Carmine was interviewed by Investors Business Daily about his book Talk Like TED

article transcript:

By Adelia Cellini Linecker, FOR INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 03/05/2014 12:59 PM ET

When some of the top minds are invited to talk about their lives in 18 minutes or less at Ted conferences, you have to figure they’ve mastered the art of public speaking. Those compact presentations are great learning tools accessible to everyone. To attend a Ted Talk live, you need an invitation and a ticket costing up to $6,000. The good news: All the talks are available online for free.

The 1,500 talks at the Ted website have attracted more than a billion views online.

Carmine Gallo says he studied more than 500 Ted presentations and interviewed its speakers to extract what makes them worth emulating. Tips from him and others on how to share insights in the pattern of luminaries from the worlds of technology, education and science:

Keep it short. Ted talks can’t go longer than 18 minutes.

“That’s long enough to be serious and short enough not to lose people’s attention,” Gallo told IBD.

Neuroscientists say the more information you’re asked to retain in a short period, the less you retain.

“It’s amazing the amount of impact that you can pack into 18 minutes,” said Kelly Decker, president of Decker Communications. “Our clients are now having annual conferences that limit people to 20 minutes of main-stage talk time. They no longer need the product guy talking for 60 minutes about the product road map. Instead, they need the product guy talking about how the product will help meet sales quota in 20 minutes.” So zero in. “You might have three or five of the most compelling facts. Pick one and focus on that.”

Inject passion. Presentations need to include facts and how they can improve the lives of people in your audience. Apple (AAPL) whiz Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, would inspire with: “This is what makes my heart sing.”

“Ted Talks are not data dumps of information,” Decker said. “Instead, they create connection by drawing you in emotionally.”

That doesn’t mean just happiness or sadness, she added: “Consider other emotions: competition, pride, satisfaction, guilt, sportsmanship, a sense of urgency, inspiration.”

Tell stories. Share personal experiences with your audience. Facebook (FB) Chief Financial Officer Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” evolved from a Ted talk she gave on women in the workplace.

For the conference, Sandberg was armed with facts and figures. After consulting with a friend, also a female executive, she included a story about the moment her daughter begged her not to make the trip to give the talk and instead pick her up from preschool. Sandberg knew she could help other women by being honest about her own challenges and feelings, Gallo says.

Use visuals. Skip text-rich, PowerPoint presentations. Use pictures and illustrations to make your message stick. Studies show that people remember only 10% of what is said. Add graphics and bump up recall to 65%.

Up the levity. Make observations that can entertain folks. “If you can elicit a smile, you’ve succeeded,” Gallo said.

Practice. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist who suffered a stroke and gave a Ted talk about her spiritual awakening through recovery, practices her presentations 200 times before the big day.

“That’s why her presentation seems so polished,” Gallo said. “When you’ve internalized the message, you become confident.”
Things to sort out: Be aware of your body language. If you’re standing up, use your hands and make powerful gestures without overdoing it, Gallo says. And make more eye contact than you typically do.

(Carmine Gallo is an independent, objective communication expert not affiliated with TED Conferences, LLC)

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