August 8, 2024
I’ve spent 2 weeks analyzing hundreds of TED talks to find out what separates a great speech from an average one.
Why do some get millions of views while others just a few hundred?
After taking 28 pages of notes, I realized that the best TED talks follow the same 4-step structure.
Today, you’ll uncover those 4 steps so you can apply them to crush your next presentation.
I discovered that 90% of the most viewed TED talks use one of 3 hooks:
1. Surprising Statement
They share an unexpected statistic, fact, or statement right at the start to hook their audience. This breaks the pattern of the expected, snapping their audience out of autopilot and bringing them into the moment.
Example:
“Four hundred. The average office desk has four hundred times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Today, we’ll talk about how to keep our workspace clean and healthy.”
That’s one hook, but a lot of the best speakers also use a second hook to open their speech:
2. Question
We, as humans, are natural problem solvers. We love solving mysteries. Anytime you pose a question, your audience’s brains start working immediately, trying to find an answer. TED speakers know that.
Example:
“Do you still remember your first day in your current role? How did you feel in that first hour in your new job?”
But there is one last hook that they use, which is by far the most effective:
3. Story
They skip the usual formalities (e.g., “Thank you for having me”) and instead dive right into a personal story. The moment the audience hears the story, they know that this is not going to be a standard speech. This is going to be something worth listening to.
Example:
“A few weeks ago, I came home from work and had dinner with my husband. Immediately after my first bite, I started complaining that my phone wasn’t working and that this was pi**ing me off. As he had heard that way too many times, he stopped me and asked, ‘Why don’t you just get a new phone? You’re the boss, and there’s an Apple store on your way home every day. What’s holding you back?’ At first, I was mad because he had called me out. But then I realized he was right. We often blame the world and make up excuses about our problems. So, what’s stopping you? What’s your excuse?”
Once they’ve hooked their audience, they do one more thing to assure the audience that this will be worth their time.
They tell their audience what’s in it for them. What will they gain from listening to you?
Examples:
“Today, you’ll uncover how we can increase our profits by 7.5 percent and save $250 million per year.”
Notice that the big promise is framed from the audience’s perspective. The best TED speakers don’t say “I,” such as, “I will show you a nice formula.” Instead, they say “you,” like “Today, you’ll uncover the formula to finally stick to your habits.”
Once they’ve shared that big promise, they move into the main part of their speech.
In this part, TEDx speakers share their 2-3 main points.
The 2-3 main points the audience needs to know to really understand the big idea.
But they don’t just share the point; they also share:
Why the audience should know the point.
How they arrived at that main point.
They give the evidence that backs up that point. But not just any evidence. That evidence usually comes in three forms: a story, a statistic, or an interactive activity.
1. Story
The story can be a short, personal anecdote that illustrates the message you want your audience to understand.
Example:
“My grandma is 83 years old. She’s this bundle of energy with a very loud voice, strong opinions, and a big heart. Well, just two years ago, she decided to start yoga classes. She doesn’t call it yoga, but body work. Anyway, just last month, I was visiting her with my Jack Russell Terrier, Mikey. My grandma was super excited to see us and wanted to go into the basement to get some champagne. But being half blind, she didn’t see the dog in front of her and tripped over him. A loud scream echoed through the house, followed by the unmistakable sound of her fall down the stairs. Panicking, I rushed to her, fearing the worst. Falling at her age can be really dangerous. To my surprise, there she was, getting up. No broken bones, just a few bruises. Any other elderly person would have been in the hospital. That’s when it hit me—her body work saved her more major injuries.”
2. Statistic
The statistic can be an interesting finding from your analysis or a legitimate source (not Wikipedia or Buzzfeed).
Example:
“In 2014, Jeppe Bo Lauersen from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences found that strength training reduces the injury risk by nearly 70 percent.”
3. Activity
The activity can be an interactive exercise that helps your listeners arrive at the point without you necessarily telling them. This could be a quiz, poll, role-play, personal reflection, peer teaching, live challenges, brainstorming sessions, group tasks, and many more.
Example:
You could teach your audience an easy, five-minute stretching routine that prevents most injuries. You can then ask them to show that routine to their neighbor.
Once they’ve made their main points, the speakers then move into the closing of their speech.
In the closing, the speakers recap the major points they want the audience to take away. They don’t share 10 takeaways, because that would overwhelm their audience. Instead, they share 1-3 takeaways that they really want their audience to remember.
Example:
“Okay, as we wrap up for today, let’s quickly review the three most important techniques to…”
Once they’ve recapped their main points, they end on an inspiring closing statement. This often leaves their audience with a positive feeling and invites them to take action.
That’s it. That’s the 4-step formula that the best TED speakers use to hook their audience. Once you’ve watched more TED talks, you realize that they’ve become so popular because of one thing: storytelling.
But I know, storytelling can sometimes be a little overwhelming when you’re just starting off. If that’s you, you may want to check out this next article in which I share my favorite storytelling techniques.
Enjoy!
Are you ready to transform your storytelling skills?
Discover how your storytelling skills score and uncover useful insights to help you become a charismatic storyteller:
