Speaking Tips from TEDTalk #3: The Power of Vulnerability (Brenè Brown)
TEDTalk Countdown: the #3 most-watched video on TED. Video and Transcript The Big Idea: To be fully alive is to be vulnerable. Embrace vulnerability. The overall construct of the speech: A somewhat chronological retelling of events leading to insight. Not perfect: Honestly, I was so engaged by this talk that I found it difficult to find fault. […]
Speaking Tips from TEDTalk #4: My Stroke of Insight (Jill Bolte Taylor)
Video and Transcript TEDTalk Countdown: the #4 most-watched video on TED (2008) The Big Idea: Spend more time choosing to “run the deep inner-peace circuitry of the brain’s right hemisphere.” The overall construct of the speech: A story of insight arising from tragedy. Jill Bolte Taylor, brain researcher, had the opportunity of a lifetime when […]
Speaking Tips from TEDTalk #5: How to Live Before You Die (Steve Jobs)
TEDTalk Countdown: the #5 most-watched video on TED: Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University, 2005. Video. Transcript. The Big Idea: “Follow your heart.” The overall construct of the speech: Three stories which each make a point that support the overall big idea. Story 1: “Connecting the Dots” Jobs talks about dropping out of Reed […]
Speaking Tips from TEDTalk #7: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (Amy Cuddy)
Video and transcript here The Big Idea: Amy Cuddy shares how “power posing,” standing or sitting in a posture of confidence, even when you don’t feel confident, can affect testosterone (dominance hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the body, causing you to feel and be perceived as more confident. It’s not “fake it till […]
Speaking Tips from TEDTalk #9: The SixthSense Interaction (Pattie Maes)
Video and transcript here The Big Idea: An inexpensive, wearable device (SixthSense) can interact with our environment to give us easy access to relevant information to help us make better decisions. The overall construct of the speech: A demonstration, mostly via video. The demonstration was of a device that functioned somewhat like Google Glass, but […]
Speaking Tips from TED Talk #10 The Puzzle of Motivation (Dan Pink)
This is the first in a series of 10 posts, looking at the public speaking lessons from each of the top 10-most viewed TED Talks. Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation video and transcript here The Big Idea: Science has proven what business is only slowly realizing: Using incentives as rewards in business doesn’t work […]
Preview: Public Speaking Tips from the Top 10 TEDTalks
Short, but powerful talks. Although typically fewer than 18 minutes long, TEDTalks pack a punch: unique ideas presented with passion. Inspired by a recent NSA-MN Chapter meeting speaker, Hayley Foster, who spoke about creating TED-style talks (post here), I decided that I (and you) could probably learn some public speaking tips from TEDTalks. For the […]
How to Create a TED-Style Talk: Advice from an Expert
Imagine standing on a TED stage, sharing your passion with the world. Maybe that’s not your dream. But, wouldn’t you like to have a powerful, TED-like presentation? TED-style talks aren’t just for TED events. They are becoming more popular at conferences, too. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Chapter of the National Speakers Association hosted a presentation […]
FREE KINDLE BOOK until 11/16: 12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker
If you’ve enjoyed my recent tips on becoming a more confident speaker, you will want to get your FREE Kindle book, 12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker. But, hurry! The book is only free through Saturday (and after that, it is available for only $2.99–It’s a short book!) And, I have a BIG favor to ask you! Will […]
How to Prevent Speech Disasters
You’ve seen it happen. Maybe it’s happened to you. The microphone cuts out. The PowerPoint slides don’t work. Your presentation time gets cut. Can you recover when things go wrong in a speech? Can you plan ahead to manage the risk? Yes and yes. The 3 key ways to reduce risk: Checklists, Dress Rehearsal, and […]