So you managed to line up a Ted Talk huh? Well done! But now the realisation is setting in that you actually have to memorise the whole Ted Talk and deliver it to a sea of eyeballs. Take a second to stop shitting yourself because we have some practical advice from a professional Ted speaker on how to nail the whole memorising bit. Here we go with three steps to memorise your TedTalk!
Step one: Prioritisation
When it comes to delivering a talk, it’s not necessary to remember every word perfectly. You may come across like a robot and freak people out. Instead, focus on the key elements that you want your audience to remember. To do this, divide your talk into two parts: lines and links. The lines are the elements that you want to deliver perfectly, while the links are the words and passages that will connect one line to the next. Identify the key terms that you want to hit perfectly and mark them in bold. This will give you a starting point for your rehearsals.
Step two: Chunking
This word may sound like we want you to throw up before the event but no, it’s actually a brilliant technique. Start breaking your presentation down into manageable chunks. Give yourself breadcrumbs – one word to describe almost each paragraph or line. This will help you get the flow of your talk right. Record yourself delivering the talk and listen to it on your way to and from places like work or school. This will help you dial in your delivery and internalise the talk. It will also help you identify any blind spots that need to be worked on.
We suggest you check this video to see these steps put into practice.
Step three: Rehearsing
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be with the material, and the more confident you’ll feel on the big day. Be careful not to over-rehearse. You want to sound like you are talking, not reciting. But it’s not just about reciting the words over and over again. Try to make it feel like a conversation with your audience. Imagine you’re talking to a group of friends and you’re excited to share your ideas with them. Use different tones of voice and gestures to add some personality to your delivery.
Don’t forget to have fun
Let’s be real, your audience can never enjoy your presentation more than you enjoy delivering it. So, why not make the entire process a blast? From writing the talk to rehearsing to delivering it on stage, it should all be a great time.
And of course, if you need help writing designing or delivering it – you know where to find us!
