What makes someone want to go out to a TED Talk and want to spend 45 minutes to an hour sometimes listening to someone speak on a topic that relates to their profession or special interest? Rarely is it because the subject matter speaks for itself; it’s because the speaker who’s delivering it makes it sound way more interesting. Good keynote speakers can make a subject sound amazing and leave you feeling like you spent your time well.
TED Talks are a global platform that affects millions and millions of people from so many different countries and backgrounds. The types of keynote speakers they feature are from all kinds of backgrounds, like entrepreneurs, authors, educators, and so much more! They are an incredible gateway for people to learn so much and maybe even take inspiration for wanting to become a speaker of their own.
In this blog, we will talk about why the best speakers in the world do TED Talks and how that can inspire you to be a keynote speaker in the future.
What Makes TED Talk Speakers The Best
What sets the best TED Talk speakers in the world apart from any other regular speaker is their ability to make the most complex of topics sound accessible to someone who may not even know as much as they think they do about the subject being spoken about. There’s a connection there, and each speaker makes sure to write their speeches to connect with the audience on that level.
Even if you’re not necessarily attending a TED Talk event to hear about the topic being discussed, you still get a front-row seat to hearing one of the best speakers in the world. If, by chance, you’re someone who wants to be a speaker too, these people make it an experience.
Take a great example of a past TED Talk speech from Sir Ken Robinson. His TED Talk called “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” is one of the most fascinating TED Talks in the last 20 years. Robinson’s ability to speak through personal observations and humor was able to challenge his audience to reconsider how schools nurture creativity. In hindsight, the topic is very unique to what you might normally hear someone speak on, but he had a good way of carrying the conversation for people to see his points.
You even have an example like Brené Brown and “The Power of Vulnerability” which is a speech we’ve referenced before in a past blog. It’s one of the most viewed TED Talks in history for a reason. She combined a VERY relevant topic of conversation that so many millions of people have with themselves with a long life of professional expertise. Her honesty with the subject matter connected with audiences and showed a lot of courage and human connection.
Better Storytellers Than Truth Tellers
Storytelling, for lack of a better term, is almost every TED Talk speaker’s most valuable weapon and what makes them the best there is. The facts of the topics they discuss can inform an audience, but that can only get you so far if there’s nothing to feel from hearing it being said. If someone spoke about a topic that related to another person's own personal struggle, that message is going to connect with them more than anything else that’s said in the speech.
Take psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend”. Again, another one of TED Talk’s most viewed speeches, and for good reason. Her goal with that speech wasn’t to just tell people why stress is bad; everyone already knows that. Her goal was to explain to people why something so bad for humans can actually be good for them.
Her way of speaking on this topic is what helped audiences reconsider an experience that everyone has gone through, but view it through a different lens. If you are someone who wants to become a future keynote speaker, you have to consider this approach. It might be easy for you to identify a topic you’re passionate about, or one that relates to your job in a certain industry, but the goal to keep in mind is HOW you want to come off to people.
TED Talk selections come from a highly selective committee that looks at people who want to put a lot of passion and commitment into just one speech that potentially millions of people will see. If you aspire to be a keynote speaker, let these speeches be a shining example of how to educate yourself. We have a couple of speakers at Human Connections who have worked with TED Talks before, so we know the experience. If you want to learn more or schedule one of our speakers for an event, reach out through our contact form!