WHY TED TALKS ARE SO FOCUSED. (2 TEDster tips to hone your message.)

WHY TED TALKS ARE SO FOCUSED. (2 TEDster tips to hone your message.)

TED Talks are laboriously focused for a number of reasons.

TICK-TOCK. The most obvious is the countdown click. It is a harsh taskmaster. TED innovated in the conference space decades ago by incorporating a "smoke break length" center stage message. Organizers knew that the traditional 40-minute keynote wasn't impactful any longer. So these days, <18-minutes is the norm; not a sentence or a pause can be impromptu.

BRAIN CALORIES. Another factor is that an audience can only process so much. Story expert Donald Miller says "If you confuse, you lose" [a listener's attention]. He argues that requiring someone to burn precious "brain calories" in understanding a convoluted message will mean they tune you out.

SPREAD-WORTHY. A reason related to brain calories is that if viewers are going to share your idea, it must be sculpted for that purpose. TED's tagline "ideas worth spreading" suggests that TEDster ideas have heft, but their design is aerodynamic and social media friendly.

So how does my team work with speakers to ensure that a message is clearly-focused in the TED style?

Glad you asked!

Actually, there are 5 factors that accomplish this. (For more, knock me a LinkedIn DM.)

Let's briefly touch on two now.

(1) THE BIG IDEA. TEDsters know that one singular idea worth spreading is essential to nailing a stage or online presentation. What is the “thru line” you want your audience to recall and share after your presentation? Is it memorably stated in clean, crisp, clear wording? Are those words as few as possible? Is the phrasing sticky, repeatable... Tweetable?

Want to understand more of the multi-step process involved in milling that Big Idea? Click here.

(2) THE RULE OF THREE. TEDsters also know that no audience can process and remember 8, 18, or 28 points. Brain research proves that we really only recall 3 things when we hit the next kitchen conversation or Zoom. So work to ensure that your big idea is supported or expanded by 3 (or fewer) points. And again, make those points memorable in clean, crisp, clear wording. Ideally, they are also balanced in terms of word count and structure.

Want to dig deeper (and I mean really nerd out) into the Rule of 3? Click here.

Consider the example offered by Natalie Fratto in her super-short TED Residency Talk:

3 ways to measure your adaptability — and how to improve it.

(Go ahead, take 6 minutes to watch it. )

Did you see those two focusing techniques play out in her talk? As Natalie shared her formula for determining which start-up founders to fund (i.e., she looks for adaptability), she introduced one singular Big Idea and undergirded it with 3 key points.

Her short and rhythmic Big Idea:

Measure your adaptability quotient to improve.

Her 3 pithy ways to measure your own "adaptability quotient" included:

(1) Ask What-If Questions.

(2) Look for Unlearning.

(3) Search for Exploration Infusers.

Seems simple, right? And it is...

But sadly, far too, too many hopeful TEDsters fail to hit just these two "table ante" marks. Their messages are too complex, unwieldy, and unfocused.

They put in work rehearsing a poorly-structured talk.

The result?

Audience eyes glaze over. And few (if any) are motivated to Tweet a link to a "you must watch this" TED Talk.

Naturally, this is just a quick introduction to building a clearly-focused message. What's more, focus is only 1/3 of my TED Messaging Method™ to building breakaway talks. (For more, click Story-Wrapped and Action-Igniting.)

But just ensuring that you focus your next Zoom preso, board meeting, or funding pitch in this way will set you apart and give you a bit of that TED spread magic!

.

DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has represented hundreds of TED, TEDx, and TED-style speakers with millions of views. His team helps leaders, just like you, catalyze insights.

You can call Devin at 617-804-6020; or DM him by clicking here here.

.

CONSIDER SUPPORTING TED BY BECOMING A MEMBER!

In 2020, TED rolled out a membership option for talk fans.

I hope you will consider supporting the work of TED by becoming a member.

It is an easy lift at just $5 a month. And yet, if you consider the millions of viewers that digest talks each month, that modest monthly can add up to a big aggregate impact.

What's more, membership offers you...

[  ] The book club 

[  ] Ad-free podcast listening

[  ] Access to key TED speakers

[  ] Members-only virtual events

[  ] A virtual happy hour or two!

, ,

.

FIND YOUR TED TALK TYPE. (There are 8 options.)

Ever wonder what category of talk you are best suited to deliver? There are 8 distinct types of TED Talks that take center stage. To get clarity on which one could be yours, click here. 

In just 12 questions you’ll have your answer and a 15-page PDF with worksheets, TEDster examples, and ways to begin shaping your idea worth spreading!

Want one example of a talk type? Here’s a brief look at one of the 8 classics: 

The "Moon Shot" Talk.

Your primary goal in your future TED Talk is best categorized as a “Moon Shot” due to your focus on a specific long shot goal that seems nearly impossible to pull off!

Some attributes of a MOON SHOT TED Talk tend to include the following:

[  ] Audacity that blows minds  

[  ] Akin to a space voyage to Mars

[  ] Envisions a new, radical step forward

[  ] Seemingly impossible, but worthwhile

[  ] Offers the audience clarity on next steps

[  ] Includes an understanding of audience needs

Do this, click here to learn what form your BIG IDEA worth spreading will take!

.

A BREAKAWAY TALK: >1M <1Yr.

It is said that 100K views make for a "viral" talk, and I'm not quibbling there. (Pre-Pandemic I wasn't a fan of the word viral either.) But those are a dime a dozen.

What marks a BREAKAWAY in my way of thinking is a talk with 1M views.

I love to highlight and celebrate talks (whether from my clients or otherwise) that have just recently surpassed the one-million-view mark. They are special.

This recent May 2022 TED Countdown Summit by Ryah Whalen — 3 ways to make flying more climate-friendly — is a stand-out.

Here's the TED description:

Air travel opens our eyes to the world, but it also comes at a high cost to the environment. Piloting us into a future of green aviation, innovator Ryah Whalen shares three ways to lower the industry's carbon footprint through smarter designs, eco-friendly fuel and new technology — so we can continue to explore the planet without hurting it.

When a talk like this one hits the 1M marker within the first year... that's special. But when it does so at an accelerated pace (< 4 months?!) there's clearly something special going on.

It. Is. Spreading.

Many so-so talks can accumulate an impressive view count over years. But hitting the 7-figure marker within a concentrated timeframe is a signal that there's something truly extraordinary going on in the talk and around the topic.

So my equation is as follows:

BREAKAWAY TALK = >1M + <1Yr

PS. Know of an about-to-happen breakaway talk? Even better, did you deliver one? Please touch base and 411 me here.

.

WE HOPE YOU CAN BE A BREAKAWAY TEDster!

When you're ready to take center stage (or center screen), let me know. Whether you're working on a commencement address, an all-hands preso, a keynote... or a TED Talk, you will want to be:

[ ] Clearly-Focused

[ ] Story-Wrapped

[ ] Action-Igniting

And those three priorities make our TED Messaging Method so very, very connecting and compelling. Click here to begin a conversation.

.

[ADVERTISEMENT]

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THIS THURSDAY?

Ever wish you had time to deeply think?

To pause — read a book, enjoy a conversation, write a letter?

Why not join a likeminded tribe on Thursdays and enjoy a bit of all that?

Each Thursday, THINKER THURSDAYS™ participants block out a portion of their day to read a book, connect with a deeper mind over lunch, and reflect on paper about the same. 

1. READ. Crack open a real book. (None of that iPad e-Book nonsense.) We’re talking real, dog-eared pages. Make real margin notes: ask questions, add insights, argue. Save it on something called a book shelf… for generations.

2. CONNECT. Have a conversation over a long lunch. (Not a rushed half-hour grab-and-go.) We’re talking about that eye-to-eye and passion-connecting breaking of bread. iPhones off. A quiet (or virtual) corner. Listen. Share.

3. REFLECT. Take pen-in-hand. (Not a stylus or digital sticky note.) We’re talking writing cursive on a real piece of paper. Better yet, use an archive-friendly notebook. Pass it on to your kid one day. Reflect. Dream.

The result: perspective and serendipities—among two!

Hope you can join in on the fun.

P.S. A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.

.

SIGN UP FOR MORE.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? To receive future editions, click below. Each week, another edition of TEDxTuesdays: Weekly TEDx Tips... from The TED Talk Whisperer will hit your inbox. You can also Follow me on LinkedIn and click the 🔔 button on my profile to be notified when another edition posts.