WESTWOOD, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Jon Favreau speaks at TEDxHollywood 2016 Conference at Freud ... [+]
If you want to attract high-paying clients, it pays to speak. A speech that can generate credibility online is a TEDx Talk.
According to Ted.com, a TEDx Talk is a showcase for speakers presenting great, well-formed ideas in under 18 minutes. The short talk format demands a speaker holds the audience’s attention. Talks can be about a big idea, a tech demo, a talk about an issue, and even a talk about a small idea.
David W. Riggs has organized three TEDx events and coached 30 TEDx speakers.
“Connect with the conference organizer,” says Riggs. “Every year we share a Google form for speakers to apply with and receive around 100 applicants. Most of those applications fall to the wayside.”
Riggs says the applicants that get the most attention are the applicants that make an effort to reach out to the organizer. The best way to do this is by using the TEDx page on the TED website to look up the event you’d like to apply to and see if the organizing team is listed at the bottom of the page.
If they are, find them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or even contact them through their website, if they have one.
But the real secret is 60 seconds of video.
“Record a one-minute video introducing yourself,” says Riggs. “Yes, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Do I really have to take a video?’ Yes, yes you do.
The reason you do a video is not because the organizing team cares about what you look like or if you have the right lighting.
“What we want to see is whether or not you’re comfortable on camera,” says Riggs. “A simple one-minute video that introduces yourself, your talk idea, and why you’d be a great fit for their event does wonders for your chances of being selected.”
If the application form for the event you’re applying to has the option to submit a video, then do it. If the form doesn’t have that option, do whatever you can to get the organizing team that one-minute video.
“Find a talk that resembles yours,” says Riggs. “As a TEDx Organizer, almost every decision I make comes back to one thing: how a prospective talk will affect the event. The same goes for you as an applicant. Whenever we review applications, we discuss how their talks will fit into the event.”
Here’s a little trick Riggs shares with clients to ensure their talk is interesting to the organizing team. First, go to YouTube and search for a TEDx talk and find one that interests you. This is your example to follow.
Once you’ve found one, analyze this example from top to bottom. You’ll find that many talks utilize storytelling, attention-getting one-liners, and humor.
“So, whenever you fill out your application, talk about how you would also include stories, attention-getting one-liners, and humor. Bonus points if you share a few examples of what you plan to say,” advises Riggs.
Getting booked to give a TEDx talk is hard, but not impossible. The hard is what makes it good to do.
