When we think about impactful presentations, we often think about TED talks. The famous red dot with the letters TED in the background that you have seen so often on Youtube.

What is the TED effect, and can we apply it to our business presentations?

Let’s see!

I have been involved in organizing TEDx events the last 10 years. I know what goes on behind the scenes of this famous conference, and I personally prepare TED speakers for their presentations. These speeches require a lot of work, preparation, and rehearsals. Some speeches are practiced months before the live performance.

So, what do you think is most important in these presentations? Do you have to be a star, a celebrity, a famous scientist? Not at all!

Let’s see what you can learn from TED speakers. Here are the 3 key tips for you:

1. The most important element of a TED stage presentation is the idea. 

Idea worth spreading. I always start working with speakers by asking them: “What is your idea, what do you really want to convey to the audience?” The idea should be new, interesting, and valuable to the listeners. Now, here’s a tip: When preparing your business presentation, ask yourself the same question: What is my idea, what value do I want to convey to my audience? Don’t even start without this.

2.  Besides the idea, a persuasive speaking style is important.

If you speak with conviction, and confidence, you become much more convincing and interesting. Think about which aspects of your style you want to work on – maybe it’s your voice, body language, stable posture, or eye contact. If you have a recording of your presentation, see which elements could be stronger.

3. If you’ve watched TED presentations, you understand that slides don’t play a major role in those speeches.

The most important aspects are the message and body language, the speaker’s style, and charisma. We can’t focus on reading and listening at the same time, so when you provide a lot of information on slides, you automatically accept that the audience won’t listen to you for a while.

So remember – great idea, persuasive speaking style and not much information on the slides equals great TED-like presentation.

If you want to become a more confident communicator, or maybe even a TEDx speaker – reach out to me on LinkedIn and I will help you with that.