Here are a few TED & TEDx Talks that every storyteller needs to see. While some give us good storytelling tips, others inspire us with their own stories.
When you wish to become a better storyteller, what better than learning from those who practice it on a global level where the world is literally their stage? Some of the best TED & TEDx Talks are based on good stories and some even teach you how to become a good storyteller. Over the years, the best speakers have based their conversations around characters, built tension, and ended with a satisfying conclusion – storytelling at its best. So, here we bring a few TED & TEDx Talks for Storytellers.
Keep reading for some storytelling inspiration.
Tim Urban: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
Tim Urban, a popular blogger and writer, spoke about what goes inside the minds of people who choose to procrastinate. What made his story stand out and kept the audience hooked was how uniquely he used illustrations to portray characters. Not only did this add to the imagination of the audience but also helped them get a better hold of the content. Tim used stick figures to demonstrate how procrastination works.
While explaining psychological concepts like rational decision-making and instant gratification, he added some personality to these characters. For example, he referred to instant gratification as a ‘monkey’ who is easy and fun and the second interesting character was the ‘Panic Monster’ who was the guardian angel that alerts us when we procrastinate too much. If humor is your forte, optimize it to keep the audience engaged with frequent voice modulation as Tim did. But if you’re someone who does not want to risk it, feel free to keep it relatable by asking questions and talking about the everyday struggles of people.
Dare To Dream: Capt. Ann Divya
Capt. Ann Divya is the youngest female pilot and in her TED talk, she set the tone right in the beginning. She made every word uttered, sound empowering to young students. Her audience was middle and high school students and she took them through her journey, talking about the time she was the same age, making it relatable for the audience.
As she connected the dots from her past to the present self, she did not shy away from voicing out the details of her professional journey and the difficulties she faced in the aviation industry which had been male-dominated for years. She dug deep into the insight that fear may keep children away from pursuing their dreams and went on to narrate her experience dealing with fear and eventually overcoming it. As a speaker, you need to know what feeling you want to leave your audience with, for Capt. Ann, the emotion was inspiration.
Seven Keys to Good Storytelling: Josh Campbell
This talk features Josh Campbell who works as a professional storyteller in the US. Apart from emphasizing finding your voice as a storyteller for building a better connection with the audience, he focuses on how everyone has a story to tell. Josh talks about having an outline for your story yet giving yourself the liberty to deviate. Preparation should never get in the way of your narrating the story.
People generally feel pressured to be funny as storytellers but the audience just craves connection. Josh mentioned, “People want to feel connected more than they want to laugh.” Sometimes, it may take time to come to peace with your story, you may also not want to take certain names but don’t let others have the power over your story. Trust your audience to believe in you. As Josh continued to inform, he also spoke about the power of practice and how one can break a couple of rules to keep their audience hooked because in the end, “You are the hero of your own story.”
Business Storytelling made easy by Kelly Parker
Kelly Parker is a marketing professional who speaks about business and connecting to people. To make your story more compelling, back it up with facts like Kelly did. This TED talk focussed on the importance of stating well-researched facts in storytelling. When you wish to create powerful connections for your business, it is important to make your story more memorable so it stands out from other businesses.
It is essential to understand the problems and pursuit of your audience. What keeps your audience awake at night? Good story listening comes before good storytelling. Paint a picture for your audience which makes them visualize a better future. Most importantly, give immense value to your audience until you propose your offering.
Why communication goes wrong and how to fix it? By Tim Pollard
In his TED talk, Tim Pollard spoke about the common mistakes that hinder a person from communicating their story. Today, stories add an element of delight in long meetings, make you sell your business, keep an NGO afloat, and convince an Uber driver to not cancel your ride in a foreign country.
So what is it that we as storytellers miss out on? Tim throws light on the advent of technology keeping us from trying creative ways to persuade. While slides make us feel more prepared as presenters, it keeps the audience bored. Yes, proper body language helps communicate a story better but prioritizing style over substance is a big mistake. What measures how successfully your story is communicated is the ability to retell it. Want a second meeting with your client? Keep the first meeting crisp and convince them, you can deliver the expectations. These were some pointers you can expect to learn from Tim in his TED talk.
There is a lot to learn in life from TED & TEDx Talks and storytelling is certainly on top of the list.
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