What I Learned From TED

What I Learned From TED

I've been lucky enough to support many speakers on their TED journey, from giving a few last minute tips to writing their talks?from scratch.

But there was always that nagging sense that I was the teacher who had never passed the exam; the coach who had never played in a final.

When the invitation arrived to give a TED talk of my own, I was a little conflicted.? On one hand, this was a chance to dispel those doubts.?

On the other, I didn't want to be the 'public speaking expert' who appeared on You Tube as the one who made some stupid public speaking blooper.

I accepted with reservations.? Having given many speeches over the years, this was the one over which I lose the most sleep, spent too long focusing on the downside, and wanted to get over and done with as quickly as possible.

I hope these lessons are useful to anyone who has a speech looming that they really want to get right (particularly one where you aren't allowed notes!).

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It's fine to be scared if you channel?the fear?into proper preparation.

Start by taking the coffee shop test - what's the one thing you'd like your audience to take away and work backwards.

Constantly question whether you are explaining the 'what' or the 'why'.? Generally, the 'why' is much more relevant.

Remember that stories are easy to tell and deliver with energy.? Lists and facts aren't.

Write a draft in full and prepare to rewrite it completely.

Edit it and adapt it but always read out loud what you've written to make it 'you'.

Once you have a structure in place, ensure that your draft is the right length - that's no more than 120 words per minute.? Any more and your worries will be justified as you'll have to start rushing on the day.

Then read it out loud again and again until you have crafted it into the way you speak rather than the way you write.

Once you start to finish your own sentences without looking at the page, start replacing paragraphs with one line summaries.

Before you know it, you'll have about 15-20 lines that link seamlessly (I can always help with that bit!).

I then colour-coded each of those lines with different shades for stories, links and facts.? I'm very visual, so I got to the point where the story about the trip to a university was orange, followed by a link in blue that I could link immediately to very specific content.

I only felt ready when I could recite the whole speech in under 18 minutes without notes.

Please don't do what I did and completely change the first two minutes in the car on the way to the venue.

Don't think you'll have lots of time in the 'green room' to rehearse and prepare - it's full of similarly nervous people who all want to chat.

When the moment comes, the most important things are posture and pause - stand in the right place, look around, take a moment and begin slowly.?

Once you start talking, everything calms down and you really do start to enjoy it.

The venue?may be too dark to make out faces, so you have to remember to address different areas of the room.

I came away delighted that I had chosen to give the talk.? There are definitely areas I'll improve next time, but it's good to know that the tips I share with clients every week were useable and useful.? And as I said in the talk itself, I write speeches for a living and I am a nervous public speaker.? There's no shame in that - nor in anyone feeling uneasy about embarking on something like this.?

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Good luck with yours!

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