TED knows how to grab your attention
There’s a fabulous TED talk by Graham Hill entitled ‘Less stuff, more happiness’.
If you’ve not come across TED before, you’re missing out. In their words “TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world”.
His talk is a tad under 6 minutes long and it’s definitely worth watching for its content about the stuff we manage to accumulate in our lives and how simplifying and downsizing can bring us more happiness. But, for me, it’s also an example of excellent presentation skills. When I run Presentation Skills courses, I talk about the importance of the introduction, drawing people in from the start of your presentation and making them want to listen to what you have to say. One great technique is the ‘grabber’ – a quote, a statistic, a prop – just something to whet your audience’s appetite. It must be the first thing you say or do in your presentation. If it’s humorous, even better. You want people to sit up and take notice from the outset. You are someone worth listening to. You have something important to say – right now. And you both demand and command your audience’s attention from the beginning. So, wait until all eyes are on you, the room is quiet and everyone is waiting for you to begin. It’s nerve-wracking but it’s powerful.
Graham’s prop is a large cardboard box – it’s on stage as he begins, he refers to it, sits on it and comes back to its significance to him and the audience at the end. It encapsulates everything I explain about grabbers. I urge you to watch it. It’s genius!
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