Have an important message for the world? Top tips to being a TEDster with TED Talk trainer Andrea Sampson

“Most authors cannot speak in public well. We've all probably heard a beloved novelist speak from the stage and found them appalling. Authors can stand out by learning to speak well and giving a good performance….”

— Joanna Penn, bestselling thriller author, international professional speaker, podcaster, and founder of The Creative Penn.

Can we talk? (Wait…you didn’t think I was going to dump you, did you? Never!)

I'm talking about TED Talks. Much like reading short stories or flipping through a collection of poetry, I love watching TED Talks before bed. (Talk TED to me, baby!)

TED Talks — an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design — are a viral video phenomenon. They are also ridiculously addictive to watch.

The length of a TED Talk — 18 minutes max! — is one of the key reasons behind its success. 

Some imagine their Oscar speech (even if we’ve never acted). Others fantasize about winning a Grammy Award (even if we sing in keys that don't actually exist). 

For me? I’ve long fantasized about having my own TED Talk — even though the thought makes me want to both throw up and pass out. (Which is not surprising. Next to dying, public speaking ranks #2 of people’s fears.)

I think every author or aspiring author goal should be to have their own TED Talk. Yet, many authors are “good on paper” but terrible in person — I have watched authors on webinars who make me yawn, which leads to hunger pangs, which leads me to “minimize" the interview on my phone while I order Uber Eats. (Have you met Erion? Read about why I’m obsessed with this Uber Eats driver here.)

TED Talks are the gold standard for public speaking, regarded as the holy grail of achievement, often turning the “little-knowns” into global superstars. Unfortunately, introverted writers immediately dismiss the idea of public speaking, simply because they are introverted.

But public speaking isn’t relegated to conferences or auditoriums. Every time an author gives a reading or is invited on a podcast, they are speaking publicly. The skills required are the same.

Being a speaker automatically ups your authority and cements you as an expert in your industry. Ted Talk speakers — usually nominated by someone else or carefully curated by TED Talk employers — train as if they were training for a marathon. 

The writing process for a TED Talk can take as long as it can to write an entire book — every single word matters in a TED Talk speech. 

Many who want to pursue TED Talk Status (and become a “TEDster") spend thousands of dollars for consultants to help with speechwriting, public speaking, and some even hire acting coaches in order to be as polished on stage as possible. 

TED Talks are delivered without notes or a teleprompter. They are scripted, memorized, and rehearsed for months.

Author Susan Cain — who went on to write “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking” — famously practiced for an entire year!

Her first TED Talk video received its first million views faster than any other TED video. Her presentation was described by The New Yorker as a "miniature theatre piece.”

TED Talk speakers ooze with confidence delving into a single topic with unwavering focus at TED conferences — usually held in California — where tickets cost a small fortune and its live audience has included Al Gore and Bill Gates. (Or you can watch them, in short bursts, like I do on television — I can’t explain how to watch them, except to say your television needs to be on HDMI 1. (Or at least that's how my television is set up.)

Author Brené Brown’s 2010 TED Talk “The Power of Vulnerability" has been viewed over 32 million times and helped elevate her into a global household name. Now, years later? She remains one.

Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “We Should All Be Feminists" became a worldwide bestseller after her TED Talk. 

From topics like “Do schools kill creativity?” and “Your body language may shape who you are,” and “Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model,” to "How to spot a liar,” “10 Ways to have a better conversation,” and “How can I find happiness?,” there really is a TED Talk for everyone, and in more than 100 languages.

But not everyone can be a TED Talk speaker. TED Talk organizers curate their speaker list and lineups to appeal to audiences at their conferences.

But there are also independently run TEDx events held in different cities on a way more local level. These TEDx events — once described as the minor league for TED — still make you feel like you're hanging out with the upper echelons of intellect. (Even watching TED Talks before bed make me feel like I’m so much smarter than my dating history would leave you to believe.) 

Although TEDx are not controlled by TED, event organizers must agree to abide by TED's format. Organizers, under a license from TED, are given guidelines for curation, speaker coaching, and event planning.

In recent years, more than 500,000 TEDx talks have popped up globally. 

A lucky few of these TEDx talks will be featured on the TED.com website, but with approximately 25k videos sent in each year and only 40 to 50 slots, the odds of a speaker’s landing on TED.com are apparently about 1 in 18,000 — about the same as dating a supermodel.

According to TED.com, there have been over 1 billion views of TEDx talks. 

I decided I needed to learn more about what it takes to get on any TED or TEDx stage, so I reached out to Andrea Sampson, CEO & Executive Speaker Coach at TalkBoutique, who has, amongst many speaking services, worked as a Speaker's Coach for TEDxToronto. You can check out all her other services here!

Q&A with TED Talk trainer Andrea Sampson

RE:BOOKS: How does one become a TED Talk speaker coach? What kind of training is involved?

ANDREA SAMPSON: Well, there isn’t an academy one can go to, so for me it started with being volun-hired by TEDxToronto as a Speaker’s Coach. This entitled some light training by the team and a workbook from TED on how to coach a TED speaker.  

I then created a training program for TEDxToronto to train our coaches — I had been working with them for two years at that point and understood the needs of the speakers and of the TED brand.  

Following this, I began working with Singularity University out of Silicon Valley and was fortunate to be part of a training program that was facilitated by the ex-Head Speaker Coach from TED Global. She trained us in the TED methodology as used by the curation team at TED global. This has informed much of my coaching approach and helped me to go on to develop my own proprietary tools such as our Talk Canvas and our Statement of Purpose framework.

RE:BOOKS: Why did you want to go into this biz? (Were you chatty as a kid? Do you love speeches and helping people? Did you a lot of people bombing while they speak?)

ANDREA SAMPSON: I spent almost 25 years in advertising working with clients and with creative teams developing communication strategies and conducting research. I gave presentations daily. Working in marketing and advertising required that I be a good communicator. However it wasn’t until I began working with TEDxToronto that I learned the secret to becoming a great communicator — learning how to tell a compelling story.  

TED training helped me to understand the power of storytelling and of embedding an idea inside of a story. This is what every good TED talk does.

RE:BOOKS: Can you tell us a little about the process? How does one get to have a TED Talk, and what is it like working with you? (Also approximately how much does it cost for your services?)

ANDREA SAMPSON: The process to getting onto a TEDx stage is different for each event, as they are all locally organized by a voluntary team of passionate individuals.  However, here is what is common across all:

1. You need to be recognized as a thought leader in the subject matter you want to speak on. This doesn’t mean you need to be the head of an organization or the leader of a movement (although these can help). It does mean that you have established your own personal brand and you have cultivated a community of like minded individuals who share your message.

2. Have a well defined idea that is unique and impactful. Be able to describe this idea in one to two sentences and no more. 

3. You need to be able to compel an audience. You don’t need to be the best speaker in the world, however you do need to be somewhat comfortable on a stage. It is important that you have some basic public speaking ability.

4. You will need to be open to coaching. Most TEDx events require you to work with a Speaker’s Coach. Some supply you with one, others ask that you find your own. Either way, they will want you to have support to make sure you are able to take the stage and tell your story with impact.

In terms of working with me or my team of TEDx coaches, we are always taking on new clients.  

You should plan for 6–10 sessions with your coach and should allow between 10–16 weeks to get yourself ready. The work mostly happens inside of the sessions with homework to write in between. You can expect to invest between $2,500–$4,500 for this type of an engagement.

RE:BOOKS: A lot of authors are very introverted but need to do speaking engagements. What are your top three tips/hacks for introverted authors (or want to do a TEDx Talk)? Why are TEDx Talks so important for authors?

ANDREA SAMPSON: TEDx talks are a shortcut to being seen as a thought leader, to having been vetted by a respected brand and being deemed to have an impactful message.

One of the misbeliefs is that speakers are extroverted. In my experience, this is not the case; I work with so many introverted speakers. The reality is every time you stand in front of an audience, you are performing. That might be an audience of 1, 10 or 1000, it doesn’t matter. When you are presenting you are performing. So, as an introvert, you will need to learn the language of performance.

1. Make sure you have developed your script and you are comfortable with it. Have you rehearsed it? Are you able to remember it?

2. Have you watched yourself give your talk? What is your body language saying that words aren’t? Learn some of the basics of body language. This will really help you.  Watch this TEDx talk by Mark Bowden. I coached him for it, and I learned so much in the process.

3. How are you using your voice to engage your audience? Think about how you might tell a story to a child. You would use your voice to entertain them…well, you might not use character voices, however your voice is still important. What is your pacing? Your vocal variety? Are you pausing, using inflections, perhaps creating texture using a smile or a frown? These are all ways to engage your audience and to keep them interested.

RE:BOOKS: What are the top mistakes when it comes to doing a TED Talk or public speaking in general? Many authors hate public speaking, so any true and tired basic tips?

ANDREA SAMPSON: I try not to judge others, but the reality is giving a TED Talk is really difficult. So, for anyone to get up on a stage and try, well, they deserve lots of recognition. That said, I would reiterate my point that the most important thing you can do as a speaker is rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Do it in front of a mirror. Film yourself. Audio tape yourself and rehearse along with your recording. You cannot rehearse too much.  

Next, make sure you have clearly articulated your idea, you have succinctly said it in your talk and you have made sure your audience has heard and understood the importance of your idea.  

In our Talk Canvas framework, we have two very important areas of when this idea is presented: right after the opening story (it’s really a bridge to your idea) and at the conclusion of your talk, just before the call to action. These are two very critical places where your audience has been set up to listen for your idea.

RE:BOOKS: On a smaller scale, any fun hacks you can share for doing a TED Talk? What should you wear on stage? Should speakers drink tea and honey beforehand? Makeup? For example, I wear red when I’m really tired because someone who does a ton of speeches once told me this!

ANDREA SAMPSON: I always encourage people to think about the 24 hours prior to their talk and to plan their eating, drinking and sleeping. I encourage lots of water intake in that period to combat the flood of adrenaline that hits when they take the stage.  

Next, avoid alcohol during that period. It can make anxiety much worse. Get lots of sleep and limit caffeine to four hours prior to your talk time.  

In terms of wardrobe, you need to think about two things: how will the camera pick up your clothes and what is behind you? So first, from a technical standpoint, cameras do not like stripes (unless they are very large), busy patterns or solid white (difficult to balance with lighting).  

If the backdrop behind you is a solid colour, you should NOT wear that colour. The camera may not be able to differentiate enough and you could look like a floating head or a legless torso. Neither are a good look. This happens a lot with wearing black, as often this is the backdrop, and speakers all love wearing black, but it can be very problematic.

RE:BOOKS: Finally, can you tell us a success story or a funny story (preferably an author but not necessary!) of someone you trained for a TED Talk? Also, can you guarantee someone gets a TED Talk? How hard is it to become a “TEDster?”

ANDREA SAMPSON: First, no one can ever guarantee anyone a TED Talk. I have been an organizer and on the curation team, and I know what goes into choosing a speaker.  It is never one person’s choice. Rather, it comes from a set of criteria set by the licensee and approved by TED and then applied by the curation team to all those who are nominated or who have been identified by the team.  

When I worked on TEDxToronto we used to have over 1,000 applications for 10 spots on stage. We read every application, debated over a long list and then agonized it down the final short list and made offers. It was a long and difficult process but necessary to maintain the credibility of the brand the the speakers who are chosen.

I have worked with hundreds of TEDx speakers and some have gone on to become TED speakers, and the reality is each one is unique. Most never thought they would have the opportunity, and all of them were nervous about sharing their ideas.  

It’s hard for me to pin down just one story as each is so unique. I was recently working with an academic who changed her talk focus three times throughout our engagement. She was nervous to talk about something that took her into an area that she wasn’t a recognized expert. In the end, she did a talk that had her apply her unique understanding and point of view as a researcher on a topic that she had personally experienced, and she created an understanding for people that wasn’t possible without her unique perspective.  

This is exactly what TED Talks do. They allow us to see through the eyes of the speaker and experience their expertise contextualized to their life or story, creating a new way for their audience to connect with their idea. It is their own genius being made visible.  

Want more information on giving a TED Talk? Head over to www.talkboutique.com.