Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Chapter 8 is an overview of incorporating multiple sensory elements in presentations. By engaging at least two senses, one creates a dynamic learning environment. This is because it taps into the brain’s preference for vivid and stimulating experiences over mundane ones. This can be achieved by combining text, animations, photographs, videos, and demonstrations. Integrating auditory and visual elements proves effective even for those unfamiliar with the subject matter.

The chapter opens with a description of the TED Talk given by Michael Pritchard on his invention the LIFESAVER filter, which filters water to make it safe to drink. Pritchard used the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina as examples. In both cases, lack of access to drinking water resulted in many deaths. To illustrate his points, Pritchard uses both photos and an on-stage demonstration of the filter. Both of these elements combined to create an experience that hooked his audience.

When crafting presentations, prioritize using images over text whenever possible: “[audiences] are not immune to the psychology that drives our behavior. We respond to visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation” (206). The combination of visuals and written text is easier to engage with and remember when compared to relying solely on textual content. All talks focus on one of the five senses, but better ones incorporate at least one or two more. While touch and taste are more difficult to include, a speaker can get the idea across by making the audience imagine how something smells or tastes, such as the water in Pritchard’s demonstration.

Among the senses, vision holds the most significant impact on the human brain, which explains why many presenters devote a substantial portion of their presentation to eye-catching visuals. This sense is also the focus of the chapter. As an example of the power of visuals in presentations, he discusses Al Gore’s presentation on climate change. Producer Laurie David described Gore’s message as the most straightforward and powerful explanation she has ever witnessed and was inspired by how his delivery resembled a movie rather than just a presentation. Gore would not have made the same impact if he had solely relied on reading the text without any visuals.

The chapter advocates against the traditional format of PowerPoint presentations with slides covered in the text. Instead, one should replace words with impactful visuals wherever possible and only use text sparingly. Asking the audience to both listen to the speaker and read a slide packed with information runs the risk of overwhelming them, losing their focus, or even devaluing the message due to missed details. Even when presenting data in pie charts or tables, the speaker can still engage the senses by incorporating background images.

While visuals are crucial, appealing to the auditory senses is wise. How a speaker says things, such as their timing or pitch, creates an impact. Descriptive language is also important. When using the right words, a presenter can create a picture in the audience’s minds without visual aids. The brain’s visual center cannot differentiate between real and imaginary, meaning that vivid mental imagery activates the associated brain regions as if the image were seen. The ultimate purpose of a talk “is to transport the audience to another place” (230). Visuals and auditory additions help in doing so.

Touch is difficult to include in presentation, and one effective example comes from singer Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk. She began with a story of when she worked as a bride-themed living statue and how she would give a flower to anyone who left her money. After the talk, she threw a flower into the audience.

The chapter concludes with a recommendation for moving beyond reliance on slides. Doing so takes courage, but it is that courage to do something different that will catch an audience’s attention.

Chapter 9 is Talk Like TED’s concluding chapter and focuses on how crucial it is to be genuine, honest, and transparent when interacting with others. This chapter turns away from all previous advice and tells the reader that none of it will be worth anything if they are not their authentic self when presenting. Most people can detect insincerity without much trouble, and trying to project a false image will only undermine one’s message.

Gallo stands by the messages and techniques he imparts throughout the book, and readers should continue to take inspiration from renowned TED speakers and other professionals they admire. However, there is only so much inspiration and learning techniques can do. To make a lasting impact, one must carve a path and leave a unique mark on the world. To do so, you need to build up courage. It is challenging to reveal vulnerabilities, but doing so shows your audience that you’re human and face similar doubts, difficulties, and challenges to them.

The chapter reiterates the importance of testing your content with trusted friends or family before your audience. This serves two purposes. First, it enables one to speak from a more genuine perspective. However, being surrounded by loved ones will boost confidence and alleviate nervousness. Even the greatest communicators have insecurities about public speaking. For example, Joel Osteen, the internationally famous pastor, admitted that his first sermon terrified him; 10 years later, he preached to a sold-out Yankee Stadium. To master public speaking, one must be willing to invest the necessary time. Daily actions become habitual through repetition. It frees the mind and allows for a better, more genuine delivery.

The final chapter concludes with a reminder of the first: “While the TED style is infusing our culture […] each person must find his or her own passion about the topic to make an authentic connection with the audience” (246). Gallo’s job as a communications coach and the book’s author is to teach the reader the basic tricks they can use to become a better public speaker. However, it is the reader’s job to put those tricks into action in ways that work best for them and present their most authentic self.