Good evening, everyone! It's an absolute pleasure to be amongst you all here at TEDxJess. On Dubai I 103.8 I, Richard Dean, host the Business Breakfast show, but you might have heard my name already this way. I've always dreamt of presenting a TED talk as a public speaker, and now that we've checked this point off - Yes (confirmed with a glance over my shoulder), I'm ready to take the stage. I'd like to give a big first thank you to Vanessa North for organizing this event. It is an honor for me to be here at Jess and I truly appreciate what Vanessa has done for me. Before I continue further, I must interrupt myself to joke about the interruption earlier which wasn't actually rude of her. You see, public speakers must always ensure that they don't waste their listener's time. This advice was recently imparted to me here in Dubai by an experienced public speaker and I find it to be quite valuable. Tim Harford, a well-known business guru and public speaker, recently visited Dubai to deliver an inspiring speech. He is an unforgettable figure in the corporate world as his lectures are always thought-provoking and impactful. I had the opportunity to work with Tim Harford, renowned for his "Undercover Economist" books and for commanding prices of $40,000 per hour speech. I was the emcee that day and getting to see how he works had sparked my motivation - of course I wanted a piece of the action!
My advisor's one bit of advice to me when I asked him how I can be earning $40,000 an hour was to focus on the first 20 seconds. Through writing a book about this very topic, he reminded me to be fair and true to myself. "Mister Chairman", "ladies, and gentlemen", "Is this thing on?"; through some pleasantries such as these, speakers often fumble around with the slide-clicker in the first 20 seconds of having everyone's complete attention. They may also take out a few notes from their pocket or tap on the microphone for assurance. This fleeting moment of maximum spotlight should not be wasted—use it to create a real impact. Make the most of your time to truly make things happen. To open a presentation in the first twenty seconds of a one hour speech earning up to $40,000, Tim advises to begin with an intriguing joke, story or declaration of intent. Speed and relevance are key - the faster you establish your point within these constraints, the better your results will be. We have obtained Costa, who has kindly agreed to keep time for us. On Tim's suggestions, let us strive to give everyone the best 20 seconds of their life now! Are we ready? Costa? 3, 2, 1, GO! Today, public speakers need to be concise in order to capture their audience’s attention - for evidence we only have to consider the average TV soundbite. In 1968 it was 43 seconds, and by 1988 it had shrunk down to only nine, until now where it averages as low as two seconds. Despite my epic fail of 22.71 seconds, I feel appreciative for Costa's assistance – it only took me 22 seconds in the end. Thanks so much for your help; it wasn't the most impressive opening to a speech, but nevertheless I'm still thankful! The key to good public speaking is honing the skills given away by great orators. Taking Tim's advice and plundering his playbook can help us master this craft. As times flies, time available to communicate is shorter now more than ever before, so it pays to use every minute efficiently.
In my opinion, the three T's - television, twitter and TED speeches - have caused incredible transformation in communication today: Television becoming smaller yet more sophisticated, social media trends testing our agility with extraordinarily short attention spans and TED making short powerful statements in only 18 minutes. So how can we grapple with such wave of change? The first of three aspects to effective communication is having one and only one message when communicating - no matter if you are giving a presentation or not. Second is having strong content which makes common sense, pressure this point because unfortunately it's not that common in practice. Lastly, have a bold delivery style. Look into these three things in detail! "Today Apple reinvented the phone" was the single key slogan for when Steve Jobs first launched the iPhone. It's been nearly ten years, and his presentation in California to announce it was succinctly communicated in five words: "Today Apple reinvents the phone". This same message ran through his speech, press released, and media headlines. Sometimes it's not easy for us to be concise, but exploring the speeches of great orators like Mark Twain and even modern biggies like Elon Musk, can certainly find a comprehensive message. As an example, Elon Musk lost his war-beaten batteries a few months ago and chose three words to sum up his entire keynote: "The Missing Piece." Nancy Duarte believes that when composing a main message, two key elements are necessary: a unique perspective on the offered topic and an understanding of potential consequences. This can be communicated through one concise sentence. You may have seen the 2006 award-winning movie, An Inconvenient Truth focused on global warming starring Al Gore. Whether you agree or disagree with the science behind it, what is undisputed is that this PowerPoint presentation has converted even skeptical audiences with its evocative storytelling, convincing them to take action. Global warming is a point of view held by Al Gore that is real and man-made, supported by the looming effects of drastic environmental change if we don't act now.
If you want to be heard quick, take a page from the great public speakers! Discipline yourself by putting your message down in simple terms that fit inside a matchbox - something that I recently did and something Dwight D. Eisenhower had been doing for a long time. Not necessarily the most "elegant" approach but it drives one to recognize an effective summary of their point. Well, while your parents may say that the media has been "dumbing down", casting aside soundbite politics, there's actually some good news. Today is different than their day, and you can use that to your advantage! Daniel Helen, an American academic is of the thought that the notion of a golden age for TV news in the 1960s and 70s was a "nonsense". He believes journalists today, such as on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah or its predecessor with Jon Stewart, have benefited substantially by having to be concise. It's been three years since a social media consultancy wrote a memo urging readers to hurry up with writing presentations. Not only that, but also this timeless piece of advice was actually written 80 years ago in August 1940 - by none other than the Prime Minister's Office and proudly signed: WSC Winston Churchill. Meanwhile, back in An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore effectively incorporates both emotional and logical content in a well-thought masterpiece. Logic is evidenced on the basis of statistics and quotations from scientific research and verified data; which he easily balances with emotional stories about melting glaciers, polar bear homelessness etc. Ethos is the credibility of the speaker while logos is the logical argument and pathos the emotional context. Aristotle was an ancient philosopher who wrote an unsurpassable book called On Rhetoric and this remains valid even to this day! Mother Teresa, who was a resident of Calcutta until recently, had an inspiring life dedicated to assisting impoverished people in India and beyond. Her impacts are still felt today and will continue to inspire others for years to come. The phrase "The Mother Teresa Effect" even refers to a quote from her: "If I see the mass, I do nothing, but if I see an individual, I will act." This is used in public speaking to signify the importance of taking action for individuals one at a time rather than addressing a large group as a whole. The story of 8 million starving people in one location can seem distant, stripped of its heart-rending realities. One individual, however, distinguished in a photograph, can move us profoundly to take action.
Some academics at Carnegie Mellon University in United States wanted to investigate this matter, by performing a test. "Does it really work?" they asked. "It's a nice hypothesis," was the reply that affirmed their determination to go ahead. As people were leaving the room, they were handed five dollars at two different exits to experiment with. Save the Children, an organization working towards assisting children in Africa who are facing troubles, sent out a letter requesting people to give donations. One of the groups that had left received the letter concerning the philanthropists in question. In Zanzibar and Zambia, the maize crop had decreased by forty-two percent. In Malawi, three million children are facing starvation. Similarly, Ethiopia has eleven million people requiring immediate food assistance. You can make a difference in the life of seven year old Rakia from Malawi and her poor family today - donate now. Statistics are not necessary to show the threat of starvation they face, but the sobering story helps make it obvious that with your help, you can open up opportunities for an improved life for them. Statistics and stories are both powerful when trying to persuade, or battle for a charitable cause. Those that saw the statistics gave generously by giving $1.14, more than 20% of their $5. On the other hand, those that read the story gave even more, $2.38 as a matter of fact!
Slides have always been crucial for making presentations, but often people make the mistake of overloaded and tedious content known as " death by PowerPoint". This phrase perhaps holds a deeper meaning than just sending someone off to sleep with PowerPoint. In fact, around 13 years ago it has even resulted in fatal incidents. January 2003 in Florida saw the launch of Columbia, a spaceship that confidently soared off into the atmosphere. A bit of the previously mentioned wall fragment broke off after 86 seconds, impacting the wing and resulting in a bit of damage. Two weeks later, a "perfectly normal flight" took place on Columbia – without any sign of mechanical issues. Two weeks after the initial entry point, re-entering the atmosphere of Earth would be highly beneficial in terms of making a great impact overall. Seven brave astronauts tragically lost their lives due to the fatal damage suffered by Columbia which caused it to break apart, shattering into pieces. The researchers had noticed the damage through their videos, a big hole in the wing ripped open within 86 seconds, and now it was questioned if it could have been repaired and the passengers saved. The Space Shuttle Atlantis was ready for action and could launch within 30 days. Fortunately, the astronauts on Columbia had a buffer of an extra 5-day supply of fuel. So the rescue mission through the Space Shuttle Atlantis was possible had it been launched within 25 days. Their bosses were presented with a PowerPoint containing a dire analysis of the situation, concluding with specific recommendations on how to move forward. This 19-line PowerPoint diagram contained a warning: the shuttle is about to crash! Its clear indicators showed that something was not quite right, so one should have taken notice and act urgently. It's apparent that this is the end result; here, given that I'm not a rocket scientist, it was clear that the "flight condition at hand is far from data in the known test database." The investigation later concluded that with the warning buried within lines 18 and 19 of a PowerPoint presentation, it was clearly an explanation why no action was taken at NASA in regards to the spacecraft incident. Could anything else have been done to avoid the loss of the shuttle, provided that its warnings had been in more prominent display?
Edward Tufte, referred to as a professor in America, spearheaded a campaign against confusing and hard to understand "chart junk" using Power Point formats; his goal is to keep the presentation clean and simple. If we want our message across fast when listeners are pressed for time, then this approach is essential. A speedy word about delivery: The importance of swift shipping should not be underestimated. Quick delivery is often crucial and indispensable in our fast-paced world, allowing organizations and customers alike to benefit from faster reservations, orders and other purchases. I cannot teach you swimming or piano-playing like Paul did, or singing like Howard did, things that cannot possibly be done in a classroom, but I can stand here and provide guidance on how to deliver an amazing presentation. The importance of being energetic while communicating to an audience cannot be understated. Doing so drives home the message to your audience and helps ensure you achieve the desired outcome. Efficiency is paramount whether you're trying to sell a product, contribute to a charitable cause, or encourage folks to vote for you. Whatever goal you set out to accomplish, investing your energy makes all the difference. No one is giving them 10000 volts; it is YOUR job to do that injection! I urge you to act swiftly; doing it within the first twenty seconds can ensure that your voice is heard, even when time is limited. Finally, my game is over. Thank you! It has been quite the journey and I am glad it is now complete.
See also: https://mygodsentangels.com/