TED talks have become the gold standard for public speaking. So, how do you craft one? In this talk, originally delivered in a workshop at the Harvard Kennedy School, TEDx talker and coach/consultant Terri Trespicio shares how she has crafted TED talks for herself and others that get booked--and seen. And how to apply the principles of TED to every talk you give.

1. How to create a
Ted-Worthy
talk
With Terri Trespicio

3. BUT HERE’S THE THING…

4. You worry that you don’t have
something important enough to say.
Or the authority to say it.
“But!”

5. You don’t have a book, a big social platform,
or any contacts in the business.
“But!”

6. You’re not sure how to break through
to your big idea.
“But!”

7. The only thing you’re good at doing, frankly, is
talking yourself OUT of your big ideas!
“But!”

8. What You’re About To Learn

9. 01
Learn the difference between
a regular talk and a TED-worthy talk

10. 02
What makes a TED-worthy talk

11. 03
How to think about creating a TED talk

12. Everything you learn today can be
applied to any talk.

13. Our model:

14. I REALLY wanted to do a TED talk.

15. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Amy Cuddy
Simon Sinek

16. My a-ha moment came when I
realized it wasn’t about me,
or my story. Or my resume.
It was about what I had to say.
“Aha!”

17. I realized I had to bring something
to the table that only I could.
“Aha!”

18. Why Me?

19. 3+ million views
“Stop Searching for Your Passion”

20. “It’s Time to Rethink Happily Ever After”
TEDxStLouisWomen - 1 year later

21. I’ve spent my career trying to create
content worth reading and watching.

22. Today, I work with and speak to companies
on how to nail their messaging.

23. And I teach a few online courses, too.

24. I have a
lucrative
speaking
career
Mindshare
BlogHer
Blackstone
Barron’s
Ernst & Young
How Design Live
BlogHer
TEDxKC
TEDxStLouisWomen
Emerson College
Harvard Kennedy School

25. I’m also a stand-up comic in NYC.
This is me
being a wiseass

26. I’ve helped OTHER people create,
develop, and deliver their talks.

27. SO HOW DO YOU START?

28. Know what makes a
TED-worthy talk
02

29. 18 minutes or less
Centers on a single idea worth
spreading
About what you give, not what
you get
It is
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

30. It’s not
a sermon
a promotional platform
straight storytelling
industry specific
motivational speaking
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

31. You don’t “get” a TEDx talk;
you give one.
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

32. What TEDx is looking for

33. What They Want…
An idea worth spreading
An compelling take or unique perspective
Great storytelling
Intriguing, authentic, confident presenter
Someone others can relate to
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

34. …And Don’t Want
Slick corporate sales/motivational speaker
All style, no substance
Platitudes, cliches, and things we know already
Low energy
Fake energy
Industry-specific content
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

35. It’s born of curiosity.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

36. It challenges an existing idea.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

37. It doesn’t talk“B2B” or “B2C,”
but human to human.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

38. It solves a problem.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

39. It’s an invitation, not an order.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

40. Only you can give it.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

41. It’s not a “motivational” speech.
W H AT M A K E S A T E D - W O R T H Y TA L K

42. Motivational speaking:
Stirs emotions based on what you already know.
A TED-worthy talk:
Illuminates & incites based on new knowledge.

43. A Word About Audience
TEDx talks are universal by design
TEDx is not just an event; it’s a community
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

44. The idea worth spreading
03

45. Your talk is about ONE idea.

46. My idea:
“Follow your passion is lousy advice.”

47. In TED parlance, it’s called
“the throughline”
(15 words or less)

48. The idea I delivered:
You don’t follow your passion;
your passion follows you.

49. Your Ted-Worthy Topic…
Raises awareness of one problem

50. Offers a different perspective
on one issue
Your Ted-Worthy Topic…

51. Corrects a single misunderstanding
Your Ted-Worthy Topic…

52. Changes the way people
think about one topic
Your Ted-Worthy Topic…

53. Example #1
Topic: The Selfie
Assumption: Selfies are evidence of narcissism, lost
connection, lack of empathy.
New idea: Selfie is actually evidence of a need to
connect, not a lack of one.

54. Example #2
Topic: Love and relationships
Assumption: True love must last forever to be real.
New idea: Just because your relationship ends doesn’t
mean it wasn’t worth it, and it doesn’t mean you cannot
or will not love again.

55. KELLY MCGONIGAL
MAKE STRESS YOUR FRIEND
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU
Setting up the argument

56. BRENE BROWN,
THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY
https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?list=PL8CjNOoxKzV0aodDlASQ6MQMZF3UuZzkk&t=650
The turning point

57. JAMES VEITCH,
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU REPLY TO SPAM EMAIL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QdPW8JrYzQ&index=2&list=PL8CjNOoxKzV0aodDlASQ6MQMZF3UuZzkk
The experiment

58. “Your number one task as a speaker is to
transfer into your listener’s mind an
extraordinary gift, a strange and beautiful
object we call...an idea.”
CHRIS ANDERSON, TED CURATOR

59. Think you don’t have an idea?
Wrong.
You have tons!

60. WORKSHOP
The Idea

61. You Are Entering
T H E J U D G M E N T- F R E E Z O N E
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

62. T H E R E I S N O S U C H T H I N G
A S A B O R I N G T O P I C .

63. Curiosity:
•I always wondered why we do X. So I looked
into it.
•Why are we so afraid of X? I explored it and
here’s what I found.
•I had this problem. Here’s what I did to find a
solution.
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

64. Change Of Heart
•I used to love X. And then Y happened.
•I used to be afraid of X. Until Y happened.
•I’ve done a 180 on X. Here’s why.
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

65. Contradiction
•The worst thing turned out to be the best
thing. Here’s why.
•I used to hate X and now I love it.
•I always believed this, but then I realized that
and now I’m different.
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

66. What is one assumption that you challenge?
When did your beliefs change?
Where was the struggle?
Find Your Idea

67. ASK YOURSELF
What assumption or idea would
you like to challenge?

68. How has this idea
changed you?
ASK YOURSELF

69. ASK YOURSELF
Why does this matter now?

70. What’s your idea?

71. STEP 2: Idea funnel
Stakes
Subject
Topic
Assumptions
Context
Conflict
Discovery
Apply
What is the general subject area
you want to speak about?
Let’s get more specific: The topic is
the “what” of the idea
What are the assumptions? What is a
given? What do we already think we know?
What is the context? What are the
circumstances that inform this topic?
What’s at stake? This is the “so
what.” Why does this matter now?
What is the conflict? What two
ideas or thoughts are fighting?
Where is the friction?
Where there’s friction, there’s a spark.
Your a-ha moment, your discovery.
How do we apply that discovery to
our lives? What now?
YOUR IDEA IS YOUR THROUGHLINE:
15 WORDS OR LESSCopyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

72. Think of your talk
as a road trip.
Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

73. Where are you taking us? Copyright © 2017 Terri Trespicio All rights reserved.

74. You might have:
An IDEA, but need the stories…

75. or you might have:
A STORY, but need the idea…

76. Tell me.
Show me.
Change me.

77. Your idea can’t go out there naked.
It has to wear something.

78. Your story, examples, anecdotes
are the clothing your idea wears.

79. When did everything change?
What stories, examples, scenes illustrate it?
How can you make me understand it?
Show Me

80. What ONE story
do you feel you must tell?
Try it!

81. TRY IT!
Let’s

82. COMMON MISTAKES
Avoid

83. They don’t know how they sound.
>>Record and listen.
Problem #1:

84. Too much throat clearing.
>>Get to the point early
& return to it often.
Problem #2:

85. They try to cover too much.
>>Don’t boil the ocean;
think espresso: small, strong, potent.
Problem #3:

86. They make big assumptions, use jargon
and industry terms.
>>Start from zero.
Problem #4:

87. They wing it.
>>Put more work on the front end.
Problem #5:

88. WHAT YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT
I Know

89. “What if I’m not an expert?”

90. “A person who has a comprehensive
and authoritative knowledge of or
skill in a particular area.”
The Definition Of Expert:

91. “What if I haven’t done a lot of
speaking?”

92. “If you know how to talk to a group
of friends over dinner, then you
know enough to speak publicly.”
CHRIS ANDERSON, TED CURATOR

93. It’s actually not about you at all.
(Phew!)

95. “Everyone is talented, original,
and has something important to say.”
—Brenda Ueland, If You Want to Write

96. My gift to to you!
25 Questions
to Help
You Discover Your
TED-Worthy Idea

97. YOUR WHEELS ARE TURNING!

98. Your head is spinning with ideas
and inspiration.
Right now

99. You think you have a good idea…
but you’re not 100% sure.
Right now

100. You’re worrying that
it’s already been done.
Right now

101. How do you feel right now?
Excited? Geared up?
Tell me!

102. THE OBVIOUS QUESTION
How do you pick an idea, create a
TED-worthy talk, and deliver in a
way that gets attention and
leads to more speaking?

103. It’s Time.
Make THIS the year you become the speaker
everyone talks about.
How? With a proven approach for doing it…

104. Remember…
Everything I’ve shared with you today has been
used successfully by me and others I’ve trained to
deliver at TEDx and other high-profile events.
I know how this works.

105. Could you do it on your own?
Sure.
But how long will it take you?
Six months? A year?
How will you stay accountable?
How will you know what to do differently?

106. Land your game-changing idea,
create an unforgettable talk,
and pitch it to organizers?
WA N T T O L E A R N H O W T O …

107. Land Your Idea. Craft the Talk. Wow the Crowd.

108. A soup-to-nuts, six-week plan for landing
on your key idea, crafting your talk,
killing it on stage—and getting asked
(and paid) to do it again and again.

109. 4 pre-recorded modules
5 live Q&A calls with me
Exclusive access to our
private Facebook group
Lifetime access to the
membership area
WHAT YOU GET
Worksheets, resources, and
guides and slides
Bonus audio with industry
experts and event organizers
Case studies of people just
like you working on their talks
PLUS: FREE tickets to the live
Tapped to Speak event (Fall
2017)

110. 01
Module
Find your idea worth spreading; come
at it with a fresh perspective, tap the
tension, discover the heart of your talk.

111. 02
Module
Find the arc, plan the structure: Choose a
“container” for your ideas and story; learn
to zoom in on the details while creating a
larger arc and the right format.

112. 03
Module
Develop your story; select the key
artifacts that embody and communicate
your idea simply and powerfully.

113. 04
Module
Master the pitch: How to position yourself
and your brand for exposure & networking.
(Plus: insight into the TEDx process!)

114. Work on and apply the principles of the
course to your own talk this week.
*

115. Wrap
Up
Final week wrap up and Q&A! You’ll have
the opportunity to ask questions and
discuss any road blocks.

116. A signature talk that you can start pitching
Clarity on your topic—and your brand messaging
Tools for turning your story into a TED-worthy talk
An understanding of how organizers think
A replicable process for approaching EVERY talk you give
What You Walk Away With

117. You’ll transform your own ability
to captivate and engage
a live audience
Most Importantly…

118. FROM FOLKS
YOU MIGHT KNOW
High Praise

119. “If you want to move the
masses with your words and
ideas, I cannot recommend
Terri’s coaching and expertise
highly enough. She’s one-of-a-
kind and truly a genius at what
she does!
SELENA SOO
CREATOR, IMPACTING MILLIONS

120. “I'm endlessly impressed and
blown away by Terri's work. She
brings precision, priceless
insights, and a little bit of magic. I
can't get enough of this woman!”
FARNOOSH TORABI
HOST OF THE SO MONEY PODCAST,
COLUMNIST, OPRAH MAGAZINE

121. OTHER STUDENTS
HAVE TO SAY
Here’s What

122. “What you get in this course
is access to Terri's creative
and strategic mind. I've been
awed by her ability to turn a
vague idea inside out in order
to find the compelling and
unique nugget that is TED
worthy.”
LAURA TEMPESTA
INNOVATOR & FOUNDER,
BRAVOLUTION
Course Graduate!

123. "I've taken several courses
that cover TEDx style
speaking and I never came
across any that helped me
dig into my idea and
structure like Terri's. I've
definitely become a better
writer for it."
LINDA UGELOW
PRESENTATION &
CONFIDENCE COACH
Course Graduate!

124. “If you have an idea, if you
want to speak, this course will
help to turn your big
inspiration into a speaking
reality. Terri knows her stuff,
delivers with style and cares
about what you have to share
with the world.”
SARAH BYRDEN
SEX EDUCATOR & ADVOCATETapped to speak
at TEDxVail 2017!
Course Graduate!

125. “I decided to sign up for two reasons: To
help me do some focused thinking, and to
help me craft and deliver a compelling
story. While I plan to live to be 100, I don't
want to waste any more time not being the
best version of myself!”
ANNE KRITZMIRE
MANAGING DIRECTOR
NUVEEN
Just Enrolled!

126. “When I present in front of a group I'm
confident with the content, however I
constantly ask myself, Are they
engaged? Am I making this
interesting?
You covered 141 slides in 45 mins and
never was I bored or uninterested. I
want to present like that!”
JENNIFER ALBERDING
SOUTHEAST SR REGIONAL DIRECTOR
WILLIAM BLAIR
Just Enrolled!

127. You don’t have to do this alone.

128. Are you ready to get your
big idea out of your head
and into the world?

129. OK. SO, WHAT’S IT COST?

130. $5,000–15,000
1:1 Customized Talk By A Pro
for ONE talk, ONE time

131. TOTAL VALUE
$8000
Tapped To Speak Program

132. YOUR INVESTMENT
$997
tappedtospeak.com
Just

133. GO ALL IN:
VALUE: $8000
$997
tappedtospeak.com
Full trainings + recordings PLUS:
Live Q&A calls
Private FB group access
BONUS audio with industry experts
FREE tickets to Tapped to Speak LIVE

134. How do I know it’s a fit?

135. Want to stick the landing on your
signature talk and are struggling with
the idea
Want to land your breakthrough idea
and ramp up your speaking career
Are craving support, feedback,
accountability
It’s Perfect For You If You…

136. What You Get:
TOTAL
VALUE:
$8000
4 online trainings (2950 VALUE)
5 live Q&A calls ($3250 VALUE)
Worksheets, resources, and guides ($650
VALUE)
Private FB group access ($1000 VALUE)
BONUS audio interviews with industry
experts ($150 VALUE)
FREE tickets to Tapped to Speak LIVE
(fall 2017)

137. GU
ARANTEE
GU
ARANTEE
Money Back
If you do the work,
show me your
results and are still
not satisfied, I will
refund you.

138. TappedtoSpeak.com

139. Go to tappedtospeak.com
Hit the red “I’m in!” button
Fill out the order form
Check your email for confirmation
tappedtospeak.com
Next Steps…

140. tappedtospeak.com
GU
ARANTEE
GU
ARANTEE
Money Back
“It’s rare to work with such an
engaging and inspiring
instructor.”
JEFFREY SEGLIN,
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
“I'm endlessly impressed and
blown away by Terri's work.”
FARNOOSH TORABI, HOST,
SO MONEY PODCAST
Discover & create your
signature talk
Get clear on your topic,
mission, and focus
Discover a replicable
process for EVERY talk
Turn your story into a
TED-worthy talk“I cannot recommend Terri’s
coaching and expertise
highly enough.”
SELENA SOO, CREATOR,
IMPACTING MILLIONS