Name: TED Talks
Rating: 4.5 (126 reviews)
Author: Chris Anderson

What’s in it for me? Free your inner public speaker.

What’s the number one fear of Americans and many other people around the globe? Death? Losing a limb? Going to the dentist?

No.

The thing people fear the most is public speaking.

And that’s a pity. Just consider how many amazing ideas are locked up in people’s heads where we’ll never learn about them – simply because they are mortally afraid of a microphone.

But did you know that many of the most dazzling TED talkers used to also be anxious about speaking? After all, most speakers aren’t invited because of their oratorical skills but because of their mind-blowing ideas.

No matter where these people start from, speaking experts at TED will coach them into decent, even captivating speakers. And you can become one, too. In these blinks, you’ll find much of the speaking advice TED has assembled and shared throughout the last 30 years.

You’ll learn

what’s so helpful about blushing;
how to give an enticing talk about the prefrontal cortex; and
why a little black dress doesn’t work so well on camera.

Public speaking is a great way to spread your ideas; anyone can learn to do it.

Imagine you’re about to step onto a big stage to present an innovative project to a crowd of hundreds. This scenario probably sparks some anxiety in you.

How come?

Because we humans are social creatures, and when we speak in public, we put something very dear to us on the line – our reputation. We depend on one another for our survival and therefore invest a lot in being respected and supported. So, it makes sense that we are anxious about expressing our views publicly, risking being disliked, ridiculed or even worse, ignored.

But don’t worry, even if your fear of rejection vastly outweighs your self-confidence, you can still speak well in public and spread your story.

As an example, consider Monica Lewinsky. In 2015, she gave a TED Talk on the public shaming she suffered following her affair with former president Bill Clinton. Before the talk, she was extremely nervous. She knew that millions of people would hear her speech and was terrified that she would screw up, further damaging her reputation. But in the end, the audience gave her a standing ovation and an endless stream of glowing online reviews.

The moral is, don’t let your lack of confidence hold you back from giving public speaking a shot. Just remember, while there’s a lot at stake, it’s a great opportunity to get your ideas out into the world.

And the truth is, public speaking is a skill that anyone can learn. For example, in Kenya, a 12-year-old boy named Richard Turere invented a system to keep lions from killing his family’s cattle. He had realized that the predators were afraid of moving lights and created a network of lights that switched on and off in sequence, frightening the lions away. The tool became wildly popular and he was invited to give a TED talk.

At the time, Turere was shy, spoke very little broken English and had a difficult time describing his invention coherently. But even he, after just six months of training, was able to come to California and give an amazing speech, captivating the audience with his story and his charm.

So, say you do manage to summon up the courage to give a public speech. How can you give a convincing presentation?

If you use visuals, they should be strong and illuminating.

Thanks to modern technology, we have the option to dress up our words with all manner of captivating eye candy, like videos, photos, graphs – you name it. But not all talks benefit from visuals.

That’s because the goal of your talk is to form a connection with your audience that makes them trust you and open up to your ideas; using visuals might disrupt that connection. So, if your talk is on a highly personal subject, you probably don’t want to distract your audience with slides.

Consider what you wear, but not too carefully.

Most people have seen old videos or photos of themselves – whether as a giddy teenager performing in a school concert or as a guest speaker at a conference – and been appalled by what they wore. To avoid feeling this way about your presentation, here are a few tips for picking the perfect outfit.

First, ask the host of the event if there’s a dress code. If so, and if you’re not totally uncomfortable with these suggestions, then let the dress code guide you. It will at least tell you what everyone else will be wearing and help you avoid sticking out.

Channel your adrenaline.

Adrenaline probably surges through your veins at the mere thought of a stage. That’s good – but only to a certain extent.

If you live in the jungle in constant fear of predators, adrenaline is your best friend. That’s because it gives you the strength you need to fight or flee. On stage too, adrenaline can help you by spurring you to do your best.

Key ideas in TED Talks