The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the Top Minds

Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo is one of my favorite books. I bought it while waiting in an airport in 2015. It was a breezy read and I have read it several times since this. Most of us may never deliver a Ted Talk but we can all learn to be better communicators which is the meta skill of the 21st Century. Learning to speak on our feet puts us in a firmer footing in anything we undertake and can also help us further our aspirations. Here are the 9 Public speaking secrets with my take on each.
Passion 
You should only speak on a topic which you are passionate about. He shares the example of Aimee Mullins, a double amputee and world record holding Paralympic runner. Mullins' TED talk changed the way we look at people with disabilities. The author says Mullins is passionate about unleashing human potential. He also asks us to find our passion by asking what makes our heart sing. 
Storytelling
Here the example of Bryan Stevenson’s Ted Talk is provided. He received a long-standing ovation for this one. We should divide our talk according to ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos stands for character, pathos for emotion and logos is for logic. Tailor your presentation more towards pathos than the other two.
Have a Conversation
Learn to speak the way you would converse with a close confidant. He gives a lot of examples on body language as well. How you come across through nonverbal cues is also important.
Teach People Something New
The human brain loves novelty. Provide something unique and different with your presentation. Make it interesting for the audience.
Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments
Here the example of Bill Gates is provided where he brought along a jar of mosquitoes. Quoting Gates, "Malaria is, of course, transmitted by mosquitoes. I brought some here, just so you could experience this. We'll let these roam around the auditorium a little bit. There's no reason only poor people should have the experience." This creates something called an emotionally charged event. Of course, this should be done only if you have the trust of the audience or it can put the audience off.
Lighten Up
People are happy when topics are presented with a touch of humor. We shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.
Stick to the 18-Minute Rule
All TED presentations must not exceed 18 minutes in length. As attention spans in the world have reduced it is imperative to stick to this rule. This is the only way to maintain the audiences interest in the topic.
Paint a Mental Picture with Multisensory Experiences
The main point here is to deliver content through strong visuals.
Stay in Your Lane
When you stay in your lane there is lesser competition and you feel great about yourself. This is all about being authentic, open, and transparent in your presentations. When you are true to yourself there is a greater chance the audience will appreciate it.
There you have it the 9 presentation secrets of all successful speakers. Thanks for reading this post.
The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.

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