3 Tips From TED Talks

It’s no mistake that TED talks are a phenomenon. According to Carmine Gallo, author of the book “Talk Like TED“, there are simple lessons anyone can use to improve pitches, presentations and even client meetings.

Gallo combed through 500 TED talks to find three top tips:

Tell a story: One of the best ways to connect with people emotionally is through stories. According to Gallo, the most successful TED presentations are 65 percent stories and 25 percent data. Stories can be personal or from case studies, but what makes talks “go viral” is their emotional connection with the audience.

Create “emotionally charged events”: Instead of presenting a PowerPoint on how malaria spreads, Bill Gates riveted his audience by releasing mosquitoes from a jar onstage. Such emotionally-charged actions trigger a dopamine release and lock the moment in your audience’s memory. Gallo says you must figure out how to package your information in a way that’s either new or unexpected.

Talk in threes: Short-term memory can only handle three or four chunks of information, so when you’re pitching a product, talking to a reporter or meeting a client, give them three bullet points, three reasons, three features or—better yet—three benefits of working with you. If you’re giving a longer presentation, break your points into the three most important takeaways.

This article is presented by Union Mortgage Investment Group Corp.