Public speaking is nerve racking. Standing up in front of a group of people to deliver a presentation leaves you vulnerable. You may start to question whether your presentation is good enough, frantically going over your speech in your mind in an attempt to prevent any mistakes.
In this book, Carmine Gallo reveals the 9 secrets behind some of the greatest presentations in history. TED Talks are often considered the pinnacle of public speaking with various presentations racking up millions of views. Here you will discover how to stop delivering a presentation and tell a story instead, why being passionate about the subject is crucial, how to use humour, and much more.
Keep reading my key three lessons!
Lesson 1 : Passion
“Passion leads to mastery and your presentation is nothing without it”, says Gallo.
When someone delivers a speech they are passionate about, it inspires you. Even if you find the topic boring. You can feel the joy radiating from them. The energy engages you.
The likelihood is that you remember more from these types of presentations than the boring, monotonous, lecture style ones that have no change in pace.
Yet it is the latter style that we most often opt to deliver.
The time that you spend on that stage, at the front of the boardroom, or at the front of the classroom, is your chance to shine. Let others know how great your topic is.
Charisma is considered a desirable characteristic when speaking, often associated with charm.
Well, Gallo says that charisma comes from how much you care about your topic. It is hard to not be charismatic when you are talking about something you are passionate about.
To find your passionate topic, Gallo asks the question:
“What makes your heart sing?”
What ignites a fire in you? What is the thing that you can not wait to talk about and share?
The reason most presentations are boring is because we do not care. It is just a tick box exercise we need to do to pass an exam or get a new client. If this is the case, link it to something you are passionate about.
The best way to inspire others to be inspiring, not boring. It’s simple, yet something we overlook.
Lesson 2: Humour
“The brain loves humour”, says Gallo.
In the same way that a lack of passion makes for a boring presentation, so does a lack of humour.
Try not to take yourself or your topic too seriously.
Enable your audience to have fun whilst listening to you. There is only so long we can be serious, and humour provides a relief.
It also has the added benefit of lowering the defences of your audience and making them more receptive, and you more likeable.
Gallo advises against telling one liners and jokes but weaving funny observations into your story instead.
You can do this by including funny anecdotal stories about your own life, or someone else’s.
Think back to stories you have told to friends and family that made people laugh. How can you include them?
You can use photos, videos, quotes, metaphors, or analogies. Gallo goes into detail and provides examples on all of these.
Don't try too hard to be funny. Be authentic and be yourself. If you try to be someone you aren’t, the audience will know. There is nothing worse than a poorly told or inappropriate joke.
Humour takes courage but it will pay off when done right.
Lesson 3: An Emotional Journey
“Tell stories to reach people's hearts and minds”, says Gallo.
Stories help you connect with your audience and stimulate the brain. We love novelty and, unless they are your close friends and family, the audience will not have heard your take on the topic and the stories you have.
Gallo delves into Aristotle's three components of persuasion which are:
Ethos - Credibility (believe those who have achievements)
Logos - Logic (data and statistics)
Pathos - Emotions
The best talks are primarily Pathos.
Great presentations touch you emotionally and take you on a journey. You are more likely to remember them because of how they made you feel, not necessarily because of what you learnt.
Appeal to your audience's emotions. Think back to presentations that have inspired you to take action. Did they consist of bullet points and graph filled slides? Or did the speaker tell you a story? It is the same information and message but packaged differently.
We are telling stories everyday and you have thousands of them. Stories are essentially what make up life.
However, if you don't have a compelling story from personal experience, tell the story of someone else.
Create heroes and villains. The challenge that the characters face can be the villain.
Find a way to make your presentation an interesting story. It will be more memorable.
Conclusion
If you want to create an engaging, emotional, and memorable presentation, then this is the book for you. Gallo dissects numerous TED Talks and provides great value in revealing the 9 key secrets to improving your public speaking.