A successful speech isn’t just to spread the correct knowledge, but also to inspire the audience and broaden the horizon of how they see the world. Many of us must have watched at least one TED Talk, and maybe rewatched it over and over again. I can’t overlook what a dramatic change that TED Talks brought to me, and I believe many of you have the same feeling. So, let’s talk about learning communication from TED Talks.
What is so special about TED Talks? TED Talks was first created by Richard Saul Wurman in 1984. In order to minimize the distance between the audience and the speaker. Wurman decided to remove the lectern on stage, leaving no barrier between the audience and the speaker. Different from learning professional knowledge traditionally from a pill of academic papers, TED Talks nowadays choose to spread these ideas with short and clear speeches. The most important part is that they made these speeches freely accessible to everyone. The strategy that they choose really makes these “ideas worth spreading” go across the world.
Many reports have shown that letting other people understand your idea is really important to your business’s success. In fact, you communicate with others many times a day. No matter if you want to order your favorite pizza flavor or ask a friend to hang out. Learning how to communicate is crucial. Let’s learn it from TED Talks.
First, one concept at a time. “These concepts are so important, I want to share them all” this approaches every speaker’s mind before they build up a conversation. In reality, it is impossible to share all your thoughts in 10 minutes. The number one rule for a speaker is to be precise. Don’t add too much unnecessary information in your talk. Too much information often distracts the listener from the main point you’re saying. A sufficient amount of examples can help other people to understand the idea better.
Second, give what the audience needs. This idea often confused many people because how do you know what the audience needs before you have the conversation? There is a great way to trigger the audience’s interest. Some speakers might start with a story, building up a scenario that follows with a breakpoint. Most audiences will love to know more about the entire story and ask you “And then?” with their ears opened.
In the end, I would like to share TED Talks that have completely changed how my life unfolds. Hope you enjoy it :)
- Your body language may shape who you are | Amy Cuddy www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc
- Tim Urban: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU
- How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4
