One of the trending recent TED talks this year is a short piece by Bill Gross, founder of Idealab. How short? A mere 6 minutes and 43 seconds. The title itself is clear and a huge hook for the talk itself. Who doesn’t want to learn why some startup businesses like Airbnb thrive, while some fail? With that knowledge, the audience could perhaps in turn create their own million dollar companies using that deliciously tempting word “startup.”
Check it out below:
We believe that the success of this TED talk is not merely Bill Gross’ clever hook or overall concept, but the delivery of his reveal and his to-the-point content. He doesn’t need more than six minutes to establish his main idea and then offer proof points to back it up. The result is a powerful, convincing, and inspiring talk in a teeny tiny block of time.
If you have a “big reveal” to deliver in your next presentation, take some inspiration from Bill Gross and follow these tips.
The art of holding back
The reveal of Gross’ talk isn’t said until 3:36 of the speech, when he states that timing is everything for a startup. Holding back immediate information accomplishes two goals: it keeps your audience paying attention for the big reveal, and it also gives you time to establish both credibility and/or your backstory. In this case, Gross shares both that he is a startup veteran and that he has spent a lot of time trying to understand why things have and have not worked in the past for startup companies. Without this tactic, who would believe the main point of his talk?
Fast proof points
Speakers often suffer from “TMI” when they try to prove a point within their presentation. Bill Gross doesn’t suffer from this same affliction, keeping his example stories as concise and relevant as possible. Uber, Airbnb, and YouTube are all examples he pulls from to make a compelling case. In your own presentation, make sure that the stories you tell are the stories that matter, and don’t add a sentence more than necessary.
Beyond “clickbait”
We admit: this TED talk title is attention-grabbing, perhaps even “clickbaity.” But Gross delivers his main point with heart, adding in a sincere statement at the end. He wants people to build better startups because it makes the world a better place; it’s that simple. If you want to deliver a golden nugget of wisdom to your audience, make it personal. Show how your message will add tangible value to their lives.
“As I said earlier, I think startups can change the world and make the world a better place. I hope some of these insights can maybe help you have a slightly higher success ratio, and thus make something great come to the world that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.” – Bill Gross
A great reveal is more than just a flashy buildup. It needs to be established as a credible piece of information, and then related directly to the audience. Take a lesson from Bill Gross and develop a presentation with a big reveal using these three structural tips.
Want to find more inspiration in other great TED talks and speakers? Check out these related articles:
3 Essential TED Talks for the Presenter
