How to give a TED Talk: Here’s what I learnt from speaking at TEDx Aarhus

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ll have heard about the phenomena that are TED talks.

There’s even a TED talk about living in a cave.

TED – and their offshoot TEDx – celebrate ‘ideas worth spreading’.

Anyone can stand on the infamous Red Dot and speak for 18 minutes about a subject they’re passionate about, and share an idea with the rest of the world.

But what are the mechanics behind it? How – and why – do you give a TEDx talk?

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to apply and speak at TEDx Aarhus, and here’s what I learned:

What is TED and TEDx?

For a start, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – but these days, talks cover every subject under and including the sun.

TED and TEDx are very different.

TED are The Big Daddy. They’re five day conferences, which take place once a year on the west coast of America.

TEDx are independently run, smaller in scale, and take place on a local level. Most cities have a TEDx conference these days, and if yours doesn’t, you can apply to run one.

TED and TEDx Talks are given by speakers throughout the conferences, and can end up as lavishly produced videos, recognisable all over the world.

They’re not-for-profit, and TEDx talks are run by dedicated, and utterly fantastic volunteers.

Anyone can apply

You can nominate yourself, or anyone you think will inform, inspire, entertain or delight, to be a speaker. Applications are available on the website – there’s no shrouded secrecy and you definitely don’t have to be invited to do one.

The interview and application process is, however, rigorous and slightly easier for a TEDx talk.

In March 2017, I received a call from TEDx Aarhus inviting me to apply.

I learned, very quickly, that’s definitely not the same as being invited to do a talk.

I still had to write a proposal, have several Skype interviews, and be clear about what my idea was that was so worth spreading.

From there, I had three months to submit my first draft, and another three for changes and to learn the whole thing by heart.

You will have mentors

Everyone is given a TEDx mentor, someone who will look over your draft when you need them to and make sure it is worthy of the TED/TEDx talk name.

Basically, they’re there to make sure that it makes sense, and carries your idea into the big wide world.

You will disagree with your mentors

You will disagree with the whole lot. You will have moments of despair, rage and delight. They will be there to offer you guidance, not just on what you’re saying, but also how you say it.

You have to trust that they want you to have a nice shiny TED talk to give to the world, just as much as you do.

And yes, they will suggest several TED talks to watch along the way.

You will have months to worry

The back and forth will go on for at least six months. It will be something you will forget about for weeks, then wake up screaming into the night one day at 3am.

There will be various workshops you can attend to help with the pressure; I was fortunate enough to go to one early in the process to meet the other speakers involved in my conference.

At that point, not a one of us looked like we could carry off a TEDx talk. It was both a relief and a definite bonding experience.

We all joined a Facebook group, shared our worries, watched the process of the conference come together, and generally put the whole thing to the back of our heads until there was a week to go and the panic set in.

You have 18 minutes exactly

You can do less, but you definitely have no more; 18 minutes has been calculated as being the perfect amount of time to get your idea across without the audience getting bored.

A standard comedy set is usually 20 minutes, so these people know what they’re talking about.

Also, this is something you need to learn off by heart – there are no prompts, and no notes allowed on stage. So keep it simple and brief – for your own sake.

The red dot is a thing

On the day before, I walked into the 800-seat theatre for our dress rehearsal and was led to the stage by a grinning volunteer who proudly pointed out the round, red piece of carpet.

‘We have the dot!’ she cried. ‘Would you like to try it?’

At that point, someone was hoovering it with such concentration, I didn’t think standing on it in my 10 quid Converse was worthy.

But it was there, and it’s definitely a thing – and on it, you feel like you’re standing on the shoulders of giants.

It is, however, when you get the little radio mic strapped around your chin that you feel like a real rock star. Millennials out there will definitely feel the mic is part of the TEDx talk experience. However, I’m over 30, so obviously I went straight to feeling like Madonna.

It doesn’t end at the talk

The day itself is a whirlwind.

While we could watch each other speak, there was also a whole day of activities taking place outside the theatre.

After our individual talks, we also went into the foyer to stand under colour coded balloons so that audience members could speak to us individually.

Can I remember what they talked about? Not a chance.

All I know is I felt like a f***ing Rock Star.

If you have something you feel is an idea worth sharing, look for your local TEDx talk and start from there.

Don’t waste your application though, they don’t like multiple applications for the same speaker or topic. Really research what you want to say.

I’m one of those people who has always wanted to say ‘I’ve done a TED talk’, but actually doing and preparing for it is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – and I couldn’t be prouder.

Want to know what makes a great Ted talk? There’s a talk about that.

You can watch my own TedX talk below:

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