The TED Commandments of Great Presenting

If you are on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter you will no doubt have come across TED talks.

TED is an organization dedicated to sharing the best thinkers and presenters of our time.

Their speakers demonstrate thought provoking information and exhibit various levels of skill in presenting with examples of great technique and also the common mistakes speakers often make.

I often use them with clients as an exercise in assessing presenting skills.

Before anyone presents at TED they are given the following guidelines to apply as they prepare their TED talks.

These 10 tips are a good reminder for what to strive for in your presenting to have a profound impact on your audience.

The TED Commandments

1. Dream big.

Strive to create the best talk you have ever given.

Reveal something never seen before.

Do something the audience will remember forever.

Share an idea that could change the world.

2. Show us the real you.

Share your passions, your dreams … and also your fears.

Be vulnerable. Speak of failure as well as success.

3. Make the complex plain.

Don’t try to dazzle intellectually.

Don’t speak in abstractions.

Explain! Give examples.

Tell stories. Be specific.

4. Connect with people’s emotions.

Make us laugh! Make us cry!

5. Don’t flaunt your ego.

Don’t boast. It’s the surest way to switch everyone off.

6. No selling from the stage!

Unless we have specifically asked you to, do not talk about your company or organization.

And don’t even think about pitching your products or services or asking for funding from stage.

7. Feel free to comment on other speakers’ talks, to praise or to criticize.

Controversy energizes! Enthusiastic endorsement is powerful!

8. Don’t read your talk.

Notes are fine. But if the choice is between reading or rambling, then read!

9. End your talk on time.

Doing otherwise is to steal time from the people that follow you. We won’t allow it.

10. Rehearse your talk

Practise in front of a trusted friend … for timing, for clarity, for impact.

In addition I would encourage you to go better than no. 8 use a structure that enables you to get rid if your notes and practise enough so that you don’t need them.

It is much more impressive!

Until next time,

with best wishes for your success,

Cath

Cath Daley Ltd.

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