspeakerletsdownhisguard,sodoestheaudience.Ifaspeakerstaysdistantandsafe,theaudiencewilltoo.TED’scofounder,RichardSaulWurman,wasadamantonthispoint.No

podiums!Nolecterns!Noreadingofspeeches!Hedislikedanythingthatturnedtherelationshipbetweenaudienceandspeakerintosomethingformal.(Thatincludedthewearingofties,whichhebannedoutright.Whenonespeaker,NicholasNegroponte,demurredandshowedupinasuitandtie,Richardstrodeonstagewithapairofscissorsandcutoffthetie!)

ThatstanceisoneofthereasonswhyTEDconferencesfeltdifferentfromwhatpeoplewereusedto.Speakerswereforcedtobevulnerable.Andaudiencesresponded.Ifyoucangetcomfortablewithit,atalkgiveninfrontofanaudiencewithno

lecterninthewayisthebestapproach.ThevastmajorityofTEDTalksarelikethis,andweencourageeveryonetogiveitatry.Buttherearetradeoffs,andintoday’sTED,we’veconcludedthattherearemultiplewaystogiveatalk,bothforvariety’ssake,andtomeettheneedsofagivenspeaker.It’sgoodforspeakerstopushtheedgeoftheircomfortzone.ButasIdescribedearlier,youcanalsogotoofar.IlearnedfromDanielKahnemanandothersthatlettingsomeonespeakinasetupthatmakeshimfeelconfidentandallowshimtomostnaturallyfindthewordsheneedsmattersevenmorethanmaximizingvulnerability.

Sothepurposeofthischapteristohelpyouunderstandthefullsetof

tradeoffsandthenfindthespeakingmodethatisbestforyou.Thekeyfirstquestion:inordertogiveyourtalkeffectively,howmanynotes

willyouneedtoreferto?Ifyouhaveitmemorizedcompletely,oryoucandeliveritfromashorthandwrittensetofbulletpoints,thechoiceissimple.Gooutonstageandgivethetalkdirect,humantohumans.Nolectern,nothingintheway,justyou,asinglehand-heldnotecard,andtheaudience.Inmanywaysthisisthegoldstandardtoaimfor.It’syourbestchanceatbuildingapowerfulconnectionwithyourlisteners,buildingonyourperceivedvulnerability.Butnoteveryonecangetcomfortablewiththisapproach,andperhapsnot

everytalkjustifiesthetimeittakestodowellinthissituation.Soifyouthinkyouneedalotmorenotes,orevenafullscript,whatthen?

Here’salistofpossibilitiesthatofferprogressivelymoresupport.Butsomearemuchbetterthanothers.

COMFORTBACKUP

Inthismode,beforegoingonstage,youplaceafullsetofnotesorevenascriptonatableorlecternatthesideorbackofthestage,alongwithabottleofwater.Youthenseektodeliverthetalkfromthefrontofthestageasabove,knowingthatifyougetstuck,youcanmovetoyournotes,takeasipofwater,andcontinue.Fromanaudiencepointofview,thisiscompletelynaturalandnonproblematic.Byhavingthenotesatadistancefromyou,you’llavoidthetemptationoflookingdownateveryinstance,andchancesaregoodthatyouwillgetthroughthetalkwithoutevenhavingtousethem.Butittakesawayalotof

getthroughthetalkwithoutevenhavingtousethem.Butittakesawayalotofpressurejusttoknowthey’rethere.

SLIDESASGUIDES

Manyspeakersusetheirslidesasmemorynudges.Wediscussedthisbrieflyearlierinthebook.Whatyoumustn’tdo,ofcourse,istousePowerPointasafulloutlineofyourtalkanddeliveraseriesoftext-crammedslides.That’sawful.Butifyouhaveelegantimagestoaccompanyeachkeystepofyourtalk,thisapproachcanworkverywell,providedthatyou’vethoughtabouteachtransition.Theimagesactasterrificmemorynudges,thoughyoumaystillneedtocarryacardwithadditionalnotes.

HAND-HELDNOTECARDS

Maybeyouhavetoomuchtofitonasinglecard.Youwanttoremindyourselfwhatthetransitionistoeachslide,thekeyexamplesthatgoundereachmainbulletpoint,ortheexactphrasingofyourclosing.Inthatcase,thebestbetmaybetouseasetofhand-held5x8inchcards,whichyousimplypagethroughonebyone.It’sbesttohavethemonaringclip,incaseyoudropthemandtheygetoutofsequence.Thesecardsareunobtrusive,buttheyallowyoutoeasilycheckwhereyouareinyourtalk.Theonlydownsideisifyourarelyneedtorefertothem,andthenhavetopagethroughfiveorsixtocatchupwithyournextpoint.Analternativeisaclipboardorfull-sizesheetsofpaper.Theyrequirefewer

pageturns,butoverallseemmoreintrusive.Cardsareprobablybetter,andifyourtalkreliesalotonvisuals,agoodapproachisonecardperslidethatincludesthetransitiontexttothefollowingslide.Allthisbeingsaid,it’sstillimportanttoknowyourtalkprettywellsoyou’re

notconstantlylookingdown.ManyTEDspeakersusenotecards.Youmaynotseethemonscreen,but

that’spartlybecauseoureditorshavedoneagoodjobdisguisingthem,andpartlybecausemostspeakersusethemonlyasoccasionalsupport.Thepowerofthisapproachisthatitfreesyoutowalkthestageunencumbered,whilestillcarryingwithyouallyouneedintermsofkeepingthetalkontrack.

SMARTPHONEORTABLET

Somespeakershavetakentousingsmartdevicesasahigh-techreplacementfornotecards.Insteadofmultiplecards,theyfiguretheycansimplyscrollthrough

notecards.Insteadofmultiplecards,theyfiguretheycansimplyscrollthroughtheirtalk.Thisapproachcancertainlygrantsomeonefreedomfromthelectern.ButI’mnotcrazyaboutit.Foronething,whensomeone’slookingatascreen,weunconsciouslyassociatethatwiththeirbeingdisconnectedfromus.Allthattextingistoblame.Inaddition,therearemanythingsthatcanslowthisdown.Asingleaccidental

touchonthescreencantakeyouawayfromyourscript,anditmaytakealotofscrollingandpeeringtofindyourplace.Perhapssomeonewillcomeupwiththeperfectapptofixthis,butsofar,asusedinreal-worldconditions,thissolutionseemsslowerandclumsierthanold-fashionednotecards.It’sfinetohaveyourscriptonaniPadandtouseitasacomfortbackup,butIdon’trecommendusingasmartdevicefornotesyouregularlyreferto.

CONFIDENCEMONITORS

Manyhigher-endspeakingvenueswillhaveacoupleof“confidence”monitorsinyourfieldofvision,eitherangledupfromthefloorofthestageorperhapsatthebackoftheroomabovetheaudience.Themainpurposeoftheseistoallowyoutoseethatyourslidehasadvancedwithoutyourhavingtoconstantlyturnaround.Buttheycanalsobeusedtodisplay(foryoureyesonly)notesyou’veaddedtoaslide,and/orthenextslidedueupsothatyoucanbeready.PowerPointandKeynotebothsupportthisfeaturewithPresenterView.Thereareobviousadvantageshere.Ifyou’vestructuredyourtalktohaveoneslidepertopic,youcanuseconfidencemonitorstokeepyourselfcomfortablyontrack.Buttherearealsosignificanttrapsyoucanfallinto.Sometimesspeakerslookatthewrongmonitor,confusethenextandcurrent

slidescreens,andpanicthatthewrongslideisshowing.Butmuchworseisthetendencytobecometoodependentonthenotesonthesescreensandtobeconstantlyreferringtothem.Thisisactuallymoreoff-puttingthanaspeakerlookingdownatnotes.Unlesstheconfidencemonitorshavebeenplacedrightinthemiddleoftheaudience,youcanclearlyseewhenaspeakerislookingatthescreens.Eithertheireyesareconstantlydroppingtothestagefloor,orthey’reliftingabovetheheadsoftheaudience.Itcanbecomedeeplyoff-putting,theveryoppositeofthesought-aftereyecontactthatbuildsrecognition.Besides,there’ssomethingfamiliarandcomfortableaboutaspeaker

occasionallyreferringtonotes.Thenotesarerightthereandeveryonecanseewhathe’sdoing.It’snoproblem.Butwhenhiseyesmovetoaconfidencemonitor,itcanquicklybecomedistancing.Youmaynotnoticeitearlyinatalk,butasitcontinuestohappen,youasanaudiencememberstarttofeelalittleawkward.It’sabitliketheUncannyValleyIreferredtoearlier.Thingsare

awkward.It’sabitliketheUncannyValleyIreferredtoearlier.Thingsarealmostright,butnotquite.Andthegapfeelsweird.Thiscangetreallybadwhenaspeakertriestoreadanentirespeechfrom

confidencemonitors.Thefirst2minutesofthetalkaregreat,butthenitstartstodawnonpeoplethatthey’rebeingreadto,andsomehowthelifeisthensuckedfromthetalk.WehadadistressinginstanceofthisatTEDadecadeago,whenasportscelebritycametogiveatalkandpersuadedusheneededthefulltextofthespeechonscreensatthebackoftheroom.Thewordshespokewereperfectlyfine.Butyoucouldtrackhiseyesreading,3feetaboveeveryone’sheads,anditkilledthetalk’simpactstonedead.TheonlyspeakerI’veeverseenreadeffectivelyoffconfidencemonitorsisthe

singerBono.He’sanaturalperformer,andhemanagedtoreadoutoftheedgeofhisfieldofvisionwhilemaintaininglotsofeyecontactwiththeaudience,anaturaltoneofvoice,andpleasantinjectionsofhumor.Buteventhen,peoplewhonoticedthatthewordsofthespeech,includingthejokes,wererightthereonthemonitorsatthebackofthehallweredisappointed.TheywantedBono’smindlivetherewiththem.Awrittenspeechcouldhavebeenemailedtothem.Ourstrongrecommendationforuseofconfidencemonitorsis:usethemonly

toshowyourslides,thesameslidestheaudienceisseeing.Ifyoumustaddnotes,useasfewaspossible,andwithjusttwo-orthree-wordbulletpoints.Andthenpracticegivingthetalkwiththeabsoluteminimumnumberofglancesatthosemonitors.Noreading!That’stheonlywaytostaywarmlyconnectedtotheaudience.

TELEPROMPTER/AUTOCUE

Ifconfidencemonitorsaredangerous,ateleprompterisevenmoreso.Onthefaceofit,it’sabrilliantinvention.Itplacesthewordsonaglassscreeninvisibletotheaudiencebutrightinthespeaker’slineofsight.Soaspeakercanreadaspeechwhilealsomaintainingconstanteyecontactwiththeaudience.ButitsingenuityisalsoitsAchilles’heel.Ifyouuseoneoftheseyou’rein

dangerofcommunicatingtotheaudience,I’mpretendingtolookatyou,butactuallyI’mreading.Andthemixedsignalsfromthatcanbedamaging.

Youmightobject—thiscan’tberight.PresidentObama,oneofthefinest

speakersofourera,regularlyusesateleprompter.Indeed.Andithasadivisiveeffectonaudiences.Thosedisposedtotrustandlikehimignoreitandembracethetalkinfullashisauthenticwayofspeakingtothem.Buthispoliticalopponentshavegleefullyusedtheteleprompteragainsthim,mockinghimfor

notbeingabletospeakopenlytoliveaudiences.Asaresult,mediastrategistFredDavisbelievestheteleprompterhasbeenruinedforallpoliticians.HetoldtheWashingtonPost,“It’sanegativebecauseit’sasignofinauthenticity.It’sasignthatyoucan’tspeakonyourowntwofeet.It’sasignthatyouhavehandlersbehindyoutellingyouwhattosay.”AtTED,we’rereluctanttomakehardandfastrulesthesedays,butwealways

discouragetheuseoftelepromptersonthemainstage.Today’saudienceswouldratherhaveaspeakerdohisbestjobwithmemory,notes,andin-the-momentthinkingthandoa“perfect”jobthatmixesreadingwithfakeeyecontact.Sowhatdoyoudoifyouneedafullscriptofyourtalkbutyoucan’treadit

offconfidencemonitorsorateleprompterforfearofseeminginauthentic?Here’soursuggestion.

UNOBTRUSIVELECTERN

Ifyoumustrefertoafullscript,lengthynotes,alaptop,oratablet,don’tfakeit.Justgobacktoputtingthemonalectern.Butatleastseeiftheeventorganizercanprovideacool,modern,unobtrusivelectern,onethatistransparentorhasathinstemasopposedtoaheavywoodenonethatscreensoutyourentirebody.Thencommittoknowingthetalkreallywell,sothatyoucanspendlotsoftimelookingoutattheaudienceinsteadofdownatthelectern.ForMonicaLewinsky’stalk,thisprovedtheperfectsolution.Forher,the

stakesweretoogreattoriskmemorizingtheentirething.Inrehearsalshetriedreferringtohernotesfromconfidencemonitors,butwereallydidn’tthinkthatapproachwasworking.Shekeptlookingoutabovetheaudience’sheads,anditbroketheirconnectionwithher.Happily,Monicacameupwithsomethingwe’dnevertriedatTEDbefore,butwhichworkedperfectly:sheproppedhernotesonamusicstand.Ifyouwatchhertalk,you’llseethatitdoesn’tremoveherfromtheaudienceonebit.Infactsherarelylooksdownatit.Butitgaveheralltheconfidencesheneededtotrulyshine.Whydoesthisworkbetterthanconfidencemonitorsorateleprompter?

Becausethere’snoambiguityaboutwhat’shappening.It’shonestandfamiliar.Theaudiencecanenjoythefactthatyou’reclearlymakinganeffortnottoreadthespeech,lookingaround,makingeyecontact,smiling,andbeingnatural.Andifthismakesyoumorecomfortableandconfident,peoplewillhearthatinyourvoiceandwillrelaxwithyou.

So,thoseareyourmainchoices.Youcan,ofcourse,alwaysinventsomethinguniquetoyou.CliffordStollhadfivebulletpointsforhistalkandwroteoneoneachfinger,andhisthumb.Everytimehechangedtopic,thecamerawould

eachfinger,andhisthumb.Everytimehechangedtopic,thecamerawouldzoomintoaclose-upofhishand,andwe’dgethisviewofwhatwasnext.Itwasquirkyandendearing.Whatmattersisthatyoufindthetalkmodethatworksforyou,committoit

early,andpracticeitasbestyoucan,usingtheexactsamepropsthatyou’llbeusingonstage.(That,bytheway,isanotherdingagainsttoomuchdependencyonconfidencemonitors.Youcanneverbe100percentsurethattheonstagesetupisthesameaswhatyou’verehearsedwith.)Inshort,it’sOKtobevulnerable.It’salsoOKtofindyourplaceofcomfort

andconfidence.Andit’sessentialtobeauthentic.

OnStage

17

VOICEANDPRESENCEGiveYourWordstheLifeTheyDeserve

Here’saradicalquestion:Whybothertogiveatalk?Whynotinsteadsimplyemailthetexttoeverypotentialmemberofthe

audience?An18-minutetalkcontainsmaybe2,500words.Manypeoplecanread2,500

wordsinlessthan9minutesandretaingoodcomprehension.Sowhynotdothatinstead?Savetheauditoriumcost.Saveeveryone’stravel.Savethechancethatyoumightflubyourlinesandlookfoolish.Andgetyourtalkacrossinlessthanhalfthetimeittakestospeakit.Inmytwenties,Icouldn’thavemadethecaseforpublicspeaking.While

studyingphilosophyatuniversity,IwasdevastatedtofindthatthewonderfulP.F.Strawson,abeautifulwriterandbrilliantthinker,was,atleastonthedayIheardhim,atrulyterriblespeaker.Hemumbledhiswaythrough60minutes,readingeverysentenceinthesamemonotonevoice,barelylookingup.IlearnedthatIwasutterlywastingmytimegoingtohislectureswhenIcoulddoubledownonjustreadinghisbooks.SoIstoppedgoingtohislectures.InfactIstoppedgoingtolectures,period.Ijustread.OneofthereasonsIwassocaptivatedbyTEDwasthediscoverythattalks

reallycanoffersomethingmorethantheprintedword.Butit’snotagiven,andit’snoteventrueineverycase.Thatsomethingextrahastobethoughtabout,investedin,developed.Ithastobeearned.

Whatisthatsomethingextra?It’sthehumanoverlaythatturnsinformation

intoinspiration.Thinkofatalkastwostreamsofinputrunningparallel.Wordsareprocessed

byyourbrain’slanguageengine,whichoperatesinmuchthesamewaywhenyou’relisteningaswhenyou’rereading.Butlayeredontopisastreamofmetadatathatallowsyouto(largelyunconsciously)evaluateeverypieceoflanguageyou’rehearing,determineswhatyoushoulddowithit,andhowyoushouldprioritizeit.There’snoanalogtothisinreading.Itcanonlyhappenwhenyou’rewatchingaspeakerandhearinghervoice.Herearesomeoftheimpactsthattheaddedlayercanbring:

Connection:Itrustthisperson.Engagement:Everysentencesoundssointeresting!

Curiosity:Ihearitinyourvoiceandseeitinyourface.Understanding:Theemphasisonthatwordwiththathandgesture—nowIgetit.Empathy:Icantellhowmuchthathurtyou.Excitement:Wow—thatpassionisinfectious.Conviction:Suchdeterminationinthoseeyes!Action:Iwanttobeonyourteam.Signmeup.

Intheaggregate,thisisinspiration.Inspirationinitsbroadestsense.Ithinkofitastheforcethattellsthebrainwhattodowithanewidea.Manyideasjustgetfiledawayandprobablysoonforgotten.Inspiration,bycontrast,grabsanideaandrushesitintoourminds’attentionspotlight:Generalalert!Importantnewworldviewincoming!Preparetoactivate!Therearemanymysteriesinhowandwhywerespondsopowerfullyto

certainspeakers.Thesecapabilitieshaveevolvedoverhundredsofthousandsofyearsandaredeeplywiredintous.Somewhereinsideyouthereisanalgorithmfortrust.Analgorithmforcredibility.Analgorithmforhowemotionsarespreadfromonebraintoanother.Wedon’tknowthedetailsofthosealgorithms,butwecanagreeonimportantclues.Andtheybreakdownintotwobigcategories,whatyoudowithyourvoiceandwhatyoudowithyourbody.

SPEAKWITHMEANING

Ifyougetachance,listentotheopeningminuteoftheTEDTalkbyGeorgeMonbiot.Thetextischarming,butnotparticularlysensational.

WhenIwasayoungman,Ispentsixyearsofwildadventureinthetropics,workingasaninvestigativejournalistinsomeofthemostbewitchingpartsoftheworld.Iwasasrecklessandfoolishasonlyyoungmencanbe.Thisiswhywarsgetfought.ButIalsofeltmorealivethanI’veeverdonesince.AndwhenIcamehome,Ifoundthescopeofmyexistencegraduallydiminishinguntilloadingthedishwasherseemedlikeaninterestingchallenge.AndIfoundmyselfsortofscratchingatthewallsoflife,asifIwastryingtofindawayoutintoawiderspacebeyond.Iwas,Ibelieve,ecologicallybored.

Butwhenhespeaks,youhearsomethingquitedifferent.IfIhadtodepictitjustusingtypography,itwouldbesomethinglikethis:

WhenIwasayoungman,Ispentsixyearsofwildadventureinthetropicsworkingasaninvestigativejournalistinsomeofthemostbewitchingpartsoftheworld.Iwasasrecklessandfoolishasonlyyoungmencanbe.This-is-why-wars-get-fought.ButIalsofeltmorealivethanI’veeverdonesince.AndwhenIcameHOME,Ifoundthescopeofmyexistencegraduallydiminishinguntilloadingthedishwasherseemedlikeaninterestingchallenge.AndIfoundmyselfsortofscratchingatthewallsoflife,asifIwastryingtofindawayOUTintoawiderspacebeyond.Iwas,Ibelieve,ecologicallybored.

Inprint,thatlooksawful.ButwhenyouhearMonbiotspeak,youfindyourselfpulledinstantlyintohisworld.Almosteverywordheuttersiscraftedwithadifferentlayeroftoneormeaningembeddedinit,andtheneteffectistoaddincrediblenuancetohisopening,nuancethatprintsimplycan’timpart.Thattalentcontinuesthroughoutthetalk.Thewordshewasutteringevokedintrigueandcuriositytobesure,buthisvoicepracticallyforcedyoutofeelcuriosityandastonishment.Howdidhedothis?Voicecoachesspeakofatleastsixtoolsyoucanuse:

volume,pitch,pace,timbre,tone,andsomethingcalledprosody,whichisthesingsongriseandfallthatdistinguishes,forexample,astatementfromaquestion.Ifyouwanttodigintothesealittlemore,IthoroughlyrecommendaTEDTalkbyJulianTreasurecalled,“Howtospeaksothatpeoplewanttolisten.”Henotonlyexplainswhat’sneeded,heoffersexercisesthathelpyougetyourownvoiceready.Forme,thekeytakeawayissimplytoinjectvarietyintothewayyouspeak,

varietybasedonthemeaningyou’retryingtoconvey.Somanyspeakersforgetthis.Theygiveatalkinwhicheverysentencehasthesamevocalpattern.Aslightriseatthestart,andadropattheend.Therearenopausesorchangesofpace.Whatthiscommunicatesisthatnosinglepartofyourtalkmattersmorethananyotherpart.It’sjustploddingitswayalonguntilitgetstotheend.Thebiologicaleffectofthisishypnotic.Thatis,itsimplyputsyouraudiencetosleep.Ifyourtalkisscripted,trythis:Findthetwoorthreewordsineachsentence

thatcarrythemostsignificance,andunderlinethem.Thenlookfortheonewordineachparagraphthatreallymattersandunderlineittwicemore.Findthesentencethatislightestintoneinthewholescriptandrunalightwavypencillineunderit.Lookforeveryquestionmarkandhighlightthemwithayellowhighlighter.Findthebiggestsingleahamomentofthetalkandinjectagreatbigblackblobrightbeforeitisrevealed.Ifthere’safunnyanecdotesomewhere,putlittlepinkdotsaboveit.Nowtryreadingyourscript,applyingachangeintoneforeachmark.For

Nowtryreadingyourscript,applyingachangeintoneforeachmark.Forexample,letyourselfsmilewhilelookingatthepinkdots,pauseforthebigblackblob,andspeedupalittleforthewavypencilline,whilespeakingmoresoftly.Howdoesthatsound?Reallycontrived?Thentryagainwithalittlemorenuance.Nowtryonemorething.Trytorememberalltheemotionsassociatedwith

eachpassageofyourtalk.Whicharethebitsyou’remostpassionateabout?Whichissuescouldmakeyoualittleangry?Whatareyoulaughingat?Whatareyoubaffledby?Nowletthoseemotionsoutalittleasyouspeak.How’sitsounding?Trydoingthiswithafriendpresent,andseewhatsherespondstoandwhatsherollshereyesat.Recordyourselfreadingitandthenplayitbackwithyoureyesclosed.Thepointistostartthinkingofyourtoneofvoiceasgivingyouawholenew

setoftoolstogetinsideyourlisteners’heads.Youwantthemtounderstandyou,yes,butyoualsowantthemtofeelyourpassion.Andthewayyoudothatisnotbytellingthemtobepassionateaboutthistopic,it’sbyshowingyourownpassion.Itspreadsautomatically,aswilleveryotheremotionyouauthenticallyfeel.Youwereworriedabouttheshorttimelimit?Noworries.Inasense,youjust

doubledit.Youcanuseeverysecondnotjusttoconveyinformationbuttocommunicatehowthatinformationmightbereceived.Andallwithoutaddingasingleextraword.Formoregreatexamplesoftherightuseofvoice,checkouttalksbyKelly

McGonigal,JonRonson,AmyCuddy,HansRosling,andtheincomparableSirKenRobinson.Somespeakingcoachesmaypushvocalvarietybeyondwhatfeelsrightto

you.Don’tletthem.Letitcomenaturallyfromthepassionyoufeelforthetopic.Mostlyyouwanttospeakconversationally,interjectingcuriosityandexcitementwhenit’sappropriate.Iaskpeopletoimaginethey’vemetupwithfriendstheywenttoschoolwithandareupdatingthemonwhatthey’vebeenupto.It’sthatkindofvoiceyou’relookingfor.Real,natural,butunafraidtoletitripifwhatyou’resayingdemandsit.Oneotherimportantaspecttopayattentionto:howfastyou’respeaking.First

ofall,it’sgreattovaryyourpacingaccordingtowhatyou’respeakingabout.Whenyou’reintroducingkeyideasorexplainingsomethingthat’scomplex,slowdown,anddon’tbeafraidtoinsertpauses.Duringanecdotesandlightermoments,speedup.Butoverall,youshouldplantospeakatyournatural,conversationalpace.Formostspeakersthat’ssomewhereintherange130–170wordsperminute.

Someguidestopublicspeakingurgepeopletodeliberatelyslowdown.Inmostcircumstances,Ithinkthat’sill-advised.Ingeneral,understandingoutpacesarticulation.Inotherwords,itusuallytakesthespeaker’sbraincircuitsmoretimetocomposethanthelistener’stocomprehend(exceptforthecomplexexplanationmoments,whereyes,youshouldslowdown).Ifyouspeakatyournormalconversationalpace,it’sfine,thelistenerwon’tmind,butifyougomuchslowerthanthat,you’reinvitingimpatienceintotheroom.Impatienceisnotyourfriend.Whileyou’reenjoyingthebiggestmomentofyourlife,theaudienceisslowlydyingofwordstarvation.

RorySutherland,whosomehowmaintained17minutesofhilarious,insightful

speechatarateof180wordsperminute,believesmanyspeakerscouldbenefitfromspeedingupabit:

Therearetwowaysoflosinganaudience:goingtoofastisbyfartherarerofthetwo.Goingtooslowlyisactuallythebiggerproblem,sinceitallowstimeforpeople’smindstowanderoff.Ifeelabitguiltysayingthis,butifyouspeakquicklyenough,youcangetawaywiththeoddleapingsegue.Idon’trecommendblatantnonsequiturs,obviously.Speakingfastalsopapersoveralotofcracks—noonemindsorevennoticestheoddumorerprovidedtheycomequickandfast.

Neitherhe,norI,isrecommendingthatyourushorgabble.Justthatyoutalkconversationally...andbereadytoaccelerateinpassageswhereit’snaturaltodoso.Thisworkswell,bothintheroomandonline.Doesthatsurpriseyou?Doyouthinkofpublicspeakingastheoppositeof

conversationalspeaking?AtoneTEDconference,afirst-timespeakerfromSouthAsiastartedhis

rehearsalbellowingatthetopofhisvoice.I’mallforvarietyinspeakingstyles,butthiswasreallyexhaustingtolistento.Iaskedhimwhyhewasspeakingthatway,andhethoughtforamomentandsaid,“Inmyculture,publicspeakingmeansspeakingtoacrowdofpeople.Forthepeopleatthebacktohear,youhavetoshout.But,”hepaused,“buthere,IsupposeIdonotneedtodothis,becauseherewehaveanautomaticshoutingdevice.”Hetappedhismicrophoneandweburstintolaughter.It’sactuallyareallyimportantpoint.Publicspeakingevolvedlongbeforethe

ageofamplification.Toaddressacrowdofanysize,speakerswouldhavetoslowdown,breathedeep,andletrip,withdramaticpausesaftereachsentence.

It’sastyleofspeakingwerecognizetodayasoration.It’saspeakingstylethatcansyncupcrowdemotionsandresponsesinapowerfulway.Weassociateitwithsomeofthemostinfluentialspeechesinliteratureandhistory,fromMarcAntony’s“Friends,Romans,Countrymen”toPatrickHenry’s“Givemeliberty,orgivemedeath!”Butinmostmodernsettings,orationisbestusedsparingly.It’scapableof

conveyingpassionandurgencyandoutrage,butitstruggleswiththemanymoresubtleemotions.Andfromanaudienceperspective,itcanbereallypowerfulfor15minutes,butexhaustingforanhour.Ifyouwerespeakingtoasingleperson,youwouldnotorate.Youcouldnotbuildaday-longconferenceprogramaroundoration.Andorationismuchslower.MartinLutherKing’s“Ihaveadream”speech

wasdeliveredataround100wordsperminute.Itwasperfectlycraftedanddeliveredforitspurpose.Butit’sunlikelythatyourtasktodayistoaddressacrowdof200,000peopleattheheartofamajorsocialmovement.Amplificationhasgivenustheabilitytospeakintimatelytoacrowd.It’san

abilityworthusing.Itbuildsconnectionandcuriositymuchmoreeasilythanoration.Thatconversationaltoneisevenmoreimportantwhenyouwatchatalkonline.Thereyou’reasinglepersonlookingatascreen,andyouwantthespeakertoaddressyouassuch.Talksthatareoratedtoalargecrowdrarelygoviral.Somespeakersfallintoatraphere.Inthethrillofbeingonstage,theyget

caughtupinaslightlytoograndiosesenseoftheoccasionandbeginunconsciouslyembracingaformoforation.Theyslowdowntheirpace.Theyspeakalittletooloudly.Andtheyinsertdramaticpausesbetweensentences.Thisisanabsolutetalkkiller.Orationisasubtleartthatonlyafewaretrulygreatat.Itcanbeappropriateinchurchoratamasspoliticalrally.Butforotherpublic-speakingoccasions,Irecommendleavingitalone.

RECRUITYOURBODY

SirKenRobinsonjokesthatsomeprofessorsseemtoviewtheirbodiessimplyasdevicestocarrytheirheadsintothenextmeeting.Sometimesaspeakerwillgivethesameimpression.Oncehisbodyhasmovedhisheadontothestage,itnolongerknowswhattodowithitself.Theproblemisamplifiedinasettingwherethere’snolecterntohidebehind.Peoplestandawkwardly,handsgluedtotheirsides,orlurchfromlegtoleg.ThelastthingIwanttodoisprescribeasingleapproachtobodylanguage.

Talkswouldquicklygetboringifeveryspeakerdidthesamething.Butthereare

Talkswouldquicklygetboringifeveryspeakerdidthesamething.Butthereareafewthingsyoucanthinkaboutthatmaymakeyoufeelmorecomfortable,andthatwillbetterprojectyourauthoritytoyouraudience.Thesimplestwaytogiveatalkpowerfullyisjusttostandtall,puttingequal

weightonbothfeet,whicharepositionedcomfortablyafewinchesapart,anduseyourhandsandarmstonaturallyamplifywhateveryou’resaying.Iftheaudienceseatingiscurvedaroundthestagealittle,youcanturnfromthewaisttoaddressdifferentpartsofit.Youdon’thavetowalkaroundatall.Thismodecanprojectcalmauthority;itisthemethodusedbyamajorityof

TEDspeakers,includingSirKen.Thekeyistofeelrelaxed,andtoletyourupperbodymoveasitwill.Goodposturehelps;avoidslouchingyourshouldersforward.Anopenstancemayfeelvulnerable...butthatvulnerabilityworksinyourfavor.Somespeakers,though,prefertowalkthestage.Ithelpsthemthink.Ithelps

thememphasizekeymoments.Thiscanworkwelltoo,providedthewalkingisrelaxed,notforced.TakealookatJuanEnriquezinaction.OrElizabethGilbert.Inbothcases,theylookextremelycomfortable.And(thisisimportant)theyfrequentlystoptodwellonapoint.It’sthatrhythmthatletsthismethodwork.Constantpacingcanbetiringtowatch.Pacingpunctuatedbystillnesscanbepowerful.Somethingtoavoidisnervouslyshiftingfromlegtolegorwalkingforward

andbackacoupleofstepsinakindofrockingmotion.Manyspeakersdothiswithoutrealizingit.Theymaybefeelingalittleanxious,andshiftingfromonelegtotheothereasestheirdiscomfort.Butfromtheaudience’sviewpoint,itactuallyhighlightsthatdiscomfort.TherehavebeensomanytimesinTEDrehearsalswherewe’veencouragedthesespeakerstorelaxandtosimplystandstill.Thedifferenceinimpactisimmediate.So,moveifyouwantto.Butifyoudomove,moveintentionally.Andthen,

whenyouwanttoemphasizeapoint,stopandaddressyouraudiencefromastanceofquietpower.Thereareplentyofotherwaysyoucanspeakwithpower.DameStephanie

Shirleychosetositforhertalk,usingametalstoolwithonefoottuckedbackonarung,andnotesinherlap.Itlookedrelaxedandnatural.Thelate,greatneurologistOliverSacksalsosatforhistalk.Attheotherendofthespectrum,CliffordStollleaptanddartedaroundthestagewithsuchenergythatitaddedanentirelynewanduniquedimensiontohistalk.Sotherearenoruleshere,otherthanforyoutofindamodeofbeingonstage

inwhichyou’recomfortableandconfident,andwhichdoesn’tdetractfromwhatyou’resaying.Thesimpletestistorehearseinfrontofasmallaudienceandaskthemifyourbodylanguageisgettingintheway,and/orvideo-recordyourselfto

themifyourbodylanguageisgettingintheway,and/orvideo-recordyourselftoseeifyou’redoingsomethingyou’reunawareof.Theworldcanaccommodate—andwelcome—manydifferentpresentation

styles.Justmakesureyourbodyknowsit’snottheresolelytotransportyourhead.It’sallowedtoenjoyitsowntimeonstage.

DOITYOURWAY

Andnow,themostimportantlesson.It’saneasytraptogetsocaughtupwiththehowofgivingatalkthatyouforgetwhat’smoreimportant,andthatis—givingyourtalkinyourownauthenticway.Aswithyourwardrobechoice,onceyou’vefoundapresentationstylethat

worksforyou,don’toverthinkit.Don’ttrytobesomeoneelse.Focusonyourcontentandyourpassionforit...anddon’tbeafraidtoletyourownpersonalityshinethrough.ThesuccessofJillBolteTaylor’stalkbackin2008temptedawhole

generationofTEDspeakerstotrytoimitateheremotionaltone.That’samistake.Andit’sonethatMaryRoachalmostfellfor:

ThefirstthingIdiduponbeinginvitedtogiveatalkwastoclickonthemostpopularTEDTalkatthattime,theonebyJillBolteTaylor.Istoppeditafter2minutes,becauseIknewIcouldnotbeJillBolteTaylor.AsinsecureasIam,IknewitwouldbebettertobeMaryRoachthantobeMaryRoachtryingtobeJillBolteTaylor.

DanPinkagrees:

Sayitlikeyourself.Don’tmimicsomeoneelse’sstyleorconformtowhatyouthinkisaparticular“TEDway”ofpresenting.That’sboring,banal,andbackward.Don’ttrytobethenextKenRobinsonorthenextJillBolteTaylor.Bethefirstyou.

OnStage

18

FORMATINNOVATIONThePromise(andPeril)ofFull-SpectrumTalks

InNovember2011,sciencewriterJohnBohannontooktothestageatTEDxBrussels,accompaniedbyanunusualspeakingaid.InsteadofPowerPoint,hebroughtwithhimadancetroupe.Actually,theybroughthim.Theycarriedhimontothestage.Andwhilehespokeaboutlasersandsuperfluids,theyphysicallyembodiedthepointshewasmaking.Itwasarivetingperformance.Bohannonwentontoarguethatdancecanbea

greataccompanimentforsciencetalks,andhe’sevenstartedamovementcalledDanceYourPhD.Ifyouwantyourtalktotrulystandoutfromthecrowd,therearemany

optionsopentoyoutobeinnovative.Ifwelookatthefundamentals,theonlyrealconstraintinatalkisthetime

available.In18minutes,youcanutterabout2,500words.Butwhatelsecouldyoudo?Youraudiencehasfivesensesandiscapableofabsorbingmultipleinputs.AtTED,weusethetermfullspectrumtodescribethoseattemptstobuild

moreintoatalkthanjustwordsandslides.Herearesixteensuggestionsyoucouldconsider.Wesuspectwe’regoingtoseeenormousinnovationoverthecomingyears.Now,alloftheseneedhandlingwithextremecare.Donewrong,theycan

seemgimmicky.Butdoneright,theycankickatalkuptoawholenewlevel.

1.DRAMATICPROPS

TwentyyearsagoIsawatalkabouttheneedtocontinuetofightfornucleardisarmament.Ican’trememberthenameofthespeaker.Norhisorganization.Normuchofwhathesaid.ButIwillneverforgetwhathedid.Hetookasingledriedpeaandhelditup.Hesaid,“Iwantyoutoimaginethatthisisathermonuclearweapon,ahydrogenbomb.ItisonethousandtimesmorepowerfulthanthebombdroppedonHiroshima.”Hetossedthepeaintoalargemetalbucketthathadamicrophoneattachedtoit.Thescratchypingwhenitlandedandbouncedwasshockinglyloud.Thenhesaid,“AndhowmanythermonuclearwarheadsdoyouthinkthereareonEarthtoday?”Hepaused.“Thirty.Thousand.”Withoutsayinganythingelsehereacheddownandpickedupasackofdriedpeas,andtippedthemintothebucket,firstoneatatime,thenasatorrent.Thesoundwasdeafening,terrifying.Atthatmoment,everypersoninthatroomunderstooddeeply,viscerally,whythisissuemattered.NumerousTEDTalkshavebeenelevatedbytheuseofunexpectedprops.To

makeapointaboutleftandrightbrainhemispheres,JillBolteTaylorbroughtarealhumanbrainontothestage,completewithdanglingspinalcolumn.Therewassomethingabouttherelishwithwhichshelifteditoutofitsbucketthatstuckineveryone’smind.Itwasanobjectofpassion!BillGatesgainedheadlinesacrosstheworldbyreleasingajarfullofmosquitoesduringhistalkonmalaria,joking,“There’snoreasonwhyonlypoorpeopleshouldhavetheexperience.”J.J.Abramsheldusrivetedbybringingonstageamysteryboxhisgrandfatherhadgivenhimthathe’dneveropened(and,ofcourse,heleftthestagewithitstillunopened).Ifyouhavesomethingyoucanpowerfully,legitimatelyuse,thiscanbea

greatwaytomakesureyourtalkisneverforgotten.Butbecareful.Andbesuretopracticeinreal-worldconditions.Ionce

broughtaspectacularyellowBurmesepythonontothestage,wrappedaroundmybody,tomakeapointaboutnature’sawesomeness.IthoughtIwasrockingit...untiltheaudiencestartedguffawing.Ididn’tknowthatBurmesepythonsareheat-seekers.Thepythonhadwriggleddownmybackanditsheadhadjustemerged,wavingtoandfro,frombetweenmylegs.Awesome,butnotinquitethewayI’dintended.

2.PANORAMICSCREENS

AtTED2015,MITartistanddesignerNeriOxmantookeveryone’sbreathawaywithapresentationfeaturingtwoparallelsetsofimagesdisplayedsimultaneouslyongiantscreensthatstretchedoutoneithersideofher.Onerevealedthetechsideofherwork;theother,themoreorganicside.Eachwasimpressiveindividually,thecombinationwasabsolutelystunning,

butnotjustforitsvisualimpact.Itshowedus,ataviscerallevel,thedualnatureofherworkasscience-baseddesignerandartist.TheGoogleZeitgeistconferenceisamongthosethathaveinnovatedultra-widescreenpresentations,allowingmultipleversionsofthesamepicture,spectacularpanoramicphotography,andboldlinesoftextstretching100feetoneithersideofthespeaker.Thecinematicfeelofthesepresentationsisincredible.(Trickierishowtoeditthemforonlinesharing.Sofar,theonlymass-accessibleformatsarethestandardvideoshapesof16:9and4:3,sothesepresentationscanbeamazingintheroom,buttheyareharderforanonlineaudiencetofullyappreciate.)

3.MULTISENSESTIMULATION

Somespeakershavesoughttopushbeyondmere2Dvisionandstereosound.We’vehadchefsfillthehallwiththedeliciousaromaofadishbeingcookedliveonstage.Ortheyhavepredistributedsamplebags,allowingaudiencememberstosniffandtaste.WoodyNorrisshowedushowhisinvention,hypersonicsound,couldbeprojectedfromthestagetoindividualseatsintheaudience,whereitwasaudibleonlytotheoccupantsofthoseseats.SteveSchklair,apioneerof3Dcameras,gaveusanearlydemoofhowsportscouldbeexperiencedin3D,courtesyofglassesdistributedtoall.PerfumedesignerLucaTurinusedamachinetopumpdifferentscentsintotheroom.Thesegenre-bustingtalksarealwaysinteresting,but,withthepossibleexceptionof3D,willprobablyremainlimitedtojustahandfuloftopics.However,atTED2015,DavidEaglemanmadethecasethatexoticnewsenses

couldbeaddedthroughtechnology,bytrainingthebraintounderstandelectricalpatternsfromanysource,suchastheweatherorthestockmarket.Maybesomefutureconferencewillfeatureaudienceswearingelectricalvests,wiredtodirectlyexperienceaspeaker’simagination.Ifanyonecaninventthat,pleasegetintouch.

4.LIVEPODCASTING

OneofthehighlightsofTED2015wasatalkbydesignguruRomanMars.Butinsteadofwalkingonstagewithamicrophone,Marssatdownbehindamixingconsole.Hebegan,“Iknowwhatyou’rethinking:Whydoesthatguygettositdown?That’sbecause...thisisradio!”Cuemusic,andhe’sunderway.Marsisthehostofthepopulardesignpodcast99%Invisible,andhegavetheentiretalkasifhewerelive-mixinghispodcast.Numerousaudioclipsandimagesweremixedintothetalkwithsplit-secondtiming.Thisapproachgavethetalkincrediblevitality.SuperstarDJMarkRonsonalsousedamixingdeskforpartsofhistalk.AndThisAmericanLifehostIraGlassmixespartsofhisliveshowsfromaniPad.Intruth,thistechniqueisbeyondtheskillsofmostofus,butIcanseeit

becominganartformallitsown.It’sspeaker-as-DJ,live-mixingideasfrommultiplesourcesinrealtime.Ifyouthinkthisisaskillyoucouldmaster,itmightwellbeworththetimeinvestment.

5.ILLUSTRATEDINTERVIEW

Aninterviewcanbeafinealternativetoatalk.Thisgivesyouachanceto

exploremultipletopicswithnosinglethroughlineotherthanthespeaker’sworkandlife,andnudgethespeakertogodeeperthanhenaturallywouldinatalk.(Thisisespeciallytruewithhigh-profilespeakers,whosespeechesareoftenwrittenbytheircommunicationsdepartments.)

AtTEDwe’vebeenexperimentingwithaninterviewformatthatencouragessomepreparationbybothinterviewerandinterviewee,whilestillallowingforthein-the-momentcutandthrustofatraditionalinterview.It’saconversationaccompaniedbyasequenceofimagesthathasbeenworkedoutinadvancebybothparties.Theimagesactaschaptermarkersforthevarioustopicstobecovered,andtheyaddrefreshingreferencepointsfortheconversation.WhenIinterviewedElonMusk,Iinvitedhimtosendmerarelyseenvideos

illustratingkeytopicswewantedtotalkabout,suchashisworkonbuildingreusablespacecraft.Whentheappropriatemomentcame,Isimplyplayedtherelevantvideoandaskedhimtoexplainwhatwewerelookingat.Itaddedpaceandvarietytotheinterview.Likewise,whenIwasduetointerviewBillandMelindaGatesabouttheir

philanthropiclivestogether,Iaskedthemforphotographsshowingtheirearlyengagementinpublichealthissues,anyvisualevidenceofwhytheydecidedtobecomephilanthropists,onekeygraphorimageeachthatwasmeaningfultothem,and—becausewewantedtodiscusstheissueofinheritance—somepicturesoftheirfamily.Theimagestheycameupwithallowedustomaketheinterviewmuchmorepersonalthanitotherwisecouldhavebeen.Thisformatisasatisfyinghalfwaypointbetweentalkandinterview.Itallows

intervieweestoreallythinkabouthowtheywanttostructureanideathatmatterstothem.Anditdecreasestheriskoframblingorgettingboggeddown.Icanpicturelotsofinnovationhere.Forexample,atalk,completewithslides,giveninformallybyintervieweetointerviewer,whilethelatterhastheoptiontoqueryanypointsthataren’tclear,liveonstage,whilethetalkisinprogress.

6.SPOKENWORDFUSION

ApowerfulartformemergedfromAfricanAmericancommunitiesinthe1970sand’80sandexplodedintopopularculture.Spokenwordcanbethoughtofasperformancepoetry;ittypicallycombinesstorytellingwithintricatewordplay.Spokenwordartistsofferanexcitingextensionoftraditionalpublicspeaking.Theydon’tseekto“explain”or“persuade”inthemannerdescribedinthisbook.Instead,theytapintoauseoflanguagethat’smorepoetic,moreprimal;languagethatcanenergize,move,inform,andinspire.

Therearemanywaysofblendingthespokenwordgenrewithpublic

speaking.SarahKay,ClintSmith,MalcolmLondon,SuheirHammad,ShaneKoyczan,andRivesareamongthosewho’vegivenmemorableperformance-talksatTED.However,it’snotsomethingtotakeonlightly.Badlydonespokenwordcanbeexcruciating!

7.VIDEOPOETRYEXPLORATION

TheCanadianpoetTomKonyvesdefinedvideopoetryasa“poeticjuxtapositionofimageswithtextandsound.”Onlinevideohasignitedanexplosionofexperimentationinvideopoetry,combiningeveryimaginablemixtureoftext,livefootage,animation,andspokenaccompaniment.Thisisagenrecapableoflightingupatalk.WhenformerUSpoetlaureateBillyCollinscametoTED,hepresentedfiveofhisworksthathadbeensettovideo.Unquestionably,theanimationsenhancedtheimpactofhisalreadypowerfulwords.ShaneKoyczan’sspokenwordperformanceatTEDwasenhancedbyavideobackdropcreatedbyeightycrowd-sourcedanimators.There’shugepotentialinexperimentingwithvideopoetrylive,eitheraspartofatalkorasanentireperformance.

8.ADDEDMUSICALSOUNDTRACK

Whyisitthatalmosteverymoviehasamusicalsoundtrack?Musicintensifieseveryemotion.Itcanindicatemomentsofspecialsignificance.Itcandialupdrama,sorrow,yearning,excitement,hope.Sowhynotconsiderusingitintalks?Severalspeakershaveexperimentedwiththis.WhenJonRonsontolda

chillingstoryaboutsomeonejailedasasuspectedpsychopath,JulianTreasurewasbehindhimonstagecreatinganauralbackdrop.PopUpMagazine,whichseekstoturnmagazinecontentintoliveperformance,regularlyaccompaniesstorieswithalivestringquartetorjazztrio,suchasinthecaseofLatifNasser,whotoldtheamazingstoryofthemanwhoinventedmodernpainrelief.Theriskingoingthisroute,apartfromtheintenseextraeffortneededin

rehearsal,isthattheformmayreinforcethefactthatthisisperformance,notanin-the-momenttalk.Thiscanbedistancing.Andinmanysettings,theintroductionofmusicmayfeelemotionallymanipulative.Nonetheless,thisseemstobefertilegroundforexperimentation.Oneroute

wouldbetoincorporatemusicianswhocanimprovisebasedonwhatthey’rehearinglive.Anotherwouldbetodoubledownontheperformanceaspectandjustmakeclearthatthisishowthisparticulartalkisbeingdelivered.

9.THELESSIGMETHOD

LawprofessorLawrenceLessighaspioneeredauniquestyleofpresentation,akindofPowerPointonsteroids.Everysentenceandalmosteverysignificantwordisaccompaniedbyanewvisual,whetherjustaword,aphotograph,anillustration,oravisualpun.Forexamplehere’sasingle18-secondpassageofhis2013TEDTalk,whereeach//representsaslidetransition:

Congresshasevolvedadifferentdependence,//nolongeradependenceuponthepeoplealone,//increasinglyadependenceuponthefunders.//Nowthisisadependencetoo,butit’s//differentandconflicting//fromadependenceuponthepeoplealone//solongas//thefundersarenotthepeople.//Thisisacorruption.//

Thisshouldn’twork.Theblizzardoftypechangesinhisslidesseemstoviolateeverydesignrulebook.ButinLessig’shands,it’sriveting.There’ssomuchintelligenceandeleganceinhischoiceoffonts,formatting,andimagesthatyousimplygetsweptalonginawe.Hetoldmethereasonhestartedpresentingthiswaywasthathewassickofpeopleattechconferenceslookingdownattheirscreenswhilehewasspeaking.Hedidn’twanttogivethemasecondtolookaway.Lessig’spresentationstyleissostartlinglydifferentthatsomehavegivenitits

ownname,theLessigMethod.Ifyou’refeelingbold,youcouldtryemulatingit.Butbereadytospendalotoftimeinpreparationandrehearsal.Andagain,becareful.Alotofitsbrillianceisinthedetailsandinthetimingofthetransitions.Inthewronghands,itcanandwilllookclumsyandoverbearing.

10.DUALPRESENTERS

Ingeneral,wediscouragetalksgivenbymorethanoneperson.Thesesomehowseemharderforaudiencestoconnectto.Theydon’tknowwhotolookat,andtheymayneverdeeplyrelatetoeitherpresenter.Butthereareexceptionswheretheinteractionbetweenthetwopresentersaddsrealnuance.WhenBeverlyandDereckJoubertdescribedtheirlifelongengagementwithleopardsandotherwildcats,theclearaffectionandrespectbetweenthemwastouchinginitsownright.Isuspectthere’splentyofroomforinnovationhere.Inmostsuchdual

presentations,whenoneofthespeakersisn’ttalking,heissimplystandingstillorwatchinghispartner.Therearealotofotherpossibilities:

GesturingReenactingAccompanyingwithamusicalinstrumentorpercussion

SketchingorpaintingInterjecting

IfLawrenceLessighadatwinbrother,youcouldimaginethemfinishingeachother’ssentencesinawaythatwoulddoubletheimpact.Thisishighrisk.Withtwopresenters,preparationismuchmorecomplex.

Eachindividualisdependentontheother,andit’seasyfortheircontributionsandtransitionstofeelscripted.Idon’trecommendtryingthisunlessyouhaveincredibleconfidenceandgreatchemistrywithsomeonewhoitwouldbenaturaltoexperimentwith.ButIdothinkthere’spossibilityhere.

11.NEWDEBATEFORMATS

Ifyouaregoingtohavetwopeopleonstageatthesametime,it’susuallymoreinterestingwhenthey’reonoppositesidesofanissue.Often,thebestwaytoreallyunderstandanideaistoseeitchallenged.Therearenumerousdebateformatsthatofferexcitingwaysforthistohappen.OneofthebestisanOxfordUnionformat,twoagainsttwo.Thespeakersalternatewith,say,7-minutepresentationsforandagainstacontroversialproposition.Aftermoderatororaudienceengagement,theyeachhavea2-minutewrap-up,followedbyanaudiencevote.(YoucanseethisinactionontheexcellentwebsiteIntelligenceSquaredUS.org.)Buttherearenumerousalternatives,andI’dlovetoseeinnovationhere.For

example,youcouldtryacourtroomformatinwhicheach“witness”iscross-examinedbyaskillfulquestioner.We’replanningtointroducemoredebatestofutureTEDevents.

12.SLIDEBLIZZARD

Manytalksbyphotographers,artists,anddesignerstaketheformofshowingasequenceofslidesandtalkingabouteachone.It’sagoodidea,butit’seasyforpeopletodallytoolongoneachslide.Ifyourtalentisprimarilyvisual,you’llprobablywantlotsofvisuals,notlotsofwords.Soitmakessensetodialupthenumberofslidesanddialbackthenumberofwordsdevotedtoeachone.Therehavebeenlotsofattemptstosystematizethis.Forexample,at

PechaKuchaevents,thetalkformatprescribesthat20slidesareshownwith20secondsdevotedtoeachone;theslidesareadvancedautomatically,andthespeakerhastokeepup.Self-proclaimed“geekevents,”theIgnitetalkserieshasasimilarformat,thoughinthiscasespeakers’timeisreducedto15secondsperslide.Bothmethodsmakeforterrific,fast-movingevents.There’sroomtoinnovatefurtherstill.There’snoreasonwhyeveryslide

shouldhaveexactlythesameamountoftime.Iwouldlovetoseepresentationsthatfit100slidesinto6minutes.Twelvecouldbe“pause-and-talk”slidesheldfor20secondseach,therestcouldbeshownin1-secondburstsandaccompaniedbyasoundtrackorjustsilence.

13.LIVEEXHIBITION

Theultimateextensionoftheslideblizzardapproachistoimaginethatyou’renotgivingatalkatall.Instead,you’recreatingtheultimateexperienceofimmersioninyourwork.Supposeyou’reaphotographer,artist,ordesignerwho’sbeengivenashowinthemainexhibitionhallofoneoftheworld’sgreatartgalleries.Whatwouldyouwantthatexperiencetobe?Imaginepeoplemovingfromworktowork,thelightingperfect,carefullycreatedcaptionsoneachworktogivethemjusttherightamountofcontext.Now...whycan’tyoure-createthatexperienceliveonstage?Thinkofyourwordsnotaswordsfromatalk,butaswordsdesignedtostir

therightexpectationorinsight.Theydon’tneedtobesentences.Theycanbecaptions,signposts(wordsorphrasesusedtoguidereadersthroughthecontentofyouressay),poetry.Andtheycanbebracketedbysilence.Yes,silence.Whenyouhavesomethingincredibletoshow,thebestwayofdrawingattentiontoitistosetitup,showit,andshutup!AsImentionedpreviously,kineticsculptorReubenMargolinknowshowto

dothis.Duringone30-secondperiodofhistalk-cum-live-exhibition,hereisallhehadtosay:“Asingledropofrainincreasingamplitude.”Thosewordsweresurroundedbysilence,butthescreenwasalivewiththehypnoticmovementofhissculpture,andtheaudiencewaslostinaweatthebeautyhehadcreated.PhotographerFransLantingcreatedanentireperformancearoundhis

photographstoillustratetheevolutionoflifeonEarth.Asthestunningphotographsadvanced,aPhilipGlasssoundtrackplayed,andFranssoftlyintonedlife’sstory.Withallthetoolsavailabletodayinamoderntheater—lighting,surround

sound,hi-resprojection—it’ssomethingofatragedythattheworld’sbestvisualartistsoftendon’tmakeuseofthem.Insteadofthinkingabouthowtoimmerseanaudienceintheirwork,theyassumethat,sincetheywereinvitedtogiveatalk,that’swhattheyhavetodo.Myhopeforthefuture:moreshow,lesstell.

14.SURPRISEAPPEARANCES

Afteranextraordinarystoryistoldaboutsomeone,theremaybeadditionalimpactinbringingthatpersonontothestagelive.

AtTED2014,MITprofessorHughHerrdescribedhowhehadbuiltanew

bioniclegforAdrianneHaslet-Davis,aballroomdancerwhohadbeeninjuredinthe2013BostonMarathonbombing.ThenhestunnedtheaudiencebyintroducingAdriannelivetogiveherfirstpublicdanceperformanceonhernewleg.AndatTEDxRíodelaPlata,CristinaDomenech’stalkaboutpoetryinprisons

wasenergizedbyalivereadingfrominmateMartínBustamante,whohadbeenpermittedatemporaryreleasetoattend.Thisapproachworksbestwhenthereisarealcontributionmadebythe

specialguest.Ifthatcan’thappen,it’sbettersimplytoacknowledgehisorherpresenceintheaudience.Topullsomeoneonstageforjustabriefhellocanfeelawkward.

15.VIRTUALPRESENTERS

Technologyisallowingnewwaystobringaspeakertothestage.InJuneof2015,successcoachTonyRobbinsappearedatabusinessconferenceinMelbourne,Australia.Excepthedidn’twanttoactuallytravelallthewaytoAustralia.Soinsteadheappearedvia3Dhologram.Organizersclaimhisavatarhadasmuchimpactasthemanhimself.WhenweinvitedwhistleblowerEdwardSnowdentoTEDin2014,therewas

justoneproblem.HewaslivinginexileinMoscowandcouldn’ttraveltoVancouverforfearofbeingarrested.ButwewiredhiminnonethelessintheformofatelepresencerobotcalledBeamPro.Ifanything,itaddedtothedrama.Duringthebreaks,theSnowdenbotroamedthehallway,allowingattendeestochatwithhimandsnapphotos(creatingaTwittertrend#SelfiesWithSnowden).Ofcourse,boththeseusesbenefitedfromtheirrelativenovelty.Butthe

technologyiscontinuallyimproving.OneofthesurprisesofTED’ssuccesshasbeenthataspeakeronvideohasalmostasmuchimpactasaspeakerintheroom.Sothere’snoreasonahologramortelepresencebotcan’thavefullimpact.Thepossibilitiesherearelimitless.Forexample,whencomposerEric

WhitacreunveiledapieceofmusicatTEDin2013,itwasperformednotjustbyachoironthestage.Theywerejoinedbymusiciansfromthirtydifferentcountries,singingtogetherlivecourtesyofaspecialtechhookupengineeredforusbySkype.Astheyappearedonscreen,unitedinsong,itseemedforamomentthatthedifferencesthattearourworldapartcouldbebridgedbyelementsassimpleasanInternetconnection,musicfromtheheart,andpeoplewillingtoreachout.Iglancedaroundattheaudienceandsawmanyacheekwetwithtears.Ithinkwecanexpecttoseealotmoreexperimentslikethisgoingforward.

Innovationsthatwillallowgatheringsofpeoplethatsimplywouldn’thavebeenpossibleanyotherway.Indeed,theremaywellsoonbeadaywhenrealrobotswalkonstageandgivetalks,talksthattheyhavehelpedtowrite.(We’reworkingonit!)

16.NOLIVEAUDIENCE

Theultimatetalkinnovationmaybenottoplaywithwhathappensonstage,butjusttotakeawaythestagealtogether.Also,thetheater,theliveaudience,andthehost.Afterall,we’reinaconnectedworldnow.ThankstotheInternet,wecancommunicatetocountlessthousandsofpeopleliveorviavideo.Thatglobalaudiencecandwarfanygroupthatcancometogetherphysicallyinaroom.Sowhynotjustdesignatalkdirectlyforthataudience?SwedishstatisticianHansRoslinghasdoneaseriesofincredibleTEDTalks,

notchingupcollectivelymorethan20millionviews.Butoneofhismostpopulartalkswasn’tdoneonastageatall.ItwasfilmedbytheBBCinanemptywarehouse,andRosling’strademarkgraphicswereaddedinpostproduction.Inaworldwhereeveryonehasaccesstovideocamerasandeditingtools,

therewillbeanunstoppabletrendofsignificanttalksdelivereddirectlytotheInternet.OurOpenTEDinitiative(describedattheendofchapter20)seekstotapintothistrend.Thiswon’treplacethepowerofpeoplecomingtogetherphysically—thereare

fartoomanybenefitsfromtheancientexperienceofrealin-the-momenthumancontact.Butdirect-to-videotalkswillbeawonderfulplaygroundforrapidexperimentation,innovation,andlearning.

Iamincrediblyexcitedaboutthewaysinwhichpublicspeakingmayevolveoverthecomingyears.ButIdoalsothinkit’sworthsoundinganoteofcaution.Manyoftheinnovationsmentionedabovearepotentiallypowerful,buttheyshouldn’tbeoverused.Thebasictechnologyofhuman-to-humanspeakinggoesbackhundredsofthousandsofyearsandisverydeeplywiredintous.Inseekingmodernvariants,wemustbecarefulnottothrowoutthebabywiththebathwater.Humanattentionisafragilething;ifyouaddtoomanyextraingredients,themainthrustofatalkmaygetlost.So...let’sembraceaspiritofinnovation.Therearewonderfulopportunities

outtheretoadvancethegreatartofpublicspeaking.Butlet’salsoneverforgetthatsubstancemattersmorethanstyle.Ultimately,it’sallabouttheidea.

REFLECTION

Reflection

19

TALKRENAISSANCETheInterconnectednessofKnowledge

Iwishtopersuadeyouofsomething:Thathowevermuchpublicspeakingskillsmattertoday,they’regoingtomatterevenmoreinthefuture.Drivenbyourgrowingconnectedness,oneofhumankind’smostancient

abilitiesisbeingreinventedforthemodernera.I’vebecomeconvincedthattomorrow,evenmorethantoday,learningtopresentyourideaslivetootherhumanswillprovetobeanabsolutelyessentialskillfor:

Anychildwhowantstobuildconfidence.Anyoneleavingschoolandlookingtostartameaningfulcareer.Anyonewhowantstoprogressatwork.Anyonewhocaresaboutanissue.Anyonewhowantstobuildareputation.Anyonewhowantstoconnectwithothersaroundtheworldwhoshareapassion.Anyonewhowantstocatalyzeactiontomakeanimpact.Anyonewhowantstoleavealegacy.Anyone,period.

ThebestwayIcanmakethisargumentistosharewithyoumyownlearningjourneyofthepastcoupleofdecades,aperiodthatcompletelychangedmyunderstandingofwhygreatpublicspeakingmatters,andwhatitmightbecome.SoletmetakeyoubacktoWednesday,February18,1998,Monterey,California,whichiswhenandwhereIfirstsetfootinsideaTEDconference.Backthen,Ithoughtofconferencesasnecessaryevils.Youputupwithhours

oftediouspanelsandpresentationsinordertomeetthepeoplefromyourindustrythatyouneedtomeet.However,mygoodfriendSunnyBates,oneoftheworld’sgreatconnectors,persuadedmethatTEDwasdifferentandIshouldcheckitout.Iendedthefirstdayalittlebemused.Ihadheardaseriesofshorttalksfroma

softwareprogrammer,amarinebiologist,anarchitect,atechentrepreneur,andagraphicdesigner.Theywerenicelydone.ButIwasstrugglingtofindtheirrelevancetome.Iwasamediaguy.Ipublishedmagazines.Howwasthisgoingtohelpmetodomyworkbetter?WhenTEDwasfoundedbackin1984,Richard“Ricky”Wurmanandhis

cofounder,HarryMarks,hadatheorythattherewasgrowingconvergence

betweenthetechnology,entertainment,anddesignindustries(theT,E,andDofTED).Itmadesense.ThatwastheyearthefirstAppleMacintoshcomputerwaslaunched,theyearthatSonyunveiledthefirstcompactdiscs.Bothproductshaddeeprootsinallthreeindustries.Itwasexcitingtoimaginewhatotherpossibilitieswouldemergeifyouconnectedthethreefieldstogether.Maybetechnologistscouldmaketheirproductsmoreappealingbylisteningtotheideasofhuman-centereddesignersandcreativeentertainers?Maybearchitects,designers,andentertainment-industryleaderscouldexpandtheirsenseofpossibilitybyunderstandingnewdevelopmentsintechnology?Andsoitproved.Afterawobblystart,andapersonalityclashbetweenthe

founders(whichpersuadedHarrytosellhis50percentstaketoRickyforadollar),TEDtookoffinthe1990s,accompaniedbytheriseofCD-ROM-fueledmultimedia,Wiredmagazine,andtheearlyInternet.Inhisearlierlife,Rickyhadcoinedtheterminformationarchitectureandhadbecomeobsessedwithmakingobscureknowledgeaccessible.Thisskillhelpedhimdrivespeakerstofindthemostinterestingangleontheiridea,theanglethatothersoutsidetheirfieldsmightenjoyorfindrelevant.AndhehadanotherpersonalitytraitthatwouldobliquelyprovecoretoTED’ssuccess:impatience.Rickyeasilybecameboredbylongtalks.AsTEDdeveloped,hebegangiving

speakersshorterandshortertimeslots.Andhesimplywalkedonstageandcutpeopleoffiftheywentontoolong.Healsobannedaudiencequestions,onthegroundsthatitwouldbemoreinterestingtocraminanotherspeakerthanhearsomeaudiencememberpromotehisownbusinessundertheguiseofaskingaquestion.Thismayhavebeenreallyannoyingtoafewindividuals,butfortheaudienceexperienceoverall,itwasagodsend.Itmadeforafast-movingprogram.Youcouldputupwiththeoccasionaldudtalkbecauseyouknewitwouldbeoversoon.OnmyseconddayatTED,Ibegantotrulyappreciatetheshort-talkformat.

EventhoughIwasn’tyetcertainoftherelevancetomeandmywork,Iwascertainlybeingexposedtoalotoftopics.Videogamesforgirls,thedesignofchairs,anewwayofexploringinformationin3D,asolar-poweredairplane.Theyallfollowedeachotherinarush.Therewasanexhilarationinlearninghowmanydifferenttypesofexpertisetherewereintheworld.Andsomethingwasstartingtospark.Acommentmadebyaspeakerinonefieldwouldsomehowresonatewithsomethingsomeoneinacompletelydifferentfieldhadsaidthedaybefore.Icouldn’tputmyfingeronit,butIwasstartingtogetexcited.Mostconferencesserveasingleindustryorknowledgespecialty.There,

everyonehasacommonlanguageandstartingpoint,anditmakessensetoallow

speakerstimetogoreallydeepanddescribesomespecificnewlearning.Butwhenthecontentandaudiencearewide-ranging,aspeaker’sgoalisn’ttoexhaustivelycoveranichetopic.Instead,it’stomakeherworkaccessibletoothers.Toshowwhyit’sinteresting.Toshowwhyitmatters.Thatcanusuallybedoneinlessthan20minutes.Andthat’sgood,becauseforsomeoneoutsideyourfield,that’sprobablyallthetimethey’llgiveyou.Aslisteners,wemaybewillingtoinvest45minutesoranhouronauniversitysubjectwehavetolearn,oronsomeonewhoworksdirectlyinourfield.Buttogivesomeoneoutsideournormalworklifethatkindoftime?Notpossible.Therearen’tenoughhoursintheday.Ondaythree,somethingreallystrangehappened.Myoverstimulatedbrain

begansparkinglikealightningstorm.Everytimeanewspeakergotupandspoke,itfeltlikeanewthunderboltofwisdom.Ideasfromonetalkwouldconnectinathrillingwaywithsomethingsharedbyotherstwodaysearlier.AndthencameAimeeMullins.Aimeehadhadbothherlegsamputatedatageone,butthathadn’tstoppedher

fromleadingafulllife.Shesatonstageandspokeofhow,threeyearsearlier,asacollegefreshman,shehadrunherfirstraceasasprinter,andhow,aidedbyapairofbeautifullydesignedsprinters’legs,shehadrocketedthroughtrialsfortheUSParalympicsTeam.Andthenshecasuallyremovedherprostheticsandshowedhowshecouldreplacethemeasilywithotherlegsforothersituations.AsAimeespokeabouthersurprisingsuccessesandembarrassingfailures,I

satatthebackofthetheater,shockedatthetearsrunningdownmycheeks.Shewassoalive,andsofullofpossibility.SheseemedtosymbolizesomethingI’dsensedtimeandagainthatweek.Thatitwaspossibletoownyourfuture.Nomatterwhatlifehadservedyou,youcouldfindawaytoshapeit,andinsodoingmakeadifferenceforotherstoo.BythetimeIhadtoleavetheconference,Iunderstoodwhyitmeantsomuch

topeoplethere.IwasthrilledbyallI’dlearned.IfeltagreatersenseofpossibilitythanIhadexperiencedinalongtime.IfeltlikeI’dcomehome.Twoyearslater,whenIheardthatRickyWurmanwaslookingtosellthe

conference,Ibecametantalizedatthethoughtoftakingitover.Formyentireentrepreneuriallife,mymantrahadbeentofollowthepassion.Notmypassion—otherpeople’s.IfIsawsomethingthatpeopleweretruly,deeplypassionateabout,thatwasthebigcluethattherewasopportunitythere.Passionwasaproxyforpotential.ThatwashowIjustifiedlaunchingdozensofhobbyistmagazines,coveringeverythingfromcomputingtomountainbikingtocross-stitching.Thosetopicsmightbedeeplyboringtomostpeople,buttothosethemagazinesweretargetedat,theywerepassion-drivengold.ThepassionI’dseenandexperiencedatTEDwasoffthecharts.Peoplewho

ThepassionI’dseenandexperiencedatTEDwasoffthecharts.Peoplewhohaddoneamazingthingswiththeirliveshadtoldmethiswastheirfavoriteweekoftheyear.Soeventhoughitwasonlyasmallannualconference,therewaseverypossibilitythatsomethingmorecouldbebuiltoutofthatpassion.Ontheotherhand,itwasanewbusinesstogetinvolvedwith,andIwouldbe

followingintheshoesofamanwithamuchbigger,brasherpersonalitythanmine.WhatifIfailed?Thepublichumiliationwouldbeprettyintense.Iconsultedfriends,layawakeatnighttryingtoimagineeverypossibility,butcouldn’tgettoadecision.Whatfinallyconvincedmetogoforitwas,believeitornot,apassageina

bookIhappenedtobereadingatthetime,namelyDavidDeutsch’sTheFabricofReality.Initheaskedaprovocativequestion:Isitreallytruethatknowledgehastobecomeevermorespecialized?Thattheonlywaywecanachievesuccessisbyknowingmoreandmoreaboutlessandless?Thespecializationofeveryfield—medicine,science,art—seemedtosuggestthis.ButDeutscharguedconvincinglythatwemustdistinguishknowledgefromunderstanding.Yes,knowledgeofspecificfactsinevitablybecamespecialized.Butunderstanding?No.Notatall.Tounderstandsomething,hesaid,wehadtomoveintheoppositedirection.

Wehadtopursuetheunificationofknowledge.Hegavelotsofexamplesinwhicholderscientifictheorieswerereplacedbydeeper,broadertheoriesthattiedtogethermorethanoneareaofknowledge.Forexample,anelegantworldviewbasedonthesunsittingatthecenterofthesolarsystemreplacedmassivelycomplexexplanationsofthewhirlingmotionsofindividualplanetsaroundEarth.Butmoreimportantlystill,Deutschargued,thekeytounderstandinganything

wastounderstandthecontextinwhichitsat.Ifyouimagineavastspiderwebofknowledge,youcan’treallyunderstandtheintricateknotsinanysmallpartofthatwebwithoutpullingthecamerabacktoseehowthestrandsconnectmorebroadly.It’sonlybylookingatthatlargerpatternthatyoucangainactualunderstanding.IreadthiswhenIwasdreamingaboutTED,andalightbulbflashedon.Of

course!Thatwasit!ThatwaswhytheTEDexperiencefeltsothrilling.Itwasbecausetheconferenceitselfwasreflectingtherealitythatallknowledgeisconnectedintoagiantweb.TEDtrulydidhavesomethingforeveryone.Wemightnotnecessarilyhaverealizeditatthetime,butbythinkingaboutsucheclecticideas,wewereallgainingunderstandingatamuchdeeperlevelthanwehadbefore.Infact,theindividualideasmatteredlessthanhowtheyallfittogether—andwhathappenedwhenweaddedthemtoourexistingideas.

SoactuallywhatmadeTEDworkwasnotreallyjustthesynergybetweentechnology,entertainment,anddesign.Itwasactuallytheconnectednessofallknowledge.Framedthatway,TEDwasaneventthatwouldneverrunoutofthingstotalk

about.Howmanyvenuesweretherewhereyoucouldexplorethatconnectedness?Andexploreitinawaythatanycuriouspersoncouldfindaccessibleandinspiring?Icouldn’tthinkofany.IhoppedonaplanetovisitRickyandhiswife,GloriaNagy,attheirhomein

Newport,RhodeIsland.Andtocutalongandcomplicatedstoryshort,bytheendof2001,IhadleftthecompanyI’dspentfifteenyearsbuildingtobecometheproud,albeitslightlynervous,curatorofTED.Intheyearssincethen,I’vebecomeevermoreconvincedofthesignificance

oftheconnectednessofknowledge,andIhaveencouragedTEDtoexpandfromtheoriginalT-E-Dtoprettymucheveryfieldofhumancreativityandingenuity.Idon’tseethisframingofknowledgeandunderstandingasjustarecipeforamoreinterestingconference.Iseeitasthekeytoussurvivingandthrivinginthebravenewworldthat’scoming.Here’showI’dmakethecase:

THEAGEOFKNOWLEDGE

Manyofourassumptionsaboutthevalueandpurposeofknowledgeandhowtoacquireit—includingthestructureofourentireeducationsystem—areleftoversfromtheindustrialage.Inthatera,thekeytosuccesswasforacompany,orcountry,todevelopmassiveexpertiseinproductionofphysicalgoods.Thisrequireddeepspecialistknowledge:thegeologyrequiredtolocateandextractcoalandoil;themechanicalengineeringneededtobuildandoperateindustrial-scalemachinery;thechemistryneededtoefficientlyproduceamassivearrayofmaterials;andsoforth.Theknowledgeeconomyrequiressomethingdifferent.Increasingly,the

specialistknowledgetraditionallywieldedbyhumansisbeingtakenoverbycomputers.Oilisnotlocatedbyhumangeologistsbutbycomputersoftwarechurningthroughvastamountsofgeologicaldata,lookingforpatterns.Today’sbestcivilengineersnolongerneedtohand-calculatethestressesandstrainsonanewbuilding;thecomputermodelwilldothat.Almostnoprofessionisuntouched.IwatchedanIBMWatsondemoseeking

todiagnoseapatientwithsixspecificsymptoms.Whiledoctorsscratchedtheirheadsandorderedarangeofteststogetmoredata,Watson,injustafewseconds,readthrough4,000recentrelevantresearchpapers,appliedprobabilityalgorithmstoeachsymptom,andconcludedwith80percentcertaintythatthepatienthadarareconditiononlyoneofthehumandoctorshadevenheardof.

patienthadarareconditiononlyoneofthehumandoctorshadevenheardof.Atthispointpeoplestartgettingdepressed.Theybeginaskingquestionssuch

as,Inaworldinwhichmachinesarerapidlygettingsuper-smartatanyspecialistknowledgetaskwecanthrowatthem,whatarehumansevenfor?It’sanimportantquestion.Andtheanswertoitisactuallyquitethrilling.Whatarehumansfor?Humansareforbeingmorehumanthanwe’veever

been.Morehumaninhowwework.Morehumaninwhatwelearn.Andmorehumaninhowwesharethatknowledgewitheachother.Ourgiantopportunityfortomorrowistorise.Toriseaboveourlonghistory

ofusingspecialistknowledgetodorepetitivetasks.Whetherit’sthebackbreakingworkofharvestingriceyearafteryearorthemind-numbingworkofassemblingaproductonamanufacturingline,mosthumans,formostofhistory,havemadealivingdoingthesamethingoverandoveragain.Ourfuturewon’tbelikethat.Anythingthatcanbeautomatedorcalculated

ultimatelywillbe.Now,wecanbefearfulofthat,orwecanembraceitandtakethechancetodiscoveraricherpathtolifefulfillment.Whatwillthatpathlooklike?Nooneknowsforsure.Butit’sprobablygoingtoinclude:Moresystem-levelstrategicthinking.Themachineswilldothegruntwork,

butwe’llneedtofigureouthowbesttosetthemuptoworkeffectivelywitheachother.Moreinnovation.Withthemassivecapabilitiesofaconnectedworldavailable

tous,thereishugeadvantageforthosewhocangenuinelyinnovate.Morecreativity.Robotswillmakealotofourstuff,allowingforanexplosion

indemandforgenuinehumancreativity,whetherintechinvention,design,music,orart.Moreutilizationofuniquelyhumanvalues.Human-to-humanserviceswill

flourish,providedthehumanityinherentinthemiscultivated.Itmaybepossibletodeveloparoboticbarber,butwilltheservicealonebeenoughtoreplacethechattyinteractionwithagreathumanhairstylist-cum-therapist?Idoubtit.ThedoctorofthefuturemaybeabletoaskforWatson’sbrillianceindiagnosticassistance,butthatshouldallowmoretimeforthatdoctortoreallyunderstandthehumancircumstancesofherpatient.And,ifanyofthatprovestobetrue,it’slikelytorequireaverydifferenttype

ofknowledgethantheindustrialageaskedofus.Imagineaworldwhereanypieceofspecialistknowledgeisavailabletoyou

instantly,ondemand.Ifyouhaveasmartphone,that’sprettymuchtheworldyou’realreadylivingin.Andifitisn’ttoday,foryourkidsitwillbe.Sowhatshouldwe—andthey—belearningforthefuture?Insteadofever-greateramountsofever-more-specializedknowledge,we’re

goingtoneed:

goingtoneed:

Contextualknowledge,Creativeknowledge,andAdeeperunderstandingofourownhumanity.

Contextualknowledgemeansknowingthebiggerpicture,knowingthewayallthepiecesfittogether.

Creativeknowledgeistheskillsetobtainedbyexposuretoawidevarietyof

othercreativehumans.Adeeperunderstandingofourownhumanitycomesnotfromlisteningtoyour

parentsoryourfriends,nortopsychologists,neuroscientists,historians,evolutionarybiologists,anthropologists,orspiritualteachers.Itcomesfromlisteningtoallofthem.Thesetypesofknowledgearen’tthedomainofjustafewprofessorsinafew

greatuniversities.Theyaren’twhatyoudiscoverinadominantcompany’sapprenticeshipprogram.Thisisknowledgethatcanonlybeassembledfromamassivevarietyofsources.Andthatfact,rightthere,isoneofthemainenginespoweringtherenaissance

inpublicspeaking.We’reenteringanerawhereweallneedtospendalotmoretimelearningfromeachother.Andthatmeansfarmorepeoplethaneverbeforecancontributetothiscollectivelearningprocess.Anyonewhohasauniquepieceofworkorauniqueinsightcanproductivelyparticipate.Andthatincludesyou.Buthow?Whetheryou’reabrilliantastrophysicist,atalentedstonemason,or

justawisestudentoflife,Idon’tneedtolearnfromyoueverythingyouknow.Ofcoursenot.Thatwouldtakeyears.WhatIneedtoknowishowyourworkconnectstoeverythingelse.CanyouexplaintheessenceofitinawayIcanunderstand?Canyoushareyourworkprocessinlayman’sterms?Canyouexplainwhyitmatters?Andwhyyouarepassionateaboutit?Ifyoucandothis,youwillexpandmyworldview.Andyoumaydo

somethingelse.Youmaysparknewcreativityorinspirationinme.Everyfieldofknowledgeisdifferent,buttheyareallconnected.Andtheyoftenrhyme.Thismeansthatsomethinginthewayyoudescribeyourprocessmaygivemeacrucialinsightorcatalyzeanewthoughtinme.Thisishowideasformwhenwesparkoffeachother.

Sothefirstgreatdriverofthepublic-speakingrenaissanceisthatthe

knowledgeeraweareenteringdemandsadifferenttypeofknowledge,encouragingpeopletobeinspiredbythoseoutsidetheirtraditionalspecialties,andinsodoingtodevelopadeeperunderstandingoftheworldandtheirroleinit.Butthat’snotall.

Reflection

20

WHYTHISMATTERSTheInterconnectednessofPeople

Thesecondgreatdriveroftherenaissanceinpublicspeakingistheepictechnologicalshiftthathasgivenusallvisibilitytoeachother:theInternet,andinparticular,theriseofonlinevideo.Letmetellthestoryasweexperiencedit,becauseinlessthanayear,onlinevideoflippedTEDonitsheadandhelpedusbecomeoneofthepioneersofanewwayofsharingknowledge.AkeycatalystforuswasthatTEDisanonprofit.Wedon’toftenthinkof

nonprofitsasrobustvehiclesforinnovation,butinthiscasethatstatusreallyhelped.Letmeexplain.WhenIwasstillworkinginmagazines,Ibegantoputmoneyintoanot-for-

profitfoundationinordertostartgivingback.ItwasthatfoundationthatacquiredTED.Iworkforitwithoutdrawingasalary.Tome,removingtheprofitmotivefromthetablesentaclearsignalofintent.Itmadeitmucheasiertocrediblysaytotheworld,Comeandhelpusbuildanewapproachtodiscoveringandsharingideas.Afterall,weaskattendeestopayalotofmoneytocometoourmainconferences,andweaskspeakerstocomewithoutbeingpaid.It’smucheasiertodothatifpeoplecanseethatthey’recontributingtothepublicgoodasopposedtosomeone’spersonalbankbalance.HowshouldTEDbestcontributetothepublicgood?Thesmallgroupofus

runningTEDintheyearsafterthetransitionponderedthisquestionalot.Afterall,TEDwasjustaprivateconference.Yes,peoplewereinspiredthere,butitwashardtoseehowyoucouldscalethatexperience.OurearlyattemptstoadvanceTED’snonprofitmissionweretotryafellowsprogramtobringtotheeventpeoplewhocouldn’taffordtopay,7tohaveabiggerfocusonglobalissues,andtoseektoturninspirationintoactionwiththeintroductionoftheTEDPrize,whichgranteditswinnersawishtobettertheworldthatotherattendeeswouldsupport.ButatsomepointitfeltlikewehadtofindawaytosharethecontentofTED.

Theideasandinsightsbeingexpresseddeservedabroaderaudience.Inearly2005Ifoundtheperfectpersontocrackthisproblem.JuneCohenhadhadaninsideviewofmanyofthekeydevelopmentsoftheweb.ShewasakeyexecutiveintheteamthatdevelopedthepioneeringHotWiredwebsite,whichhadtheworld’sfirstonlineads,andshehadwrittenaterrificbookonwhatittooktocreateasuccessfulwebsite.Also,she’dbeguncomingtoTEDthesameyearIhad,she’dfalleninlovewithitasIhad,andeveryconversationbetweenushadbeenprovocativeandvaluable.

JunejoinedourfledglingteamandembarkedonwhatseemedthelogicalstrategyforsharingTEDcontentmorewidely:getitonTV.EveryTEDconferenceeverheldhadbeencapturedonvideo,andwithallthosecablechannelsoutthere,surelysomeonewouldbeexcitedaboutairingaweeklyshow?Wecreatedapilot,andJunehawkeditpassionatelytoanyonewhowouldlisten.TheresoundingverdictfromTV-land?Meh.TalkingheadsmakeforboringTV—weheardthattimeandagain.Wetried

suggestingthatjustpossiblythatboredomthingmightnotbeabouttalkingheadsperse,butabouttalkingheadssayingboringthings.Wedidn’tgetanywhere.

Butmeanwhile,somethingprofoundwashappeningtotheworld’s

infrastructure.ExcitedbytheexplosivegrowthoftheInternet,telecomcompanieshaddecidedtoinvestbillionsofdollarsintofiberopticsandotherbandwidthupgrades.Thatenabledtheliftoffofatechnologythathadatfirstseemedentirelyinnocuous:onlinevideo.During2005,itmorphedfromaflickeringnoveltyinthecornerofascreentosomethingyoucouldactuallywatch.AquirkylittlewebsitecalledYouTubewaslaunched,featuringshort,user-generatedvideos,manyofthemstarringkittens.Despitetheamateurishlook,ittookofflikearocket.InNovember2005,Junecametomewitharadicalsuggestion.Let’s

deprioritizeTVfornowandtrydistributingTEDTalkvideosonlineinstead.Onthefaceofit,thatwasacrazyidea.Quiteapartfromthestillbarely

acceptablequalityofonlinevideo,therewasnoprovenrevenuemodelforit.Coulditreallymakesensetoriskgivingawayourcontent?Wasn’tthattheonlyreasonpeoplepaidsomuchtocometotheconferencesinthefirstplace?Ontheotherhand,itwouldbeamajorstepinadvancingTED’snonprofit

missionofsharingideasforpublicbenefit.AndthethoughtofcontrollingourowndistributionwithoutdependencyonTVnetworkswasexciting.Itwasworthanexperimentattheleast.Thusitwasthat,onJune22,2006,thefirstsixTEDTalksdebutedonour

website.Atthetime,ted.comwasgettingabout1,000visitorsaday,mostofthemjustcheckingdetailsaboutpastandfutureconferences.Wedreamedthatthereleaseofthesetalksmightkickthatnumberupfivefold,yieldingmaybe2milliontalkviewsoverayear,amassiveboostinouroverallreach.Thefirstdaywehadabout10,000talkviews.Iassumedthat,asusualwith

newmedia,afterinitialinterestwaned,thenumberswouldfalloffquickly.Theoppositehappened.Withinjustthreemonthswe’dreachedamillionviews,andthenumbersjustcontinuedtoclimb.

Evenmoreexcitingwasthetoneofresponseswewereseeing.Wehaddoubtedthetalkscouldhaveanythinglikethesameimpactonlineastheydidlive.Afterall,howcouldyouholdsomeone’sattentionjustpeeringatasmallviewingwindowonascreenwhenthereweresomanyotherdistractionsonline?Theresponsesshockedanddelightedusintheirintensity:Wow!Chillsshootingdownmyspine!Coolandinspiring.ThebestpresentationofacomplexgraphicIhaveeverseen.Tearsrunningdownmyface...Suddenlyitfeltlikethepassionpeopleexperiencedattheconferencehad

beensetfree.Andthatcouldmeanonlyonething.Theexperimentwe’dundergonereleasingjustahandfulofTEDTalkswouldhavetobeextendedacrossallourbestcontent.InMarchof2007,werelaunchedourwebsitewithahundredtalksavailable,andeversincethenTEDhasbeennotsomuchanannualconferenceasamediaorganizationdevotedto“ideasworthspreading.”Oh,andthatworryaboutusendangeringtheconferencebygivingawayits

content?Actually,theeffectwastheopposite.Ourattendeeswerethrilledtheycouldnowsharegreattalkswiththeirfriendsandcolleagues,andaswordofTEDTalksspread,thedemandtoattendtheconferencesactuallyrose.Eightyearslater,interestinTEDTalkshasmushroomedglobally.Toour

surpriseanddelight,ithasbecomeaglobalplatform8foridentifyingandspreadingideas,thankstotheeffortsofhundredsofspeakers,thousandsofvolunteertranslators,andtensofthousandsoflocaleventorganizers.Asoflate2015,TEDTalksareviewedsome100milliontimeseverymonth—1.2billiontimesayear.It’snotjustTED,ofcourse.Manyotherorganizationsalsodisseminateideasinvideoformat.Interestinonlineeducationgenerallyhasexploded.KhanAcademy,MIT,StanfordUniversity,andcountlessothershavemadeavailableincredibleresourcesforfreetoanyoneintheworld.Whenyoustepbackandpondertheimplications,it’sprettythrilling.Consider

itfirstfromaspeaker’spointofview.Overhistory,manyofthepeoplemostpassionateaboutanideahavespentyearscrisscrossingacountryoracontinenttryingtodrumupaudienceinterest.Realistically,themostsuccessfulanyonecouldhopetobeatthiswouldbetospeakperhaps100timesayear,infrontofaudiencesof,onaverage,perhaps500people.Soyoumightjustaboutbeabletoreach50,000peopleinayear,andthatwouldrequireagruelingscheduleandanamazingadvancepublicitymachine.Similarly,mostauthorssellingabookaboutaseriousideawouldconsideritahugesuccessiftheysold50,000copies.Yetonlineyoucanreachthatmanypeopleinjustyourfirstday.Andmore

than1,000speakershavegoneontoreachanaudiencegreaterthan1millionpeopleforasingletalk.Thisrepresentsatransformativeleapininfluence,andmanyspeakershaveattestedtotheimpactithasmadeontheirwork.

Butfromaviewer’spointofview,theimplicationisevenmorethrilling.Almosteveryhumanbornatalmosteveryplaceandmomentinhistoryhashadtheirpotentialcappedbyasinglefactoverwhichtheyhadalmostnocontrol,namely,thequalityoftheteachersandmentorstheyhadaccessto.IfaboywithAlbertEinstein’sbrainhadbeenborninGermanyinthedarkages,therewouldhavebeennoscientificrevolutionemanatingfromhim.IfagirlwithMarieCurie’smindhadbeenborninaremoteIndianvillagetwentyyearsago,todayshe’dprobablybeharvestingriceandstrugglingtoraiseherchildren.Butnow,forthefirsttimeinhistory,it’spossibleforanyoneontheplanet

whohasaccesstotheInternettosummontotheirhometheworld’sgreatestteachersandinspirers.Thepotentialthatrepresentsisbreathtaking.Andweshouldnotthinkofthisasaone-wayprocess,speakertolistener.The

mostprofoundimplicationofonlinevideoisthatithascreatedaninteractiveecosysteminwhichwecanalllearnfromeachother.Infact,youmightbesurprisedbythegroupofpeopleIlearnedthatideafrom.MaddChadd,JaySmooth,KidDavid,andLil“C”arestarmembersoftheLegionofExtraordinaryDancers,theLXD.TheirperformanceatTEDin2010blewusallaway.ButevenmoreastoundingtomewasthattheyhadlearnedmanyoftheirskillsbywatchingYouTube!Astheirproducer,JonChu,putit:

Dancershavecreatedawholegloballaboratoryonlinefordance,wherekidsinJapanaretakingmovesfromaYouTubevideocreatedinDetroit,buildingonitwithindays,andreleasinganewvideo,whileteenagersinCaliforniaaretakingtheJapanesevideoandremixingitwithaPhillyflairtocreateawholenewdancestyleinitself.Andthisishappeningeveryday.Fromthesebedroomsandlivingroomsandgarages,withcheapwebcams,cometheworld’sgreatdancersoftomorrow.

YouTubehadsparkedakindofglobalcontestfordanceinnovation,causingtheartformtoevolveatbreakneckspeed.ChuhadnoticedthisandhadturnedtoYouTubeashismainrecruitmentsourcefornewdancetalent.AndtheLXDweresobreathtakinglygood,theywerechosenthatyeartoperformattheOscars.AsIlistenedtoChuandwatchedtheLXDinaction,ithitmethattheexact

samephenomenonwashappeninginpublicspeaking.Speakerswerewatchingeachother’stalksonlineandlearningfromeachother,seekingtocopywhatwasgood,andthenaddtheirownuniqueinnovations.Infactyoucouldseethesamephenomenonatworkinanyskillthatcouldbe

sharedonvideo,fromcakedecoratingtojuggling.Onlinevideowasprovidingtwothingsthathadneverbeforebeenavailablesopotently:

VisibilityofthebesttalentintheworldAmassiveincentivetoimproveonwhatwasoutthere

TheincentivewassimplythethrillofbecomingaYouTubestar.Theprospectofallthoseviews,likes,andcommentscanmotivatesomeonetoslaveawayforhoursorweeks,perfectingtheirownskillstobevideoedanduploaded.IfyouspendanytimeonYouTube,youcandiscoverthousandsofnichecommunities,revolvingaroundeverythingfromunicyclingtoparkourtovideopoetrytoMinecraft,teachingeachothertodoastonishingthings.Thisphenomenondemandedaname.Ibegancallingitcrowd-accelerated

innovation.Andbyfaritsmostexcitingapplicationisintheworldofideas.Forallofhistory,thevastmajorityofalltalksgivenbeforeanaudiencehave

remainedinvisibletoallbutthosewhowereactuallythere.Today,forthefirsttime,it’spossibletogoonlineandseethousandsofdifferentspeakersinaction,onalmostanytopicyoucaretoname.It’spossibletoseehowwelltheirtalksareregardedbylookingatviewcounts,comments,etc.,andthereforetofilterdowntotheonesyoumostwanttosee.So,suddenlywehaveanamazinglaboratoryatourdisposal.Andwealso

haveafantasticnewincentiveformillionsofpeopletoparticipateinthislaboratory.Ifyourbestopportunitytogiveatalkisjustforafewcolleagues,oratalocalclub,youmightnotbethatincentivizedtoreallyprepare.Butnowthatwhatyousaycanberecordedandputonline,that’sdifferent.Yourpotentialaudienceisinthemillions.Nowhowmuchtimeareyouwillingtoputin?Thisisarecipeforagloriousupwardspiraloflearning,innovating,sharing,

andmorelearning.ThatiswhyIbelievetoday’stalkrenaissanceisonlyjustgettingunderway.AtTED,we’vesoughttonurtureitinthreemainways(inadditiontosharingTEDTalksonoursite).

1.ATEDxEVENTNEARYOU

In2009,webeganofferingafreelicensetopeoplewhowantedtoorganizeaTED-likeeventintheirowntownorcity.WeusedthelabelTEDx,wherexmeansitisindependentlyorganizedandalsosignifiesthemultipliereffectofthisprogram.Toourdelight,thousandsofpeoplehaveorganizedTEDxevents.Morethan2,500areheldeveryyearinmorethan150countries.Theyhaveledtomorethan60,000TEDxtalksbeinguploadedtoYouTube.Andagrowingnumberofthosetalkshavegoneviral.Ifyoudon’tthinkyoucangivethetalkyouwanttogiveatwork,youcouldconsiderreachingouttoyourlocalTEDxorganizer.Theremightbetheperfectstagewaitinginyourownneighborhood.9

2.AKIDS’PROGRAMFORPRESENTATIONLITERACY

WelaunchedafreeprogramforschoolscalledTED-EdClubsthatallowsanyteachertoofferagroupofkidsachancetogivetheirownTEDTalk.Asessiononceaweekforthirteenweeksencouragesselectionofanidea,tipsonhowtoresearchit,andthentheskillstoprepareanddeliverthetalk.Theboosttotheconfidenceandself-esteemofkidswhomakeitthroughtothedeliveredtalkisinspiringtosee.Wethinkpresentationliteracyshouldbeacorepartofeveryschool’scurriculum,onparwithreadingandmath.It’sgoingtobeanimportantlifeskilltohaveinthedecadesahead.10

3.UPLOADYOUROWNTEDTALK

WehaveaprogramcalledOpenTEDthatallowsanyonetouploadtheirownTED-liketalktoaspecialsectiononoursite.Wespecificallyencourageinnovation,notjustincontentbutinhowthetalkisgiven.We’rebettingsomeoneouttherewillhitonabeautifulnewwaytoshareideas.Perhapsitwillbeyou.11Andoverthenextdecade,asseveralbillionmorepeoplegetonline,we’re

excitedattheprospectofreachingouttothemandofferingameanstolearnfromthegreatteacherswhocanempowerthemtoachieveabetterlife,andtosharetheiruniqueinsightsandideaswiththerestofus.Theprospectofaworldpopulationgrowingto10billionoverthecomingthirtyyearsisdaunting.Butit’salotlesssoifyouimaginethatitwillbringnotjustmoreconsumption,butalsomorewisdom.Therevolutioninpublicspeakingissomethingeveryonecanbepartof.Ifwe

canfindawaytotrulylistentoeachother,andlearnfromeachother,thefutureglitterswithpromise.

Reflection

21

YOURTURNThePhilosopher’sSecret

Myfatherwasamissionaryeyedoctor.HedevotedhislifetotryingtocureblindnessinPakistan,Afghanistan,andSomalia,whilesimultaneouslytryingtospreadtheChristiangospel.It’sprobablyagoodthinghenevergottoseeoneofthefirstspeakersIbroughttotheTEDstage.ThatwasphilosopherDanDennett,anavowedatheist.Theywouldhavedisagreedprettymuchacrosstheboard.Exceptononething.Halfwaythrougharivetingtalkonthepowerofmemes,Dennettsaidthis:

“Thesecretofhappinessis:findsomethingmoreimportantthanyouare,anddedicateyourlifetoit.”Thatisastatementmyfatherwouldhaveprofoundlyagreedwith.Dennettisapassionateadvocateforthepowerofideas.Hewashighlighting

anextraordinaryfactabouthumans,onethat’suniquetoourspecies:wearesometimeswillingtosubjugateourbiologicalneedsforthepursuitofideasthatmatter.AndinDennett’sview—andmyfather’s,andmine—thatpursuitisoneofthekeystoameaningful,satisfyinglife.We’restrangecreatures,wehumans.Atonelevel,wejustwanttoeat,drink,

play,andacquiremorestuff.Butlifeonthehedonictreadmillisultimatelydissatisfying.Abeautifulremedyistohopoffitandinsteadbeginpursuinganideathat’sbiggerthanyouare.

Now,inyourcase,Iofcoursedon’tknowwhatthatideais.Andmaybe,right

now,youdon’teither.Maybeyouwanttohighlightaninvisiblecommunityinyourtown,ordo

somehistoricalresearchintoafamilymemberwhosecourageshouldbebetterknown,ororganizecleanupdaysinyourcommunity,ordelveintomarinescience,orgetactiveinapoliticalparty,orbuildanewpieceoftechnology,ortravelsomewherewherehumanneedsareahundredtimesgreaterthananythingyou’vefaced,orjusttapintotheexperienceandwisdomofthepeopleyoumeet.Whateveritisyoupursue,ifyoutrulygoafterit,Ipredicttwothings:

Yes,you’llfindameaningfulformofhappiness.You’lldiscoversomethingthatmattersfarmorethananypieceofadviceyou’vereadinthisbook:you’lldiscoversomethingworthsaying.

Andthenwhat?Well,then,ofcourse,youmustshareit,usingallthepassion,skills,anddeterminationyoucanmuster.Shareitinthewaythatultimatelyonlyyouwillknowhowtodo.Startafirethatwillspreadnewwisdomfarandwide.TomChatfieldisatechnologycommentatorwhospokeatoneofourevents.

MycolleagueBrunoGiussaniaskedhimforhisadviceforotherspeakers.Thisiswhathesaid:

Themostamazingthingaboutatalk,forme,isitspotentialforimpact.Theshorttalkyou’reabouttogivehasthepotentialnotonlytoreachhundredsofthousandsofpeople,buttostartmanythousandsofconversations.AndsothecentraladviceIwouldgiveistopushyourselfashardaspossibletobeboldandbrave,totrytostepoutsidethecomfortzoneofwhatyouknowforsureorwhatothershavesaidalready,andtogivetheworldquestionsandinspirationsthatdeserveathousandconversations.It’snotaboutbeingright,orsafe—itseemstome—somuchasabouthavingastaggeringopportunitytocreatesomethingthatwillbreedfurtherideas.

Ilovethatquote.Iwantafutureinwhichpeoplerealizetheirpotentialtonudgetheworld.Seedingavaluableidea,Iamconvinced,isthemostimpactthat’spossibleforanindividualtohave.Because,inaconnectedworld,thatidea,onceproperlyseeded,iscapableofspreadingitself.There’snolimittothenumberofpeopleitcaninfluence,bothnowandinthefuture.Butwhataboutthosewhowouldnudgetheworldinabaddirection?Can’t

publicspeakingbeusedforharmaswellasgood?Itcan.Fromdemagoguestosoul-destroyingcynics,there’splentyofpainful

evidenceofthis.However,Idon’tthinkthere’scompletesymmetryhere.Therearestrong

reasonstobelievethattheacceleratinggrowthofspokencontentisgoingtotiltpositive.Letmeexplain.Aswe’velearned,togiveaneffectivetalk,aspeakerhastogotowherea

listenerisandsay,Come,let’sbuildsomethingtogether.Thespeakermustshowwhytheideaisworthbuilding.Thereisareachingout.Anappealtosharedvalues,desires,hopes,anddreams.Incertaincircumstancesthisprocesscanbeterriblyabused.Acrowdcanbe

whippedup.Hatredinflamed.Falseviewsoftheworldcanbepropagatedasreal.Butinhistorythishasalwayshappenedwhen,atleasttosomedegree,listenersareshutofffromtherestoftheworld.Theappealthatisbeingmadebythespeakerisnotuniversal,itistribal.Itisusversusthem.Andcrucialfactsarehiddenfromtheselisteners.

Butwhenwe’remorecloselyconnected—whenpeoplehavefullvisibilityoftheworldandeachother—somethingdifferentstartstohappen.Then,thespeakerswhowillhavethemostinfluencewillbethosewhosucceedintappingintothosevaluesanddreamsthataremostwidelyshared.Theywillbethosewhouseargumentsbasedonfactsthatmanypeople—notjustafew—canseetobetrue.Imaginetworeligiousspeakerswhowanttoinfluencetheentireworld.Oneof

themspeaksofthesuperiorityofhisownreligionoverallothersandurgesmassconversion.Theothernoticesthatthesingledeepestvalueofhisreligion,compassion,isalsosharedbyeveryotherreligion.Hedecideshewillspeakonthat,andhemakesanefforttospeakinuniversaltermsthatthosefromotherreligionswillrespondtoandwillbemovedby.Whichofthosespeakershasthebiggerpotentialaudienceandlong-termimpact?Orimaginetwoglobalpoliticalleaders,oneofwhomappealsonlytothe

interestsofonerace,whiletheotherreachesouttoallmembersofhumanity.Whichonegarnersmoresupportintheend?Ifitwerethecasethathumanswereirredeemablyxenophobic,close-minded,racist,thentobesurethesecondpoliticianwouldhavenohope.ButIdon’tbelievethattobethecase.Ibelievethatwhatweshareisfarmoremeaningful,moreprofound,thanhowwediffer.Weallhunger,yearn,suffer,laugh,weep,andlove.Weallbleed.Wealldream.Weareallcapableofempathy,ofputtingourselvesinothers’shoes.Anditispossibleforvisionaryleaders—oranyonewiththecouragetostandupandsaysomething—totapintothissharedhumanityandtonurtureit.Ispokeearlierofthepowerofreasonovertheverylongterm.Reason,byits

verynature,seekstolookattheworldnotfromanindividualperspectivebutfromtheperspectiveofallofus.Reasonrejectsargumentsthatsay“Iwantthistohappenbecauseit’sinmyinterest”infavorof“Here’swhyweshouldallwantthistohappen.”Ifreasondidn’tdothis,itcouldneverhavebecomethecommoncurrencyofdiscussionthatallowshumanstoalign.WhenwesayBereasonable,thisisexactlywhatwemean.We’resaying,Pleaselookattheissuefromabroaderperspective.Thepowerofreason,combinedwiththegrowingconnectednessoftheworld,

tiltsthebalanceofinfluenceinfavorofspeakerswhoarewillingtoputthemselvesintheshoesofallofus,notjusttheothermembersoftheirowntribe.Thelattermayhavetheirmomentsofpower,butitistheformerwhowillwinintheend.ThatiswhyIdeeplybelieveinMartinLutherKingJr.’sshiningstatement:

“Thearcofthemoraluniverseislong,butitbendstowardsjustice.”Therereallyisanarrowtohistory.Therereallyissuchathingasmoralprogress.Ifwepullthecamerabackforamoment,awayfromwhateverevildujourisdominating

thecamerabackforamoment,awayfromwhateverevildujourisdominatingthenews,wecanseethatprogresswritlargeinthehistoryofthelastfewcenturies,notleastintheimpactofMLKhimself.Andithaseverychanceofcontinuing.Ashumanscontinuetobebroughtcloser,notjustbytechnologybutbyan

everdeeperunderstandingofeachother,sowewillfindmorewaysofseeingineachotherthethingswemutuallycareabout.Andthatishowbarrierscomedownandhumansoulsunite.Itwon’thappenquickly,noreasily.Thistypeofchangeismultigenerational.

Andthereareplentyofimaginabledisastersthatcouldblowitoffcourse.Butatleastwehaveashot.Talkingwitheachotherisacrucialpartofnurturingthatchange.We’rewired

torespondtoeachother’svulnerability,honesty,andpassion—providedwejustgetachancetoseeit.Today,wehavethatchance.Intheend,it’squitesimple.Wearephysicallyconnectedtoeachotherlike

neverbefore.Whichmeansthatourabilitytoshareourbestideaswitheachothermattersmorethaniteverhas.ThesinglegreatestlessonIhavelearnedfromlisteningtoTEDTalksisthis:Thefutureisnotyetwritten.Weareall,collectively,intheprocessofwritingit.There’sanopenpage—andanemptystage—waitingforyourcontribution.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Likeallideas,thoseofferedinthisbookhavemanyparents.IhavespentendlesshourswithmyclosecolleaguesatTED,especiallyKelly

Stoetzel,BrunoGiussani,andTomRielly,tryingtogethertounderstandtheessenceofagreatTEDTalk.Thisbookistheirsasmuchasmine.We’vehadaccesstomanyoftheworld’sbestthinkersandspeakers,whose

wisdomwe’vegreedilysoughtonthesignificanceofideasandoneveryaspectofturningthemintomemorablewords.Aspecialcall-outtoStevenPinker,DavidDeutsch,SirKenRobinson,AmyCuddy,ElizabethGilbert,DanPallotta,DanielKahneman,BryanStevenson,DanGilbert,LawrenceLessig,AmandaPalmer,PamelaMayer,BrenéBrown,AllanAdams,SusanCain,StevenJohnson,MattRidley,ClayShirky,DanielDennett,MaryRoach,RorySutherland,SarahKay,Rives,SalmanKhan,andBarrySchwartz.Actually,we’velearnedfromeverysinglespeakerwho’sappearedatTED,andwefeelimmensegratitudetothemforthegiftthey’vegivenusall.Thankstootoourthreefavoritespeakercoaches:GinaBarnett,AbigailTenembaum,andMichaelWeitz.Manylong-standingmembersoftheTEDcommunityhavebeenwonderfully

supportiveoverthepastfifteenyearsandhavehelpedusimaginewhatTEDmightbecome.ScottCook,SunnyBates,JuanEnriquez,CheePearlman,TimBrown,StewartBrand,DannyHillis,CyndiStivers,RobReid,ArchMeredith,StephenPetranek...yourock!Andtherearesomanymore.Someoftheworld’sbusiestpeoplesomehowfoundthetimetoreadanearly

manuscriptandofferinvaluableadvice,includingHelenWalters,MichelleQuint,NadiaGoodman,KateTorgovnickMay,EmilyMcManus,BethNovogratz,JeanHoney,GerryGarbulsky,RemoGiuffre,KeloKubu,JulietBlake,BrunoBowden,RyeBarcroft,JamesJoaquin,GordonGarb,andErinMcKean.Warmthankstomymiracle-weavingagent,JohnBrockman,mybrilliant

editor,RickWolff(whoisvetoedfromdeletingthisuseofbrilliantevenifhewasrighttotakeoutmostoftheothers),mytirelesscopyeditor,LisaSacksWarhol,andthewholeteamatHoughtonMifflinHarcourt.It’sbeenapleasuretoworkwithallofyou.RichardSaulWurman,noneofthiswouldhavehappenedwithoutyou.June

Cohen,thankyouforelevenyearsatTEDandforguidingthefirstTEDTalksontotheInternet.MikeFemiaandEmilyPidgeon,thanksfordesignguidance.TotheentireteamatTED,wow,justwow.Youamazemewithallyoudo.

SusanZimmerman,youespecially!Toourarmyofvolunteertranslators,thankyoufortakingTEDTalkstothe

world.TothetensofthousandsofTEDxvolunteers,I’mawedbythepassionandbrilliancethatgoesintoeacheventthatyouorganize.TotheglobalTEDcommunity...ultimately,thisisalldowntoyou.Withoutyou,thousandsofsignificantideaswouldhaveremainedunspread.Tomyextraordinarydaughters,ElizabethandAnna,youhavenoideahow

proudIamofyou;norhowmuchIhavelearnedfromyou.Andfinally,totheforceofnatureI’mmarriedto,JacquelineNovogratz...thankyou,amilliontimesthankyou,foryourloveandyourinspiration,everysingleday.

Appendix

TALKSREFERENCEDWITHINTHEBOOK

Theseareavailableonasingleplaylistat:www.ted.com/tedtalksbook/playlist

PAGE(S)

SPEAKER

TEDTALKTITLE

4

MonicaLewinsky

Thepriceofshame

6–8

ChrisAnderson

TED’snonprofittransition

11

SophieScott

Whywelaugh

33

RobinMurphy

Theserobotscometotherescueafteradisaster

49,203

KellyMcGonigal

Howtomakestressyourfriend

50–51,174

BrenéBrown

Thepowerofvulnerability

51–52

SherwinNuland

Howelectroshocktherapychangedme

53,203

KenRobinson

Doschoolskillcreativity?

57–58

DanPink

Thepuzzleofmotivation

59–60

ErnestoSirolli

Wanttohelpsomeone?Shutupandlisten!

68–69

EleanorLongden

Thevoicesinmyhead

69

BenSaunders

TotheSouthPoleandback—thehardest105daysofmylife

69,140

AndrewSolomon

Howtheworstmomentsinourlivesmakeuswhoweare

72–77

DanGilbert

Thesurprisingscienceofhappiness

81

DeborahGordon

Theemergentgeniusofantcolonies

83

SandraAamodt

Whydietingdoesn’tusuallywork

83,203

HansRosling

Letmydatasetchangeyourmindset

83

DavidDeutsch

Anewwaytoexplainexplanation

83

NancyKanwisher

Aneuralportraitofthehumanmind

83

StevenJohnson

Wheregoodideascomefrom

83

DavidChristian

Thehistoryofourworldin18minutes

83–85

BonnieBassler

Howbacteria“talk”

86–87

StevenPinker

Thesurprisingdeclineinviolence

88–89

ElizabethGilbert

Yourelusivecreativegenius

89

BarrySchwartz

Theparadoxofchoice

91–92,95

DanPallotta

Thewaywethinkaboutcharityisdeadwrong

98–99

DavidGallo

Lifeinthedeepoceans

102,103–104

JeffHan

Theradicalpromiseofthemultitouchinterface

103

MarkusFischer

Arobotthatflieslikeabird

158

MaysoonZayid

Igot99problems...palsyisjustone

158

JamieOliver

Teacheverychildaboutfood

158–159

ZakEbrahim

Iamthesonofaterrorist.Here’showIchosepeace

159–160

AliceGoffman

Howwe’reprimingsomekidsforcollege—andothersforprison

160

EdYong

Zombieroachesandotherparasitetales

161–162

MichaelSandel

Whyweshouldn’ttrustmarketswithourciviclife

162

V.S.Ramachandran

3cluestounderstandingyourbrain

162

JannaLevin

Thesoundtheuniversemakes

163

AlexaMeade

Yourbodyismycanvas

163–164

EloraHardy

Magicalhouses,madeofbamboo

169–170

DavidEagleman

Canwecreatenewsensesforhumans?

170,203

AmyCuddy

Yourbodylanguageshapeswhoyouare

170–171,203

JonRonson

Whenonlineshamingspiralsoutofcontrol

171

BillStone

I’mgoingtothemoon.Who’swithme?

171–172

DianaNyad

Never,evergiveup

172

RitaPierson

Everykidneedsachampion

173

EstherPerel

Rethinkinginfidelity...atalkforanyonewhohaseverloved

173

AmandaPalmer

Theartofasking

174–175

BryanStevenson

Weneedtotalkaboutaninjustice

200–201

GeorgeMonbiot

Formorewonder,rewildtheworld

212

RomanMars

Whycityflagsmaybetheworst-designedthingyou’venevernoticed

216–217

LawrenceLessig

WethePeople,andtheRepublicwemustreclaim

220

ReubenMargolin

Sculptingwavesinwoodandtime

243

TheLXD

IntheInternetage,danceevolves...

247

DanDennett

Dangerousmemes

INDEX

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|R|S|T|U|V|W|Y|Z

Aamodt,Sandra,83Abrams,J.J.,166,210acknowledgments,26,123,156–57,168,253–54adrenalinerush,183,185–86aestheticappeal,118–19Anderson,Chris

bioof,37–39,247firstTEDfor,228–30TEDleadership,6–8,12,231–33

anecdoteusage,55–56,94artvisuals,98,99–100,118–19,163–64,219–20articulation,203assumptions

curseofknowledge,78–82persuasivedemolitionof,86–87,88

attentionwar,157,167audience

compassionfatigueof,41connectionpermission,47–48eyecontactwith,48–50,187,193,194journeyexperienceof,20–21,33,48,93,148knowledgebaseof,71,78–82languagechoicefor,17–18asperson,42–43,187questionsfrom,229rehearsal,149standingovationfrom,26–27virtual,222–23

audiofull-spectrumformats,212–13music,215–16,222testing,126

authenticityinhumor,56imitationof,26–29,208

innarration,61naturalnessand,130–31,133,136–39,141,145powerof,10,13–14readingfromscriptand,132,134,136,140,189,194–96stagepresence,207,208vulnerabilityand,52–53

autocues,195–96

backupplan,187,191Barry,Drew,129Bassler,Bonnie,83–85Bates,Sunny,228Bezos,Jeff,8

biases,74–75,78–82Blair,Tony,58bodycarefornerves,185–86bodylanguage

eyecontact,48–50,187,193,194hiding,190overemphasisof,19–20powerposing,170,185stagepresence,206–7,209

Bohannon,John,209BolteTaylor,Jill,148,208,210Bono,195Botsman,Rachel,149breathing,185Brown,Brené,37,50–51,52–53,174businesspresentations,25–26,101–2Bustamante,Martín,221

Cain,Susan,149calltoaction,170–71charisma,13,19,29charityreform,90,91,95Chatfield,Tom,248–49Chevalier,Tracy,152–53choice,paradoxof,88,89–90Christian,David,83,164Chu,Jon,243Cliatt-Wayman,Linda,180clichés,28,161,168closing

bad,168–69calltoaction,170–71camerapull-back,169–70encapsulation,173lyrical,174–75narrativesymmetry,173personalcommitment,171–72valuesandvision,172

clothing,179–82cognitivebiases,74–75,78–82cognitiveload,115–16Cohen,June,41,239Collins,Billy,215commitment,personal,171–72compassionfatigue,41comprehension.Seeunderstandingconceptualizing.Seeexplanationconfidence,13–14,133,147,179confidencemonitors,193–95connection

ancient,x–xi,63–64egoremovalfor,57–59eyecontactfor,48–50,187,193,194

humorfor,8,53–57,58ofknowledge,227–33,242–45narrationfor,59–61ofpeople,242–45,249–52permissionfor,47–48readingfromscriptand,132,134,136,140,189,194–96vulnerabilityfor,50–53,190

connectionkillers,61–62.Seealsotalkstylestoavoidcontextualknowledge,232,235conversationalspeaking,10,139–41,152,169–70,203–5creativegenius,88–89creativeknowledge,236credits,photo,122–23Cuddy,Amy,6,110,170,185curiosity

onheavytopics,41,93,163asopeninghook,160–63ontoughconcepts,72,74,76,83–84,162–63

curseofknowledge,78–82

daVinci,Leonardo,92–93datavisualization,116–17,118Davis,Fred,196deGaulle,Yvonne,8debateformat,218

delivery.Seealsospecificformats;notes;scriptedtalks;talkstylestoavoid;

unscriptedtalksbodylanguagein,19,206–7,208charismatic,13,19,29confidencein,13–14,133,147,179forgetting,130–31,143–144,145,187,188naturalnessof,130–31,132,136–39,141,145pitfalls,131–32rambling,24–25,68,144,152transitionsin,124–25,151,204voicein,198–205,208

demonstrations,102–4,212Dennett,Daniel,89,90,247Descartes,90detectivestorytelling,92–93Deutsch,David,83,231–32Domenech,Cristina,221drama

asopeninghook,157–60propsfor,210–11

dramaticpropformat,210–11dreamsoffuture,105–9,172,234–35dualpresenters,217–18Dugan,Regina,108

Eagleman,David,169–70,212Earle,Sylvia,107Ebrahim,Zak,158–59educationreform,32,107,172,242,245–46ego,36–37,41,57–59,169,249–51.Seealsotalkstylestoavoidemotions

communicating,19,200–201,202,205manipulating,x,27–29,52–53,60,216

empathy,41,64,107,250encapsulation,173Enriquez,Juan,109,206exampleusage,73,75,77,94exercise,186exhibitions,live,219–20experiencesimulation,73–74,107explanation

coreelementsof,76–77curseofknowledgeand,78–82jargonin,81–82keyexamplesof,72–76,83–85phrasingfor,80–81structureandthroughlinefor,79–80understandabilityof,77–81,100,115–16visualsfor,115–18,122ofwhatisn’t,82

explorationtalks,98–102,166eyecontact,48–50,187,193,194

FabricofReality,The(Deutsch),231–32fearresponse,3,183.SeealsonervousnessFerren,Bran,108–9Fischer,Markus,103fMRI.Seefunctionalmagneticresonanceimagingfonts,120–21,122forgettingtalk,130–31,143–144,145,187,188functionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI),18futurevisions,105–9,172,234–35

Gallo,David,98–99Gates,Bill,153,210,214Gates,Melinda,214generosity,24genius,88–89Gilbert,Dan,72–76,139–40,146Gilbert,Elizabeth,42–43,88–89,143–44,206

Giussani,Bruno,xiii,25,30,248Gladwell,Malcolm,70Glass,Ira,213Goffman,Alice,159–60Goldstein,RebeccaNewberger,96GoogleZeitgeist,211Gordon,Deborah,81Gore,Al,61–62Gowdy,Barbara,188guestappearances,220–21Gutman,Ron,49

Hammad,Suheir,215Han,Jeff,102,103–4happiness,8,72–76,88–90,247–48Hardy,Elora,163–64Haslet-Davis,Adrianne,221Hasson,Uri,18Heatherwick,Thomas,108Hembrey,Shea,99Herr,Hugh,221humanelement.Seealsopsychosocialphenomena

inageofknowledge,234–36interconnectedness,242–45,249–52invoice,199

humorforconnection,8,53–57,58forreasoning,94

IBMWatson,234,235idea-building.Seealsotalktools;throughlines

importanceof,xiv–xv,6,10,12–13,188,248–49languagepowerof,17–19simplificationof,32,36–37,82,115–16

ideasdefining,12–13issuesvs.,41pursuitof,13–16,32,247–48structurearound,39–41

if-thenreasoning,91imitation,26–29,208impactbias,74–75impressions

closing,168–75opening,156–67wardrobeand,179–82

improvisation.SeeunscriptedtalksInconvenientTruth,An,61–62inspiration

informationinto,199performing,26–29

Internetimpact,xi–xii,221–23,238–45interviews,illustrated,213–14intuitionpumps,89–90inventiontalks,102–4,166iPads,193Isay,Dave,109issues,ideasvs.,41

jargon,81–82,100Jobs,Steve,148Johnson,Steven,83,145,173–74Joubert,BeverlyandDereck,217journeyexperience,20–21,33,48,93,148

Kahneman,Daniel,133,168,190Kamkwamba,William,6Kanwisher,Nancy,83Kay,Sarah,215Kennedy,JohnF.,106Khan,Salman,32,57,107,110,145,150Kidd,Chip,181kids’programs,245–46King,MartinLuther,Jr.,105–6,205,251knowledge

ageof,233–37audience’sbaseof,71,78–82

curseof,78–82gaps,74,76,81,161interconnectednessof,227–33,242–45specialization,231–32,233–34typesof,235–36understandingvs.,231–32

Konyves,Tom,215Kowan,Joe,188Koyczan,Shane,215

language.Seealsobodylanguagejargon,81–82,100lyrical,136,139–40,174–75,214–15powerof,17–19,199–200scriptingchoiceof,139–40spokenwordfusion,214–15

Lanting,Frans,220Larson,Kent,108laughter,11,53–54learning

educationreformfor,32,107,172,242,245–46Internetimpacton,236,242–45

LearningWednesdays,16lecterns,189–91,196–97lectures,198Ledgett,Richard,186LegionofExtraordinaryDancers(LXD),243Lessig,Lawrence,70,216–17LessigMethod,216–17Levin,Janna,162Lewinsky,Monica,4,54,183–85,196–97Li,Fei-Fei,166listening

evolutionof,64powerof,18–19,199–200readingvs.,198–201

literacy,presentation,xii,10,245–46London,Malcolm,215Longden,Eleanor,68–69Lovegrove,Ross,101LXD.SeeLegionofExtraordinaryDancerslyricism,136,139–40,174–75,214–15

Macaulay,David,100–101manipulation,x,26–29,52–53,60,216Mancini,Pia,49Margolin,Reuben,101,220Marks,Harry,228Marks,Nic,37Mars,Roman,212McCandless,David,116–17McGonigal,Kelly,49McKean,Erin,77–78McRae,Lucy,119Meade,Alexa,163meaning

conveying,30–31invoice,200–205

Mehrabian,Albert,19memorizationprocess,136–39,150.Seealsoscriptedtalksmentalpreparation,183–88metaphors

explanatory,73,75,76,77–78parable,70–71persuasionpriming,88–90

Meyer,Pamela,138,144–45Milk,Chris,107Mistry,Pranav,102Monbiot,George,200–201monitors,confidence,193–95morality,41,95,96,174,249–51motivation,15–16,185,188,244–45Mullins,Aimee,230Murphy,Robin,33music,215–16,222Musk,Elon,5–6,213–14

Nagy,RickyandGloria,233narration

ancientrootsof,x–xi,63–64benefitsof,67closingwithsymmetryof,173forconnection,59–61coreelementsof,65ofdetectivestory,92–93ofdreamsoffuture,105–7,172editingandcontext,65–68effective,59–60,65–66,68–70ineffective,60–61,66,67ofparables,70–71forpersuasion,88–89trueorfabricated,68

Nasser,Latif,216Negroponte,Nicholas,37,190nervousness

asasset,4–5,51,183,188backupplanfor,187,191inbodylanguage,207fearresponseand,3,183management,144,183–88scriptingand,130–31,133,144,191

99%Invisible,212Norris,Woody,212notes

backup,187,191oncards,192–93onconfidencemonitors,193–95onhands,197onlecterns,189,196–97onsmartphonesortablets,193onteleprompters,195–96forunscriptedtalk,143

Novogratz,Jacqueline,4–5Nuland,Sherwin,51–52Nyad,Diana,171–72

Obama,Barack,196Oliver,Jamie,158opening

acknowledgmentsat,156–57curiosity,160–63dramatic,157–60teaser,165–67visual,163–65

OpenTED,246oration,204–5orgbore,25–26,123Oster,Emily,93,163Oxman,Neri,211

pacingmovement,206–7voice,151,203–5

Pallotta,Dan,91,92,95Palmer,Amanda,36–37,144,173,182panoramicscreens,211parables,70–71paradoxofchoice,88,89–90passion,202,231PechaKucha,219Perel,Esther,173persuasion.Seealsoreason

assumptiondemolitionfor,86–87,88narrationfor,88–89primingfor,89–90

philosopher’ssecret,247photocredits,122–23Pierson,Rita,172Pink,Dan,57–58,208Pinker,Steven,78–79,86–87,96,98podcasting,live,212–13podiums,189–91,196–97poetry,214–15politics,61–62,196,250PopUpMagazine,216powerposing,170,185preparation.Seealsorehearsing;visualdesign

backup,187,191

mental,183–88motivationfor,15–16,185,188,244–45ofscriptedtalks,134–41timelimit,34,144,154–55under-,24–25,30,141,152,169ofunscriptedtalks,141–43,146

wardrobe,179–82presentationdesign.Seespecificformats;visualdesignpresentationliteracy,xii,10,245–46priming,89–90Pritchard,Michael,104prompts.Seealsonotes

teleprompter,195–96visualsas,142–43,192,213–14

props,210–11psychosocialphenomena

ancient,x–xi,63–64creativegenius,88–89empathy,41,64,107,250experiencesimulation,73–74eyecontact,49fearresponse,3,183guarding,47–48happiness,8,72–76,88–90,247–48impactbias,74–75laughter,11,54listening,18–19,199–200love,29paradoxofchoice,88,89–90priming,89–90smiling,49tribalthinking,61–62

publicspeakingabuseof,249–51conversationalvs.,10,139–41,152,203–5fearof,3,183formulaforgreat,x,12humancomponentof,199,249–50Internetimpacton,xi–xii,221–23,238–45lecture-style,198motivationfor,15–16,185,188,244–45asnecessaryskill,227–28oratory,204–5rhetoric,xiiasteachableskill,xii,9–10

RaghavaKK,49Ramachandran,V.S.,162rambling,24–25,68,144,152reading

listeningvs.,198–201fromscript,132,134,136,140,189,194–96

reasoncountermethodof,91–92detectivestoryfor,92–93engagementtools,94–95if-thenmethodof,91powerof,90–91,95–96,250–51

receptivity.Seeconnectionreductioadabsurdum,91–92rehearsing

audiencefor,149feedbackquestions,153–54importancesummary,155scriptedtalks,136–39,148–49stagepresence,207throughlinetesting,42–43timelimitsand,154–55unscriptedtalks,147,150–53wardrobe,181–82

Reid,Rob,54–55religion,61–62,250reputation,3,23revelation

categoriesof,97demonstrations,102–4,212dreamsoffuture,105–7,172

visualsfor,114–15wonderwalks,98–102,118–19,163–64

rhetoric,xiiRielly,Tom,55–56,115–16,119Rives,138,154–55Roach,Mary,99,150,208Robbins,Tony,221Robinson,Ken,40,53,69–70,145–46,206Ronson,Jon,170–71,215–16Ronson,Mark,143Rosling,Hans,83,118,222–23

Sacks,Oliver,207salespitch,22–24,169Sandel,Michael,161–61satire,55,56Saunders,Ben,69,123Schklair,Steve,212Schwartz,Barry,32,88,89–90,182Schwartzberg,Louis,101Scott,Sophie,11,53scriptedtalks

improvisationwith,146–47languagechoicein,139–40naturalnessin,130–31,133,136–39,141proponentsof,143–45prosandconsof,134–35,147reading,132,134,136,140,189,194–96rehearsing,136–39,148–51strategiesfor,135voicetipsfor,201–2

self-interest,36–37,41,57–59,169,249–51.SeealsotalkstylestoavoidSenseofStyle,The(Pinker),78–79sensorystimulation,211–12Shirky,Clay,150–51Shirley,Stephanie,207silence,101simplification,32,36–37,82,115–16simulation,73–74,107Sirolli,Ernesto,59–60slideblizzard,216–17,219.Seealsovisualssmartphones,157,193smiling,49–50,138Smith,Clint,215Snowden,Edward,221Solomon,Andrew,69,140Solomon,Susan,149

soundtracks,215–16SpaceX,5–6Spielberg,Steven,166spokenwordfusion,214–15stagepresence

bodylanguagefor,19,206–7,208nervousnessand,144,183–88voicefor,198–205,208wardrobeand,179–82

stagesetup.Seealsospecificformatsbackup,191confidencemonitorsin,193–95glitches,126,180,187lecternsin,189–91,196–97notecardsin,192–93smartphonesandtabletsin,193telepromptersin,195–96

standingovation,27Stevenson,Bryan,24,54,174Stoetzel,Kelly,179Stoll,Clifford,197,207Stone,Bill,171Stone,Mac,128Stone,Ruth,88–89StoryCorps,109storytelling.SeenarrationStrawson,P.F.,198

structure

fordemonstrations,104forexplanation,79–80ideaandthroughline,39–41forwonderwalks,99

surpriseappearances,220–21unexpectedness,31–33,74,84,161–62

Sutherland,Rory,146–47,204Sweeney,Julia,130synthetichappiness,72–76

tablets,193talkdelivery.Seedeliverytalkformats.Seealsospecificformats;stagesetup

promiseandperilof,207,223talkstylestoavoid

inspirationperformance,26–29orgbore,25–26,123ramble,24–25,68,144,152salespitch,22–24,169

talktoolsabout,43connection,47–62explanation,72–85mixandmatch,109–10narration,59–62,63–71persuasion,86–96revelation,97–109

teaseropening,165–67technicalconsiderations.Seestagesetup;visualdesigntechnology

ageofknowledgeand,233–35Internetimpact,xi–xii,221–23,238–45talkson,102–4,107–8,166,212–13virtualaudience,222–23virtualpresenters,221–22

TEDearlydevelopmentof,228–29EdClubs,245–46Fellowsprogram,239formationof,228interconnectivepowerof,229–33,240–43LearningWednesdays,16missionof,xiii–xiv,12,238Open,246rescueof,6–8,12,231–33

rules,34,132–33,181,190,229scopeof,xii–xiii,240–43TEDx,xiii,245

teleprompters,195–96Tenembaum,Abigail,42Thinking,FastandSlow(Kahneman),168Thorp,Jer,128throughlines

characteristicsof,32–34checklist,42defining,30developmentof,31,34,39,42–43forexplanation,79–80forheavytopics,41openingsand,158powerful,31–32structureand,39–41testing,42–43timelimitationsand,34–35,39topicsvs.,34,36forwonderwalks,99

Thys,Tierney,20timelimitations

overrunning,142,154preparationfor,34–35,144,154–55rightapproachto,35,36–43TEDruleson,34,229wrongapproachto,35–36

topics

condensing,35–36heavy,41,59–60,93,163narrowingdown,36–42throughlinesvs.,34,36

transitions,124–25,151,204Treasure,Julian,201,216tribalthinking,61–62trust,49–50.SeealsoconnectionTurere,Richard,9–10

Turin,Luca,212typefaces,120–21,122

UncannyValley,137–38,147,152,194understanding

cognitiveloadand,115–16defining,77explanationfor,77–81,100,115–16knowledgevs.,231–32pacingfor,203–4

unscriptedtalksadvantagesof,134–35,141disadvantagesof,144–45interviews,213–14notesfor,143pitfalls,142,152proponentsof,145–46rehearsing,147,150–53scriptingwith,146–47unpreparedcomparedto,24–25,141visualpromptsin,142–43,192,213–14

validation,third-party,94–95video

design,123–24,125online,impactof,xi–xii,240–45poetry,215

virtualaudience,222–23virtualpresenters,221–22virtualreality,107visionsoffuture,105–9,172,234–35visualdesign

filetransportationof,125fontsandtypefacesin,120–21,122legibilityof,121LessigMethodof,216–17photocreditsin,122–23presentationsoftwarefor,119–20,126professionals,126–27,128rightsandlicensingfor,125testing,125–26transitionsin,124–25versioncontrolof,127–28forvideo,123–24,126

visualsart,98,99–100,118–19,163–64,219–20bad,117,122,123blizzard,216–17,219onconfidencemonitors,193–95todelight,98–102,118–19,163–64fordemonstration,102–4,212forexplanation,115–18,122interviewswith,213–14liveexhibition,219–20necessityof,113–14asopeninghook,163–65panoramic,211

asprompts,142–43,192,213–14propsas,210–11forreasoning,95forrevelation,114–15videopoetry,215forvisionarytalks,107–8forwonderwalks,98–102,118–19,163–64

voicemeaningin,200–205oratory,204–5pacing,151,203–5

readingorlisteningto,198–201scriptedtalktipsfor,201–2spokenword,214–15varietyin,201–3volume,204–5

vulnerability,50–53,174,186–87,190

wardrobe,179–82Washington,Megan,187water,104,186Watson,234,235Whitacre,Eric,222Widder,Edith,114,166Wiessner,Polly,63–64Wilson,Woodrow,34–35Woldhek,Siegfried,92–93wonderwalks,98–102,118–19,162–63writtenword

lyricismof,136,139–40,174–75,214–15readingorlisteningto,198–201

Wurman,RichardSaul,6–7,190,228–29,231

Yong,Ed,160YouTube,240–45

Zayid,Maysoon,158Zimmer,Carl,164

THANKYOUFORREADINGTEDTALKS.

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ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

CHRISANDERSONisTED’spresidentandheadcurator.TrainedasajournalistaftergraduatingfromOxfordUniversity,Andersonlaunchedmorethan100successfulmagazinesandwebsitesbeforeturninghisattentiontoTED,whichheandhisnonprofitorganizationacquiredin2001.HisTEDmantra—“ideasworthspreading”—continuestoblossomonaninternationalscale.HelivesinNewYorkCity.

FOOTNOTES

1.Alongwithlogic,grammar,arithmetic,geometry,astronomy,andmusic.[back]

2.InTEDx,localorganizersapplyforafreelicense,allowingthemtoruna

TED-likeeventintheirlocale.Someeightorninesucheventsareheldeverydaysomewhereintheworld.

[back]

3.Ofcourse,SophieScott’sideamaygetrefinedorcontradictedbyfuture

research.Inthatsense,ideasarealwaysprovisional.Butonceanideaisformedinourminds,noonecantakeitfromuswithoutourconsent.

[back]

4.Tobekind,I’vechangedacoupleofdetails.

[back]

5.TLA=ThreeLetterAcronym

[back]

6.It’snotclearhesaiditinexactlythosewords,buttheideaiscreditedto

him.[back]

7.UnderTomRielly’sleadership,theTEDFellowsprogramhasattracted

morethanfourhundredfellowsoverthepasttenyears,aglobalnetworkoftalentthathasenergizedeveryrecentTEDconference.

[back]

8.Theplatformconsistsofphysicalevents(theannualTEDconferencein

VancouverplusTEDGlobal,TEDYouth,TEDWomen,acorporateeventseries,varioussalons),theglobalTEDxmovementofself-organizedevents,andnumerousonlinechannels(ourownTED.com,butalsoYouTube,iTunes,TheTEDRadioHouronNPR,mobileapps,andabroadrangeofcollaborationswithdozensofotherorganizations).ThereisaseparateinitiativeaimedatstudentscalledTED-Ed,plustheannualTEDPrize,andtheTEDFellowsprogram.

[back]

9.Youcanlocateyourclosesteventsorapplytoorganizeaneventofyour

ownathttp://ted.com/tedx.[back]

10.TheTED-EdClubsprogramishousedathttp://ed.ted.com.

[back]

11.Detailsonhowtouploadyourtalkareathttp://open.ted.com.

[back]

TableofContentsTitlePageContentsCopyrightDedicationTheNewAgeofFireFoundation

PresentationLiteracyIdeaBuildingCommonTrapsTheThroughline

TalkToolsConnectionNarrationExplanationPersuasionRevelation

PreparationProcessVisualsScriptingRun-ThroughsOpenandClose

OnStageWardrobeMentalPrepSetupVoiceandPresenceFormatInnovation

ReflectionTalkRenaissanceWhyThisMattersYourTurn

AcknowledgmentsTalksReferencedwithintheBookIndexTEDontheWeb

AbouttheAuthorFootnotes