How to give a TED Talk
Jessica Mah, curator of a TEDx conference last year in Berkeley, California, offers tips for applicants seeking to deliver a TED Talk.
- Begin with a thought-provoking idea to set a standard for the rest of your talk. For example: Jamie Oliver started his TED Talk by saying, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes, four Americans that are alive, will be dead.”
- Share intimate stories.
- Back up your stories with visuals.
- Don’t lecture people — this is not a class.
- Be willing to take risks in your presentation.
- Commit to at least two in-person rehearsals. Some TED speakers have spent over 15 hours preparing for a 15-minute talk. Put in the time to be excellent.
- Don’t recycle talks. People will know, and your talk won’t be TED-website worthy.
- End with a takeaway. How does this relate to “doing the unprecedented” or your event’s theme?
