We’re an office full of introverts here at Ethos3, so it seemed fitting to watch Susan Cain’s February 2012 TED talk on the Power of Introverts. Cain recently published a book titled Quiet, in which she discusses “the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking.” Sounds right up our alley, and indeed, Cain’s talk is full of engaging information about us misunderstood introverts, but it could have benefited from several adjustments.
First off, we must offer Cain our congratulations, as she is a self-professed introvert who had to put herself out there in a big way for this TED talk. She says she practiced her public speaking skills for a year before her book was published because she knew that following Quiet’s publication she would have to market herself and her book enthusiastically. She knew she would have to do all of things she doesn’t like to do as an introvert: give talks, attend press conferences, host book release parties, give interviews, and the like. With that said, it’s clear that Cain did the best she could during this talk, which is all anyone can ask for in the end.
Cain starts strong in her talk by telling a story about going to camp when she was a kid. She had a suitcase with her as a prop of sorts, lending to greater visualization of the story for the audience. She says her suitcase was mostly full of books, though when she arrived at camp, she found that she had no use for the books because when she tried to read them she would be bombarded with questions about why she was being “mellow” and not talking and interacting with others. She realized, then, that it was more acceptable in society to be an extrovert, so instead of being a writer as she’d dreamed, she became a lawyer on Wall Street, and instead of having dinner with a small group of people, she would go out to bars. In short, she was being someone she wasn’t. This a very common tale for many introverts, so it’s a great way for Cain to relate and connect to the audience.
Unfortunately, from the beginning, Cain speaks much too quickly. It’s difficult to register some of the things she says because it’s coming at us too fast. We had the urge, several times, to backtrack and listen again to what she was saying. This is an easy trap to fall into, especially if you’re a nervous public speaker, like Cain said she was. If you find yourself falling into this pattern as you’re giving a presentation, take a quick second to take a deep breath and consciously work to slow down. The audience is much more likely to listen, follow and remember your presentation if you speak slowly and clearly. There was a franticness to Cain’s speech that was almost unsettling. It made us want to say: Slow down, calm down, you’re doing great.
It’s also important to slow down speech when attempting to emphasize information. If there’s a poignant fact or an essential statistic that you want to be sure your audience remembers, slow down when you say it. The audience will realize you’re saying something important, and register it more clearly.
Another element Cain struggles with during her talk is deciding what to do with her hands while she’s talking. Her hands are very distracting throughout the entire talk, mostly because she holds them up by her face and keeps them there. Again, this was probably the result of nerves, but it would have benefitted her talk if she’d keep her hands to her side or out in front of her. Gestures are great for emphasis and to show enthusiasm, but they can also transition quickly to a distraction. If you’re a person who talks with their hands, be careful about where you’re doing that hand talking. Right next to your face is very distracting. Lowering your hands to the front of your body will help immensely.
Despite these problems, which again are ones typical of a nervous public speaker, Cain’s talk is very engaging and informative. Though her talk lacks a clear structure, she does well to nuance her argument with lots of support. She also does well to end her talk with three calls to action, which is a great way to end a presentation. It incites the audience to take action based on the information provided, and spells out for them how to achieve the proposed thesis.
Cain ended her talk strongly, and also, we’re sure, with a sigh of relief, for then she was able to revert to her introverted ways and have some much-needed time alone to recharge her batteries and prepare for her next extroverted endeavor.
