how to give more persuasive presentations ted blog

.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices 5 essential preparation steps for a successful presentation

by Tom Rielly • June 15, 2020

Keeping your presentation visuals minimalistic, simple, and clear is just one important step to remember when designing a hit presentation. Leaving nothing to chance, great presenters prove quite methodical as they prepare. Here’s a checklist for everything you need to keep in mind before your next presentation:

1. Choose the right software for your needs

The easiest way to select the right presentation software for you is to simply find the one that is native to your device. For example, if you have a Mac, use Apple Keynote, if you work on Windows, use PowerPoint. Google Slides is recommended if you’re working with someone, as it makes collaboration very easy. Another software option is Prezi: a specialty tool called Prezi that creates a presentation using motion, zoom, and panning across one giant visual space.

2. Organize your files

As you develop your script and visuals, you will need to start assembling all the assets for your slides. Create a unique folder on your computer to hold these items. Keep the folder organized by media type (presentation drafts, photos, videos, scripts) and back them up frequently to the Cloud or external disk. Label each file with a specific descriptive name, e.g. “Susan Johnson singing magpie 2020”, as opposed to “IMG_4043.jpg”, which can make it confusing to find your assets. The more organized you are up front, the easier preparing for your presentation will be.

3. Prepare your presentation materials

Make sure your presentation materials (script, graphics, actual slides) are saved in at least two safe spots (for example, your computer and an external USB drive) and are backed-up frequently. If you are using an online presentation software, such as Google Slides, be sure to also download a copy of your presentation in case the internet connection is unreliable. Having all the individual assets on hand in addition to your presentation slides can be helpful if you experience tech issues before presenting, or if you need to make any last minute changes. Make sure to label your final presentation with the title and your name so it’s easy to find.

4. Practice, practice, practice!

Remember, practice makes perfect. People often run out of time making their presentations and have no time to practice. Most TED speakers practice at least ten times. Neuroscientist Jill-Bolte Taylor gave one of the most successful Talks in TED history with nearly 27 million views. How did she do it? She practiced her Talk over 40 times! By rehearsing multiple times you will naturally memorize your Talk, which means you won’t need note cards when you give your final presentation.

5. Do a final test run

Before presenting, make sure the equipment you need is working properly. It’s generally good practice to rehearse standing on the exact stage with the exact lighting using the exact computer that you will be using in your final presentation.

Here’s a quick checklist of what to look for when testing your equipment:

• If you're not using your own computer, the one provided might be slower and have trouble playing media. If you have videos or other media, make sure they play correctly
• Test the projector to make sure it’s HD
• Make sure images are clear
• Test the sound of any clips you use, as this is what goes wrong most frequently
• If you’re using a mic, test the volume

Don’t let technical issues or other blunders overshadow your presentation. By following these guidelines, and with a little preparation, you can engineer out the problems BEFORE they happen.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

How to Give a Killer Presentation

Lessons from TED by Chris Anderson

Summary .   

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

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7 Storytelling Techniques Used by the Most Inspiring TED Presenters

Written by: Nayomi Chibana

A couple of years ago, as a participant of a master’s program in Denmark, I met a fellow journalist from Chile who gave me a lesson on storytelling that I will never forget.

I was in class, half-listening to the end of a monotonous PowerPoint presentation on the history of media, when the next presenter on the list—the Chilean journalist—was called to go up to the podium.

His name was Enrique Núñez, one of the quietest students in the class. All I knew about him was that he always sat in the very front row and, unlike the other students, paid the utmost attention to every word that was said.

As he prepared his notes behind the podium, everyone continued to type away behind their laptop screens. What happened next, however, caught everyone by surprise.

He confidently stepped out from behind the podium and said in a loud and animated voice, “Today, I’m going to tell you the story of a 16-year-old boy with a remarkable talent…”

The clicking of keyboards suddenly stopped and all eyes were fixed on him.

He showed a slide with a giant image of a newspaper vendor looking sadly at the headline ‘Roosevelt Dead!’

“This now-famous picture,” he said, “was taken by this boy in 1945 and sold to a magazine for $25.”

He then presented other images captured by this same boy: a beautiful picture of a shoe shiner gazing up at a flock of birds; another one of a showgirl putting on lipstick in the mirror.

After piquing our curiosity as to who this mystery photographer might be, he finally said:

“This boy grew up to be one of the most influential film directors of all time. Do you know who he was?”

We all waited eagerly.

“Who was he? His name was Stanley Kubrick.”

Completely dashing our expectations of him, Enrique went on to give one of the most engaging presentations we had ever heard on the evolution of visual media.

That day, we all learned that presentations didn’t have to be long and boring. They could be entertaining and informative at the same time.

The Reason Stories Fascinate Audiences

Why was enrique’s story so captivating.

Academics and marketers alike have found that our brains are hardwired to process and store information in the form of stories. So, when we hear that “once upon a time” there was a certain character in such and such place, our minds are immediately transported to this imaginary scene.

In fact, according to professional speaker Akash Karia , stories are irresistible to the human mind because they activate our imaginations and so we have no choice but to follow the mental movies created in our heads. As a result, they are used by many TED presenters who are some of the most inspirational speakers in the world.

This is further proven by a study I conducted on the evolution of longform multimedia stories published by the New York Times. I found that many of the storytelling techniques used thousands of years ago are still applicable today to a wide range of mediums besides the written word.

Not only are they indispensable tools for novelists, they are useful for presenters, business leaders, marketers, and journalists. They can come in all forms, from slide decks and infographics to videos and static images.

Based on some of my findings of what makes a story captivating, along with advice given by leading experts, here are several ways you can make your next presentation one your audience will never forget:

1 Immerse your audience in a story.

A well-told story is something that will stick in your audience’s mind for years to come.

Take this simple yet exceptional TED talk as an example. In it, a 12-year-old Masai boy from Kenya named Richard Turere transports his audience to another world by telling a story about his experiences in his homeland.

Richard Turere Presenting - TED

With basic words and slides with large, graphic images, Richard weaves a captivating tale of how he invented a system of lights that was able to protect his family’s livestock from lion attacks.

The reason this presentation was so successful was that every word and image presented helped to create a clear mental picture of the problem Richard and his family faced.

Also, it clearly followed a golden rule of presentation-giving which is to use visuals that supplement your story rather than repeat what has already been said.

Another way to immerse the audience in your story is to provide sensory details that will allow them to actually see, hear, feel, and smell the different stimuli in your storyworld.

According to Akash Karia, this will turn the presentation into a mental movie that the audience cannot help but engage in, as is done in this TED talk .

Unlike novels, though, presentations must make use of short but effective descriptions.

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2 Tell a personal story.

Few things are as captivating as a personal story, especially those of triumph over extreme adversity.

In his insightful book The Seven Basic Plots , author Christopher Booker finds that there are seven basic story plots that have universal appeal. These include the story of the hero defeating a monster, the rags-to-riches tale, the quest for a treasure, and the voyage of a hero who comes back a changed person.

These plots are clearly seen in some of the most popular and moving presentations ever given. Take, for example, this gripping and harrowing tale of a woman’s escape from her home land of North Korea. Or this woman’s equally powerful story of domestic violence and how she found the courage to leave her abusive spouse.

3 Create suspense.

Those who love to watch movies or read books know that a good story always has to have a conflict and a plot. These two elements are what make a good presentation into a roller coaster ride that keeps listeners/viewers at the edge of their seats, asking themselves, “What will happen next?”

There are several devices that can increase the level of suspense of your story. One way is to tell a story chronologically and build up to a climactic conclusion, as is done here in this story about a woman who was born without fibula bones and grew up to be an accomplished athlete, actress and model.

Another way is to plop the viewer/listener right in the middle of action and then go backwards in time to reveal how all of this occurred.

A good example of this is Zak Ibrahim’s story , which begins with the revelation that his father was involved in the World Trade Center bombing. He then goes back in time to tell events from his childhood and how he grew up to choose a different path from his father’s.

A third way is to begin by telling a predictable story and then surprise the audience by taking a completely different turn from what was expected.

For example, this TED talk begins with a presenter who leads his audience to believe he doesn’t speak English, only to surprise them in order to make a point about how we construct identity.

4 Bring characters to life.

Characters are at the heart of any story. Their fortunes and misfortunes are what make people want to laugh, cry or rejoice.

The most successful stories, I found, were those that created three-dimensional characters who were easy to identify and, at the same time, had an uncommon characteristic.

In order to do this, you must provide enough detail to bring the character to life in the minds of those in the audience.

For example, master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell creates a vivid picture of Howard in this presentation by describing his physical appearance and mentioning his hobbies and obsessions.

5 Show. Don’t tell.

Instead of telling your audience about a certain event in a story, try showing them by transporting them to a scene.

For example, in the introduction to this article, I could have simply told you that I had an introverted classmate who one day wowed the whole class with an awesome presentation. This, however, would not have had the same effect as using descriptions of setting and conversations to take you to the middle of a scene.

So, whenever you deliver a story, try scene-by-scene construction of events and use dialogue instead of narration, as seen in this presentation which won the 2014 World Championship of Public Speaking.

6 Build up to a S.T.A.R. moment.

Similar to a climax, a S.T.A.R. moment is a “Something They’ll Always Remember” event that is so dramatic that your audience will be talking about it weeks later.

According to presentation expert Nancy Duarte in her book Resonate , this can come in the form of a dramatization, provocative images, or shocking statistics.

Bill Gates resorted to this technique in a 2009 TED talk when he made the case for increasing investment in eradicating malaria. He gave statistics to prove how serious the problem was and then shocked the room by opening a jar full of mosquitos, saying “There’s no reason only poor people should have the experience.”

7 End with a positive takeaway.

After analyzing 200 of the best TED talks, presentation expert Akash Karia found that the most effective presentations not only had a conflict and a climax, but also a positive resolution.

On the path to triumph, most characters in these stories received what he calls a “spark,” a key piece of wisdom or advice that helped them overcome their obstacles and change for the better.

This key takeaway message was then packaged into a short, memorable phrase or sound bite that could easily become viral on social media platforms like Twitter.

For example, in the previously mentioned talk on domestic abuse, the presenter concluded that instead of blaming victims, we should “recast survivors as wonderful, loveable people with full futures.”

So, now that we have plenty of examples of how to give a memorable presentation, what are the key takeaways of this post?

Remember to:

•       Immerse your audience in the story.
•       Tell a personal story.
•       Create suspense.
•       Bring characters to life.
•       Show. Don’t tell.
•       Build up to S.T.A.R. moment.
•       End with a positive takeaway.

“A successful talk is a little miracle—people see the world differently afterward.” -TED curator Chris Anderson

We share all our secrets on how to deliver an unforgettable presentation (as well as how to create visual slides with impact) in our free e-book below. And if you want to share your own visual slide deck and storytelling experiences, we would love to hear about them in the comments section below!

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About the Author

Nayomi Chibana is a journalist and writer for Visme’s Visual Learning Center. Besides researching trends in visual communication and next-generation storytelling, she’s passionate about data-driven content.

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10 TED talks that used visual graphics to win the audience

Learn how the right set of slides turned these talks into an immersive and engaging experience..

What is it that makes TED speakers so damn persuasive? Perhaps it's because they follow these public speaking tips or follow and learn from these public speaking stars . One thing they have in common is, on top of a fantastic stage presence and perfectly delivered words, they're usually accompanied by a well thought out and beautifully designed presentation.

The right set of slides can turn your speech from a generic snooze-fest into an engaging and immersive experience for your audience. Plus, knowing you have a great set of complementary visuals behind you as you speak can give you the confidence you need to really nail it.

If you find yourself needing to crunch numbers into stunning visuals in your presentation, take a leaf from his book and keep it clean, sharp, and easy to read. Keep your fonts, colors, and designs cohesive and consistent from slide to slide and make sure each visualization is easy to digest at a glance.

3. Paul Kemp-Robertson: Bitcoin. Sweat. Tide. Meet the future of branded currency.

Consistency is king when it comes to presentations. You want your audience to be following along with what you're saying, and one key to that is keeping your slides consistent in terms of style, layout, color palette and typography.

It's easier to create consistent slide designs when you have a template to start from. Check out Canva's wide range of presentation templates here.

4. David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?

This presentation by David Epstein delivers some impressive facts and numbers through striking data visualizations. By combining powerful athletic imagery, a striking use of color, and a consistent design theme, he creates a visually beautiful and captivating presentation.

5. Tom Wujec: Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast

Are you presenting a particular set of data, evidence or information? Sometimes the visuals you need to display don't particularly fit within your presentation style, or look mismatched when presented by themselves. In this case, take a leaf out of Tom Wujec's book.

6. Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles"

Struggling to figure out when to use type and when to keep your slides silent? Check out this presentation by Eli Pariser, which absolutely nails it. Pariser uses type to emphasise quotes, such as this one from Zuckerberg:

And in other cases, type is used more minimally to simply explain and enhance diagrams to help people better make sense of them, as you can see in this example of a "filter bubble" diagram.

Want to create a bit more of an immersive and engaging presentation design? Have a go at creating a presentation that interacts with your speech. This presentation by John Maeda does just that by incorporating moving visuals in time with his speech, creating an immersive storytelling experience.

By combining sleek graphics, illustrations, and video footage, Maeda creates a presentation that is informative, persuasive, and feels more like a story being told than a set of ideas being explained.

Despite his range of slide types, Maeda still keeps each slide finely designed in his clean, minimal, sharp style, with cohesive elements stretching from point A to Z, making his presentation not only a functionally superior one, but an incredibly good looking one too.

8. Russell Foster: Why do we sleep?

This incredibly interesting presentation by Russell Foster is another example of a highly detailed illustrative approach that captures attention in the best kind of way. This presentation design scrolls from illustration to illustration as Foster talks, immersing viewers into his presentation.

Fabian Oefner begins his talk with "An image is worth more than a thousand words, so I'm going to start my talk by stop talking and show you a few images that I recently captured." And he's quite right. Sometimes the best way to capture attention to your message is to show rather than tell.

10. Kirby Ferguson: Embrace the remix

Typography can be a make or break point for your presentation. Some people choose not to use any type, some too much, and others just the right amount. If you choose to insert type into your presentation, I recommend having a look at this talk by Kirby Ferguson.

Ferguson combines type and imagery in a natural and effective way, by keeping a consistent color and font palette in place. Furthermore, he makes sure that his type is large and in charge, making it easily readable even for the person in the very back of the room.

Ferguson also uses a clever technique of scale and masking certain elements of the slide to draw focus from one element to the next, directing the eye exactly where he wants it to be on the slide at each point in his talk.

Over to you: Create Your Own Presentation

As we've discussed, the keys to a successful presentation are as simple as cohesiveness, a consistent design from slide to slide, an understanding of when to use a little type and when to stay silent, and a set of powerful visuals that perfectly complement the idea you are discussing.

Do you have any tips for creating a memorable presentation? Have you watched any TED talks that have some spectacular visuals? Share your thoughts, ideas, and links down in the comments below!

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How to deliver a TED talk

by Sharon Ferrier | Feb 24, 2022 | Presentation skills , Speech Writing | 0 comments

A few years ago I attended the TEDx conference in Adelaide. I was also involved in coaching some of the speakers who were due to present at the event. I LOVE TED talks and to see local South Australian speakers shine at the Adelaide TEDx event was a joy. If you are unfamiliar with the TED phenomenon, then you are missing out on a world of wonder.

TED began in 1984 as a Technology Entertainment and Design conference and has since evolved into “Ideas that need to be spread.” TED talks are short powerful presentations that cover everything from science and business, through to issues that affect all of humanity. The TEDx Program is an independently organised event that focuses on fresh ideas from a local perspective. The 2015 event was held at The Adelaide town hall on the 21st of November and featured 24 local speakers. The topics ranged from building better prisons and paedophilia, through to inspirational talks on persistence and tolerance. 

TED talks are unique. They are bite sized parcels of information delivered with warmth, humour and passion. Listening to a full day of TEDx presentations prompted me to reflect on what makes a TED talk work.

Here are  five elements that make a great TED talk and how you can apply them to your next presentation. 

TED presenters have intimate knowledge about their subject. They may not necessarily be leaders in their field, but they do have a unique view point and speak from their personal experience.

A TED talk is like stand-up comedy – if you don’t get the audience’s attention immediately and keep it, you won’t last long as a comedian.  The best TED talkers engage the audience with a great grab, personal stories and deliver their message with passion and movement. TED talks are all about the speaker – there are very few slides and props; TED speakers need to be brave and not hold back

TED talks are between 10 and 18 minutes long. For some of you 18 minutes may seem lengthy – but how do you explain your lifelong passion or your PhD in thesis in less than 20 minutes? With so many speakers on the day and a packed agenda – speech structure is vital. The TEDx speakers only had 10 minutes for their presentation. When coaching them I suggested they structure their presentation like this:

• 2 minutes  for their grab and introduction
• 6 minutes  for the body of their presentation (allow two minutes each for your three main points)
• 2 minutes  to conclude and reinforce their message

As you can see, when you lay out your presentation structure – there is not a lot of time! For those of us who love to embellish, disciple is needed. You don’t have to memorise your speech word for word, but you do need to make sure you have a prepared plan and stick to it.

Every TED talk needs an objective what do you want people to do, say, think or feel? Are they to laugh, cry, contemplate or act? Make it memorable and make it clear.

• Is your talk an idea worth spreading?

 A TED talk is not a plug or a pitch. You will see some celebrities and professional speakers speak at TED talks, but they won’t be spruiking their wares and they often show a more personal face than usually seen. Some of the best TED talks have been delivered by ordinary people who have an extraordinary story and an idea worth spreading.

So, do you have a TED talk in you? If so, I’d love help you bring it to life!

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Sharon Ferrier, through her business ‘Persuasive Presentations’ consults to organisations and individuals who have a need to improve their communication, presentation skills and confidence in public speaking.

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