FINDING YOUR TEDx STAGE. (7 *filtering* queries for a hopeful TEDster.)

These days, there is?no more a potent platform?for spreading ideas than a?TED stage.?

The reach is staggering.

Consider: In the pre-Covid "teen" years of TEDx, there were approximately 3,700+ TEDx events, worldwide, each year. Each of those events ushered 4-20 speakers (each!) to center stage.

Do the math with me:

3,700 x 4 = 14,000

3,700 x 20 = 70,000

(again: seventy-thousand!)

Arguably that's 14-70K talks a year.

Wow.

But where are they?!

After all, TED.com highlights only about 4,300 talks; and the bulk of those are main stage "big TED" ideas worth spreading.

Yes, there are TEDx-ers mixed in there. But it is a light blend of TEDx Talks. Rarer still are those talks with 1M+ views. It is sort of like players who jump from the minor leagues to the big game. Exceedingly rare.

That's why hundreds of thousands of "mehhhh" TEDx Talks are largely laying in the cemetery of the YouTube TEDx channel.

Not to knock the dynamic TEDx community. Hundreds of amazing talks do bound onto the home page of TED each year. And many go truly viral.

But again, not all TEDx stages (run by volunteers) are created equal. From poor lighting to mehhhh speaker coaching; poor camera work to mehhhh "idea milling"... the range of reasons a talk falls short are manifold.

And so, the bulk of those many tens of thousands of new minor league talks each year languish on YouTube: Un-spread. Un-watched. Un-celebrated.

All that to say, it is important to be discerning about which TEDx stage you select. Don't just go with the local organizer or the first invitation to hit your inbox.

And that brings us back to our title question:

What are 7 tips for finding your TEDx stage?

Here’s your check-list:

[?1 ] Has the event organizer** produced one (or 3) before?

(Learning on the job or been-there, done-that?)

[?2 ] How many cameras? There should be at least 4.

(Main stage TED events roll with 9+.)

[?3 ] Will the production team market your talk?

(How? PR push, outtake footage, social media?)?

[?4 ] Do they have a quality, up-to-date website?

(Details matter, so no broken links or amateur copy.)

[?5 ] What’s the team’s (baseball) talk stats?

(How many are actually?featured?on TED vs listed? Views?)

[?6 ] What’s the bench strength of the leadership team?

(Two people or eleven; veterans or students?)

[?7 ] What’s the quality of their best talks, to date?

(Uneven audio/lighting or the “Big TED” feel?)

There's more to it, naturally. But these 7 filtering questions** are a great place to start.

Again,?not all TEDx events are created equal. Volunteers produce mixed —?stuttering to stellar?— results.

Again, don’t commit to the first stage you’re invited on. Chances are, if one event producer is interested in you, others will be as well.?

PS. Start here to learn more about the different types of TED and TEDx conferences.

** Now don't ask the organizers these questions. You need to suss these out online and via other means. You don't want to offend the producer with an "I'm judging you and your team" vibe. (Yes you need to make judgements, but keep them to yourself!)

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DEVIN D. MARKS is known as?The TED Talk Whisperer.?His firm, CONNECT TO COMPEL, has represented 100s of TED, TEDx, and TED-style speakers with millions of views. His team helps leaders,?just like you, catalyze insights.

You can call Devin at 617-804-6020; or email him by?clicking here.??

FIND YOUR TED TALK TYPE. (There are 8 options.)

Ever wonder what?category?of talk you are best suited to deliver? There are?8 distinct types?of TED Talks that take center stage. To get clarity on which one could be yours,?click here.?

In just?12 questions?you’ll have your answer and a 15-page PDF with worksheets, TEDster examples, and ways to begin shaping your?idea worth spreading!

Want one example of a talk type? Here’s a brief look at one of the 8 classics:?

THE "FRESH TAKE" TALK.

Your primary goal in your future TED Talk is best categorized as a “Fresh Take” due to your new and refreshing perspective!?

Some attributes of a Fresh Take TED Talk tend to include the following:

[??]?Includes research findings

[??]?Builds off an existing knowledge set

[??]?Is evidence-based or experience-based

[??]?Introduces a new perspective on the old

[??]?Offers the audience clarity on next steps

[??]?Includes an understanding of the audience

Do this,?click here?to learn what form your?idea worth spreading?will take!

A BREAKAWAY TALK: >1M <1Yr.

It is said that 100K views make for a "viral" talk, and I'm not quibbling there. (Pre-Pandemic I wasn't a fan of the word viral either!) But those are a dime a dozen.

What marks a BREAKOUT in my way of thinking is a talk with?1M views.

I love to highlight and celebrate talks (whether from my clients or otherwise) that have?just recently?surpassed the one-million-view mark. They are special.

This?April 2022 TEDxMarin talk?by Robin Hauser (The likability dilemma for women leaders) is a great standout with a powerful insights about women and leadership.

Here's the TED description:

When women lead, bias often follows. Documentarian Robin Hauser dives into the dilemma between competence and likability faced by women in leadership roles, detangling the unconscious beliefs and gendered thinking that distort what it means to be a good leader.

Intriguing stuff, right? What's more, when a talk like this one hits that 1M marker?within the first year... there's clearly something special happening with the idea. It. Is. Spreading.

Many so-so talks can accumulate an impressive view count over time. But hitting the 7-figure marker within a concentrated timeframe is a signal that there's something truly extraordinary going on in the talk and around the topic.

So my equation is as follows:

BREAKAWAY TALK = >1M + <1Yr

Feel free to learn more about Dr. Charlie Self via: www.DrCharlieSelf.com. (Email: [email protected])

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