TEDx Director Tricia Brouk shares useful tips on how to hone your presentation skills and give a killer TEDx performance.
On today’s podcast:
- Fine-tuning your presentation skills
- Steps to giving a killer presentation
- Knowing who you are as a speaker
- Finding an event where the theme resonates with you
- Should you use PowerPoint slides during your talk?
Links:
- Get Tricia’s free ebook: The Art Of The Start
- thebigtalknyc.com
- TEDxLincolnSquare event on March 27th, 2018
- TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
Getting your story out
People want to know how to develop their presentation skills so that they can get to the TEDx stage.
When Tricia first started working with speakers they had a lot of amazing ideas to share. She wondered “How can I get these ideas on the stage so that more people can be moved by them”?
She takes the idea and helps the presenter get the story out.
First steps on the journey to becoming a TEDx speaker
You have to be sure that your idea is uniquely yours. You should watch other TED talks and events.
Find out if many people have already talked about this. If they have, find a new idea.
When you become a TEDx speaker you elevate your credibility immediately. You have to be ready to take responsibility for what will happen once you become a TEDx speaker.
How to engage your audience
A TEDx event is a theatrical show. The best way to prepare is to work on your script first. Write your script in a way that allows you to turn it into a conversation with the audience.
You should really focus on rehearsing. A lot of people think that if they rehearse they will sound like a robot. If you rehearse so that you know the script inside and out, when you get on to the stage you can be free to express your idea.
Previews are very important. Do your talk in front of multiple audiences before you take the TEDx stage so that you can have the greatest impact.
Knowing who you are as a speaker
It’s important to know who you are as a speaker. If you are not funny naturally, don’t do a funny talk. If you are very shy, you’re going to require more practice in front of an audience.
Find someone who can help you. They can get to know who you are and then place you in an environment that is comfortable, but also theatrical, o that you can wow your audience.
If you are a speaker who works really well from bullet points, don’t memorize the script word for word. If you prefer to memorize the script word for word, make sure you are speaking as a conversation, not reciting from a page.
Finding a theme that resonates with you
Tricia asks the speakers and the audience to look beyond what they normally see. We should look beyond what is possible and potentially change the world by changing what we see in front of us.
If you are going to take a TEDx stage, find an event where the theme resonates with you. You have to be clear on what kind of event you want to be involved in.
You have one opportunity to get a TEDx video on YouTube and if it’s not good quality, it’s going to break your heart. When you are searching out TEDx events, find out who the organizer is, what the theme is, and what the production value is.
Should you use PowerPoint slides during your talk?
Should a speaker use PowerPoint slides? It’s all personal preference, based on what your talk needs. If they serve your talk, use them.
The speakers should not look back at the screen if they are using slides. They should stay engaged with the audience. The moment you turn away from the audience, you break the contact.
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