Summary of TED Talks

Another TED all-star is British author Ken Robinson. Robinson’s TED talk on how school systems quash student creativity is one of the lecture series’ most popular presentations of all time with nearly 40 million views.

Simon Sinek is one of the most-watched TED presenters of all time. His talks have racked up more than 22 million views

Good presentation skills alone are nothing without a worthy central concept

The most important part of a presentation is to have what TED calls an “idea worth spreading.”

It doesn’t matter how well people deliver a talk if they don’t have an “idea worth spreading.”

Rehearsal will help speakers sound fluid and natural during their presentation

Anyone can learn how to give a great talk.
Fear can be a positive force in preparation for giving a talk.
It doesn’t matter how well people deliver a talk if they don’t have an “idea worth spreading.”
There is no single formula for how to deliver a great speech.
Speakers must find a way to connect with their audience.
A speaker should consider using a narrative structure as the backbone for a talk.
Visuals should only be used when they have something to add and do not distract from the speaker.
Great public speaking skills have never been more important or potentially influential than they are today.
As computers manage an increasing amount of raw data, the human task of communicating and contextualizing the

xample of someone who lacked graceful speaking skills and a sophisticated vocabulary but still managed to give rousing, inspirational speeches. Famous for cursing and speaking in the vernacular of his soldiers, Patton was able to deliver a worthy message without the rhetorical gifts of a Winston Churchill or a Franklin D. Roosevelt. In one stirring speech, he rallied the first black tank battalion to fight the Germans in France even as these soldiers faced unbearable racism back home. His profanity-laden speech, while not eloquent, managed to rally his troops to fight valiantly in World War II

nourishing a growth mindset by encouraging people not to think of their abilities as static but rather as capable of being stretched or changed.

ot for the speaker. Ahead of the talk, fear can also be a strong impetus to prepare and rehearse.

ence. Audiences tend to attach to speakers who acknowledge their vulnerability. Admitting fear or nervousness can help to bring the audience over to the speaker’s side and cause them to root for the speaker.

deflate the energy in the room and lose the audience. Audiences tend to attach to speakers

Stories have a unique power to reel people in and keep them engaged for the duration of a presentation. Narrative structure can also help speakers to recall their story’s guiding idea and not get lost in their thoughts along the way. Like any good story, however, a speech will need a beginning, middle, and end. A speaker should also choose an opening line to grab the attention of the audience right from the start. At the end of the speech, the speaker should not simply run out of steam. Like a good storyteller, presenters should attempt to summarize key arguments, provide a call to action, or bring their point full circle to a satisfying conclusion.

It doesn’t matter how well people deliver a talk if they don’t have an “idea worth spreading.”

A speaker should consider using a narrative structure as the backbone for a talk.
Analysis