Technology Entertainment Design (TED) is a conference that, first held in 1984, brought together people from the fields of technology, entertainment and design. In the following decades it has expanded to include a second annual conference, the TEDGlobal, as well as the TED Fellows and TEDx programs and an annual TED award. The TED also includes a series of recorded videos of the conferences, the TED Talks, held by speakers from different sectors who adhere to the organization's mission, which is to disseminate ideas. If you have an idea that is worth spreading, you can expose it in a TED Talk or simply by following its format.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Deciding the Topic for the TED Talk
Step 1. Choose a theme that you are passionate about
TED Talks focus on 'ideas worth spreading'. In part, it means that you should be emotionally affected by what you are going to talk about. Planning a speech about something exciting will motivate you to plan and perfect your TED Talk, enabling you to communicate with the audience when you deliver it.
Step 2. Choose a topic in which you are proficient
You don't need to be the global expert on your chosen topic, but you need to know enough to give clear information in your areas of expertise and to find specialist and expert-rated sources in those subjects you have knowledge of less precise.
Step 3. Evaluate the topic for the audience
Your TED Talk should be focused on the needs and interests of the audience you are targeting. Look for places where the audience's passion matches yours and start from those, taking the following into consideration:
- Your idea should be oriented towards something that people have never heard before, or at least not in the way it has been presented to them so far.
- Furthermore, it should be realistic: something that the target audience can practice or accomplish with the right people in their own personal circle.
Step 4. Define and delimit the premise
Once you have identified an idea that is interesting for the audience and is able to relate to it, make an introduction to your speech by condensing it into one or two sentences. It is likely that you will have to review the idea several times to be able to clearly define the premise.
Step 5. Know your time limit
TED Talks currently last no longer than 18 minutes. It is not necessary to use this time entirely; some ideas can be succinctly and completely presented in 5 minutes or less. However, you cannot go beyond 18 minutes.
If you are given a shorter time limit to attend a TED event, adjust
Step 6. Review several TED Talk videos to understand the format
It is not necessary to emulate the style of a particular speaker, but it is essential to have an overview of the possible styles to find what you feel is right for you. Watch several TED Talk videos in industries similar to yours, but also videos in those areas that draw your attention to issues beyond what you plan to say.
Step 7. Determine the main purpose of the TED Talk
While TED Talks are generally about sharing ideas, the talk you deliver will need to communicate your idea in three main ways:
- Instruction. TED Talks inform the public about the world around them. Topics include topics from the biological, physical and social sciences, but also information on new technologies and inventions and the effect they have on people's lives. Speakers are often graduates and doctors in their field, but not always.
- Entertainment. TED Talks often cover the creative arts, including writing, art, music or entertainment, and delve into the processes behind artistic expressions.
- Inspiration. TED Talks seek to raise the public's perception of themselves and the world around them, to think about things in new ways and apply that knowledge in their lives. Many of the speakers at this type of TED Talks use their own experiences as an example for others.
Part 2 of 4: Prepare for the TED Talk
Step 1. Develop an outline
Once you have established the premise and purpose of your TED Talk, you need to build a discursive pattern to present your idea, in a way that the audience cares, understanding the facts behind them and how they will be influenced if they decide. to join it.
- The pattern, however, should be something the public can understand without appearing obvious. In other words, don't say what you're going to say before you say it (never “Here's what I'm going to share with you today”) and don't say what you said after saying it (never “and in conclusion…”).
- If you are planning to speak at a TED event, a full outline or script should be sent to the organizers approximately two months before your speech. This way, the managers will be able to provide you with preliminary feedback.
Step 2. Prepare a strong introduction
It should captivate the audience by presenting your idea as quickly as possible, without drawing too much attention to you as a speaker.
- If you know your idea is in the public interest, make it clear early on. If, on the other hand, it is not so obvious that the public feels close to them, it shows how it connects to the interests of the public.
- If your idea is emotionally engaging, start with a measured but straightforward approach. Let the audience hear the theme instead of dictating their emotions.
- Avoid using statistics. A single relevant fact has more weight, especially if it comes as a surprise to the public.
Step 3. Identify evidence to support the premise
List what the audience already knows and what they need to know, then organize this information into a series of points, where each point carries the information to grasp the next step. In doing so, it eliminates information that the public doesn't need to know, even if you may find it important.
- Spend more time on new information for the public and less time on things already heard.
- It uses more evidence backed by personal and public observations and experiences (empirical evidence) instead of telling what happened to someone else (anecdotes).
- Keep the use of specialized terminologies to a minimum and, if possible, make sure that the public can understand the definition in context.
- Respectfully acknowledge legitimate doubts and evidence to the contrary.
- Enter quotes only after exposing a passage or post them in small format at the bottom of the relevant slides.
- Consider someone's help in collecting and selecting evidence.
Step 4. Try to visually support the body of speech with the slides
Slides are not necessary in TED Talks, although organized in a very simple way they can corroborate key points without distracting the audience. You can collect them in a presentation program such as PowerPoint or Keynote, or with the help of a designer. Take the following into consideration when preparing your slides:
- Contact the organizers for information on the resolution and aspect ratio of the slides before starting to prepare them. If they don't provide any technical details, use a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16 to 9.
- Use each slide to nurture a single point in your speech. Avoid using a bulleted list that creates multiple steps in your presentation.
- Let the slide speak for itself. Do not include long passages of text on the slide and do not spend too much time explaining what the image on the slide represents. If you have a chart or infographic, keep it simple.
- Use only images that you own or have permission to use. If you are using an image protected by a Creative Commons license, mention the source of the image at the bottom of the slide.
- Fill the entire slide with the image or keep it in the center of the slide; do not insert content along the edges.
- Use a sans serif font (Arial, Helvetica, Verdana) of size 42 or larger (sans serif fonts are easier from afar than serif fonts like Times New Roman). If you're using a custom font, be sure to send it to the organizers in advance (presentation software typically can only display fonts installed on the computer it's projecting).
Step 5. Conclude on an important point
Instead of providing a summary, the conclusion should be something that leaves the audience feeling positive about your idea and how it will affect it, if they decide to follow it.
The conclusion may include a call to action, if it is appropriate, provided that the so-called "call to action" is not a sales pitch asking to buy something
Part 3 of 4: Try TED Talk
Step 1. Practice with a timer
Since you will have a time limit to deliver your TED Talk, practicing with a timer will help you keep up with the speech you will have to deliver so you don't go beyond the allotted times and identify the parts to cut if they are too much. long.
Step 2. Practice with various audiences
The TED organization encourages conference speakers to practice multiple times because they can face many different types of audiences. You can prepare to target any or all of the following categories of users:
- In front of a mirror. This will prepare your body language.
- Family and friends. They can provide initial feedback, but be more useful as a source of encouragement.
- A speaker to practice with in person.
- A group of speakers, like the Toastmasters.
- A class of students interested in the topic of your speech. For example, if the TED Talk is about marketing, you might be speaking in front of a college marketing course.
- A corporate conference, whether at your own company or one connected in some way to your relationship.
Step 3. Also try taking advantage of the assistance of the TED
Most of the TED events also give the opportunity to practice speaking, using one or both of the following systems:
- Online tests through Skype. They allow event organizers to provide feedback on the way the speech is structured, on the rhythm and clarity of presentation. These online tests are usually scheduled one month in advance of the event.
- Rehearsals on the stage of the event. They give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the place, but also to prepare for any surprises, such as unexpected laughter.
Part 4 of 4: Holding the TED Talk
Step 1. Get to know the people who will be in their relationship before you
Speak to other TED event attendees from time to time away from the stage. It will allow you to know how much the actual audience corresponds to the imagined one, also identifying some familiar faces in the crowd when you go on stage.
Step 2. Stick to the intended style of speech
Even if you have reviewed the content and presentation of the speech a number of times based on feedback from the rehearsals, when you have established a style, take it easy and stick to that. Do not make any last-minute changes.
Step 3. Remember why you are holding a TED Talk
Even if you spent time creating and perfecting your message, you didn't do it for the sake of information, but to share it and convey your enthusiasm to the public.
