Dr. Brené Brown talked about the power of vulnerability, and Elizabeth Gilbert contended that everyone is a genius. For Simon Sinek, it was about how and why great leaders inspire action. And for Sir Ken Robinson? He addressed how schools kill creativity. Little did they know when they started these TED Talks, they would go on to become some of the most popular of all time.
Since it was founded in 1984, the TED nonprofit has hosted thousands of short speeches around the world on technology, entertainment and design. It began posting video of the presentations online in 2006, and there are now more than 2,100 TED Talks that have been viewed well over a billion times—some by professional athletes and entertainers, but most not. They’re from entrepreneurs, writers and educators, like us.
So why should every woman entrepreneur consider a TED Talk? For one, the biggest lesson from TED, which has truly reinvented the art of public speaking, is that most speakers can raise their game. And who wouldn’t benefit from being a better public speaker in today’s ultra-competitive business world?
At the recent National Women’s Business Conference hosted by NAWBO, Circle program participants (you have to be a million-dollar business owner to be part of this exclusive NAWBO Institute program) enjoyed a special agenda of speakers and opportunities. One of them was a seminar on how to give a TED Talk.
Here are some tips from this seminar that can benefit us all:
- Believe that you are the expert: This is not a motivational speech, but an educational one. Give yourself bragging rights to what you know. Let yourself brag.
- Identify your idea worth spreading: What is your one big idea? What problem are you trying to solve? What is your unique perspective on this idea? Come up with one idea worth sharing and give people a reason to listen.
- Tell your story: Make a list of all the stories that relate to your idea. Include your own personal story. That’s what will resonate with people.
- Be vulnerable: List stories of challenges, mistakes and moments of vulnerability as they relate to your idea. Showing what makes you vulnerable can make you more relatable.
- Be authentic: List your personality traits. Make sure to include them in your talk. Allow yourself to be YOU.
- Keep it simple: Less is more on the slides. And when you have nothing to show, show nothing.
- End with a good call to action: Your final impression will last, so you’ll want to finish your talk strongly.