Book SummaryTalk Like TED, by Carmine Gallo

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Talk Like TED

How can you become a strong public speaker? According to communications coach Carmine Gallo, the key lies in learning to “talk like TED”—in other words, applying nine principles of effective public speaking that frequently feature in successful TED talks. The first six principles address the content that you should include in your speech or presentation. The final three address the logistics of preparing and delivering an effective talk.

Content

Principle #1: Pick a Topic You’re Passionate About

Make sure that the subject you’re going to talk about is something you feel enthusiastic about. For example, if you’re asked to give a presentation about one sale you’ve made this month, discuss the sale that excites you the most.

Choosing a topic you’re passionate about is important for three reasons:

1. You’ll be so excited about getting to share your passion with the world that you won’t feel nervous about your talk.
2. When you’re passionate about something, you’re likely to speak about the subject energetically. You’ll be much more interesting to watch than a lackluster speaker, meaning people are much more likely to actually pay attention to you.
3. Studies have shown that feelings are contagious. Therefore, if you exhibit deep passion when speaking about your chosen subject, your audience will emulate that passion and listen intently to what you’re saying.

Sometimes, you may be forced to speak on a topic that you don’t feel passionate about—for instance, if your boss asks you to give a presentation on a prescribed subject. In such situations, don’t try to fake passion. People are good at discerning whether passion is genuine or not, and when they realize you’re faking, they’ll distrust what you’re saying.

Instead, frame the topic in a way that does excite you and appeal to your passions. For example, if your passion is bringing added efficiency to your workplace, and you’re asked to give a presentation on a piece of dull accounting software that you don’t really care about, focus your presentation on how efficient the software is.

Principle #2: Tell Your Audience Stories

Incorporate at least one of the following three types of stories into every speech or presentation you give:

1. A story about your own life—for example, a challenging experience you overcame
2. A story about someone else—for instance, an anecdote about a famous person
3. A story about a product or brand—either a product or brand you’ve created yourself (for instance, telling the “origin story” of a new product you’re launching), or one created by someone else (for example, trying to convince your colleagues to adopt a new sales strategy by telling the story of how well it’s worked for another brand)

Including stories in your speeches and presentations is important for a number of reasons:

• Storytelling is much more gripping than many other methods of sharing information—for example, listing facts and figures.
• People are more likely to fully understand a concept if you tell them a story about how it works in the “real world.” For instance, imagine you’re giving a presentation about a complicated new sales process. Your colleagues are more likely to understand the process if you tell them a story about how it’s worked for you, rather than just bombarding them with dry theory.
• Stories can serve as “proof” that the claims you’re making are legitimate. For instance, if you’re trying to convince investors that your product is already popular, telling real-life stories about happy customers provides evidence that your claim is true.
• Stories can influence your audience’s thoughts and emotions. When people listen to a story, they experience identical brain function to the person telling the tale. This neurological connection allows speakers to “plant” certain ideas and emotions in their audience’s minds. For example, if you want your audience to feel excited about a new product, tell a story that makes you feel excited about it. The audience’s brains will automatically mimic your emotion.

Make Your Story Gripping

Make your story exciting enough to keep your audience listening by incorporating these five attributes into the narrative:

1. Detail: Make the story so detail-rich that your listeners feel like they’re experiencing it themselves and want to stick around to see how it ends.
2. Unexpectedness: Make the story take a turn that the audience didn’t anticipate. You’ll shock people into paying attention to what you’re saying.
3. Mystery: Keep your story’s outcome unknown for as long as possible. People crave the closure of knowing how a story will end and will keep listening until they get it.
4. Heroes and villains: Give your audience some characters to root for and others to dislike. They’ll become engrossed in your story as they wait for the satisfaction of the hero triumphing and the villain getting their comeuppance.
5. Adversity: Make sure that the main character of your story overcomes adversity at some point in the narrative. Your audience will be inspired by this battle against misfortune, and will keep listening to find out whether the main character prevails.

Principle #3: Present Something New

“New” content can take two possible forms:

1. Information that was previously completely unknown to your audience—for instance, a little-known fact about your area of expertise.
2. An innovative new solution to an old and well-known problem—maybe even a fix for an issue that previously seemed unsolvable.

Presenting something new to your audience capitalizes on the human brain’s love of learning new things. According to neuroscientists, when we learn something new, the brain releases [restricted term]—a hormone that makes us feel good. Because this [restricted term] rush is so pleasurable, people constantly seek out ways to replicate it: In...

Talk Like TED Summary Introduction

Being a strong public speaker is one of the most powerful talents you can possess. Effective speakers can captivate their audience with new ideas and concepts, inspire people to try new things, and even influence people’s opinions.

On the other hand, failing to speak persuasively and confidently can limit your capacity for success in the working world. For example, you won’t convince people to buy your product or service if your sales pitch is lackluster. Likewise, if all of your presentations are tedious and unconvincing, you’ll struggle to impress your colleagues and superiors.

According to communications coach Carmine Gallo, the...

Shortform Exercise: Rate Your Speaking Skills

Being able to speak persuasively and confidently can increase your capacity for success in the working world. Before we learn about the principles of good public speaking, rate your current speaking skills, and reflect on what you hope to gain from this book.

Describe the last speech or presentation you gave. (For example, did you give the talk at work or in another situation? What specifically did you speak about?)

Talk Like TED Summary Part 1: Content | Chapter 1: Pick a Topic You’re Passionate About

The first principle of becoming an excellent public speaker is picking a topic that you’re passionate about. For example, if you’re asked to give a presentation to your colleagues about one successful sale you’ve made this month, discuss the sale that excites you the most.

Why Is Passion So Important?

Choosing a topic that you’re passionate about is important for a number of reasons. First, if you deeply care about the subject you’re about to talk about, you’re less likely to feel nervous about your presentation. You’ll be so excited about getting to share your passion with the world that the idea of your speech going wrong won’t even cross your mind.

Second, when you’re passionate about your topic, you’re likely to speak enthusiastically. You’ll therefore be more interesting to watch than a bored and lackluster speaker. People are more likely to actually pay attention to you and what you’re saying, and your message is more likely to sink in.

Finally, studies have shown that feelings are contagious—they spread from person to person. Therefore, if you speak with passion, your audience will feel your excitement, and they’ll listen intently to what...

Shortform Exercise: Generate Passion

Sometimes, we all have to publicly speak on topics that we don’t really care about. However, by framing these topics in a way that appeals to your passions, you can ensure that you captivate your audience.

Think of a time you had to give a presentation on a topic you weren’t that passionate about. What was the topic? Why did you have to talk about it?

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 2: Tell Your Audience Stories

The second principle of becoming an effective public speaker is telling your audience stories. Incorporate at least one of the following three types of stories into your presentations:

Type #1: A story from your own life. For example, in a speech about your career, you could tell a story about the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far. In a presentation about an amazing sale you recently made, you could tell the story of how you secured the deal.

Type #2: A story about someone else. This “someone else” could be someone you know personally, a famous person, or a historical figure: anyone who’s had an experience that relates to the topic you’re discussing. For example, when giving a presentation to your colleagues about a new management style you’ve read about, you could tell the story of the person who created the management style and how it worked for them.

Type #3: A story about a product or brand. In some situations, this may involve telling a story about a product or brand that you’ve created. For example, if you’re making a speech to launch your new product, you could tell your audience the story of how you came up with the product’s design.

Other...

Shortform Exercise: Identify a Gripping Story

Telling a gripping story will engage your audience, help them understand your topic, and reinforce it.

Think of a topic you’re passionate about that you’d like to give a speech or presentation about. Describe this topic and what you’d say about it if given the chance.

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 3: Present Something New

The next principle of becoming an effective public speaker is using your talk to present something new. This new content can take two possible forms:

1) Information that was previously completely unknown to your audience—for instance, a little-known fact about your area of specialty.

Make this information as niche and unexpected as possible to maximize the chances that your audience hasn’t heard it before. For example, if your area of expertise is space, present new information based on cutting-edge research that the general public probably isn’t aware of yet.

2) An innovative new solution to an old and well-known problem—possibly even a fix for an issue that previously seemed unsolvable. For example, when Albanian politician Edi Rama gave a TED talk in 2012, he presented a novel and unorthodox solution to the long-standing issue of crime in Albanian cities: painting previously dull and gray Soviet-era buildings in bright colors.

(Not only was Rama’s TED talk a success, but his approach to tackling crime was, too. As the buildings in the Albanian city of Tirana became brighter, crime rates began to fall.)

The Importance of Presenting Something New...

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 4: Incorporate a Shocking Moment

The fourth principle of effective public speaking is incorporating a shocking moment into your speech or presentation. A “shocking moment” is an event that your audience doesn’t anticipate, but which deeply surprises, impresses, or moves them.

Including a shocking moment in your presentations will benefit you in three ways. First, the unexpectedness of the moment will grab your audience’s attention. They’ll become totally focused on what you’re saying and doing, and are therefore more likely to absorb your ideas.

Second, shocking moments get people talking. Your audience will rush to tell everyone they know about the surprising thing they just heard or witnessed. In the process, they’ll spread information about your talk and the ideas you communicated.

Finally, shocking moments are memorable: They frequently stick in an audience’s mind after your presentation. The more your audience thinks about the shocking moment, the more they contemplate the idea you were trying to get across—and the more likely they are to act on that idea.

Why Are Shocking Moments Memorable?

According to neuroscientists, shocking moments are memorable because they’re...

Shortform Exercise: Devise a Shocking Moment

Shocking moments grab an audience’s attention and make talks memorable. Consider how you could incorporate a shocking moment into a speech or presentation.

Think of a presentation that you’ve given recently. Briefly outline the main point or idea of this talk.

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 5: Use Humor

The fifth principle of effective public speaking is using humor. At some point in your presentation, try to make your audience laugh (or at least smile).

Incorporating humor into public speaking is important because, according to research, it will increase your likability in various ways:

• Humor makes a good first impression on strangers, particularly in group settings. Therefore, using it is a simple way to gain favor from an unfamiliar audience.
• Making people smile or laugh puts them at ease. The more relaxed you make people feel, the more likely they are to like you.
• If people believe that you have a good sense of humor, they’re more likely to associate other positive traits with you, too—for example, friendliness, emotional stability, and consideration for others. These are all qualities that will make you even more well-liked.

Ultimately, the more your audience likes you, the more likely they are to listen to and support what you have to say.

What Types of Humor Should You Use?

There are many different types of humor, from telling knock-knock jokes to making sarcastic comments. However, only four forms should be incorporated into speeches...

Shortform Exercise: Use Humor

Consider how you might use humor in a presentation to increase your likability and get your audience on your side.

Think of a presentation you’ve seen that made you laugh. What did the speaker do that was so humorous? (For example, did they relate a funny anecdote, show a funny photo, or quote someone funny?)

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 6: Trigger Multiple Senses

The next principle of effective public speaking is presenting content that triggers multiple senses. For instance, give your audience something to look at—such as PowerPoint slides—as well as something to listen to—such as your voice.

Triggering multiple senses is important when making a speech or presentation because it’ll help your audience to remember what you’ve said. Research has shown that multisensory experiences are much more memorable than single-sense experiences. For instance, in one study, students were more likely to recall information from a lesson if that information had triggered two senses—sight and sound— rather than just one. Their brains created both visual and auditory models of the information, making it much easier to recall in the future.

Which Senses Should You Trigger?

You should aim to trigger a combination of the following three senses in your speeches and presentations (the more the better):

1. Hearing
2. Sight
3. Touch

Let’s look at how to trigger each sense in detail.

Hearing

Hearing is a sense that you need to trigger in every presentation you make. After all, in these situations, getting people to...

Talk Like TED Summary Part 2: Logistics | Chapter 7: Keep Your Talk Brief

The seventh principle of effective public speaking—and the first that relates to the logistics of your presentation—is keeping things brief. Whenever possible, you should limit your presentations to 18 minutes—the length of a TED talk.

The Importance of Brevity

Keeping your talks and presentations brief is important for three reasons:

1) It prevents your audience from becoming too tired to listen to you. Research has demonstrated that the brain uses up a lot of glucose as it absorbs information, thus making listening to a speech or presentation incredibly tiring. If you talk for too long, you risk depleting your audience’s glucose levels to the extent that they simply don’t have the energy to keep listening. In contrast, if you only talk for a short time, your audience will hopefully not only have enough energy to take in your ideas, but extra energy left over that they can then use to share and act on your ideas.

2) It takes the pressure off your listeners. Studies have shown that the longer a speaker talks, the more anxious their audience becomes as they realize just how much information they’re being expected to absorb. In extreme cases, this anxiety...

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 8: Plan and Practice

The next logistical principle of becoming an effective public speaker is planning and practicing. First, plan your presentation in enough detail for you to know exactly what you’re going to say. Then, rehearse so many times that when the time comes for you to speak, the words flow easily.

Make a Plan

Effective planning involves working out exactly how you want your presentation to unfold—for example, the points you want to make and the supporting evidence you want to use. Your talk is much more likely to run smoothly if you have a clear idea of what you want to say, rather than having to make your points up as you go along.

You could use a message map as a planning tool. A message map is a one-page summary of everything you want to include in your talk. Creating a message map involves three steps:

Step 1: At the top of a sheet of paper, draw an oval. In the oval, write a short “headline” that summarizes the main point of your talk—the message that you most want your audience to remember. Be as concise as possible (Gallo advises keeping the headline below 140 characters). For instance, a short and simple headline might be “Buying Our Product Will Improve...

Shortform Exercise: Monitor Your Rate of Speech

According to Carmine Gallo, the ideal rate of speech when giving a presentation is 190 words per minute. Discover what your current rate of speech is, and consider how you might get closer to Gallo’s ideal rate.

Read the following sentence out loud, and time how long it takes you to do so: “Talk Like TED is a book about learning how to be an effective public speaker. It contains nine principles that you should follow if you want to improve your public speaking skills.”

Shortform Exercise: Create a Message Map

Learn how to plan a presentation by creating a message map.

Imagine you’re creating a message map for a presentation on a topic you’re passionate about. Write the “headline” summarizing the main message you want to communicate in this talk. (Remember: Gallo advises keeping your headline below 140 characters.)

Talk Like TED Summary Chapter 9: Be Yourself

The final element of successful public speaking is being yourself. Let your true personality shine through as you speak. For example, if you’re a naturally calm and measured speaker, don’t go on stage and fake being exuberant. Likewise, if you’re a naturally enthusiastic presenter, don’t tone down this element of your personality because you feel you need to be “serious” in professional situations.

Being yourself is important because, just as people can tell when you’re faking passion, they can also tell when you’re faking your personality and pretending to be someone you’re not. When they realize that you’re faking, they’ll start to distrust you—and they’ll be less willing to accept your ideas.

Allow Yourself to Be Emotionally Vulnerable

Part of being yourself during a speech or presentation is allowing yourself to be emotionally vulnerable: giving yourself permission to express your true emotions as you speak. For example, if you’re giving a presentation a product that you’ve created, don’t be afraid to let your audience know that you’ve poured your heart and soul into the product and deeply care about its success. Likewise, if you tell a personal story...