Perfecting Presentation Skills: Just Watch TED

By Cassandra Bianco (@cnbianco)

In the spirit of last week’s TED 2011 conference, I lived vicariously through the ceaseless currents of #TED2011 tweets. I thought about the countless curiosity presentations I’ve enjoyed overtime, and these three talks marked an impression.

•  Sir Ken Robinson. His radical rethink of our school systems is inspirational enough for society to realize our need to prioritize the cultivation of creativity. There are two versions of this talk; the second from RSA Animate is a fascinating cartoon presentation. Be sure to focus on Sir Ken’s voice inflection.
• Astronomer Clifford Stoll. During presentations, if you can quench even just a minimal amount of Clifford’s enthusiasm, you will be solid.  Side note: I will forever wish I had him for an eighth grade science teacher.
• Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm presents on Howard Moskowitz, an American market researcher and Psychophysicist, who is most famous for re-inventing spaghetti sauce and revolutionizing the food and beverage industry. Malcolm reiterates one message (the importance of studying human variability, not overarching universals) multiple times in various ways. Delivering one message makes it easy for the audience to remember the key takeway.

In recapping Malcolm’s talk, Howard knew that marketers should not be looking for the perfect “Pepsi,” but should have been looking for the perfect “Pepsis.” Malcolm ends with this thought:

When we pursue universal principals, we are looking for coffee that doesn’t just make us wince, but coffee that would make us deliriously happy.  In embracing the diversity of human beings, you will find a surer way to true happiness.

And so, I leave you with these videos. Today, take a TED coffee break. I can promise you will return to work surprisingly refocused and re-energized. Cheers.

About Cassandra Bianco: