Idea Worth Spreading
A TEDx Talk is about one single “idea worth spreading”. It’s not about you and your story. It’s not about a collection of themed points such as a standard speech or keynote.
It’s about a single “idea worth spreading”. This single idea is then supported by stories / research / examples. Each of these supporting elements should reference the main idea. This is called throughline.
Aim for 10 minutes in length and no longer. It’s backed by neuroscience that humans have an attention stop watch that ends around the 10 minute mark. Apple announced in 2018 that their product launch presentations will no longer exceed 10 minutes.
Note: Keep these in mind. Why you? Why now? Why should they care?
Structure
When it comes to content arrangement, start with a story. Don’t say who you are and why you are on the stage – jump right into a story. Ideally, it’s a low moment story or a “I had no idea what to do next” type of story. The audience will connect and empathize with your down moments, and you will become instantly likable.
The best arrangement is as follows:
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Story / Intro
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Announcement of main idea
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Supporting point 1 (with reference to main idea via throughline)
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Supporting point 2 (with reference to main idea via throughline)
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Supporting point 3 (with reference to main idea via throughline)
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Call to Action & Conclusion
Uniqueness
Many speakers struggle with finding the best idea for themselves so they can have a unique talk. A fresh TEDx Talk. A true idea worth spreading. Often times, preparation for a TEDx Talk is a journey. Speakers take a deeper dive into the topic than they ever have before. “The idea” itself commonly evolves and may dramatically change between when you are accepted, and when you are to deliver the talk. With this, many speakers end up building several different talks along the way, and waste valuable preparation time. Ultimately they set themselves up to deliver a mediocre talk.
Don’t let this be you. Take the time to think about what your idea worth spreading really is.
It’s typically a combination of your experiences / skill-sets / thought leadership mixed with something about you personally – your story or your journey, that makes the talk different. This amalgamation can be the uniqueness you are looking for in an ecosystem with over 150,000 existing TEDx Talks. Research existing TEDx Talks to see how yours can potentially stand out. YouTube query “TEDx talk + your potential talk keywords”.
Pitching
When you pitch a TEDx organization, they will generally ask for a 1-2 minute application video. In this video, you can start with the introduction story that establishes your idea worth spreading. After the story, state exactly what your idea worth spreading is, submit, and cross your fingers.
Head over to the TEDx event map to see other organizations near you. They will most likely have a call for speakers, and you can apply. It’s not uncommon for it to take a speaker many tries to be accepted. Good luck!
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