Talk like TED

The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s top minds

Carmine Gallo

Global Evaluation: 4 out of 5
Global Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Insight: 5 out of 5

I approached this book intending to grasp and detect some of the most important secrets while speaking in front of people and “Talk like TED” has definitely not disappointed me. While analyzing and drawing common points among some of the best and most famous TED talks of recent history, Gallo provides some invaluable insights and practical techniques for anyone looking to enhance their public speaking skills.

The book itself tries to be the the Dale Carnegie’s XXI version of the 1915 The Art of Public Speaking and gives concrete examples of techniques and styles that famous TED speakers implemented in their presentations.

Overall the main lessons are summarized in 3 main sections (Emotional, Novel and Memorable) and 9 chapters in total:

1. “Say it with passion. Passion is contagious”
2. If you have to tell something, tell it with a story. -> Master the art of storytelling!
3. Have a conversation. You’re not giving a lecture, your audience needs to feel to be part of a dialogue. Behave and act as so.
4. The power of novelty. Our brain is designed and evolved to be triggered by novelty and pattern-breaking. Novelty doesn’t necessarily cover only the subject (i.e., what you say) but also the medium and the approach (i.e., how you say)
5. Deliver jaw-dropping moments; this will stamp a clear and memorable image in the minds of your audience
6. Lighten up! Don’t be afraid to use some humor, but be careful to not overdo it. A bit of humor will make you more likable, but if used wrong will create uncomfortable situations.
7. Convey your message as clearly as possible in the shortest amount of time. Only great speakers are able to summarize the content of one-lifetime amount of research into 15 minutes. The attention drops quickly and you can’t pretend your audience to be listening to you for hours.
8. Let your presentation activate multisensory topics, hence activating different parts of the brain and creating a strong impression in your audience
9. Public speaking is an art and as such must be practiced before being mastered. Remember to always be yourself. Authenticity is the key to creating a connection with your audience.

Conclusions

By focusing on elements such as storytelling, authenticity, and audience engagement, the author reveals the key ingredients for delivering impactful presentations that leave a lasting impression. The part that I appreciated the most are the neuro-biological reasons that make an already good presentation a great presentation.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to a neurologist friend of mine that introduced me to this book and highly recommended it for his invaluable insights