At this point, we all probably realize that TED Talks are TED Talks because they are engaging, compelling, and utterly life-changing for many people who witness them first-hand or view them on the web. When I watched Adam Grant’s TED Talk, “The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers,” I discovered several presentation design and delivery gems worth sharing.
1. Harness the power of story
Many presenters fear beginning a presentation with a story. Stories help your audience recall your message – a result of a story’s ability to activate up to 7 areas of their brain. The use of stories also positively impacts sales. For Adam’s talk, he started with the example of Warby Parker to illustrate the theme of his presentation – original thinkers. Using a personal story about how he decided against investing in the company, which was created by a group of original thinkers, he was better able to develop his main points throughout the course of his presentation.
2. Chart the course
About 1 minute and 10 seconds into his TED Talk, Adam informs the audience about what he is going to talk about in the following minutes. “I want to show you today three things I’ve learned about recognizing originals and becoming a little bit more like them,” Adam says. By quantifying the amount of points he will be discussing, he seamlessly charts the course of his presentation for his audience – holding their hands and letting them know what they can expect from the remainder of his talk. This tactic helps hold your audience’s attention and holds you accountable to a consistent structure.
3. Introduce a new idea
At approximately the 11-minute mark of the video, Adam provides context and a depth of meaning to his concept of self-doubt versus idea doubt by using a literary device called an anagram. An excerpt of his speech that illustrates the anagram is included below:
“No, it’s about being the kind of person who takes the initiative to doubt the default and look for a better option. And if you do that well, you will open yourself up to the opposite of déjà vu. There’s a name for it. It’s called vuja de.”
But he doesn’t merely introduce the idea. He proceeds to explain it in further detail, providing an example to support his statement – establishing credibility.
4. Remind the audience
Near the conclusion of his presentation, Adam runs through the arguments he made throughout the past 14 minutes. “So if you put all this together, what you see is that originals are not that different from the rest of us. They feel fear and doubt. They procrastinate. They have bad ideas,” Adam says. He plays to the recency effect, which states that individuals are more likely to remember those things that they hear at the end of a speech. It is obvious Adam wants his audience to remember these points because they comprise of the main message of his talk, “The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers.”
5. Provide a call to action
Despite this presentation’s focus avoiding any sort of pitch or sales goal, it still ends with a powerful call to action. “So when you see those things, don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t write them off. And when that’s you, don’t count yourself out either,” Adam says, encouraging the audience. The important lesson Adam’s concluding words teaches presenters is that you don’t have to be selling a product to give a well-crafted call to action. You could be selling an idea, a concept, or just the introduction of new mindset, perspective, or worldview. Sometimes just inspiring people to think differently deserves a strong call to action.
If you are trying to grow and improve your presentation capabilities, submersing yourself in a multitude of TED Talk videos will certainly help. Don’t have enough time to dedicate to the 20-minute discussions? Search through the resources provided below:
Storytelling Tactics: Creating “Happily Ever After” Within a Presentation
How to Tell a Story During a Presentation
Why You Must Tell Stories, Not Dump Information, in Your Presentations
How to Prepare a Story for a Business Presentation
