TEDTalks, A Resource for Speakers & Writers

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddenth

Be ready in season and out of season. II Tim 4:2

To reach our biggest audience, often writers are called on to be able to speak in public. When some of us hear that, we perk our ears up like a good bird dog. Send me after it.

Others run and hide under the porch. Writing in the solitary of our homes, on our back porch, or at our favorite coffee house does not prepare us for standing in front of two, twenty, or two hundred people. Why, we’d have to get out of our pj’s. (Just the thought made you tremble, didn’t it?)

But there could come that opportunity to get out of the house and share about that topic you care about with others. And public speaking, whether in person or through a monitor is becoming even more popular. You know your story matters. What do you do?

The TED Conference is known for the series of talks they put on each year. The goal is simple, to share ideas worth spreading. They invite some of the brightest minds across the world to come and speak on a variety of topics, from how a brain works, to the solar system, to how bacteria “talk”. Some of the speakers are experienced at speaking to large audiences, some aren’t.

In his book, TEDTalks, Chris Anderson has written what he calls the official TED guide to public speaking. It’s not a workbook giving an outline that ALL speakers HAVE to follow. In fact, he says that there aren’t any rules.

Writers, heard that before?

Instead, the book is a guide with tips from some of their most popular speakers. Some of the advice even contradicts itself.

Here are some tips for speakers I think are helpful for all of us.

Be Yourself. Yes, we can learn from watching someone else, but we shouldn’t try to be them when we’re speaking. Learn what works for you. Some of us can have the audience rolling on the floor because of a joke or story we told. If you know you can’t tell jokes, that’s okay. Tell your story in the style that is most comforting to you.

Should you pace or stand still? Again, find what feels natural to you.

The audience will be more interested in seeing your passion than hearing a joke or watching your arms. Anderson writes, “Your number-one mission as a speaker is to take something that matters deeply to you and to rebuild it inside the minds of your listeners.”

That’s a great goal for a writer, too.

And if you’re nervous, welcome to the club. I used to tell myself that if I wasn’t nervous, I didn’t care enough. Anderson says your audience will forgive your nervousness. They may actually start pulling for you even more.

Have a Point. He calls it a throughline. A connective thought tying everything together. As a pastor, I thought my best sermons, the ones where there was the least snoring, had a theme connecting the entire sermon without rambling in different directions.

This, also, helped me remember what I was saying and what came next.

I’ll try nearly anything to keep from having that “Duh” moment in front of people.

Keep the Audience First. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the audience is more interested in hearing how they can apply what you have to say, than in you. (I know. I’m working on my sensitivity.) Instead of worrying about how you can make them think better of you, see what you can share with them to assist them in their situation.

This takes the focus off you, and puts it on the listener. You will find it will make them pay closer attention.

There have been over two thousand TED Talks given, and by 2012 they had been viewed on their website over a billion (with a B) times in 110 languages. Speakers have included Bill Clinton, Billy Graham, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jane Goodall, and Bono. And all of them had to complete their talks in eighteen minutes.

Eighteen minutes. Which brings us to preparation.

Be Prepared. (I was an Eagle Scout, you know.) If you care about your audience, and your reputation, go over what you plan to say. Anderson goes over several ways to prepare for a talk. Some of their speakers made an outline, others wrote out each word, and some just formed it in their minds. The plan that will work best for you depends on your personality and your topic.

But he does say you need to go over it several times before you walk on stage.

TED Talks is full of helpful advice. He goes over how to set up the stage, what to wear, how to connect with the audience, and so much more.

You’ll find that this book is a handy reference for when you are preparing for any speaking opportunities that come your way. After reading it, not only will you want to give your talk, you will feel equipped to do it successfully.

If you have any advice or questions for speakers, please leave them in the comments below. I would love to hear from you. As the performers on stage say, break a leg.

Thanks for reading.

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Tim Suddeth has been published in Guideposts’ The Joy of Christmas and on www.christiandevotions.us. He’s working on his third manuscript and looks forward to seeing his name on a cover. He is a member of ACFW and Cross n Pens. Tim’s lives in Greenville, SC with his wife, Vickie, and his happy 19-year-old autistic son, Madison.  Visit Tim at www.TiminGreenville.com and on Facebook and Twitter. He can be also reached at timingreenville@gmail.com