{"id":64175,"date":"2022-04-14T17:24:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T21:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=64175"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:56:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T18:56:26","slug":"ted-talks-the-official-guide-to-public-speaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ted-talks-the-official-guide-to-public-speaking\/","title":{"rendered":"TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is Chris Anderson’s TED Talks<\/em> about? What advice does he give to aspiring public speakers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking<\/em>, Chris Anderson, the head of TED, shares his secrets to a spectacular public speech from the initial idea to the final bow. A great speech has the power to inspire and change the world, but most people believe that public speaking is an innate talent<\/a>. Chris Anderson wrote this book to derail that self-limiting belief<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a brief overview of TED Talks<\/em> by Chris Anderson. We\u2019ll take you through Anderson\u2019s advice piece by piece, from scripting to wardrobe and everything in between, condensing his advice into thematic sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris Anderson has been the TED Conference curator since 2002. One of his primary responsibilities in this role is to select speakers for the nonprofit\u2019s premier medium: TED Talks. When Anderson\u2019s company acquired TED in 2001, it was a struggling organization. He turned the nonprofit around and helped make it the international success that it is today. After watching hundreds of TED talks, Anderson believes he knows the secrets to a spectacular speech, which he shares in his book TED Talks<\/em>: The Official Guide to Public Speaking<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Public Speaking So Scary?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Anderson says the fear of public speaking<\/a> is two-fold: There is the in-the-moment fear of<\/strong> temporary humiliation\u2014<\/strong>stumbling over words, forgetting what to say, and so on. Then there is the long-term fear of a damaged reputation<\/strong>. Most people care deeply about what others think of them, and they worry that a public flop will change the way they\u2019re viewed. While these fears are normal and common, Anderson stresses that they must be overcome. Why? Because you\u2019ll likely have<\/em> to speak publicly at some point, whether you fear it or not, so you might as well reap the rewards of good public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If you have an intense fear of public speaking<\/a>, psychologists recommend that you attack the speech and the fear separately<\/a>. Attack the speech by preparing as much as you possibly can\u2014practice the words and movements, and visualize yourself delivering the speech successfully. Attack the fear<\/em> by learning how to manage your emotions\u2014for example, if you tend to become overly energized with adrenaline, make a plan for how you will handle that excess energy before speaking.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconceptions and Their Truths<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Anderson says the first step is to face your fear by debunking common misconceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception<\/strong>: Great public speakers are eloquent and perfectly polished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth:<\/strong> Incredible speeches can be delivered in a conversational style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: To avoid being overly formal, write your speech as if you\u2019re talking with a friend<\/a> or colleague whom you deeply respect\u2014you won\u2019t be too <\/em>casual, but you also won\u2019t be speaking as if you\u2019re addressing the President.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception: <\/strong>You need to have a stage and an audience to be a public speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth: <\/strong>The internet is available to anyone, and there\u2019s always an audience waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Online public speaking is so common that it now has a name\u2014digital oratory<\/a>\u2014and it\u2019s being taught as a skill in all levels of education.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception: <\/strong>To be worthy of a public speech, your idea must be revolutionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth: <\/strong>Small but meaningful ideas and observations have value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: People love to learn\u2014in fact, neuroscientists have shown that humans receive a rush of dopamine (the feel-good hormone) in their brains when they learn something new. As Anderson says, this isn\u2019t to say that the idea needs to be new to the world<\/em>; it need only be new to your audience.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begin With an Idea and a Throughline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your idea is the topic you want to discuss. Some ideas are big<\/strong>\u2014for example, an invention that will save lives\u2014and some ideas are subtle<\/strong>, like an observation about human behavior. Both have the potential to influence or move an audience. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In one of the most popular TED Talks of all time<\/a>, \u201cLooks Aren\u2019t Everything,\u201d model Cameron Russell illustrates an old idea in a novel way by detailing how a team of professionals manipulated her photo to make her look older, sexier, and more glamorous than she really was.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After coming up with an idea, Anderson says the next step is to determine your throughline, the lesson you want your audience to take away<\/strong>. Think of it as the point of your speech. For example, if your idea is, \u201cI want to talk about my trip to Alaska and how the Inuits live,\u201d your throughline could be, \u201cPeople who live in small, self-sufficient communities live more creatively than people in big cities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid predictable throughlines and keep them to one sentence<\/strong>. Additionally, Anderson says an element of surprise<\/a> ensures your audience\u2019s curiosity from the beginning. For example, which speech sounds more interesting: The Dangers of Procrastination<\/em> or The Benefits of Procrastination? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Talk Like TED<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Carmine Gallo recommends incorporating a \u201cshocking moment\u201d into your presentation. This can include an unbelievable statistic, a startling photo, or a surprising story. He says that this shocking moment should drive home the message of your speech<\/a>\u2014or, in Anderson\u2019s terms, your throughline.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engage Your Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Developing a solid idea and strong throughline are the first steps to a successful speech, but they don\u2019t guarantee you\u2019ll make an impact. Anderson explains that you must connect with your audience<\/a> in order to be effective and memorable.<\/strong> He provides strategies for engaging your audience based on the type of speech you\u2019re giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategies for Explanatory Speeches<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re trying to teach your audience something new, or explain a difficult concept, Anderson recommends the following strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n