Perfect your TEDx Talk by translating your expertise into passion
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MIAMI — Although giving a TEDx Talk can be a “daunting” experience, with proper preparation it can also be fun and rewarding, according to one expert at the 2022 Scrubs and Heels Summit.
“If you feel passionate about something and you want to have an impact, this is a great way to do it,” Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD, a gastroenterologist and director of Baylor Global Initiatives and Baylor Global Innovation Center, said during the presentation. “It really is more about igniting and activating.”
When thinking of a topic, presenters should determine if they are an educator, an entertainer or a change agent, Anandasabapathy said.
“The idea is not just to educate and inspire and motivate action,” she continued. “The idea should be framed as kind of an action outcome. Don't just present a problem: Present a solution or pathway, something that gets people excited when they leave your talk, or when they finish viewing and think long term. That expertise really has to translate into a kind of passion.”
Anandasabapathy provided the following pointers for a successful TEDx Talk:
- Focus on your ideas and brands — the data is secondary to the story.
- Create an outline and a script, and shop it around to friends and family (20 to 25-year age group very helpful).
- Think of where visuals would help and highlight verbal cues.
- Memorize your talk enough so you’re still a bit nervous when you get on stage but not so it sounds too scripted.
- Practice with as many people as possible.
- Do not treat it as an academic lecture.
Anandasabapathy emphasized the importance of preparation — at least 40 to 60 hours — and reminded attendees that the experience is as much about being theatrical as it is about sharing knowledge.
“Choose impact over data sharing, because this is your chance to influence people and make them feel strongly about [something],” she said. “This is your chance to change the world.”
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Anandasabapathy S. Talk the Walk. Presented at: Scrubs & Heels Summit 2022; March 25-27, 2022; Miami.
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