How to Deliver a Great TED Talk: Presentation Secrets of the World's Best Speakers (How to Give a TED Talk) Read Online Free Page A
done a fantastic job of leading this company!” This unexpected comment during the middle of the speech sounded more sincere and honest than a canned “thank-you” beginning.
Another comedian who I witnessed thanked his audience a couple of minutes into his routine (after he had all of us laughing at his opening story) and said, “By the way, you guys are a great audience and it’s really my privilege to be here today! See, last week I had this other audience who …” and then he dived right into another joke.
The key point here is that you should avoid canned “thank-you” openings because you end up losing an important opportunity to distinguish yourself from most other speakers. Furthermore, you will lose your audience (after all, why should they listen if they already know what you’re going to say?) and your gratitude may be perceived as insincere. Instead, thank your audience after you’ve established a connection with them using one of the five opening strategies you’ll pick up later in the chapter.
Note: I do realize that there are some very formal situations where you simply must begin your speech by thanking your hosts. If that’s the case, a short and simple “Thank you” will suffice, after which you can dive into a question or a story.
3. OPENING WITH A JOKE
“Should I open my presentation or speech with a joke?”
Ah, interesting question! Humor is a great way to form a bond with the audience. A humorous speaker immediately gets the goodwill of the audience and is perceived as a more likeable speaker than someone with little or no humor.
However, my personal suggestion would be to avoid opening with a joke for two reasons:
Jokes from a joke book don’t impress anyone: If you use a joke that you’ve read in a joke book or on the Internet, there’s the danger that the audience might have heard it before. Immediately, you’ll be labeled as unoriginal and the audience will doubt the authenticity of the rest of your presentation.
Jokes might detract from your main message . I’ve seen some presenters open with a joke that was completely unrelated to the main point the presenter was trying to make. In an attempt to be funny, most presenters go out of their way to include jokes that take attention away from their main message. After all, it is very difficult to find a joke directly related to the point you’re trying to prove. Bottom line: Don’t open with a joke that has nothing to do with your presentation!
Most people can’t tell jokes as well as they think they can . A joke requires expert timing and great use of facial expressions, both of which most speakers lack. This results in a “bombed joke” and creates an uncomfortable silence in the room. If you’re the victim of an opening joke that falls flat on its face, this may negatively affect your confidence throughout the rest of the speech.
However, if you are a humorous speaker, you may want to open with a humorous story (one which is related to your message). The reason a humorous story works is because it’s your personal story, so no one in the audience has heard it before. In addition, there’s no pressure on you to be funny as there is when you are telling a joke. Finally, stories are intriguing, so they will help you capture the attention of your audience.
FIVE BRILLIANT WAYS TO START YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION
After having studied more than 200 TED talks, I have found that there are five ways you can open your speech that are proven to capture your audience’s attention:
1. START WITH A STORY
The best speakers are master storytellers. They tell touching tales, using compelling stories as a means to solidify their message. A well-told story will always be remembered.
A story is a great way to open your speech, but it also works just as well as a closer. In fact, according to Bill Gove, the first president of the National Speakers Association, the essence of public speaking is to “tell a story, [and] make a
Another comedian who I witnessed thanked his audience a couple of minutes into his routine (after he had all of us laughing at his opening story) and said, “By the way, you guys are a great audience and it’s really my privilege to be here today! See, last week I had this other audience who …” and then he dived right into another joke.
The key point here is that you should avoid canned “thank-you” openings because you end up losing an important opportunity to distinguish yourself from most other speakers. Furthermore, you will lose your audience (after all, why should they listen if they already know what you’re going to say?) and your gratitude may be perceived as insincere. Instead, thank your audience after you’ve established a connection with them using one of the five opening strategies you’ll pick up later in the chapter.
Note: I do realize that there are some very formal situations where you simply must begin your speech by thanking your hosts. If that’s the case, a short and simple “Thank you” will suffice, after which you can dive into a question or a story.
3. OPENING WITH A JOKE
“Should I open my presentation or speech with a joke?”
Ah, interesting question! Humor is a great way to form a bond with the audience. A humorous speaker immediately gets the goodwill of the audience and is perceived as a more likeable speaker than someone with little or no humor.
However, my personal suggestion would be to avoid opening with a joke for two reasons:
Jokes from a joke book don’t impress anyone: If you use a joke that you’ve read in a joke book or on the Internet, there’s the danger that the audience might have heard it before. Immediately, you’ll be labeled as unoriginal and the audience will doubt the authenticity of the rest of your presentation.
Jokes might detract from your main message . I’ve seen some presenters open with a joke that was completely unrelated to the main point the presenter was trying to make. In an attempt to be funny, most presenters go out of their way to include jokes that take attention away from their main message. After all, it is very difficult to find a joke directly related to the point you’re trying to prove. Bottom line: Don’t open with a joke that has nothing to do with your presentation!
Most people can’t tell jokes as well as they think they can . A joke requires expert timing and great use of facial expressions, both of which most speakers lack. This results in a “bombed joke” and creates an uncomfortable silence in the room. If you’re the victim of an opening joke that falls flat on its face, this may negatively affect your confidence throughout the rest of the speech.
However, if you are a humorous speaker, you may want to open with a humorous story (one which is related to your message). The reason a humorous story works is because it’s your personal story, so no one in the audience has heard it before. In addition, there’s no pressure on you to be funny as there is when you are telling a joke. Finally, stories are intriguing, so they will help you capture the attention of your audience.
FIVE BRILLIANT WAYS TO START YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION
After having studied more than 200 TED talks, I have found that there are five ways you can open your speech that are proven to capture your audience’s attention:
1. START WITH A STORY
The best speakers are master storytellers. They tell touching tales, using compelling stories as a means to solidify their message. A well-told story will always be remembered.
A story is a great way to open your speech, but it also works just as well as a closer. In fact, according to Bill Gove, the first president of the National Speakers Association, the essence of public speaking is to “tell a story, [and] make a
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