Author: Carmine Gallo
Synopsis |
Talk like TED (2014) is a book that is all about helping you discover what makes a great presentation and how you can tap into those three features for more inspiration. We analyzed over 500 of the most popular TED talks from various categories, from Technology to Business, to Design, to Personal Development, and so on. |
Detailed Summary of Talk Like TED
As you’re starting to plan your talk, you’ll learn how to connect emotionally with your audience. This is a skill that many TED speakers have mastered, and it involves knowing your audience and balancing between introversion and extroversion. The book will also teach you how to make your presentations more memorable.
It’s easier to be a better speaker by being a good listener. TED is the standard in inspirational presentations. Many of the most popular TED talks have all three of these characteristics: novelty, emotions, and memorable.
These three TED talk characteristics are powerful because they help to change people’s mindset on the subject matter, inspire them to act on it, or simply rethink their place in the world. If you have ever watched a TED talk, you can’t help but wonder how the speakers can deliver their speeches so effectively and with such passion.
Delivering a great presentation is indeed an art, but it’s also one that can be learned. The founders of Talk Like TED have analyzed over 500 of the most popular TED talks to help you integrate the three most common features of them, novelty, emotions, and being memorable, into your presentations and make you a better speaker.
Talk Like TED Key Points
Want to learn how to talk effectively with your audience? When you start delivering your speech ensure that you utter words in a natural way. Moreover, make sure when you convey words that contain novel ideas, humor, sarcasm, and on top of it jaw-dropping moments.
The below points hold the story of top famous speakers that will disclose the secrets of how to talk with passion and how to make the story emotional while telling it.
You can check out another book summary by hitting the link below.
The Geography of Genius Summary.
Your presentation skills can be Improved with the help of TED talks
Before you submit a business proposal that will be judged by your company’s highest roll call or give a presentation in front of a group, why not take a lesson from the art of the TED talk?
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — an elite conference for leading thinkers and inventors to present their ideas.
The TED talk has been described as “the ultimate sales pitch.”
It’s an important part of the sales process, which we will talk about later in this article. You may have heard that the average attention span of your audience is 6 seconds. That’s why it’s important to keep your message as clear and concise as possible.
In a perfect world, everyone would be able to give powerful presentations. It’s not just natural talent or luck that separates the TED talks from the mundane; it’s hard work and preparation. But TED talks are a great place to learn how to do it, to learn what works and what doesn’t.
(Most of them are) inspiring, engaging, and packed with insights. Of course, TED talks are different than the average sales pitch. That’s part of their charm. Many speakers use questions like “How many of us have been in a meeting…” or “Did you know that….?” They use humor and storytelling (and sometimes magic tricks!) to get their point across.
And they don’t try to sell directly. But everything they say can be an opportunity to learn how to sell your products and services in an equally creative way. They have something important to say and they want you to hear it. They show an eagerness to explain things, rather than just push them on you. They’re confident about their message.
Make your Presentation memorable by sharing extreme Moments in your Story
Humans have a bad memory sometimes, and it’s your job to make your presentation memorable, so they remember it. We use storytelling everywhere – in movies, in books, and in businesses. One of the best ways to make your presentation memorable is by sharing extreme moments and novel statistics.
At software presentations, the presenter can share a story about how the system he or she is selling helped to cause a 10x increase in conversion or prevented a major catastrophe. Not only does this make the presentation more memorable, but people will be more likely to remember a company’s name if the story includes that company.
Sharing data about the extreme moments in your product or service can help people remember you and your company, and make a lasting impression.
It’s worth it to show some photos or screenshots of extreme moments that you’ve experienced with your product or service. These can be real-life shots or images that you create to support your presentation.
A great example of this is Jon Stewart. You may not be aware that before starting his career as a host on The Daily Show, Stewart had a brilliant career as a political stand-up comedian. He was known for his interesting persona and unique storytelling style where he would poke fun at politicians using sarcasm and strong opinions.
Make your Presentation ideal, it shouldn’t be either Longer or Shorter
Your presentation should be no longer than 18 minutes and cover no more than 3 topics. The reason is that cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham identified people can only properly remember 3 things at a time.
This means: All content slides should contain one single idea represented visually, e.g. a chart, graph, or illustration. You shouldn’t include more than 2 metrics in your slide. If you have more than 2 metrics to show, create a separate slide for every 2 metrics.
If it’s shorter, your message will lack depth. And also, 3 is a number that makes us remember. Research has been updated from estimating we can remember up to 7 things at once to rather 3 chunks.
That’s why your presentation should build Its core message around 3 topics or distinct points, which help you drive home the overall point. If you want to stretch these limits, make sure that your presentation has an A, B, and C point, clearly separating the bulk of your content into different parts.
This will help your client find the most important information they need quickly, while at the same time allowing you to dive deeper into one or two topics which is beneficial for elaborating on one specific message.
The A Point should be your main message. It’s often a single body of content you feel needs to be driven home. In most presentations, this is the introduction, which in most cases reflects the overall idea of the presentation. Make sure that this A Point has a clear title.
Talk Like TED Quotes
“Passion is the thing that will help you create the highest expression of your talent. —LARRY SMITH, TEDx, NOVEMBER 2011” –Carmine Gallo
“The 18-minute rule isn’t simply a good exercise to learn discipline. It’s critical to avoid overloading your audience. Remember, constrained presentations require more creativity.” –Carmine Gallo
Talk Like TED Review
TED talks are very addictive if you start watching them. TED Like Talks is a great book and it’ll help you boost your presentation skills. Recommended.
To whom I would recommend Talk Like TED Summary?
- Anyone who is going to present for the first time.
- Anyone who wants to build up presentation skills.
- Anyone who loves to watch TED talks.
Link: https://amzn.to/3bhwEfn