Want to give a TEDx talk?
I’ve seen many posts about how to get a TEDx talk and how to give it, but I think I have some different material to share.
How to get a TEDx talk
Find opportunities and apply. I think some people apply a lot of times before they get one. I was fortunate in that I only applied twice. The first time I applied, my concept did not fit the theme very well so it wasn’t very surprising that I didn’t get it. The second time, which was a long time later, I thought very carefully about the theme, the organizers, the venue, and my recent accomplishments. Remember that for TEDx, there are real people really reading your application and making their choices. Research those people. Spark those people’s interests, and speak their language. Get them excited to meet you and host you at their program.
Concept
What is the intersection of what you know, what you’re known for, and what’s hot right now?
Look at TEDx talks in related topics. What gaps are there that you could fill?
Message
In your chosen topic, what is the take home message you want to share? Why should people care about your topic? What’s in it for them? Why should they spend ~15 minutes of their life listening to you? Note that most TEDx talks relate to the human perspective. The hook is the human perspective, and how individual humans can benefit. If they happen to get a little fish biology along the way, that’s just icing on the cake… 🙂
Slide deck
For my ~13 minute talk, I had 40 slides. That may seem like a lot!
But how many words do you think I used?
Zero. I used a total of ZERO WORDS. The 40 slides are entirely high resolution imagery that covers the screen, or blank space holder slides. Since my talk is about sound and listening, I thought about the possibility of using no slides. But, TED style talks tend to be visual and it can be easier to follow a story line if there are evocative, carefully chosen images. I also didn’t want to spend too much time playing sounds, so by flashing up images that evoke certain sounds, that saved me time and allowed the audience to use their imagination and be more actively involved.
Delivery
Some people say you need to create a script and memorize it verbatim. That can work, but you can also create a script, and practice it in talking-point chunks, considering more the meaning you are getting across than the exact words. Note the places where exact words really matter, and memorize those very well to improve your flow and confidence. If you don’t have a lot of experience public speaking, you may want to seek help or opportunities. Some common things to be aware of are, avoid filler words and sounds like Um, Like, You know, and avoid awkward patterns of movement, like pacing or fidgeting. Film yourself or get a friend to help you.
Importantly: remember that you are performing, and in a performance you need to be bigger and bolder than real life. Feel the emotions and express them. If they just wanted the content of your speech, they could read the transcript. Make your delivery personal, touching, and memorable by being in the moment and feeling everything that you are saying.
Fashion choices
There is definitely conflicting advice about how to dress for a TEDx talk. Being comfortable is important, so consider your shoes carefully because you will be standing. Often on a rug. (Which in my case, was incredibly fluffy and hiding some cables in the middle of it!) Also, most TEDx events have multiple camera angles, so check how you look from the sides (and sometimes even the back!) as well as the front, and the cameras may be below or above you. You can ask to find out what camera angles are being used and that can help you figure out what might work.
Another thing to consider is what the background will be for the stage of the TEDx event. If it’s a dark background, you probably want to wear light colors to stand out. If it’s a light background, probably wear dark colors. And if it’s a complex background, probably don’t wear something complicated, but rather solid blocks of color that will help to define you in space.
Definitely don’t wear stripes or other patterns that don’t read well in film.
Become a sensational success
How did my talk become a TEDx Editor’s Pick? I don’t know, but I would guess that following all of TEDx’s guidelines helped, as did watching popular TED talks and learning the style of TED and trying to match that.
