TED:ology Presentation secrets from TED Talks

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Akash  Karia    #1  Bestselling  Author  of  “How  to  Deliver  a  Great  TED  Talk”  

 Dana  Rubin    

 Founder  &  Director  of  NY  Speechwriter’s  Roundtable    

Marion  Grobb  Finkelstein  Renowned  Communication  Skills  Consultant  

     Dr.  Michelle  Mazur  

PhD  in  Communication    *  

Note:  This  book  makes  use  of  small  portions  of  coprighted  material  from  TED  in  accordance  with  the  “fair  use”  rule  for  the  purposes  of  criticism  and  commentary  of  the  speeches.  

 *  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  I  am  heavily  indebted  to  my  parents,  my  sister  and  my  friends,  without  whom  this  book  would  not  have  been  possible.  I  am  also  indebted  to  the  work  of  experts  such  as  Craig  Valentine,  Darren  LaCroix,  Robert  Cialdini,  Anthony  Robbins,  Amanda  Palmer,  Jinsop  Lee  and  Hans  Rosling.  Finally,  I  owe  a  huge  thank  you  to  TED  for  the  work  they  do.  I  am  inspired  by  the  speakers  at  TED  and  I  or  any  of  the  authors  in  this  book  are  affiliated  this  great  organization,  I  hope  that  this  book  will  serve  as  an  educational  tool  and  help  more  people  discover  the  magic  of  TED.  -­‐-­‐  from  Akash  Karia    

TED:OLOGY  –  PRESENTATION  SECRETS  FROM  TED  TALKS  

   TED:ology  –  Presentation  Secrets  from  TED  Talks  is  a  short,  clear  and  straightforward  guide  that  reveals  the  secrets  to  delivering  a  mesmerizing  TED  talk.      Written  by  four  presentation  experts,  this  book  systematically  dissects  the  TED  talks  of  four  great  speakers.  By  the  end  of  the  book,  you’ll  have  received  new  insights  into  the  art  of  public  speaking  and  discovered  the  techniques  that  you  can  use  to  inspire,  educate  and  entertain  any  audience.    Whether  you’re  a  CEO,  manager,  entrepreneur  or  educator,  as  long  as  you’ve  got  a  message  to  share,  TED:ology  will  become  an  indispensible  resource  in  your  speaking  toolkit.    By  the  end  of  the  book,  you’ll  be  able  to:    

• Harness  the  power  of  storytelling  and  move  your  audience  emotionally.    

• Connect  with  your  audience  by  appealing  to  a  universal  experience  or  idea.    

• Create  an  experience  for  your  audience  (Case  Study:  Amanda  Palmer,  The  Art  of  Asking).    

• Start  with  a  startle  (and  avoid  “shocks  that  block”)    

• Keep  your  audience  engaged  and  interested  (Case  study:  Jinsop  Lee,  Design  for  All  Five  Senses).    

• Deliver  a  memorable  presentation  by  repeating  a  hook  line.    

• Share  the  message  out  of  the  mess.    

• Surprise  your  audience  with  twists  and  turns.    

• Deliver  a  dynamic  TED  talk  or  any  other  speech  or  presentation  (Case  study:  Anthony  Robbins,  Why  We  Do  What  We  Do).    

• Build  rapport  using  you-­‐focused  speaking.    

• Instantly  connect  with  your  audience  using  the  energy-­‐matching  principle.    

• Gesture  powerfully  and  confidently  by  putting  your  body  behind  your  gestures.    

• Deepen  the  connection  with  your  audience  by  verbalizing  their  thoughts.    

• Personalize  your  talk  using  callbacks.    

• Keep  your  audience  curious  using  knowledge  gaps.    

• Have  fun  on  stage.    

• Make  your  statistics  come  alive  (Case  study:  Hans  Rosling,  The  Best  Stats  You’ve  Ever  Seen).  

 

• Give  life  and  meaning  to  your  data.    

• Engage  seamlessly  with  your  visuals.    

• End  your  talk  powerfully  and  persuasively.    

• Share  a  message  that  is  remembered  and  repeated.    Let’s  get  started...    

Akash  Karia  http://AkashKaria.com      

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YOUR  FREE  GIFT   As  a  way  of  saying  thank  you  for  your  purchase,  I’d  like  to  offer  you  a  free  bonus  package  worth  $297.  This  bonus  package  contains  eBooks,  videos  and  audiotapes  on  how  to  master  the  art  of  storytelling,  design  sexy  presentations,  overcome  procrastination  and  triple  your  productivity.  You  can  download  the  free  bonus  by  clicking  here.

 

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RAVE  REVIEWS  FOR  AKASH’S  BOOKS    “pithy  and  perfect...his  tips  coupled  with  a  review  of  excellent  presentations,  are  consumable  (usable  right  away)  and  valuable!”    Eric  Laughton    “...tips  for  energizing  not  only  your  speech,  but  also  your  audience”  Angela  Avery    “...perfect  book  for  those  who  want  to  dominate  the  art  of  storytelling”    Alci  Aguilera    “Must-­‐read  for  time  starved  professionals!”      Sean  P.  Graham      "The  best  speaking  wisdom  I  have  had  in  years"    Sandeep  Gupta      "World  class  speaking  tips  that  you  can  start  using  today..."      Michael  Davis,  Certified  World  Class  Speaking  Coach    “Maybe  one  of  the  clearest  books  on  presentations  I've  ever  read”  Javier,  Verified  Amazon  Reviewer  

     

CHAPTER  ONE    

HOW  TO  CREATE  AN  EXPERIENCE  FOR  YOUR  AUDIENCE  

 

• Case  study:  Amanda  Palmer,  The  Art  of  Asking  

• Expert  analysis  by:  Michelle  Mazur    A  good  TED  talk  piques  our  interests,  teaches  us  something  new  and  perhaps  inspires  us  to  see  the  world  from  a  different  perspective.  A  great  TED  talk  does  all  of  that  and  evokes  emotion.  Perhaps  your  eyes  well  with  tears,  or  you  just  feel  deeply  understood.  It’s  the  “Yes,  I’ve  been  there  too”  thought  that  washes  across  your  mind.    Punk-­‐rock/cabaret  musician  Amanda  Palmer’s  The  Art  of  Asking  (http://bit.ly/I5qNGe)  is  one  of  those  rare  talks  that  goes  beyond  just  giving  information  or  persuading  the  audience  to  do  something  differently.  She  makes  you  feel  –  sad  at  times,  entertained  at  other  times  –  but  ultimately  leaves  you  feeling  like  an  unstoppable  force  who  can  ask  for  anything.  Amanda  doesn’t  just  speak,  she  creates  an  experience  for  the  audience  and  the  nearly  3  million  viewers  of  her  TED  talk.    

 

Image:  TED    Amanda’s  talk  provides  rich  insights  for  speakers  about  how  to  move  beyond  the  presentation  of  information,  and  how  to  create  an  experience  using  aspects  of  performance  and  storytelling  combined  with  a  rich  takeaway.  Her  talk  includes  lessons  on:    

• Commanding  the  room  and  creating  intrigue.  

• Using  stories  that  evoke  a  range  of  emotions.  

• Anchoring  repetition  with  gestures.  

• Creating  a  rich  conclusion  with  a  takeaway  message.    I  highly  encourage  you  to  go  watch  the  talk  here:  http://bit.ly/I5qNGe.    You  won’t  regret  it!      

 Command  the  Room  and  Create  Intrigue  

 The  opening  of  Amanda’s  talk  immediately  accomplishes  three  things:  setting  the  stage  for  her  entire  presentation,  commanding  the  room  and  creating  intrigue  and  interest.      Amanda  saunters  on  stage  with  a  milk  crate,  a  hat,  a  swath  of  crinoline  and  a  flower.  She  places  the  hat  at  her  feet,  wraps  herself  in  the  fabric  and  stands  on  top  of  the  crate  as  she  holds  the  flower.    She  scans  the  audience  and  breathes  deeply.    A  lesson  for  speakers  is  that  when  you  take  an  influential  stage  –  don’t  just  walk  on  stage,  command  the  room.  Setting  up  the  stage,  taking  the  long  pause  while  connecting  with  the  audience  via  eye  contact,  shows  confidence  and  moxie.  Don’t  be  afraid  to  set  the  stage  the  way  you  want  it,  to  stop,  breathe  and  make  a  connection  before  starting  a  talk.      You  know  there  is  something  attention  worthy  coming  because  of  the  time  well  spent  to  create  an  experience.  As  an  audience  member,  you  can’t  help  but  lean  forward  and  wonder  what  this  woman  is  doing.  Your  brain  is  dying  to  find  out  what  happens  next.  From  the  time  Amanda  

takes  the  stage  she  creates  intrigue  about  why  she  has  the  props  and  how  she  is  going  to  use  them.  

 

 

Appeal  to  a  Universal  Experience  or  Idea    

Amanda  starts  off  her  talk  with  the  following  line:    

“So  I  didn't  always  make  my  living  from  music.  For  about  the  five  years  after  graduating  from  an  upstanding  liberal  arts  university,  this  was  my  day  job.  I  was  a  self-­‐employed  living  statue  called  the  8-­‐Foot  Bride,  and  I  love  telling  people  l  did  this  for  a  job,  because  everybody  always  wants  to  know,  who  are  these  freaks  in  real  life?”    

Although  Amanda  is  talking  about  her  own  experience,  there’s  something  universal  in  her  opening  line.  We’ve  all  seen  the  performance  artists  standing  on  crates  as  statues  in  busy  tourist  areas.  We’ve  wondered,  as  Amanda  puts  it,  “Who  are  these  freaks  are  in  real  life?”  Now,  we  know.    The  key  to  a  strong  opening  that  draws  in  the  audience  is  to  appeal  to  an  idea,  concept  or  experience  that  is  universal.  It  makes  Amanda’s  experience  relatable  to  our  own.  Instantly,  the  audience  is  hooked  because  they  are  a  part  of  the  presentation  and  the  story.    Bonus  tip:  Amanda’s  use  of  the  props  is  masterful.  She  stays  on  the  crate  until  she  says  that  her  band  “started  making  enough  money  that  I  could  quit  being  a  statue”  and  she  steps  off  the  crate.  Use  the  prop  until  it  makes  sense  in  the  story  to  transition  away  from  it.      

Choose  Stories  that  Show  a  Range  of  Emotion    When  creating  a  talk  –  especially  a  talk  of  your  life  –  like  a  TED  talk,  it  can  be  challenging  for  speakers  to  choose  the  right  story.    The  key  is  to  choose  stories  that  evoke  a  range  of  emotion  from  struggle  to  laughter.  Amanda  juxtaposes  two  stories  about  couch  surfing  that  illustrate  a  spectrum  of  emotions.  

 The  most  emotional  story  of  Amanda’s  talk  (and  the  one  that  caused  her  own  voice  to  crack)  is  about  the  family  of  an  18-­‐year-­‐old  girl  that  her  band  crashed  with  in  Miami:    

“My  crew  once  pulled  our  van  up  to  a  really  poor  Miami  neighborhood  and  we  found  out  that  our  couchsurfing  host  for  the  night  was  an  18-­‐year-­‐old  girl,  still  living  at  home,  and  her  family  were  all  undocumented  immigrants  from  Honduras.  And  that  night,  her  whole  family  took  the  couches  and  she  slept  together  with  her  mom  so  that  we  could  take  their  beds.  And  I  lay  there  thinking,  these  people  have  so  little.  Is  this  fair?  And  in  the  morning,  her  mom  taught  us  how  to  try  to  make  tortillas  and  wanted  to  give  me  a  Bible,  and  she  took  me  aside  and  she  said  to  me  in  her  broken  English,  "Your  music  has  helped  my  daughter  so  much.  Thank  you  for  staying  here.  We're  all  so  grateful."  And  I  thought,  this  is  fair.  This  is  this.”    

The  next  morning  she  gets  her  answer  when  the  family  expresses  gratitude  for  her  music  because  “it  helped  their  daughter  so  much.”  It’s  about  giving  and  being  open  to  receiving.      After  this  heartfelt  story,  Amanda  talks  about  tweeting  for  a  place  to  stay  in  NYC  and  walking  up  to  a  stranger’s  door  alone  and  wondering,  “Is  this  how  stupid  people  die?”  The  audience  laughs.      In  a  minute,  Amanda  takes  the  audience  from  struggle  and  sadness  to  laugher  and  craziness.  For  speakers,  this  illustrates  how  to  choose  stories  that  create  an  emotional  roller  coaster  ride.  If  you  take  the  audience  to  a  melancholy  place,  you  must  bring  them  back  to  laughter.  Use  emotions  to  engage  the  audience.        

Anchor  Repetition  with  Gestures    Repetition  is  an  excellent  way  to  make  your  message  memorable  long  after  the  talk  has  ended.  However,  Amanda  takes  it  one  step  further  and  anchors  her  repetition  with  gestures.  Now,  her  use  of  repetition  is  something  the  audience  can  see  and  hear.  

 The  two  phrases  Amanda  repeats  in  her  speech  are  “Get  a  job?”  and  “Is  this  fair?”  These  phrases  illustrate  the  fear  and  the  struggle  you  have  when  asking  for  what  you  need.  There’s  an  emotion  connected  with  the  words.  When  she  utters  those  phrases  in  her  talk,  she  anchors  them  with  the  gesture  of  her  hand  behind  her  head  as  if  her  inner  critic  is  blurting  out  those  words.    

 Image:  TED    The  repeated  phrases  paired  with  the  gestures  reminds  us  of  the  emotion  that  we  had  when  she  told  us  about  standing  on  the  crate  as  statue  with  a  hat  at  her  feet  –  asking  for  money.      As  a  speaker,  can  you  pair  a  gesture  with  your  phrase  to  reinforce  the  message,  and  to  evoke  the  same  emotional  response  from  the  audience  as  the  first  time  you  spoke  the  repeated  phrase?  Anchoring  repeated  phrases  with  a  gesture  is  a  powerful  way  to  recall  emotion,  and  transport  the  audience  back  to  how  they  felt  when  you  first  uttered  the  words.    

 Craft  a  Compelling  Conclusion  

 

The  one  flaw  in  Amanda’s  talk  is  that  the  ending  is  abrupt.  Additionally,  the  last  sentence  she  utters  is  specific  to  her  industry  instead  of  appealing  to  the  universal  message  of  asking.      She  does  an  excellent  job  of  referring  to  the  introduction  of  the  speech  when  she  says,  “My  music  career  has  been  spent  trying  to  encounter  people  on  the  Internet  the  way  I  could  on  the  box…”  This  reference  ties  the  conclusion  back  to  the  introduction.  It’s  a  great  way  to  signal  the  end  of  a  talk  without  using  the  dreaded  phrase  “in  conclusion.”    She  does  give  a  rich  takeaway  message  about  the  power  of  asking:  that  despite  all  of  our  flaws,  fears  and  mistakes,  “when  we  really  see  each  other,  we  want  to  help  each  other.”  This  would  have  been  an  excellent  universal  takeaway  message  to  end  on.    Instead  she  goes  on  to  say,  “I  think  people  have  been  obsessed  with  the  wrong  question,  which  is,  ‘How  do  we  make  people  play  for  music?’  What  if  we  started  asking,  ‘How  do  we  let  people  pay  for  music?’”    Communication  theory  teaches  us  that  people  remember  most  what  they  hear  first  (primacy  effect)  and  what  they  hear  last  (recency  effect)  in  a  presentation.  For  this  reason,  it’s  important  that  the  closing  thought  be  one  that  resonates  with  the  entire  audience  and  not  just  those  in  the  music  industry.    For  speakers,  it’s  better  to  conclude  with  a  universal  takeaway  message  than  with  a  very  specific  one.        

Don’t  Just  Speak  –  Create  an  Experience    The  biggest  speaking  insight  from  this  masterful  TED  talk  is  that  when  you  combine  the  elements  of  performance  with  public  speaking,  you  create  a  memorable  experience  for  the  audience.  An  experience  that  has  them  talking  (and  sharing  your  talk)  long  after  it  ends.      As  a  speaker,  take  these  lessons  to  challenge  yourself  to  command  the  room  and  set  the  stage  for  an  experience  of  your  speech.  Remember,  it’s  important  to  use  story  to  evoke  a  wide  range  of  emotions  in  the  

audience,  and  to  end  with  a  universal  takeaway  message.  If  you  create  a  great  experience  for  your  audience,  you  move  beyond  the  transfer  of  knowledge  and  create  emotional  bonds  with  the  audience.      

In  a  Nutshell  

• Don’t  just  walk  on  stage  –  command  the  room.  Don’t  be  afraid  to  take  a  long  pause  while  connecting  with  the  audience  via  eye  contact.    

• Appeal  to  a  universal  experience  or  idea.  

• Choose  stories  to  create  a  range  of  emotions  in  your  audience.  

• Anchor  repetition  with  gestures.  

• Conclude  with  a  universal  takeaway  message  that  your  audience  members  can  apply  to  their  lives.  

• Don’t  just  speak.  Aim  to  create  an  experience  for  your  audience.    

*    

Meet  Presentation  Expert  Michelle  Mazur:    Speech  coach,  presentation  strategist,  and  author  of  the  upcoming  book,  Speak  Up  for  Your  Business,  Dr.  Michelle  Mazur  guides  driven-­‐to-­‐succeed  business  professional  and  entrepreneurs  to  ignite  the  smoldering  fire  within  to  speak  up,  speak  out  and  make  their  impact  –  one  compelling  presentation  at  a  time.      Michelle  earned  a  Ph.D.  in  communication  and  her  writing  has  appeared  in  12  Most,  PR  Daily,  Ragan.com,  SOLD  Magazine  for  Sales  Professional,  PR  Europe  and  Business2Community.  Her  blog,  Relationally  Speaking,  was  listed  at  #11  of  the  101  best  online  resources  for  public  speaking.  She  resides  in  Seattle,  WA  with  her  loving  fiancé,  two  obsessive  felines  and  huge  collection  of  Duran  Duran  memorabilia.  Check  out  her  blog  at:  http://drmichellemazur.com          

CHAPTER  TWO    

KEEPING  YOUR  AUDIENCE  ENGAGED  AND  INTERESTED  

 • Case  study:  Jinsop  Lee,  Design  for  All  Five  Senses  

• Expert  analysis  by:  Marion  Grobb  Finkelstein  

In  February  2013,  Jinsop  Lee  stood  on  a  stage  in  Long  Beach,  California,  in  front  of  1,500  people  to  present  his  TED  talk  about  how  good  industrial  design  appeals  to  all  five  senses  (http://bit.ly/1bZCppv).        

Speakers  are  chosen  for  TED  talks  for  a  reason  –  they  have  both  great  content  AND  delivery.  Jinsop  Lee  is  no  exception  and  has  many  strong  points  in  his  speech.  In  a  mere  nine  minutes  and  four  seconds,  he  packs  in  a  lot  of  information  that  has  the  potential  to  be  somewhat  dry  and  boring  –  yet  he  delivers  it  in  an  entertaining  and  polished  manner.  You  can  watch  Jinsop’s  speech  here:  http://bit.ly/1bZCppv  

 

 

Source:  TED  

There  are  many  ways  to  slice,  dice  and  analyze  a  speech.  These  are  the  ones  we’ll  use  to  review  Jinsop’s  speech.  I  encourage  you  to  take  away  the  lessons  and  use  them  in  your  next  presentation:    

• Starting  with  a  startle  (WARNING:  shock  may  block)  

• Using  personal  stories  

• Surprising  your  audience  

• Making  it  relevant  

 

Start  with  a  Startle  (Warning:  Shock  May  Block)  

In  any  presentation,  you  have  a  matter  of  seconds  to  give  a  first  and  lasting  impression  that  will  color  your  audience’s  perception  of  everything  else  that  follows.  Shock  value  may  work  –  or  it  may  block  the  connection  with  your  audience.  Jinsop’s  intro  may  do  a  bit  of  both.  He  begins  his  speech  by  asking  a  provocative  question:  

“In  an  age  of  global  strife  and  climate  change,  I'm  here  to  answer  the  all  important  question  -­‐-­‐  why  is  sex  so  damn  good?  (audience  chuckles)  If  you’re  laughing,  you  know  what  I  mean.”    

Don’t  Walk  Over  the  Laughter  

Listen  to  this  clip  and  you’ll  hear  a  polite  titter  of  laughter  begin  after  the  “why  is  sex  so  damn  good?”  question.  We’ll  never  know  if  this  bud  of  chuckles  would  have  blossomed  into  full  bloom  audience  response  because  Jinsop  allowed  less  than  one  second  before  starting  to  speak  again.  He  squished  the  laughter  he’d  worked  so  hard  to  get!    

Perhaps  he  didn’t  realize  that  the  bigger  the  audience,  the  more  time  the  ripple  of  laughter  requires  to  work  its  way  through  the  crowd.  Or  maybe  it  was  nerves  that  hurried  his  pace  and  removed  the  power  of  the  pause.  Either  way,  the  end  result  was  that  the  audience  didn’t  get  a  chance  to  laugh  as  much  as  they  might  have,  and  the  weak  laughter  that  resulted  gives  the  impression  that  his  opening  line  fell  flat.  It  didn’t  quite  hit  the  

mark  for  a  couple  reasons,  one  of  them  being  that  he  didn’t  allow  enough  time  for  the  laughter.    

 

Use  the  Callback  Technique  

The  other  reason  why  this  intro  may  have  gotten  a  less  than  impressive  response  from  the  audience  is  due  to  the  content.  Some  audience  members  may  have  been  surprised  and  made  uncomfortable  by  Jinsop’s  reference  to  “sex”  –  typically  a  taboo  and  socially  awkward  subject.    

Jinsop  mentions  this  topic  again  at  a  couple  other  points  during  his  presentation:  

• “Why  is  sex  so  damn  good?”    

• “All  right,  let's  get  back  to  the  question  of  why  sex  is  so  good.”    

• “In  fact,  in  the  years  that  I  gathered  data,  only  one  experience  came  close  to  being  the  perfect  one.  That  is,  of  course,  sex.  Great  sex.”  

This  callback  technique  is  used  quite  commonly  by  comedians  and  professional  speakers.  It  allows  the  speaker  to  hook  each  consequent  story  and  point  made  to  this  foundational  message.  It  also  enables  the  audience  to  remember  the  key  message.    

The  approach  goes  like  this:  a  hook  phrase  is  offered  near  the  beginning  of  the  presentation  and  echoed  at  a  later  point,  sometimes  several  times  and  very  often  at  the  end,  in  summary.  It’s  a  very  effective  and  witty  way  to  remind  the  audience  of  the  key  message.  

 

Repeat  a  Hook  Line  

Jinsop  has  masterfully  woven  this  hook  line  into  his  speech  using  the  “sex”  reference.  Did  Jinsop  really  want  his  key  message  to  be  about  sex?  

Or  was  it  used  simply  for  shock  value  at  the  risk  of  missing  the  real  key  message  about  using  all  five  senses  in  industrial  design?  

Perhaps  it  would  have  been  more  effective  to  use  a  skillful  phrase  about  the  five  senses  in  some  everyday  function  –  like  eating  –  that  would  not  embarrass  or  distance  anyone.  For  example,  the  statement  “We  eat  with  all  five  senses”  could  be  followed  by  an  explanation  demonstrating  this  point.  He  could  have  described  the  sensual  experience  of  eating  a  salty  pickle,  dripping  in  brine,  ice-­‐cold,  bumpy  skin  and  snapping  into  two.    

An  example  of  a  hook  phrase  he  could  use  is  “Does  that  make  sense?”  This  play  on  words  has  a  double  entendre,  is  short,  memorable,  witty,  and  has  no  risk  of  offending  a  segment  of  his  audience.    

 

Trust  before  Taboo  –  Build  Trust  from  the  Audience  before  Touching  on  Personal  or  Typically  Taboo  Subjects  

At  a  later  point  in  the  speech,  Jinsop  uses  more  innocuous  subject  matter  for  a  punch  line  story.  The  laughter  response  is  much  greater,  likely  due  to  the  subject  matter  having  little  risk  of  being  offensive  or  uncomfortable.  In  addition,  perhaps  because  by  this  time  he  was  less  nervous  and  hurried,  Jinsop  allows  several  seconds  for  the  punch  line  to  ripple  through  the  significantly  sized  audience  and  swell  to  full  laughter.  

“Now,  I  don't  play  the  flute  to  the  clarinet  so  I  decided  to  combine  these  keys  with  instrument  I  do  play  -­‐-­‐  the  television  remote  control.”  (Audience  Laughter)    

In  this  example,  Jinsop  gives  time  for  the  punch  line  to  sink  in  and  the  audience  to  respond.  It  was  also  several  minutes  into  the  speech  where  he’d  had  time  to  share  stories,  build  rapport,  and  could  risk  humor  a  little  more.        A  caution  on  humor  –  use  it  tastefully.  You  don’t  want  to  exclude  anyone  in  the  room.  If  there’s  a  chance  of  offending,  trust  me  –  you  will.  With  the  edgy  question  of  “Why  is  sex  so  damn  good?”  at  a  mere  22  seconds  into  his  presentation,  Jinsop  runs  a  risk  of  shocking  and  disconnecting  with  his  audience.    

 His  question  certainly  has  the  element  of  surprise  and  humor,  and  that’s  a  good  thing.      But  it  also  has  a  risk  that  some  people  may  find  this  a  little  too  daring,  and  that’s  not  so  good.  This  early  in  his  presentation,  he  hasn’t  had  a  chance  yet  to  build  a  relationship  and  connect  with  the  audience.  He  may  not  have  their  trust  to  touch  on  what  some  would  consider  a  personal  and  inappropriate  subject.  Perhaps  placed  a  little  later  into  the  speech,  combined  with  allowing  more  laughter  time,  this  punch  line  would  have  been  more  effective.    Evidence  of  the  potential  awkwardness  of  his  opening  question  comes  in  the  contrasting  response  of  full  laughter  to  his  story  about  the  clarinet  keys  being  used  for  the  remote  control.  Music  and  remote  controls  are  not  culturally  taboo  or  uncomfortable  subjects,  and  laughter  is  more  readily  expressed  in  response.  

 

Use  Personal  Stories  

Using  your  own  personal  stories  is  a  wonderful  way  to  connect  with  your  audience  and  build  rapport.  In  particular,  sharing  times  when  you  faced  challenges  and  even  failed  helps  those  listening  to  relate.  Jinsop  Lee  dares  to  share  his  failures  and  skillfully  injects  personal  stories  throughout  his  speech,  as  follows:  

• “Back  in  university  we  had  a  quick  project  to  design  some  solar-­‐powered  clocks...”  

 

• “I  thought  my  idea  was  pretty  good  but  his  idea  is  genius...”  

Jinsop  leads  the  audience  through  a  lively  story  of  the  solar-­‐powered  sunflower  clock  he  designed,  and  then,  in  sharp  comparison,  the  super-­‐cool  and  sensory-­‐filled,  oil-­‐scented  contraption  clock  his  colleague  created  using  shot  glasses  and  magnifying  glasses.  He  confesses:    

“At  the  time  I  knew  his  idea  was  better  than  mine,  but  I  just  couldn't  explain  why.”  

He  then  offers  the  explanation  –  and  the  whole  premise  of  his  presentation  –  that  it  was  engagement  of  all  five  senses  that  made  the  industrial  design  so  good.  In  sharing  this  story,  Jinsop  shows  that  he  wasn’t  the  best  designer.  Of  his  own  admission,  his  colleague’s  design  was  superior.  This  is  a  wonderful  approach,  and  here’s  why...  

   

Share  Your  Failures  and  the  “Message  Out  of  the  Mess”    By  sharing  his  “failure,”  Jinsop  shows  that  he  is  human  and  this  helps  him  relate  to  his  audience  because  people  relate  to  people,  not  perfection.  What  Jinsop  does  that  is  critical  is  that  he  also  shares  the  lesson  learned  from  the  failure.  He  provides  resolution  to  the  problem  or  dilemma.  He  gets  the  message  out  of  the  mess.  He  pulls  out  the  importance  of  engaging  all  five  senses  in  any  industrial  design.  

 

 

Give  Examples  Your  Audience  Can  Relate  To  

The  other  aspect  of  personal  stories  that  makes  them  work  (or  not)  is  the  presenter’s  ability  to  tie  them  directly  to  the  audience  members.  Why  would  what  you’re  saying  be  of  interest  to  your  audience?  How  could  they  apply  what  you  learned  to  improve  their  lives?  In  other  words,  what’s  in  it  for  them?  

Jinsop’s  speech  could  increase  its  impact  by  making  a  more  obvious  link  between  his  subject  and  how  it  affects  the  lives  of  the  audience  members.  Everyone  may  not  relate  to  clocks,  motorcycles  or  sex,  as  referenced  in  his  speech,  so  offering  examples  of  more  ubiquitous,  everyday  applications  such  as  driving  a  car,  sleeping  or  getting  dressed  would  help.  People  would  then  actually  see  themselves  in  the  picture  of  what  it  could  be  that  Jinsop  is  drawing.  When  this  happens,  your  audience  is  able  to  see  your  theories  come  to  life,  their  lives.  

 

Have  a  Clear  Call  to  Action  

At  the  end  of  his  presentation,  Jinsop  beautifully  and  playfully  tosses  candies  out  to  the  audience,  demonstrating  the  very  principles  of  which  he  has  spoken  –  he  engages  all  five  senses.    

The  drawback  was  that  this  closing  was  not  accompanied  with  a  clear  call  to  action,  nor  an  invitation  for  the  audience  to  apply  what  they  have  learned  to  their  lives.  It  peters  out  versus  ends  with  a  bang.  Knowledge  is  only  powerful  when  it  is  moved  to  action,  and  an  audience  only  moves  to  action  when  they  deem  the  knowledge  shared  to  be  relevant  and  beneficial  to  them.  So  include  them  in  the  picture  you’re  creating  with  real-­‐life  examples  they  relate  to.  

 

Keep  the  Audience  Interested  and  Engaged                                                  with  Twists  and  Turns  

Some  people  think  that  the  best  thing  for  a  speech  is  no  surprises  at  all.  Wrong!  Just  like  a  roller  coaster  ride,  it’s  the  dips  and  turns  that  add  excitement.  Without  the  variation  in  direction,  pitch  and  pace,  the  ride  would  be  boring,  right?  It’s  the  same  thing  with  a  speech.  Including  elements  of  surprise  will  keep  your  audience  interested  and  engaged.    

Jinsop  sprinkles  various  types  of  surprises  into  his  presentation,  some  more  effectively  so  than  others.  Here’s  an  example  of  a  well-­‐done  turn  of  events:  

“Chris  is  a  great  friend  of  mine  from  my  university  days  but  secretly  ...  (pause  and  in  softer  voice)  I  hate  him.”    

Note  how  the  content,  what  Jinsop  says,  is  a  surprise.  Normally,  you  would  expect  to  hear  someone  say  that  he  loves  a  friend.  Instead,  Jinsop  says,  “Secretly,  I  hate  him.”  Surprise!  This  piques  the  audience’s  curiosity  to  hear  more.  Why  does  he  hate  him?  What’s  the  story?  Now,  they’re  really  listening.  

 The  other  twist  is  in  delivery.  Jinsop  changes  his  pace  by  using  the  very  effective  technique  of  pausing  just  before  he  delivers  the  punch  line.  In  addition,  his  volume  lowers  as  he  says,  “I  hate  him.”  All  these  elements  

collide  to  create  the  element  of  surprise,  and  the  result  is  audience  engagement.    How  can  you  include  the  element  of  surprise  in  your  presentation  to  keep  your  audience  engaged?      

Preparation,  Preparation  and  More  Preparation  

I  would  be  remiss  in  this  speech  analysis  if  I  didn’t  acknowledge  Jinsop’s  amazing  accomplishment  of  preparing  and  delivering  this  speech.  Anyone  who  speaks  for  a  TED  talk  has  undergone  a  tremendous  amount  of  screening  and  preparation.  They  are  the  best  of  the  best,  and  Jinsop  Lee  is  one  of  them.  It’s  easy  to  sit  back  in  an  armchair  and  critique  from  the  sidelines.  Jinsop  has  done  a  brilliant  job  relaying  what  could  have  been  a  deadly  boring  subject  (industrial  design)  for  many  people  in  an  animated  and  interesting  way.  We  have  learned  a  lot  at  his  hand.  Does  that  make  sense?  

The  true  test  of  any  speaker  or  any  critique  is  in  applying  the  lessons  learned.  Will  you?  

 

In  a  Nutshell  

• Start  with  a  startle  

• Use  personal  stories  

• Don’t  walk  over  the  laughter.  

• Repeat  a  hook  line.  

• Trust  before  taboo  –  build  rapport  and  trust  from  the  audience  before  touching  on  personal  or  typically  taboo  subjects.  

• People  relate  to  people,  not  perfection  so  share  your  failures  and  the  “message  out  of  the  mess.”  

• Give  examples  your  audience  can  relate  to.  

• Keep  the  audience  interested  and  engaged  with  twists  and  turns.  

• Prepare,  prepare,  prepare.  

*  

Meet  Presentation  Expert  Marion  Grobb  Finkelstein  

Through  Marion  Grobb  Finkelstein's  interactive  workshops  and  keynotes,  or  consulting  services,  you  will  gain  action-­‐oriented,  proven,  practical  and  powerful  strategies  you  can  put  to  work  NOW  to  better  connect  with  employees,  bosses,  clients  and  colleagues.    

A  published  author,  Marion  has  orchestrated  national  marketing  campaigns,  managed  controversial  media  issues,  and  produced  and  hosted  award-­‐winning  cablevision  shows.  A  national  member  of  Canadian  Association  of  Professional  Speakers  and  Global  Speakers  Federation,  she  is  also  an  award-­‐winning  Toastmaster.    

Sign  up  for  “Marion’s  Communication  Tips”  at  http://www.MarionSpeaks.com  or  contact  Marion  directly  at  Marion@MarionSpeaks.com  to  book  her  for  your  next  event.  Like  http://www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks  for  daily,  hands-­‐on  workplace  communication  tips  and  quips.  

 

   

CHAPTER  THREE    

TECHNIQUES  FOR  DELIVERING  A  DYNAMIC  TED  TALK  

 • Case  study:  Anthony  Robbins,  Why  We  Do  What  We  Do  

• Expert  analysis  by:  Akash  Karia  

 If  you’ve  seen  any  of  Anthony  Robbins’  talks  before,  you  know  that  he  is  a  highly  expressive,  dynamic  and  energetic  speaker.  He  has  mastered  the  art  of  motivating  people  through  speaking  and  knows  exactly  how  to  pump  up  and  fire  up  an  audience.    When  it  comes  to  motivational  speakers,  Anthony  Robbins  is  one  of  the  best  there  is.      However,  what  about  giving  a  TED  talk?  How  well  does  Tony’s  speaking  style  align  with  the  nature  of  a  TED  talk?  After  all,  the  TED  talk  audience  is  very  different  from  what  Tony  is  normally  used  to.      

 

 Tony  is  used  to  speaking  to  audiences  of  thousands  of  people,  all  of  whom  pay  huge  sums  of  money  to  attend  his  event.  They’re  enthusiastic  and  fired  up  to  see  Tony.  A  TED  audience,  on  the  other  hand,  is  generally  more  conservative.  They  are  less  expressive  in  showing  their  enthusiasm  and  not  as  willing  to  get  involved  in  activities.      So,  how  did  Tony  fare  with  the  TED  audience  in  his  2007  TED  talk  (http://bit.ly/I6zW1h)?        In  this  chapter,  we  will  examine  what  lessons  you  can  learn  from  Tony’s  TED  talk,  and  how  you  can  apply  them  to  your  presentations  to  make  them  sizzle.  Tony’s  talk  contains  lessons  on:    

• How  to  use  questions  to  create  knowledge  gaps  

• The  power  of  you-­‐focused  speaking  

• Creating  rapport  by  speaking  conversationally  

• Creating  a  connection  using  the  matching  technique  

• The  role  of  swearing  in  public  speaking  

• Techniques  for  delivering  a  dynamic  TED  talk  (or  any  other  speech  or  presentation)    

 Also,  we  will  examine  what  Tony  could  have  improved  in  his  TED  talk  and  what  mistakes  you  can  avoid  when  speaking  in  public.    By  the  way,  in  case  you’ve  missed  Tony’s  TED  talk,  I  encourage  you  to  watch  it  here:  http://bit.ly/I6zW1h          

Have  Absolute  Belief  in  Your  Message    When  you  watch  Tony’s  TED  talk,  it’s  crystal  clear  that  he  has  100%  belief  in  the  importance  of  his  message.  It’s  evident  in  the  way  he  speaks,  the  way  he  moves  and  the  way  he  sounds.      Even  though  Tony’s  TED  talk  is  not  the  most  eloquent  one  I’ve  watched,  it  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  ones  because  what  Tony  lacks  in  eloquence  he  makes  up  for  in  his  passion  for  his  topic.  

 As  a  speaker,  before  you  get  up  on  stage,  ask  yourself  these  questions:    

• “What  topic  am  I  so  passionate  about  that  I’d  be  able  to  speak  on  it  with  absolute  conviction...even  though  I  may  not  have  the  talk  planned  out?”    

 

• “What  message  do  I  believe  in  so  firmly  that  if  I  don’t  share  it  with  my  audience,  I  would  feel  like  I  was  doing  them  a  disservice?”  

 

• “If  I  were  to  die  tomorrow  and  only  had  to  leave  the  world  with  one  message,  what  would  it  be?”  

 Find  a  message  that  you  care  strongly  about  –  a  message  that  you  fully  believe  in  and  are  passionate  about.  The  Roman  orator  Cato  said,  “Find  the  message  and  the  words  will  follow.”  Once  you’ve  located  that  message,  you’re  well  on  your  way  to  delivering  a  great  TED  talk.            

Match  Your  Audience’s  Energy  Level    Have  you  ever  seen  a  speaker  who  was  too  enthusiastic?    Have  you  ever  seen  a  speaker  who  was  not  energetic  enough?    How  did  you  feel  when  you  watched  such  a  speaker?    My  guess  is  that  both  the  over-­‐enthusiastic  and  the  not-­‐energetic-­‐enough  speaker  failed  to  connect  with  you  and  the  rest  of  the  audience.    Why?      Because  the  speaker  did  not  match  your  energy  level.    At  a  Tony  Robbins’  motivational  seminar,  audiences  are  usually  fired  up  to  see  him.  They’ve  paid  thousands  of  dollars  to  see  him,  they’re  extremely  eager  and  enthusiastic,  and  therefore  when  Tony  comes  out  on  stage,  he  comes  out  equally  energetic  and  pumped  up.  He  matches  

their  energy  level.  By  being  on  the  same  energy  level  as  them  –  by  being  on  the  same  vibrational  plane  –  Tony  manages  to  connect  with  his  audience.    However,  at  the  TED  talk,  the  audience’s  energy  levels  were  not  as  high  as  at  a  motivational  seminar.  While  the  audience  members  were  interested  to  hear  Tony  speak,  they  were  not  jumping  out  of  their  chairs  and  screaming  for  him  (something  I  would  totally  be  doing,  by  the  way!).  Therefore,  in  order  to  connect  with  the  TED  audience,  instead  of  coming  out  with  a  fiery  and  passionate  opening,  Tony  began  his  talk  in  a  very  conversational  manner:    

“Thank  you.  I  have  to  tell  you  I'm  both  challenged  and  excited.  My  excitement  is:  I  get  a  chance  to  give  something  back.  My  challenge  is:  the  shortest  seminar  I  usually  do  is  50  hours.”  (Laughter)  

 Compared  with  Tony’s  normal  openings,  this  is  a  very  low-­‐key  opening.  Why?  Because  Tony  was  matching  his  audience’s  energy  level  and  getting  on  the  same  vibrational  plane  as  them  so  that  he  could  build  rapport  with  them.    Of  course,  later  on,  Tony  amped  up  his  energy  and  his  audience’s  energy  using  humor  and  activities,  but  he  first  built  rapport  with  them  by  matching  their  energy  level.      Next  time  you  get  up  on  stage,  monitor  your  audience’s  energy  level.  How  excited  are  they?  How  expressive  are  they  in  their  excitement?  Then,  when  you  get  up  on  stage,  match  that  energy  level  –  get  on  the  same  vibrational  plane  as  them  –  before  you  try  to  amp  them  up.          

Speak  Conversationally    

One  of  the  mistakes  I  made  early  in  my  speaking  career  was  that  I  focused  on  sounding  eloquent.  I  focused  on  making  sure  that  each  sentence  that  came  out  of  my  mouth  was  perfectly  crafted.  I  believed  that  doing  so  would  impress  my  audience.      

The  result  of  doing  this  was  that  audiences  walked  away  from  my  talks  thinking,  “He  was  an  eloquent  speaker”  and  giving  me  praises,  such  as    “You’re  such  a  great  speaker!”      While  that  did  inflate  my  ego,  what  I  failed  to  do  was  to  connect  with  my  audience.  I  would  have  much  rather  had  them  say,  “That  really  connected  with  me”  instead  of  give  me  praises  about  my  speaking  ability.      The  other  thing  about  trying  to  sound  eloquent  is  that  instead  of  focusing  on  your  audience,  your  focus  becomes  internal  (i.e.,  you  begin  focusing  on  yourself).  You  start  focusing  on  how  you  sound  and  on  trying  to  use  the  right  words.  Your  intention  shifts  from  wanting  to  add  value  to  your  audience  to  wanting  to  sound  good.  This  will  result  in  you  failing  to  connect  with  your  audience  because  they  will  sense  that  the  focus  is  on  you,  not  on  them.    In  his  TED  talk,  Tony  forgets  about  being  eloquent.  Instead,  he  shares  his  message  in  a  very  conversational  manner:    

“And  then  you  meet  people  that  have  been  through  ultimate  pain  -­‐-­‐  psychologically,  sexually,  spiritually,  emotionally  abused  -­‐-­‐  and  not  always,  but  often,  they  become  some  of  the  people  that  contribute  the  most  to  society.  

So,  the  question  we've  got  to  ask  ourselves  really  is,  what  is  it?  What  is  it  that  shapes  us?  And  we  live  in  a  therapy  culture.  Most  of  us  don't  do  that,  but  the  culture's  a  therapy  culture.  And  what  I  mean  by  that  is  the  mindset  that  we  are  our  past.  And  everybody  in  this  room  -­‐-­‐  you  wouldn't  be  in  this  room  if  you  bought  that  theory  -­‐-­‐  but  the  -­‐-­‐  most  of  society  thinks  biography  is  destiny.  The  past  equals  the  future.  And  of  course  it  does  if  you  live  there.”  

Notice  how  the  above  paragraph  (part  of  the  transcript  from  Tony’s  talk)  isn’t  perfect  –  and  that  is  okay.  When  you  speak,  don’t  aim  for  perfection  –  aim  to  share  your  message  and  make  a  difference.  As  long  as  you  do  that,  your  audience  will  walk  away  from  your  talk  having  gotten  some  value  out  of  it.  

I  would  like  to  reemphasize  the  face  that  Tony  delivers  his  talk  in  a  very  

conversational  manner.  Not  being  eloquent  –  and  instead  speaking  in  a  conversational  manner  –  helps  him  connect  with  his  audience.  People  hate  being  lectured,  and  by  speaking  in  a  conversational  manner,  Tony  makes  sure  that  his  audience  doesn’t  feel  he  is  lecturing  them.    

So,  why  is  a  conversational  approach  to  public  speaking  a  good  one?  Because  we  are  used  to  conversations.  We’re  used  to  having  conversations  with  our  friends.  We’re  used  to  having  Oprah  speak  to  us  conversationally  through  our  TV  screen.  The  time  for  eloquent  speeches  with  long  words  and  theatrics  is  over.  Today’s  audiences  have  come  to  expect  speakers  to  talk  to  them  conversationally.  

When  you  get  up  to  speak,  make  sure  you  speak  in  a  conversational  style.  This  does  not  mean  that  you  should  simply  wing  it  and  not  plan  your  talk.  It  means  that  you  should  plan  and  rehearse  your  presentation,  but  that  you  should  use  conversational  language.  Do  not  use  any  words  or  phrases  that  you  would  not  use  in  everyday  conversation.  Everything  coming  out  of  your  mouth  should  sound  natural  and  not  as  though  you  have  memorized  a  written  speech.  Don’t  aim  for  perfection  –  aim  for  connection  through  conversational  speaking.    

   

Use  Questions  to  Create  Knowledge  Gaps      A  knowledge  gap  is  the  gap  that  exists  between  what  the  audience  knows  and  what  it  doesn’t  know.  When  there  exists  a  knowledge  gap  in  your  audience,  it  arouses  curiosity.  This  keeps  your  audience  members  fully  engaged  in  your  presentation.    What’s  the  best  way  to  create  a  knowledge  gap?      It’s  by  asking  a  question  (see  what  I  did  above?).    In  his  TED  talk,  Tony  Robbins  uses  lots  of  questions  to  create  knowledge  gaps  in  his  audience.  This  keeps  his  audience  curious  and  therefore  engaged  in  his  presentation.  Here  are  three  examples:    

• “What  is  your  motive  for  action?  What  is  it  that  drives  you  in  your  life  today?  Not  10  years  ago.  Or  are  you  running  the  same  

pattern?”    

• “First,  what's  your  target?  What  are  you  after?”    

• “Everyone  needs  certainty  that  they  can  avoid  pain  and  at  least  be  comfortable.  Now,  how  do  you  get  it?”  

Not  only  do  those  questions  create  knowledge  gaps  in  Tony’s  audience,  they  also  give  his  audience  the  chance  to  reflect  on  their  lives.  Audience  members  have  to  search  inside  themselves  to  try  to  uncover  their  motives,  drives  and  targets.    

As  a  result,  Tony  doesn’t  just  deliver  a  speech  –  he  creates  an  experience  for  his  audience.  The  audience  connects  with  Tony’s  talk  because  they  can  connect  their  life  experiences  to  his  message.  As  proof,  here’s  a  comment  that  was  left  by  a  viewer  as  a  response  to  Tony’s  talk:  

“For  a  20  minute  talk  on  “Why  we  do  what  we  do”  I  would  argue  Tony  does  a  remarkable  job.  He  is  thoughtful,  passionate,  and  certainly  makes  the  audience  question  their  own  motives  in  life.”  

Next  time  you  have  to  give  a  speech  or  a  presentation,  use  questions  to  create  knowledge  gaps  in  your  audience.  Also,  use  you-­‐focused  questions  to  get  the  audience  to  reflect  upon  their  lives  so  that  your  message  becomes  directly  relevant  to  their  life  experiences.    

 

Build  a  Connection  Using  a  You-­‐Focus  

When  you  speak,  remember  that  your  aim  is  to  serve  your  audience.  Thus,  the  focus  of  your  talk  should  not  be  on  yourself,  but  on  your  audience.  In  other  words,  you  should  be  “you-­‐focused,”  not  “I-­‐focused.”  

As  a  public  speaking  coach,  one  of  the  mistakes  I  see  many  presenters  make  is  that  they  give  speeches  that  are  heavily  I-­‐focused.  These  speeches  sound  something  along  the  lines  of:  

“I  did  this,  then  I  did  that,  and  the  result  I  got  from  this  was  that.  And  then  I  had  a  great  idea,  so  I  decided  to  take  action  on  that  idea,  and  I  got  this  amazing  result  because  I  –  ”    

The  problem  with  such  a  speech  is  that  it  isolates  your  audience.  Your  

audience  is  not  a  part  of  your  talk  –  they  are  simply  a  group  of  people  who  have  to  listen  to  your  autobiography.  By  giving  an  I-­‐focused  speech,  you  are  ignoring  your  audience,  in  which  case  they  might  as  well  not  be  there.    

So,  what’s  the  solution?  

The  solution  is  to  have  a  healthy  balance  between  I-­‐focused  and  you-­‐focused  speaking.  You  can  share  your  story  using  an  I-­‐focus,  but  remember  to  bring  it  back  to  your  audience  using  a  you-­‐focus.  

In  Tony’s  speech,  he  connects  with  his  audience  using  a  you-­‐focus.  The  audience  is  made  a  part  of  the  speech  because  Tony  is  talking  about  them,  instead  of  at  them.  Here  are  some  examples  of  you-­‐focused  speaking  from  Tony’s  talk:  

• “How  do  you  take  the  invisible  and  make  it  visible,  right?  How  do  you  take  what  you're  dreaming  of  and  make  it  happen?  Whether  it  be  your  business,  your  contribution  to  society,  money  -­‐-­‐  whatever  it  is  for  you  -­‐-­‐  your  body,  your  family.”    

• “So,  think  about  your  own  life,  the  decisions  that  have  shaped  your  destiny.  And  that  sounds  really  heavy,  but  in  the  last  five  or  10  years,  15  years,  how  have  there  been  some  decisions  you've  made  that  if  you'd  made  a  different  decision,  your  life  would  be  completely  different?”    

• “Because  how  did  you  learn  language?  You  didn't  learn  it  by  just  learning  principles,  you  got  in  it  and  you  did  it  so  often  that  it  became  real.”  

How  would  the  above  line  sound  when  delivered  using  an  I-­‐focus?  It  would  sound  something  like  this:  

• “How  do  I  learn  new  languages?  I  don’t  learn  a  new  language  by  learning  principles.  I  get  into  it  and  do  it  so  often  till  it  becomes  real.”  

Can  you  see  how  you-­‐focused  speaking  is  much  more  powerful  in  connecting  with  the  audience  than  I-­‐focused  speaking?    

Whenever  possible,  frame  your  stories,  examples,  analogies  and  

metaphors  using  a  you-­‐focus.  This  way,  when  your  audience  walks  out  of  the  room,  they  will  walk  away  thinking,  “She  really  spoke  to  me  and  connected  with  me”  instead  of  thinking,  “She  spoke  at  me  like  I  wasn’t  even  there.”    

 

Put  Your  Body  behind  Your  Gestures  

One  of  the  things  that  makes  Tony  such  a  powerful  speaker  is  that  he  gestures  with  his  whole  body.  While  most  speakers  restrict  their  movements,  Tony  puts  his  whole  body  behind  his  movements.  His  gestures  are  natural  and  powerful  (as  opposed  to  being  restricted  and  tiny).  

 

Source:  TED  

Given  that  Tony  is  speaking  to  a  large  crowd,  it  makes  sense  for  him  to  use  large  gestures  and  to  put  energy  and  enthusiasm  into  them.  When  you  have  a  larger  audience,  you  need  to  have  an  enlarged  version  of  you.  Don’t  be  timid.  Don’t  restrict  your  movements  –  instead  let  your  hands  move  naturally  and  allow  yourself  larger  movements  as  you  project  your  point  into  your  audience.    

 

Connect  with  the  Emotion  behind  Your  Message  

Apart  from  his  gestures,  we  can  also  learn  from  Tony’s  facial  expressions.  Here’s  a  picture  of  Tony’s  facial  expressions  and  hand  gestures  from  another  one  of  his  talks.  Notice  how  expressive  Tony  is  with  his  gestures  and  facial  expressions:  

 

Image  Source:  Unknown  

Note  how  the  emotions  of  the  talk  are  very  evident  from  simply  looking  at  Tony’s  facial  expressions.  His  facial  expressions  (and  hand  gestures)  communicate  the  emotion  behind  his  message.  

So,  does  this  mean  that  you  should  change  your  style  and  be  as  expressive  as  Tony?  

Of  course  not!  However,  remember  that  when  you  deliver  a  speech,  it’s  not  just  about  speaking  the  words.  It’s  also  about  communicating  with  your  hand  gestures  and  your  facial  expressions.  You  decide  how  much  expressiveness  is  suitable  for  your  particular  situation,  but  keep  in  mind  that  the  bigger  the  audience,  the  more  expressive  and  energetic  you  need  to  be.  

Not  only  is  the  emotion  behind  Tony’s  message  evident  in  his  gestures  and  facial  expressions,  it’s  also  evident  in  the  tone  of  his  voice.  His  tone  matches  the  mood  that  he  is  trying  to  create  in  his  audience.  

So,  how  do  you  go  about  ensuring  that  your  facial  expressions,  hand  gestures  and  voice  tone  are  congruent  with  your  message?  Simple.  You  must  feel  the  emotion  behind  your  message.  Speech  is  transference  of  emotion,  and  you  cannot  transfer  that  which  you  do  not  feel.  Before  you  speak,  aim  to  connect  with  the  emotion  behind  your  message.  Once  you  connect  with  the  emotion,  your  hand  gestures,  facial  expressions  and  voice  tone  will  align  and  be  congruent  with  your  message.  Once  you  connect  with  the  emotion  behind  your  message,  everything  else  will  take  care  of  itself.    

 

Use  Callbacks  to  Personalize  Your  Talk  

A  callback  is  a  great  technique  for  personalizing  your  talk  for  your  audience.  Simply,  it  means  to  refer  back  –  or  call  back  –  to  an  event,  incident  or  a  speech  that  took  place  before  you  spoke  and  which  the  audience  also  witnessed.  For  example,  here’s  an  example  of  a  callback  from  Tony’s  speech:    

“I  agree  with  what  was  described  a  few  days  ago,  about  this  idea  that  people  work  in  their  self-­‐interest.”  

 Tony  calls  back  to  an  idea  that  was  discussed  a  couple  of  days  ago  at  the  TED  conference,  and  by  doing  so  lets  his  audience  know  that  his  talk  is  not  some  off-­‐the-­‐shelf  speech  he  delivers  to  every  audience  but  one  which  has  been  specifically  designed  for  them.      Using  callbacks  is  a  great  way  of  showing  your  audience  that  you’ve  put  in  the  effort  to  tailor-­‐make  the  speech  for  them.  Furthermore,  by  referring  to  a  previously  shared  experience  or  incident,  you  deepen  your  rapport  with  your  audience.      

 Don’t  Criticize,  Condemn  or  Put  Down  Another  Speaker  

 

Tony  made  great  use  of  a  callback,  but  I  cringed  when  he  said  this:    

“I  agree  with  what  was  described  a  few  days  ago,  about  this  idea  that  people  work  in  their  self-­‐interest.  But  we  all  know  that  that's  bullshit  at  times.”    

The  reason  I  cringed  when  I  heard  this  was  because  by  using  strong  language  such  as  “bullshit,”  Tony  had  essentially  taken  another  speaker’s  idea  (that  we  work  in  our  self-­‐interest)  and  said  that  the  idea  was  trash.      While  this  may  not  have  been  what  Tony  meant,  that’s  how  it  could  be  perceived.      I  strongly  encourage  you  to  refrain  from  shooting  down  any  previous  speaker’s  ideas  or  arguments.  If  you  must  refute  another  speaker’s  ideas,  then  do  this  without  using  strong  language  because  this  might  upset  the  other  speaker  as  well  as  the  audience  members.        

Avoid  Swearing      Is  it  OK  to  swear  and  use  foul  language  when  speaking?      I  like  to  look  at  the  research  before  I  make  up  my  mind  on  any  issue,  and  here’s  an  interesting  piece  of  research  I  came  across  (Source:  ConversionXl):    

“Researchers  divided  88  participants  into  three  groups  to  watch  one  of  three  slightly  different  speeches.  The  only  difference  between  the  speeches  was  that  one  contained  a  mild  curse  word  at  the  start:    “…lowering  of  tuition  is  not  only  a  great  idea,  but  damn  it,  also  the  most  reasonable  one  for  all  parties  involved.”    The  second  speech  contained  the  ‘damn  it’  at  the  end  and  the  third  had  neither.  When  participants’  attitudes  were  measured,  they  were  most  influenced  by  the  speeches  with  the  mild  obscenity  

included,  either  at  the  beginning  or  the  end.  

The  word  ‘damn’  increased  the  audience’s  perception  of  the  speaker’s  intensity,  which  increased  persuasion.  The  audience’s  perceived  credibility  of  the  speaker  did  not  change.”  -­‐  ConversionXl    

 So,  it  turns  out  that  mild  swearing  can  make  a  speaker  more  persuasive  because  it  shows  that  the  speaker  has  a  strong  emotional  connection  to  the  topic.  Mild  swearing  can  lead  to  a  sudden  and  sharp  increase  in  the  audience’s  attentiveness  levels.  For  example,  I  remember  the  first  time  when  my  high  school  teacher  swore  in  class.  I  immediately  snapped  out  of  my  doze  and  began  paying  attention  to  him.    So,  I  wouldn’t  completely  rule  out  swearing  (though  I  certainly  don’t  encourage  it).  For  example,  if  you  were  running  for  election  and  were  extremely  upset  about  the  policies  of  the  previous  administration,  using  mild/light  swearing  could  show  your  passion  and  intensity  towards  the  issue  at  hand.    However,  generally  speaking,  I  would  avoid  swearing  when  giving  a  presentation.  Even  though  research  shows  that  light  swearing  can  be  effective,  you  risk  offending  some  of  your  audience  members  and  being  seen  as  “unprofessional”  –  and  perhaps  even  as  someone  who’s  unable  to  keep  his  cool.  Furthermore,  swearing  can  be  distracting.      Since  the  TED  audience  is  a  very  professional,  sophisticated  and  intellectual  audience,  I  believe  that  the  right  thing  to  do  would  have  been  to  refrain  from  swearing.  Unfortunately,  in  his  talk,  Tony  Robbins  swore  a  number  of  times:    

• “this  crazy  mofo”    

• “we  all  know  that  that’s  bullshit”    

• “he’s  broken  my  pattern,  that  son  of  a  bitch”    

• “Have  you  ever  rented  a  video  of  a  film  that  you  already  seen?  

Who  has  done  this?  Get  a  f***in  life?”  

All  this  swearing  was  distracting  and  not  appropriate  given  that  this  was  a  TED  audience.  For  example,  look  at  the  comments  that  were  left  on  TED.com  as  a  response  to  Tony  Robbins’  TED  talk:  

“I’m  a  Robbins  fan  but  found  the  swearing  to  be  distracting  –  it  definitely  took  my  attention  away  from  his  central  message.”  

“He  swears  a  lot  and  needs  to  work  on  that  but  otherwise  great  points  and  accomplishments.”  

So,  here’s  the  lesson.  Light  swearing  can  be  effective,  but  only  if  you  feel  extremely  strongly  about  an  issue.  However,  generally  speaking,  it’s  better  to  err  on  the  side  of  not  swearing  at  all.      

Present  the  Problem,  Challenge  or  Central  Question  That  Needs  to  Be  Solved  

 Great  speakers  usually  keep  their  audience  hooked  into  their  presentation  by  first  presenting  their  audience  with  a  problem  or  challenge  that  needs  to  be  solved,  or  a  central  question  that  needs  to  be  answered.      In  Tony’s  case,  the  problem/central  question  (the  question  around  which  the  rest  of  the  talk  was  based)  was  this:    

“What's  the  difference  in  somebody's  life  if  you  look  at  somebody  like  those  people  that  you've  given  everything  to?  Like  all  the  resources  they  say  they  need.  You  gave  them  not  a  100-­‐dollar  computer;  you  gave  them  the  best  computer.  You  gave  them  love;  you  gave  them  joy.  You  were  there  to  comfort  them.  And  those  people  very  often  -­‐-­‐  and  you  know  some  of  them,  I'm  sure  -­‐-­‐  end  up  the  rest  of  their  life  with  all  this  love,  education,  money  and  background,  spending  their  life  going  in  and  out  of  rehab.      And  then  you  meet  people  that  have  been  through  ultimate  pain  -­‐-­‐  psychologically,  sexually,  spiritually,  emotionally  abused  -­‐-­‐  and  

not  always,  but  often,  they  become  some  of  the  people  that  contribute  the  most  to  society.    So,  the  question  we've  got  to  ask  ourselves  really  is,  what  is  it?  What  is  it  that  shapes  us?”  

 By  presenting  this  conundrum  (why  do  people  who  are  given  everything  they  need  still  fail  whereas  others  who  go  through  extreme  pain  end  up  being  successful?),  Tony  keeps  his  audience  hooked  into  the  presentation.      The  audience  begins  wrestling  with  the  problem  and  the  question  in  their  heads,  trying  to  come  up  with  an  answer.  They  stayed  tuned  into  the  presentation  because  they’re  curious  to  find  out  the  answer  (because  there  exists  a  knowledge  gap  that  needs  to  be  filled).      What’s  the  problem  that  you  want  your  audience  members  to  wrestle  with?  What’s  the  challenge  that  needs  to  be  solved?  What’s  the  central  question  that  needs  to  be  answered?    

 Involve  Your  Audience  

 One  of  the  best  ways  to  keep  your  audience  engaged  in  your  presentation  is  through  audience  involvement.  Tony  is  a  master  at  this.  Watch  any  videos  of  him  speaking  at  his  motivational  seminars  and  you  will  see  that  he  has  the  audience  jumping,  yelling,  clapping,  hugging,  dancing...    While  doing  this  may  sound  corny,  it  does  keep  his  audience  members  engaged.  Tony  delivers  full-­‐day  sessions,  so  it’s  important  that  his  audience  members  get  physically  involved  in  his  presentation  so  that  they  do  not  fall  asleep.  It’s  also  important  that  they  get  a  break  from  simply  listening  to  him  and  get  an  opportunity  to  have  their  voices  heard.    However,  even  for  shorter  presentations  –  including  an  18-­‐minute  TED  talk  –  audience  involvement  is  a  good  idea.  It’s  risky  because  the  audience  might  not  be  receptive  or  willing  to  get  involved,  but  if  you  do  

it  the  right  way,  you  can  get  almost  any  audience  physically  involved  in  your  presentation.    The  first  time  Tony  tries  to  get  his  audience  involved  in  his  talk  by  getting  them  to  verbally  respond  to  his  questions,  the  response  is  not  very  enthusiastic:    

How  many  have  ever  failed  to  achieve  something  significant  in  your  life?  Say,  "Aye."  

Audience:  Aye.  (Audience  says  “Aye”  without  enthusiasm)  

Thanks  for  the  interaction  on  a  high  level  there.  

(Audience  laughs)  

So,  why  did  Tony  fail  to  receive  an  enthusiastic  response?  Because  of  two  reasons.  First,  the  TED  audience  is  not  used  to  audience  involvement.  They  are  not  used  to  having  speakers  telling  them  to  respond  back  to  questions.  As  a  result,  they  were  hesitant  to  do  so.  

Second,  from  my  own  seminars  and  workshops  I  have  found  that  people  do  not  like  publicly  admitting  their  failures.  While  this  isn’t  always  true,  I  have  found  it  to  be  true  often  enough  for  me  to  be  able  to  make  this  generalization.  

So,  what  does  Tony  do  when  he  doesn’t  receive  the  enthusiastic  response  he  expected?  

He  calls  them  out  on  it.  He  admits  that  his  attempt  to  get  them  involved  in  his  presentation  hasn’t  worked.  He  sarcastically  but  in  a  joking  and  friendly  manner  says,  “Thanks  for  your  reaction  on  a  high  level!”  which  causes  the  audience  members  to  laugh.    

Comedians  use  this  technique  quite  often.  When  a  joke  falls  flat,  they  admit  that  they  have  bombed.  For  example,  when  I  first  got  up  on  a  comedy  stage,  I  delivered  a  line  that  I  thought  would  be  hilarious  –  but  my  audience  didn’t  feel  the  same  way.  I  could  have  simply  ignored  their  reaction  (or  lack  of)  and  moved  on  to  the  next  line,  but  instead  I  decided  to  use  the  “calling  out”  technique  where  I  acknowledged,  “That  joke  seemed  much  funnier  when  I  wrote  it!”  which  earned  me  a  laugh  from  the  audience.    

After  failing  to  get  the  audience  to  respond  by  saying  “I,”  Tony  tried  a  different  audience  involvement  strategy.  This  is  the  mindset  that  Tony  has  when  he’s  up  on  stage:  he  believes  that  he  will  eventually  be  able  to  reach  through  to  his  audience,  as  long  as  he’s  willing  to  experiment  with  approaching  them  from  different  angles.  This  is  the  same  mindset  that  I  encourage  you  to  adopt  –  believe  that,  even  if  at  first  you  fail  to  connect  with  your  audience,  as  long  as  you  are  flexible  enough  to  change  your  approach,  you  will  eventually  get  through  to  them.    

When  the  first  audience  involvement  strategy  did  not  work,  Tony  tried  a  different  one.  This  one  (which  I  call  the  “fill  in  the  blanks”  technique)  received  a  more  enthusiastic  response  from  the  audience.  With  this  technique,  you  deliver  a  line  but  leave  it  unfinished  so  that  the  audience  can  finish  it  off  for  you.  It  is  essentially  a  verbal  “fill  in  the  blanks”  exercise:  

“When  you  fail  to  achieve  a  goal,  what's  the  reason  people  say  they  fail  to  achieve?  What  do  they  tell  you?    

Don't  have  the  –    

didn't  know  enough,    

didn't  have  the  ______  (audience  says  “knowledge”).    

Didn't  have  the  ______  (audience  says  “money”).    

Didn't  have  the  ______  (audience  says  “time”)”  

After  several  attempts  at  getting  the  audience  involved  in  the  talk,  the  audience  adapts  to  Tony’s  style  and  begins  responding  with  a  bit  more  enthusiasm.    

• How  many  people  know  what  I’m  talking  about?  Say  “Aye.”  (Audience  says  “Aye.”)    

• If  you're  creative  enough,  playful  enough,  fun  enough,  can  you  get  through  to  anybody?  Yes  or  no?  (Audience  says  “Yes.”)  

The  important  lesson  here  is  that  while  getting  your  audience  involved  in  your  presentation  is  a  great  strategy  for  keeping  them  engaged,  it  might  not  always  initially  work.  Why?  Because  the  audience  may  not  be  used  to  having  a  speaker  who  is  confident  enough  to  turn  the  speech  

from  a  monologue  to  a  dialogue.  However,  don’t  panic  and  beat  yourself  up.  You  should  maintain  the  mindset  that  if  you  are  flexible  and  willing  to  change  your  approach  and  try  different  audience  involvement  strategies,  you  will  eventually  get  through  to  your  audience.    

 

 Acknowledge  Your  Audience’s  Thoughts  and  Feelings  

 Voicing  out  loud  what  your  audience  might  be  thinking  and  feeling  is  a  great  technique  for  deepening  your  connection  with  them.  For  example,  look  at  how  Tony  does  this  in  his  talk:    

“So,  think  about  your  own  life,  the  decisions  that  have  shaped  your  destiny.  And  that  sounds  really  heavy,  but  in  the  last  five  or  10  years,  15  years,  how  have  there  been  some  decisions  you've  made  that  if  you'd  made  a  different  decision,  your  life  would  be  completely  different?”    

Tony  knows  that  when  he  talks  about  destiny,  some  of  the  audience  members  might  feel  that  the  talk  is  getting  too  heavy  and  motivational-­‐based.  Knowing  this,  Tony  acknowledges  this  and  says,  “[I  know]  that  sounds  really  heavy.”  By  acknowledging  what  the  audience  might  be  thinking,  Tony  shows  that  he  is  in  sync  with  them.  As  a  result  they  lower  their  guards  and  become  more  willing  to  listen  to  what  he  has  to  say.    Next  time  you  plan  a  speech  or  a  presentation,  be  aware  of  what  your  audience  might  be  thinking  during  different  points  in  the  presentation.  This  then  allows  you  to  verbalize  their  thoughts,  feelings  and  even  objections.      Use  phrases  such  as,  “You  might  be  thinking...”  “I  know  that  sounds...”  “You  might  be  feeling...”  These  phrases  show  your  audience  that  you  understand  their  viewpoint  and  thought  process.      

 Manage  Your  Time  

 

While  Tony  is  a  masterful  speaker,  one  of  the  things  he  doesn’t  do  well  in  this  talk  is  control  his  time.  Speakers  at  TED  are  given  a  maximum  of  18  minutes  to  share  their  ideas.  When  you  speak,  you  too  probably  have  a  time  limit  to  stick  to.  It  is  important  to  be  respectful  to  your  audience  and  plan  your  talk  so  that  you  finish  within  the  allocated  time.    Unfortunately,  Tony  does  not  do  this.  He  is  halfway  through  a  story  when  he  realizes  that  he  has  no  time  left:    

“She  finishes,  and  a  man  stands  up  and  he  says,  "I'm  from  Pakistan;  I'm  a  Muslim.  I'd  love  to  hold  your  hand  and  say  I'm  sorry,  but,  frankly,  this  is  retribution."  I  can't  tell  you  the  rest  because  I'm  out  of  time.”    

Had  this  been  you  and  had  you  not  managed  to  wrap  up  your  talk,  this  would  have  been  a  very  disappointing  end  to  an  otherwise  great  talk.  The  opening  and  closing  of  a  presentation  are  the  two  most  important  parts  of  the  presentation  because  of  the  primacy  and  recency  effect.  This  means  that  if  your  ending  is  terrible  because  you  didn’t  control  your  time  well,  your  audience  is  going  to  walk  away  from  your  talk  unsatisfied.  It’s  like  eating  a  great  meal  and  ending  the  night  with  some  terrible  tasting  dessert  –  it  leaves  a  bad  aftertaste  in  your  mouth  and  ruins  the  entire  experience.    So,  how  can  you  ensure  that  this  never  happens  to  you?    

• Plan  to  finish  early:  First,  always  plan  to  finish  your  presentation  at  least  two  minutes  before  the  end  of  your  allotted  time.  This  means  that  if  you  are  given  18  minutes  to  speak,  you  should  create  a  16-­‐minute  presentation.  It’s  better  to  finish  early  than  to  finish  late.  No  audience  ever  complained  about  a  presentation  finishing  two  minutes  earlier  than  the  scheduled  time.      Also,  it’s  likely  that  during  the  actual  event,  your  16-­‐minute  presentation  will  stretch  out  to  18  minutes  because  you  the  audience  members  might  laugh  at  something  a  little  longer  than  you  expected,  or  there  might  be  some  more  audience  interaction  that  what  you  had  planned  for.  Therefore,  it’s  always  a  good  idea  to  plan  to  finish  before  time.  

 

• Rehearse  your  presentation:  Second,  rehearse  your  presentation  several  times,  and  make  sure  you  time  your  presentation  so  that  you  know  you  are  falling  within  your  time  limit.    

• Prepare  an  emergency  close:  This  is  the  closing  that  you  will  use  in  case  you  suddenly  need  to  wrap  up  your  speech.  By  preparing  an  emergency  closing  of  less  than  one  minute,  you  know  that  you  will  be  able  to  wrap  up  your  talk  in  a  coherent  way  that  will  not  leave  your  audience  disappointed.      

• Keep  track  of  time:  Finally,  during  your  speech,  always  be  aware  of  the  time.  Generally,  large  conferences  have  countdown  timers  that  are  only  visible  to  the  speaker  so  that  the  speaker  can  keep  track  of  how  much  time  is  left.  If  this  is  not  the  case,  then  have  a  countdown  timer  or  your  mobile  phone  vibrate  in  your  pocket  five  minutes  before  the  end  of  your  talk.  This  will  give  you  enough  time  to  start  wrapping  up  your  talk.    

 Fortunately  for  Tony,  the  TED  conference  chair  allowed  him  to  finish  off  his  story  (don’t  count  on  this  happening  to  you)  so  the  audience  was  not  left  hanging.  However,  because  of  poor  time  management,  Tony  was  forced  to  rush  through  the  rest  of  the  story  and  wasn’t  able  to  end  as  powerfully  as  he  could  have.      The  lesson  is  clear:  Plan  your  time  well  and  always  finish  on  time.      

 Harness  the  Power  of  Stories  

 Storytelling  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  tools  available  in  a  speaker’s  tool  box.  If  you  want  to  be  a  great  speaker,  you  must  master  the  art  of  storytelling.  This  is  why  I’ve  written  a  whole  book  on  the  subject  titled  Storytelling  Techniques  for  Electrifying  Presentations  

(http://amzn.to/1cIQi9A).      Tony  is  a  masterful  storyteller.  Near  the  end  of  his  talk,  he  shares  this  captivating  story  with  his  audience:  

 “One  woman  -­‐-­‐  well,  that  night  is  when  9/11  happened  -­‐-­‐  one  woman  had  come  to  the  seminar  and  when  she  came  there,  her  previous  boyfriend  had  been  kidnapped  and  murdered.  Her  friend,  her  new  boyfriend,  wanted  to  marry  her,  and  she  said  no.    He  said,  "If  you  leave  and  go  to  that  Hawaii  thing,  it's  over  with  us."  She  said,  "It's  over."  When  I  finished  that  night,  she  called  him  and  left  a  message  -­‐-­‐  true  story  -­‐-­‐  at  the  top  of  the  World  Trade  Center  where  he  worked,  saying,  "Honey,  I  love  you,  I  just  want  you  to  know  I  want  to  marry  you.  It  was  stupid  of  me."  She  was  asleep,  because  it  was  3  a.m.  for  us,  when  he  called  her  back  from  the  top  and  said,  "Honey,  I  can't  tell  you  what  this  means."  He  said,  "I  don't  know  how  to  tell  you  this,  but  you  gave  me  the  greatest  gift  because  I'm  going  to  die."  And  she  played  the  recording  for  us  in  the  room.  She  was  on  Larry  King  later,  and  he  said,  "You're  probably  wondering  how  on  Earth  this  could  happen  to  you  twice."  And  he  said,  "All  I  can  say  to  you  is,  this  must  be  God's  message  to  you,  honey.  From  now  on,  every  day  give  your  all,  love  your  all.  Don't  let  anything  ever  stop  you."  She  finishes,  and  a  man  stands  up  and  he  says,  "I'm  from  Pakistan;  I'm  a  Muslim.  I'd  love  to  hold  your  hand  and  say  I'm  sorry,  but,  frankly,  this  is  retribution."  I  can't  tell  you  the  rest  because  I'm  out  of  time.”    

Unfortunately,  since  Tony  had  not  planned  his  time  well  enough,  he  runs  out  of  time.    Had  this  been  the  end,  audience  members  would  leave  highly  unsatisfied  with  Tony’s  talk.  Fortunately,  Tony  was  given  a  bit  more  time  to  wrap  up  his  talk.    Why?    Because  the  audience  wanted  Tony  to  finish  the  story.  When  Tony  said,  “I  can’t  tell  you  the  rest  ’cause  I’m  out  of  time,”  the  audience  sighed  in  disappointment  because  they  were  curious  to  know  the  conclusion  of  the  story.      

While  it  isn’t  encouraged  to  go  over  time,  this  particular  situation  does  highlight  the  power  of  storytelling:  Stories  are  inherently  interesting  and  audience  members  love  listening  to  them.      Storytelling  is  hardwired  into  our  brains.  As  children,  it’s  how  we  make  sense  of  the  world.  While  statistics  and  data  are  abstract,  a  story  creates  a  mental  movie  in  our  heads  that  we  can  see  and  hear.  We  get  emotionally  tied  up  in  stories.  Stories  arouse  our  curiosity,  causing  us  to  ask,  “What  happens  next?”      In  one  of  his  blog  posts,  the  marketing  guru  Seth  Godin  wrote:    

“The  storyteller  naturally  engages  our  attention,  and  she  matches  her  emphasis  and  cadence  to  the  rhythm  of  the  story.  Here’s  how  to  know  if  you’re  on  the  right  track:  if  you  stop  a  story  in  the  middle,  the  audience  will  insist  you  finish  it.”  

 Isn’t  that  what  happened  with  Tony?    When  giving  your  presentation,  use  stories  to  keep  your  audience  engaged.  As  we’ve  seen,  stories  are  so  engaging  that  if  you  stop  one  halfway  through,  your  audience  will  insist  that  you  finish  it.      

 Use  Inviting  Language  

 What  is  inviting  language?    Inviting  language  is  “soft”  language  that  encourages  and  welcomes  audience  members  to  try  out  a  particular  idea  or  take  a  certain  course  of  action.  It  ensures  that  the  audience  members  don’t  feel  as  though  an  idea  is  being  forced  upon  them.  If  audience  members  feel  you  are  pushing  an  idea  on  them,  they  will  be  less  willing  to  accept  it  because  people  don’t  like  being  forced  to  do  things.    In  his  TED  talk,  to  avoid  psychological  reactance  from  the  audience,  Tony  ends  his  speech  by  inviting  his  audience  to  try  out  his  idea.  He  doesn’t  force  it  upon  them,  but  simply  invites  them:    

“So  my  invitation  to  you  is  this:  explore  your  web,  the  web  in  here  -­‐-­‐  the  needs,  the  beliefs,  the  emotions  that  are  controlling  you...”  

 When  presenting  your  call  to  action,  use  inviting  language  such  as  “I  invite  you  to...”  “I  encourage  you  to...”  “Explore  the  possibilities...”  “Experiment  with...”  and  “Next  time,  try  to...”  The  opposite  of  inviting  language  is  forceful  language  such  as  “You  must…”  “You  should…”  “If  you  don’t  then…”  etc.    Use  invitational  phrases  to  make  sure  that  your  audience  does  not  feel  you  are  forcing  ideas  upon  them.    

   

Wrap  Up  with  a  Call  to  Action    The  final  step  in  creating  a  powerfully  persuasive  TED  talk  is  to  craft  a  compelling  call  to  action.  End  your  talk  with  a  clear  next  step  for  your  audience  to  take.      In  his  TED  talk,  Tony  does  a  great  job  of  this  by  providing  a  crystal-­‐clear  next  step  for  his  audience  to  take:      

“So  my  invitation  to  you  is  this:  explore  your  web,  the  web  in  here  -­‐-­‐  the  needs,  the  beliefs,  the  emotions  that  are  controlling  you,  for  two  reasons:  so  there's  more  of  you  to  give  -­‐-­‐  and  achieve  too,  we  all  want  to  do  it  -­‐-­‐  but  I  mean  give,  because  that's  what's  going  to  fill  you  up.  And  secondly,  so  you  can  appreciate  -­‐-­‐  not  just  understand,  that's  intellectual,  that's  the  mind  -­‐-­‐  but  appreciate  what's  driving  other  people.  It's  the  only  way  our  world's  going  to  change.  God  bless  you.  Thank  you.”  

 What’s  your  call  to  action?      Let  your  audience  know  exactly  what  you  would  like  them  to  do  next  as  a  result  of  listening  to  your  talk.      

In  a  Nutshell  

• Have  absolute  belief  in  your  message.  

• Match  your  audience’s  energy  level.  

• Connect  with  your  audience  by  speaking  conversationally.  

• Use  questions  to  create  knowledge  gaps.    

• Build  rapport  with  your  audience  using  you-­‐focused  speaking.  

• Put  your  body  behind  your  gestures.  

• Use  callbacks  to  personalize  your  talk.  

• Present  the  problem,  challenge  or  central  question  that  needs  to  be  solved.  

• Experiment  with  audience  involvement  techniques  to  keep  your  audience  engaged  (and  awake!).  

• Build  a  deeper  connection  with  your  audience  by  verbalizing  their  thoughts  and  feelings.  

• Use  inviting  language.  

• Wrap  up  your  talk  with  a  call  to  action.    

*  

 Meet  Presentation  Expert  Akash  Karia    Akash  Karia  is  a  professional  speaker  who  has  trained  thousands  of  people  worldwide,  from  bankers  in  Hong  Kong  to  yoga  teachers  in  Thailand  to  senior  executives  in  Dubai.  He  is  an  award-­‐winning  trainer  who  has  been  ranked  as  one  of  the  top  speakers  in  Asia-­‐Pacific.  He  is  currently  the  Chief  Commercial  Officer  of  a  multi-­‐million  dollar  company  in  Tanzania,  in  which  capacity  he  heads  the  sales,  relations  and  marketing  departments  of  the  organization.      If  you’re  looking  for  a  coach  to  help  you  become  a  powerful  and  persuasive  communicator  or  a  speaker  to  unleash  the  excellence  hidden  inside  of  your  teams,  then  contact  Akash  on  www.AkashKaria.com  (or  email  Akash@AkashKaria.com).        

CHAPTER  FOUR    

THE  BEST  STATS  YOU’VE  EVER  SEEN    

• Case  study:  Hans  Rosling,  The  Best  Stats  You’ve  Ever  Seen  

• Expert  analysis  by:  Dana  Rubin    

Make  Your  Statistics  Come  Alive    In  his  TED  talk  titled  “The  best  stats  you’ve  ever  seen”  (http://bit.ly/1aOhHaR),  Swedish  professor  Hans  Rosling  sets  a  new  standard  for  the  presentation  of  quantitative  information.  In  just  19  minutes,  he  takes  abstract  data  and  concepts  that  are  difficult  to  grasp  and  makes  them  come  alive.  In  this  chapter,  we  look  at  the  presentation  lessons  we  can  pick  up  from  Rosling’s  talk:    

• Starting  with  a  story  

• Making  your  audience  laugh  

• Having  seamless  engagement  with  visuals  

• Ending  on  a  high    

 

Source:  TED  

 In  arguing  for  the  public  funding  of  health  data,  Rosling  makes  use  of  a  series  of  dazzling  software  animations  that  reveal  important  perspectives  on  a  century  of  social  and  economic  development  around  the  world.      Even  though  his  groundbreaking  Gapminder  software  is  the  visual  focal  point  of  this  presentation,  Rosling  wisely  never  lets  the  software  completely  take  over.  His  presentation  proves  that  it’s  never  numbers  or  data  alone  that  tell  a  good  story  –  it  takes  a  human  being  to  stir  our  emotions  and  influence  our  attitudes.  Rosling’s  talk  demonstrates  that  the  sophisticated  new  tools  of  data  visualization  are  most  effective  in  the  hands  of  a  charismatic  speaker  who’s  fully  in  control  of  the  material  and  completely  engaged  with  the  audience.          

 Use  a  Story  to  Start  

 Rosling  begins  his  talk  with  one  of  the  tried-­‐and-­‐true  opening  techniques:  by  telling  a  personal  story.  With  just  a  few  sentences,  he  paints  a  sympathetic  self-­‐portrait  of  a  man  who’s  engaged  with  world  problems  and  has  a  wry  sense  of  humor:    

“About  10  years  ago,  I  took  on  the  task  to  teach  global  development  to  Swedish  undergraduate  students.  This  was  after  having  spent  about  20  years  together  with  African  institutions  studying  hunger  in  Africa,  so  I  was  sort  of  expected  to  know  a  little  about  the  world.  And  I  started  in  our  medical  university,  Karolinska  Institute,  an  undergraduate  course  called  Global  Health.  But  when  you  get  that  opportunity,  you  get  a  little  nervous.  I  thought  these  students  coming  to  us  actually  have  the  highest  grade  you  can  get  in  the  Swedish  college  system,  so  I  thought  maybe  they  know  everything  I'm  going  to  teach  them  about.”    

Rosling  uses  understatement  –  “sort  of  expected  to  know  a  little  about  the  world”  –  and  self-­‐deprecation  –  “a  little  nervous”  –  to  create  a  sympathetic  bond  with  the  audience.      Note  especially  his  use  of  the  word  “you”  when  he  says,  “you  get  a  little  nervous.”  That’s  a  subtle  way  of  deepening  his  connection  with  his  listeners.  It’s  as  if  he  were  saying,  “It’s  not  just  me  who  gets  a  little  nervous  –  it’s  you  too.”  In  other  words,  we’re  all  in  this  together.    Next  time  you  have  to  give  a  presentation,  consider  opening  with  a  story.  Also  consider  adding  some  you-­‐focus  in  order  to  deepen  your  connection  with  your  audience.    

 Make  ’em  Laugh  

 Rosling  then  uses  another  classic  technique  to  bond  with  the  audience  –  humor.  He  manages  to  get  a  few  laughs  when  he  points  out  that  his  students  failed  his  pre-­‐test,  which  signaled  to  him  that  “there  was  a  place  for  a  professor  of  international  health,  and  for  my  course.”    Getting  people  to  laugh  at  the  beginning  of  a  talk  is  not  easy,  especially  when  you’re  talking  about  a  serious  subject  like  global  health.  But  the  humor  as  well  as  the  personal  story  are  important,  because  they  establish  Rosling’s  likeable  personality,  and  create  a  bond  with  the  audience  that  will  serve  him  throughout  the  presentation.    We  laugh  when  he  tells  us  that  despite  having  the  highest  grades  in  the  Swedish  academic  system,  his  students  “know  statistically  significantly  less  about  the  world  than  the  chimpanzees.”  And  for  that  matter,  so  do  his  fellow  professors  at  the  Karolinska  Institute.    He  even  makes  a  silly,  endearing  joke  about  serving  the  chimps  “two  bananas  with  Sri  Lanka  and  Turkey”  that  causes  a  few  people  to  chuckle.  A  few  minutes  later,  he  tells  us  that  his  students  get  most  of  their  knowledge  about  the  world  from  Tintin  –  and  he  flashes  a  picture  of  the  globetrotting  comic  character.  The  audience  laughs.    

However,  isn’t  it  true  that  someone  else  could  deliver  the  exact  same  lines  and  not  be  able  to  generate  a  single  laugh?  So,  why  is  Rosling  able  to  generate  laughs,  whereas  others  might  fail  even  if  they  deliver  the  same  lines?    It’s  because  Rosling  is  not  afraid  to  have  fun  on  stage.  He  is  enjoying  himself  on  stage,  and  this  shines  through  in  his  delivery.  He’s  not  afraid  to  poke  fun  at  himself,  and  therefore  the  audience  gets  permission  to  laugh  with  him.      Rosling  is  funny,  there’s  no  doubt.  But  there’s  something  in  his  humor  that  makes  us  slightly  uncomfortable.  His  implied  meaning  is  that  not  only  are  the  Swedish  students  and  professors  ignorant  about  the  realities  of  global  health,  and  quite  possibly  ethnocentric,  but  so  are  all  educated  people  in  the  Western  world.  And  that  includes  us,  the  members  of  his  audience.    In  laughing  at  his  humor,  we  are  also  laughing  at  ourselves.  And  we  are  wondering  what  exactly  is  this  lesson  we’re  about  to  receive.      As  a  speaker,  don’t  be  afraid  to  have  fun  on  stage.  If  you’re  enjoying  yourself,  then  your  audience  will  too.      

 Use  Clear,  Explanatory  Language  

 Just  two-­‐and-­‐a-­‐half  minutes  into  his  talk,  the  real  action  begins  when  Rosling  presents  on  the  screen  a  static  view  of  his  first  animation  generated  by  the  remarkable  Gapminder  software.      The  bubbles  and  dots  spread  across  a  graph  with  x  and  y  axes  is  visually  captivating,  but  also  confusing,  and  Rosling  does  something  few  presenters  do.  He  doesn’t  just  assume  his  audience  intuitively  understands  what  the  variables  mean  –  he  actually  takes  the  time  to  explain  them:    

“We  did  this  software  which  displays  it  like  this:  every  bubble  here  is  a  country.  This  country  over  here  is  China.  This  is  India.  

The  size  of  the  bubble  is  the  population,  and  on  this  axis  here  I  put  fertility  rate.”    

As  he  explains,  he  constructed  the  graph  as  a  way  of  challenging  an  assumption  made  by  his  students,  who  divide  the  world  into  “We  and  Them”  –  in  other  words,  between  the  wealthy  Western,  developed  world  where  people  have  small  families  and  live  long  lives,  and  the  poor  and  underdeveloped  Third  World  where  people  have  large  families  and  live  short  lives.    So  this  is  what  the  graph  displays:  demographic  data  collected  since  1962  on  the  size  of  families  and  lifespans  in  countries  around  the  world.    His  clear  explanatory  language  helps  make  a  complicated  subject  easy  to  understand.  Whenever  you’re  presenting  complicated  information,  always  search  for  ways  to  present  it  in  the  clearest,  simplest  manner  possible  to  aid  your  audience’s  understanding.    

 Seamless  Engagement  with  Visuals  

 Rosling’s  language  speeds  up  as  his  story  progresses,  and  he  launches  a  series  of  rhetorical  questions  that  get  to  the  heart  of  the  problem:    

“Now  what  has  happened  since  1962?  We  want  to  see  the  change.  Are  the  students  right?  It's  still  two  types  of  countries?  Or  have  these  developing  countries  got  smaller  families  and  they  live  here?  Or  have  they  got  longer  lives  and  live  up  there?”  

 

The  cascading  questions,  posed  with  ever-­‐increasing  urgency,  intensify  the  stakes.  As  a  speaker,  you  should  vary  your  pace,  volume  and  tone  to  create  different  moods  in  your  audience.      Rosling  then  says,  “Let’s  see.  We  start  the  world.”    He  returns  to  the  podium,  hits  a  key,  and  suddenly  the  screen  comes  to  life,  with  the  circles  and  dots  moving  across  the  screen  to  reflect  the  passage  of  time  and  the  changing  health  and  economic  data.    

Then  Rosling  himself  leaps  into  action.  He  turns  completely  around  to  face  the  screen,  his  back  to  the  audience,  his  arms  outstretched  over  his  head,  and  he  moves  his  arms  along  with  the  spheres  as  if  he  himself  is  physically  orchestrating  the  movement  of  the  data.  Remember  that  you  can  make  your  presentation  exciting  by  being  excited  about  what  you’re  presenting.    On  and  on  it  goes,  as  the  decades  and  data  fly  by  and  Rosling  narrates  the  changes  with  mounting  speed  and  urgency,  as  if  he’s  calling  a  horse  race  that’s  neck  and  neck  on  the  final  stretch.    

“Can  you  see  there?  It's  China  there,  moving  against  better  health  there,  improving  there.  All  the  green  Latin  American  countries  they  are  moving  towards  smaller  families.  Your  yellow  ones  here  are  the  Arabic  countries,  and  they  get  larger  families,  but  they  -­‐-­‐  no,  longer  life,  but  not  larger  families.  The  Africans  are  the  green  down  here.  They  still  remain  here.  This  is  India.  Indonesia's  moving  on  pretty  fast.”    

By  physically  interacting  with  the  screen,  Rosling  creates  a  seamless  connection  between  himself  and  his  visuals,  which  begin  to  seem  almost  like  an  extension  of  his  body.  As  we  watch  the  fast-­‐moving  data,  there’s  the  sense  that  what  we’re  actually  watching  are  this  brilliant  man’s  thoughts  in  motion.  The  screen  becomes  a  projection  of  the  inner  workings  of  this  man’s  highly  complex  brain.    Note  that  it’s  the  human  being  who  is  compelling,  not  just  the  data  on  the  screen.  The  Gapminder  software  is  exciting,  yes,  but  it’s  Hans  Rosling  himself  who  invests  his  passion  and  enthusiasm  into  the  unfolding  data,  and  gives  it  life  and  meaning.    Always  remember  that  it’s  you,  not  the  software,  that’s  the  star.  No  piece  of  software  can  make  your  presentation  exciting  unless  you  first  are  excited  about  the  presentation.    

 Tell  Them  Straight,  Then  Tell  Them  Again  

 

So  what  exactly  is  Rosling  trying  to  express  to  us?  Why  is  he  getting  so  excited?    Here’s  what  it  is:  Rosling  is  telling  us  what’s  wrong  with  the  way  we  think.  And  he’s  doing  it  with  a  series  of  declarative  statements  that  are  clear  and  direct,  their  meaning  unmistakable.  Simply  by  finding  new  and  fresh  ways  to  say  the  same  thing,  over  and  over,  he  makes  sure  that  we  get  the  point:      

“If  we  don't  look  at  the  data,  we  underestimate  the  tremendous     change  in  Asia…”  

 

A  short  time  later,  presenting  another  Gapminder  animation,  he  says  nearly  the  same  thing  again:    

“There’s  no  gap  between  rich  and  poor  any  longer.  That’s  a  myth.”      

Then  a  bit  later,  with  a  slightly  different  spin:      

“This  shows  that  the  concept  of  developing  countries  is  extremely  doubtful.”    

And  yet  again,  with  another  twist:    

“We  will  not  have  a  divided  world.  Most  of  the  people  will  be  in  the  middle.”    

And  this:    

“The  best  projection  from  the  World  Bank  is  that  this  will  happen,  and  we  will  not  have  a  divided  world.  We’ll  have  most  people  in  the  middle.”    

Rosling  knows  that  data  alone  won’t  change  our  minds.  We  need  a  human  being  to  serve  as  our  guide,  to  us  tell  the  story,  to  put  it  into  human  terms,  in  language  we  can  understand,  and  then  to  repeat  it  over  and  over  to  make  sure  we  get  the  point.  We  need  you  –  the  speaker.    

In  the  remainder  of  his  talk,  Rosling  presents  several  more  Gapminder  animations  that  extend  his  argument  using  other  demographic  data.  Each  time,  it’s  his  signature  enthusiasm  in  tandem  with  the  animation  that  conveys  the  message.    

 End  on  a  High  

 Having  made  the  case  that  public  health  data  should  be  freely  available,  Rosling  approaches  the  end  of  his  presentation.      He  evokes  a  time  in  the  future  when  publicly  funded  data  will  be  widely  available  and  everyone  will  be  able  to  educate  themselves  about  the  world.  Each  of  us  will  be  able  to  follow  public  health  trends  and  other  social  and  economic  developments,  and  use  that  knowledge  to  gain  a  more  nuanced  and  truthful  understanding  of  human  progress.  Rosling  paints  a  beautiful  picture  of  a  better  world,  leaving  his  audience  on  an  emotional  high.    “I  end  now  with  the  world,”  Rosling  says,  and  with  that  he  offers  one  final  Gapminder  animation  that  tracks  the  correlation  between  Internet  use  around  the  world  and  rising  economic  prosperity.  This  brings  his  presentation  to  a  quick  but  hopeful  conclusion:      

“It’s  as  if  the  world  is  flattening  out,  isn’t  it?  These  countries  are  lifting  more  than  the  economy,  and  it  will  be  very  interesting  to  follow  this  over  the  years,  as  I  would  like  you  to  be  able  to  do  with  all  the  publicly  funded  data.”    

Rosling  packs  a  lot  of  meaning  into  those  final  few  lines.  His  enthusiasm  is  restrained  –  “it  will  be  very  interesting”  to  see  what  happens.  But  within  that  slender  phrase  resides  the  passion  of  a  reformer  hell-­‐bent  on  changing  the  world.    

In  a  Nutshell  

• Start  with  a  story.  

• Have  fun  on  stage.  

• Don’t  be  afraid  to  make  fun  of  yourself.  

• Use  simple,  clear,  explanatory  language.  

• It’s  your  passion  and  enthusiasm  that  gives  life  and  meaning  to  data.  

• Engage  with  your  visuals.  

• Tell  them  straight,  then  tell  them  again.  

• End  on  a  high.    

*

Meet  Presentation  Expert  Dana  Rubin  

Dana  Rubin  is  a  communications  consultant  in  New  York  City  who  helps  her  clients  develop  persuasive  presentations  and  deliver  them  powerfully.  Her  career  spans  years  as  a  newspaper  and  magazine  journalist,  TV  news  producer,  corporate  speechwriter  and  strategic  consultant  with  experience  in  the  US  and  abroad.  She’s  media  savvy  and  knows  how  to  create  the  phrases  and  messages  that  will  get  quoted,  printed,  broadcast,  and  circulated  through  traditional  and  social  media.  She  can  be  reached  at  drubin@rubinandcompany.com.  Find  out  more  about  her  on:  http://rubinandcompany.com        

CHAPTER  FIVE    

WRAP  UP      The  best  way  to  master  the  art  of  public  speaking  is  to  study  great  speakers.  In  this  book,  you’ve  uncovered  the  tools  and  techniques  used  by  four  great  TED  speakers.  Apply  these  techniques  to  your  next  TED  talk  (or  any  other  speech  or  presentation)  to  keep  your  audience  hooked:    

• Appeal  to  a  universal  experience  or  idea.  

• Have  absolute  belief  in  your  message.  

• Don’t  just  walk  on  stage  –  command  the  room.  Don’t  be  afraid  to  take  a  long  pause  while  connecting  with  the  audience  via  eye  contact.    

• Match  your  audience’s  energy  level.  

• Don’t  just  speak;  aim  to  create  an  experience  for  your  audience.  

• Connect  with  your  audience  by  speaking  conversationally.  

• Use  simple,  clear,  explanatory  language.  

• Use  questions  to  create  knowledge  gaps.    

• Present  the  problem,  challenge  or  central  question  that  needs  to  be  solved.  

• Build  rapport  with  your  audience  using  you-­‐focused  speaking.  

• Experiment  with  audience  involvement  techniques  to  engage  your  audience.  

• Build  a  deeper  connection  with  your  audience  by  verbalizing  their  thoughts  and  feelings.  

• Harness  the  power  of  storytelling  to  connect  emotionally  with  your  audience  

• Choose  stories  to  create  a  range  of  emotions  in  your  audience.  

• Make  your  presentation  memorable  by  repeating  a  hook  line  

• Use  callbacks  to  personalize  your  talk.  

• Keep  the  audience  interested  and  engaged  with  twists  and  turns.  

• Have  fun  on  stage.  

• Don’t  be  afraid  to  make  fun  of  yourself.  

• Don’t  walk  over  the  laughter.  

• Put  your  body  behind  your  gestures.  

• Give  examples  your  audience  can  relate  to.  

• People  relate  to  people,  not  perfection,  so  share  your  failures  and  the  “message  out  of  the  mess.”  

• Remember  that  it’s  your  passion  and  enthusiasm  that  gives  life  and  meaning  to  data.  

• Engage  with  your  visuals.  

• Use  inviting  language.  

• Wrap  up  your  talk  with  a  call  to  action.  

• End  on  a  high.    

One  Final  Tool  

I’m  going  to  end  this  book  by  giving  you  one  more  tool.  Use  this  tool  before  any  speech  or  presentation  because  it  will  put  you  into  a  confident  mind-­‐set.      I  want  you  to  relax,  sit  back  and  imagine  yourself  up  on  stage,  sharing  your  message  with  your  audience.  Imagine  your  audience  smiling  and  enthusiastic.  Imagine  them  being  hooked  onto  your  every  word.  Imagine  them  totally  engaged  in  your  speech.  Imagine  them  laughing  at  the  humor  in  your  speech.  Imagine  them  spellbound  by  your  stories.  Imagine  yourself  enthusiastic,  confident  and  enjoying  the  moment.      To  your  speaking  success,    Akash  Karia  |  Dana  Rubin  |  Marion  Grobb  Finkelstein  |  Michelle  Mazur      

QUESTIONS  OR  COMMENTS?      

I’d  love  to  hear  your  thoughts.  Email  me  at:  akash.speaker@gmail.com  

or  Akash@AkashKaria.com      

DOWNLOAD  YOUR  FREE  RESOURCES  Join  over  4,900  of  your  peers  and  receive  free,  exclusive  content  that  I  

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WANT  MORE?  

If  you  found  value  in  this  book,  then  please  check  out  my  other  books:  

• How  to  Deliver  a  Great  TED  Talk  

• How  to  Design  TED  Worthy  Presentation  Slides  

• Storytelling  Techniques  for  Powerful  Presentations  

• Public  Speaking  Mastery  

• Own  the  Room  

• Public  Speaking  Tips  from  the  Pros  

• Stop  Negative  Thinking!  

• 26  Ways  to  Persuade  People  to  Do  Stuff  

• How  Successful  People  Think  Differently  

 

NEED  A  KEYNOTE  SPEAKER  OR  A  WORKSHOP  LEADER?  

I  am  available  to  conduct  keynotes,  workshops  and  training  sessions  on  

persuasion,  public  speaking  and  productivity.  Check  out  the  keynotes  

and  workshops  I  offer  on  my  website  and  let’s  set  a  time  to  discuss  how  

I  can  be  of  help  to  you.    

LOOKING  FOR  ONE  ON  ONE  COACHING?  I  offer  one-­‐on-­‐one  coaching  over  Skype.  I’ll  help  you  make  your  upcoming  pitch  powerful  and  persuasive.  Reach  me  at  

akash.speaker@gmail.com  or  Akash@AkashKaria.com  to  discuss  the  

possibility  of  how  we  might  work  together.    Talk  soon!      

Live  well,  work  hard  –  and  have  fun  doing  both!    

Akash  Karia  AkashKaria.com  

     

 

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 “Must-­‐read  for  time  starved  professionals!”  -­‐  Sean  P.  Graham      "The  best  speaking  wisdom  I  have  had  in  years"  -­‐  Sandeep  Gupta    

 

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 By  the  end  of  this  guide,  you  will  have  picked  up  the  tools  and  techniques  to  become  twice  as  persuasive  in  half  the  time  so  that  you  can  achieve  your  personal  and  business  goals.  Whether  you’re  an  entrepreneur  or  a  stay-­‐at-­‐home  mom,  26  Ways  to  Persuade  People  to  Do  Stuff  will  prove  to  be  a  valuable  addition  to  any  persuader’s  library.  

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