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7 TED Talks on how to improve your presentations

It’s a hard truth of the digital age: Capturing and keeping another person’s attention is getting more difficult. While the empirical evidence on the average person's attention span during a presentation is limited, the phrase "death by PowerPoint" rings all too true. IT leaders know from experience that audiences lack patience for ineffective speakers. That’s why it’s more important than ever for all of us to be thoughtful about how to deliver information.

[ Which IT roles are vanishing? Read our article,  4 dying IT jobs . ]

Thankfully for CIOs and other leaders in training, there are abundant tips from skilled presenters on how to elevate your performance before your next appearance – on stage at a conference, before the board or executive team, or even in front of your own organization. This no-nonsense advice will help you win – and keep – your audience.

1. The secret structure of great talks

Speaker: Nancy Duarte

Why do we sit with rapt attention listening to a compelling story yet find ourselves nodding off during most presentations? Communication expert Nancy Duarte spent time digging into the best stories from history, cinema, and literature – and also suffering through some of the worst presentations she could get her hands on – to explore the differences and come up with a winning model for great presentations. In this talk, Duarte explores the secrets and structures of the greatest communicators and their public speaking efforts – from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to Steve Job’s public unveiling of the iPhone. She shares with the audience the common storytelling structure utilized by compelling presenters that you can apply to your next effort.

2. The beauty of data visualization

Speaker: David McCandless

Data is the lifeblood of IT, the business, and many an IT leader presentation. But on its own, data can be lifeless – or worse, ineffective or misleading.

British data journalist David McCandless is skilled at transforming complex data sets into engaging data visualizations that are not only lovely to look at but also instantly bring to life the stories within the data. Data is not the new oil, he says, but the new soil – “a fertile, creative medium” – if you know how to manipulate and design it. McCandless shares his tips for visualizing information so that an audience can see the patterns and connections that matter.

3. How to speak so that people want to listen

Speaker: Julian Treasure

The first thing IT leaders consider when preparing for a presentation might be the visuals, the words, or even the best outfit to wear – all important components. But they may be overlooking one of the most important instruments in their toolkits: Their voices. Sound and communication expert (and five-time TED speaker) Julian Treasure argues that what you say may be less important than how you say it, and outlines some of the most important aspects of vocal delivery.

4. Your body language may shape who you are

Speaker: Amy Cuddy

With nearly 50 million views, social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s now well-known TED Global 2012 Talk can help IT leaders harness another important aspect of presenting: body language. Her talk is not simply about how body language impacts how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. In this video, IT leaders can learn all about the “power pose” – a way of standing confidently like Superman or Wonder Woman. While there was some criticism of the science behind Cuddy’s research about power positions and their impact on hormones, which she has since refuted, IT leaders can try the posing advice out for themselves before stepping on the stage or into the boardroom.

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TED talks stand for 20-minute presentations on technology, entertainment and design, and everything in between.

The origin of these talks came from Richard Wurman , an American architect fascinated by the interconnections and impact of the tech, entertainment and design worlds.

The first TED talks were posted in 2006, and these fascinating presentations by gifted orators continue to inspire and engage millions over 10 years later.

Veteran TED speakers of all backgrounds and expertise have something impactful to share — from the process of the Titanic discovery to how silence can be dangerous. Whether you're a keynote speaker or are sharing statistics, turn to these TED Talks to gather strategies to empower your presentation.

Here are 10 presentation skills you can learn from TED talks:

1. Self-Disclosure Communicates on Multiple Levels

Kevin Robinson's “ How Schools Kill Creativity ” presentation was one of the first TED talks posted and still is at the top because of his ability to communicate emotion through self-disclosure. A speaker who reaches their audience emotionally shows their relatability through universally human experiences. Robinson tells stories about his family to support his argument that all children are creative and need an outlet for expression.

2. Eliminate Filler Words

Tony Robbins use pauses effectively in his “ Why We Do What We Do ” talk, allowing him to speak mindfully about this topic without filler words. Though it's common practice in conversation to use filler words, such as um, they take up valuable time and space in a brief presentation and reduce your impact and authority on a subject. When you feel tempted to say um, pause for a moment before moving on to your next point.

3. Foster an Engaged and Active Audience

Your audience becomes engaged with a subject when you pose questions and present problems that need solving. Bruce Aylward fosters this environment with his audience in “ How We'll Stop Polio for Good ” when he asks them to close their eyes for two seconds and consider how science or technology changed the world.

4. Hook the Audience

In written or spoken communication, you have anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to hook your audience. Instead of starting with a knock, knock joke, try something similar to Chef Jamie Oliver's hook in his talk “ Teach Every Child About Food .”

Oliver opens with: “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat.” It's like a powerful hook in a novel, but the statement also communicates the gravity of the talk and how quickly death can strike in the everyday moments you sit down to eat.

5. Cue the Audience into the Close

You don't want your audience to leave thinking, “Is that it?” Just as you want to start strongly, you want to end strongly — not abruptly. In Benjamin Zander's “ The Transformative Power of Classical Music ,” he discusses the link between power and music and gives a verbal cue that the presentation is about to end. This spoken courtesy allows the audience to pause reflectively and brace themselves for his final thought.

6. Speak With Empathy and Elegance

Have you struggled with speaking up only to feel unheard? Sound expert Julian Treasure shares his wisdom and speaking exercises in his talk “ How to Speak So That People Want to Listen .” Use H.A.I.L. to speak with empathy: Honesty (clear with meaning), authenticity (be true to yourself), integrity (practice what you preach) and love (mean well).

When it comes to speaking, be careful with your tone and volume. For example, use volume wisely and speak more softly when conveying a point that evokes a similar feeling. Also, a higher pitch indicates excitement in a speaker. Vocal exercises used by actors and singers help tone your speaking voice.

7. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Your body language affects how others see you, but it also impacts how you see yourself. Psychologist Amy Cuddy shares that power posing is an effective tool to positively communicate your identity and message in her talk “ Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are .” Striking your power pose helps you feel confident even when you feel doubt.

8. Let Your Inner Nerd Shine, But Speak Plainly

In “ Talk Nerdy to Me ,” Melissa Marshall reassures scientists that non-scientists are eager to hear their data points and research, but the key is to speak plainly and with passion. Share your knowledge but don't talk down to the audience — make it accessible. In only four minutes, Marshall demonstrates ways and strategies scientists can be clear and inspirational.

9. Be Courageous: Silence Can Be Deadly

Teacher and poet Clint Smith encourages people to have courage and speak up in his talk “ The Danger of Silence .” As a presenter, you may not only feel shy about what you have to say, but also fearful of angering others or making a situation worse. Silence is dangerous, too.

How often do you listen to the content of what someone says without listening for what is unsaid? Your silences in content and in speaking are powerful. Use them wisely.

10. Feel Confident About Public Speaking

Though Megan Washington grew up with a speech impediment, she used a major talent to transform it into a powerful force that helped her feel more confident about public speaking. She shares what she discovered in her talk “ Why I Live in Dread of Public Speaking .” A highly talented and recognized songwriter and singer in Australia, Washington uses her voice to turn stutters into yes as she sings points she struggles with loudly and proudly.

What talents do you have that will allow you to face your fear of public speaking and shine?

From psychologists to singers, the most accomplished of individuals face doubts about their skills with public speaking, but these TED talks go to show that your voice and what you have to say are powerful. Vocal exercises help a shaky and shy voice find strength and clarity.

Sharing data and statistics doesn't have to feel boring — let your authenticity and passion shine through as you speak conversationally. People will find inspiration and feel informed.

Use these TED talks to bolster your presentation arsenal and get pumped about sharing your wisdom. Be courageous, and speak up. Your talk will be worth sharing, too.

About the Author

Kayla Matthews is a productivity writer and self-improvement blogger. You can read more work from Kayla on MakeUseOf, VentureBeat, TinyBuddha and Inc.com.

Continue to: Top Tips for Effective Presentations Overcoming Presentation Nerves

See also: Presenting to Large Groups | Building Personal Confidence Building Rapport | Self Presentation

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Master a variety of communication skills with TED’s official public speaking course, now available on YouTube Courses. This course will teach you how to identify, develop and share your best ideas with the world.

YouTube Courses are currently only available in the United States, but YouTube is working on expanding into other regions in 2023.

The proceeds from this course support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission of creating and distributing free, high-quality animations.

Master the art of public speaking

• Craft them into compelling narratives.
• Present so that people want to listen.

Become a better communicator

• Establish a connection with your listeners.
• Give more persuasive presentations.
• Explain complex ideas.

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6 dos and don’ts for next-level slides, from a TED presentation expert

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Want to prevent yawns and glazed-over eyes? Before you deliver your next speech, pitch or address, learn how to create exceptional slides by following these rules (with real before-and-afters).

Slides are an expected and crucial part of most speeches, presentations, pitches and addresses. They can simplify complex information or messages, showcase relevant images, and help hold an audience’s attention. But quite often, the best slides aren’t those that make people sit up and comment on how good they are; instead, they’re the ones that people take in without really noticing because the content is effortlessly conveyed and matches the speaker’s words so well.

These days, showing high-quality slides is more important than ever. “We’re living in a visual culture,” says Paul Jurczynski , the cofounder of Improve Presentation and one of the people who works with TED speakers to overhaul their slides. “Everything is visual. Instagram is on fire, and you don’t often see bad images on there. The same trend has come to presentations.”

He says there is no “right” number of slides. However, it’s important that every single one shown — even the blank ones (more on those later) — be, as Jurczynski puts it, “connected with the story you’re telling.” Here, he shares 6 specific tips for creating the most effective slides. ( Note: All of the examples below were taken from the actual slides of TED speakers. )

1. Do keep your slides simple and succinct

“The most common mistake I see is slides that are overcrowded. People tend to want to spell everything out and cover too much information,” says Jurczynski. Not only are these everything-but-the-kitchen-sink slides unattractive and amateurish, they also divert your audience’s attention away from what you’re saying. You want them to listen to the words that you slaved over, not get distracted by unscrambling a jam-packed slide.

“The golden rule is to have one claim or idea per slide. If you have more to say, put it on the next slide,” says Jurczynski. Another hallmark of a successful slide: The words and images are placed in a way that begins where the audience’s eyes naturally go and then follows their gaze. Use the position, size, shape and color of your visuals to make it clear what should come first, second and so on. “You don’t just control what the audience sees; you have to control how they see it,” says Jurczynski.

BEFORE: Too crowded 

After: easy to absorb.

2. Do choose colors and fonts with care

Colors and fonts are like the herbs and spices of your presentation. When used wisely and with intention, they’ll enhance your slides; but when tossed in haphazardly, they’ll make it an unappealing mess.

Let’s start with color. “Color is a key way to communicate visually and to evoke emotion,” says Jurczynski. “It can be a game changer.” Your impulse might be to pick your favorite hue and start from there, but he advises, “it’s important to use color with a purpose.” For example, if you’re giving a presentation about a positive topic, you’ll want to use bright, playful colors. But if you’re speaking about a serious subject such as gun violence or lung cancer, you’d probably go for darker or neutral colors.

While it’s fine to use a variety of colors in your presentation, overall you should adhere to a consistent color scheme, or palette. “The good news is you don’t need a degree in color theory to build a palette,” says Jurczynski. Check out one of the many free sites — such as Coolors or Color Hunt — that can help you assemble color schemes.

With fonts, settle on just one or two, and make sure they match the tone of your presentation. “You don’t have to stick to the fonts that you have in PowerPoint,” or whatever program you’re using, says Jurczynski. “People are now designing and sharing fonts that are easy to install in different programs. It’s been an amazing breakthrough.” Experiment. Try swapping a commonly used font like Arial for Lato or Bebas , two of many lesser known fonts available online. Most important: “Use a big enough font, which people often forget to do,” advises Jurczynski. Your text has to be both legible and large enough to read from the back of the room, he recommends — about 30 points or so.

BEFORE: Weak and hard-to-read font, muddy colors 

AFTER: Strong font, color that’s striking but not jarring

3. Don’t settle for visual cliches

When you’re attempting to illustrate concepts, go beyond the first idea that comes to your mind. Why? The reason it appears so readily may be because it’s a cliché. For example, “a light bulb as a symbol for innovation has gotten really tired,” says Jurczynski. Other oft-used metaphors include a bull’s-eye target or shaking hands. After you’ve come up with your symbol or idea, he advises people to resist the lure of Google images (where there are too many low-quality and clichéd choices) and browse other free image sites such as Unsplash to find more unique visuals. One trick: If you do use stock, amp it up with a color overlay (as in the pic at the top of this article) or tweak it in some other way to counteract — or at least muffle — its stock-i-ness.

One potential source of pictures is much closer at hand. “If it fits the storyline, I encourage people to use their own images,” says Jurczynski. “Like one TED Talk where the speaker, a doctor, used photos of his experience treating people in Africa. That was all he needed. They were very powerful.” Major caveat: Any personal photos must support your speech or presentation. Do not squander your audience’s precious time by showing them a gratuitous picture of your children or grandparents — beautiful as they may be.

BEFORE: Fake-looking stock photo to illustrate teamwork 

After: eye-catching photo of nature to illustrate teamwork.

4. Don’t get bogged down by charts and graphs

Less is also more when it comes to data visualization. Keep any charts or graphs streamlined. When building them, ask yourself these questions:

What do I want the audience to take away from my infographic?

Why is it important for them to know this?

How does it tie into my overall story or message?

You may need to highlight key numbers or data points by using color, bolding, enlarging or some other visual treatment that makes them pop.

Maps are another commonly used infographic. Again, exercise restraint and use them only if they enhance your talk. “Sometimes, people put a map because they don’t know what else to show,” says Jurczynski. He suggests employing labels, color schemes or highlighting to direct your audience where to look. He adds, if you have the skill or know an artist, “you may even consider a hand-drawn map.”

BEFORE: Yikes! What’s important?!? AFTER: The takeaway is clear

5. don’t be scared of blank slides.

It may seem counterintuitive, but at certain points in your speech or pitch, the best visual is … no visual at all. “At the beginning, I was not a fan of blank slides,” says Jurczynski. “But the more talks I’ve seen, the more a fan I am of them, because sometimes you want all the attention on yourself and you don’t want people distracted by what they see in the slides. Or, you might use them to give the audience a visual break from a series of slides. Or maybe you want to shift the mood or tempo of the presentation.”

The blank slide is the visual equivalent of a pause, and most stories could use at least one. And with blank slides, Jurczynski has one main “don’t”: “You cannot use white blank slides, because if you do, people will see it and think something is broken.”

6. Do remember to practice

The easiest way to figure out if your slides really work? Recruit a colleague, friend or family member, and run through your entire presentation with them. Sometimes, people can get so carried away with rehearsing their delivery and memorizing their words that they forget to make sure their slides complement and synch up with what they’re saying.

“Even if you have the best visual s in the world, you need to practice in front of someone else. Once you start practicing, you may see, ‘I’m talking about a sad story, but on the slide behind me, I have something funny and that doesn’t make sense,'” says Jurczynski. “Or, ‘Oh, this could be a good place for a blank slide.’”

About the author

Amanda Miller manages curation for partner events at TED.

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TED Talks presentation skills you can use

Are you looking to make a great impression in an interview, in a talk, or during a meeting? Even if you are a confident and grounded person, it can be difficult to convey your intention when you are put on the spot. Thankfully, TED Talks presentations offer a great deal of insight, with tips we can use at work every day. Here are some ideas that you can use.

Before listing some of the most-loved presentation tips from TED Talks, keep in mind that the best way to learn is to actually watch what people do in the series. Better yet, read over these suggestions, and then watch the lecturers to see how they use their pointers. Use a pen and notebook to take notes on what you like about their presentations. By reading and internalizing these ideas as well as observing how they are applied, you are sure to be able to reproduce the excellent methods you see.

Here are some ways you can present yourself just like a TED Talks pro:

1. Eat well. What eating well means will certainly vary extensively from person to person. Adults know how and what to eat and which ingredients help their mind work the best. If you’re unsure, do a trial run the week before. Prepare a healthy meal, eat, wait an hour, and then practice your speech. Do you feel energized? Can you think clearly? This is a great way to experiment with an ideal food regimen. If you don’t know what foods to eat, try a high protein, low carb meal. For many people, strong proteins help sharpen their minds, whereas heavy carbs can weigh their bodies down and cause fatigue.

2. Burn stress. Another activity to do before getting on stage or sitting down for a meeting is engaging in some high cardio exercise. Go for a run or use machines at a local gym. Get your heart rate soaring (in a healthy way, slowly building up and releasing afterward) for at least 20 minutes. This is likely to increase dopamine and help you feel relaxed and happy.

3. Emergency plan. Ideally and most likely, all will be well, and you’ll make a grand speech and a grand exit to match. But what if you don’t? What if you have bad luck, the technology fails, you have a non-preventable crisis that morning, or you just wake up and feel low in energy that day? Weeks before the big day, arrange a detailed backup plan to help protect your TED presentation skills. This may involve hand-written notes, backup technology, or another speech altogether. Whatever it is, make sure it’s a process you would feel comfortable with. Imagine the worst day you’ve ever had and then devise a plan that would save you from that potential day.

4. Be real. It’s important to impress, to practice, and to be professional. But it’s also just as important to show yourself as an authentic person who is taking a chance by revealing your ideas to a respectable audience. This is one of the many essential TED presentation skills. To put it another way, you can choose to display yourself as an authentic professional, someone who has experience as an employee but also as a person. One way to do this well is to offer a story from your personal life, but to also mention your professional life within it (or vice versa). For example, “When I was volunteering for a local NGO, my best friend told me…” This reveals you as both a person and a worker. People relate to that. If you can share this, while being emotional (without overdoing it), you’re on the right track.

5. Speak slowly. This may sound quite simple, but the reality is that some people quicken their speech when they are nervous. There are a number of downsides to this. First, the audience may not be able to decipher what you say clearly enough. Second, even if your listeners can hear you, you may not be speaking with a profound emphasis when you discuss meaningful ideas that should be deeply expressed. Third, when you speak quickly, you lose those extra seconds which may be important for you to think, to pause, to survey the room, and to make eye contact, as well as to think on your feet if a question is posed. Finally, when you speak quickly, you lose out on the time you need to breathe deeply. This means that your heart rate may quicken, and you may begin to sweat and lose focus. If you’re out of breath, you’ll have a harder time using your TED Talks communication skills.

6. Think rhetorically. One of the best ways to engage a listener is to propose a question you truly do not know the answer to. How easy is it to answer an easy question or to make an introductory remark, and then fill the remaining time with the various solutions to that idea? Regardless of how creative your solutions are, if you’re responding to a question you are already know the answer to, it’s likely that your audience has answers to it also. Phrase a question that’s unthinkable to respond to, or a problem you know can never be completely resolved. Hopefully, the rhetorical question will also have some emotion to it, some yearning, or some hopefulness.

7. Answer queries. Rarely, but sometimes, people will propose challenges or queries to you while you’re in midst of a lecture. Never tell a participant who dares courageously to speak up to wait until after you’re done speaking to receive an answer. Be diplomatic instead. Stop your train of thought, stand still a moment to consider, and then give a concise but thoughtful response. This conveys respect to your participant, and it also furthers the dialogue, gets people interested, and helps you expand on your idea. Come to think of those questions as helping rather than hindering your speech. Such inclusive behavior will encourage others to take your words seriously, even if they question them all the same.

8. Take your time. One way TED Talks presentation skills famously create attention and drama is when speakers take luxurious pauses between climactic moments. Distilling thoughts—breaking them down in such a digestible way—can be indispensable for speakers and listeners. Listen to TED Talks speeches to get a sense of how this is done.

9. Watch your body. Many TED Talks speakers don’t stand perfectly still as they speak, but nor do they rummage back and forth across the stage in a nervous frenzy. Rather, consider taking a few steps forward to create emphasis or look left or right to gradually survey the room. Always maintain eye contact and distribute it across the audience evenly. This will help the audience connect with you and with your words, without becoming distracted by significant movements.

10. Have a message. Although this may seem relatively obvious, it can be so easy to generate a discussion without a climax that keeps people thinking. It’s important to leave the audience with food for thought, and with a way that they too can exercise their independent thinking. Do they agree or disagree with the ideas you provided? If they agree, what can they do about it? How can they follow your team’s example, make the world a better place, or improve on their work-life balance? Leave a message that is both utilitarian—a call to action—and that also leaves an emotional flavor. When you move people, they are likely to remember you and to take action.

TED Talks communication skills

There is a lot we can learn from the TED Talks communication skills of today, and we should be thankful that we live in a time when such knowledge, confidence, and wisdom is available to us via people who have worked hard to try to develop their communication skills. The best way to make yourself into a sophisticated speaker is by practicing, by working on your confidence, and by establishing healthy routines. Review the TED Talks presentation skills tips regularly and watch their educational videos. Very soon, it will be you standing in center stage.

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How to Present to an Audience That Knows More Than You

• Deborah Grayson Riegel

Lean into being a facilitator — not an expert.

What happens when you have to give a presentation to an audience that might have some professionals who have more expertise on the topic than you do? While it can be intimidating, it can also be an opportunity to leverage their deep and diverse expertise in service of the group’s learning. And it’s an opportunity to exercise some intellectual humility, which includes having respect for other viewpoints, not being intellectually overconfident, separating your ego from your intellect, and being willing to revise your own viewpoint — especially in the face of new information. This article offers several tips for how you might approach a roomful of experts, including how to invite them into the discussion without allowing them to completely take over, as well as how to pivot on the proposed topic when necessary.

I was five years into my executive coaching practice when I was invited to lead a workshop on “Coaching Skills for Human Resource Leaders” at a global conference. As the room filled up with participants, I identified a few colleagues who had already been coaching professionally for more than a decade. I felt self-doubt start to kick in: Why were they even here? What did they come to learn? Why do they want to hear from me?

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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