The insights I gained from delivering my TEDx Talk can be applied to any speech you plan to present.
Being chosen to deliver a TEDx talk is not only an honor, it is the culmination of a lot of work prior to getting on the speaking roster.
4 take-aways from my TEDx talk experience:
1. Simplicity is Key.
I admit, my initial idea/message for my talk wasn’t as concise as it needed to be. Given the limited amount of time you have to deliver your message (and this goes for business presentations as well!), less is more.
Distill your idea/message in its simplest, yet most compelling form, and cut unnecessary content. This will give you and your audience a clear focus on the action you want them to take.
2. Open Strongly.
How you open your speech determines whether your audience will listen to the rest of your presentation.
Often this is framed as “grabbing your audience’s attention”. Recently, I heard a reframing that a strong opening “disrupts your audience’s distractions”.
I opened my talk with a story; other techniques that work well are starting with an unknown statistic or asking a provocative question.
3. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse.
Once my script was where I wanted it, I tested it with many rehearsals. Practicing in front of various audiences helped with refining my pacing, clarity, and emotional impact. The speaker coach that was assigned to me by my TEDx organizer was well-networked with Toastmasters clubs, so I had many opportunities to practice my talk.
Feedback from these audiences was essential: I learned that I needed to slow down my rate of speech and add more pauses to allow the audience to process what I was delivering.
4. The End of the Speech Doesn’t Mean the Talk is Over.
After the TEDx talk is delivered, there is time; sometimes 6 – 8 weeks before the talk is uploaded to YouTube for viewing to a wider audience. The value of delivering this type of speech is leveraging the speech for more visibility, impact, and opportunities. A TEDx talk can be a catalyst for subsequent connections, events, and projects.
A Goal Fulfilled
Delivering the TEDXEustis talk was one of the highlights of my speaking career, and I am excited to share the video with you! Take a moment to watch from start to finish today. The essence of my message is the power of our language, in particular, “yes, and…”.
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