TED Speakers Communication Secrets: 4 Legends Reveal Their Best Tips
Ever watched someone give a presentation and thought "I wish I could do that"? The good news is, brilliant
Ever watched someone give a presentation and thought “I wish I could do that”? The good news is, brilliant communication isn’t some mysterious gift you’re either born with or without. It’s a skill you can learn, and some of the world’s most successful TED speakers have revealed exactly how to do it.
The TED speakers communication secrets I’m about to share come from four absolute legends – Julian Treasure, Vanessa Van Edwards, Amy Cuddy, and Chris Anderson. Their expert public speaking advice isn’t just theory; it’s practical wisdom from people who’ve mastered the art of human connection on the world’s biggest stages.
What Not to Do: Julian Treasure’s Expert Public Speaking Advice
Julian Treasure, whose TED talks have been viewed over 150 million times, knows a thing or two about speaking powerfully. His expert public speaking advice starts with what not to do, identifying seven habits that kill effective communication.
First up is gossip – “speaking ill of somebody who’s not present.” As Treasure puts it: “We know perfectly well the person gossiping, five minutes later, will be gossiping about us.” It destroys trust before you’ve even built it.
Then there’s judging. “It’s very hard to listen to somebody if you know that you’re being judged and found wanting at the same time.” The moment people sense you’re sizing them up negatively, they switch off.
Negativity is another killer. Treasure shares a brilliant example about his mother: “I said to her, ‘It’s October 1 today,’ and she said, ‘I know, isn’t it dreadful?'” When everything becomes negative, people stop wanting to engage.
Complaining might be Britain’s national sport, but as Treasure warns: “Complaining is viral misery. It’s not spreading sunshine and lightness in the world.”
The final three – excuses (passing blame), embroidery (exaggeration that “demeans our language”), and dogmatism (confusing facts with opinions) – all share one thing in common: they make people want to stop listening.
The HAIL Method: Core TED Speakers Communication Secrets
But Treasure doesn’t just tell us what’s wrong; he gives us a framework for what works. His HAIL method represents some of the most valuable TED speakers communication secrets:
Honesty – “Being true in what you say, being straight and clear.”
Authenticity – “Just being yourself… standing in your own truth.”
Integrity – “Being your word, actually doing what you say, and being somebody people can trust.”
Love – Not romantic love, but “wishing people well.” As Treasure explains: “If you’re really wishing somebody well, it’s very hard to judge them at the same time.”
This isn’t just feel-good advice – it’s expert public speaking advice that transforms how you communicate. When you genuinely care about your audience’s wellbeing, it fundamentally changes your entire approach.
Body Language: Amy Cuddy’s Power of Presence
Amy Cuddy revolutionised our understanding of how body language affects not just how others see us, but how we see ourselves. Her research on “power posing” revealed something remarkable: changing your posture for just two minutes can literally alter your brain chemistry.
“We are also influenced by our nonverbals, our thoughts and our feelings and our physiology,” Cuddy explains. When people adopted high-power poses (think Wonder Woman stance), their testosterone increased by 20% and stress hormone cortisol dropped by 25%. Those in low-power poses saw the opposite effect.
But here’s the crucial bit – this isn’t about strutting into meetings like a superhero. As Cuddy clarifies: “This is not about you talking to other people. It’s you talking to yourself.”
Before that important conversation, presentation, or interview, find two minutes of privacy. “In the bathroom, right? Do that. Find two minutes.” Stand tall, take up space, and let your body prepare your mind for success.
The impact goes beyond hormones. In Cuddy’s studies, people who power-posed before job interviews were consistently chosen for hiring. “People are bringing their true selves, basically… They bring their ideas, but as themselves, with no residue over them.”
Be Interested to Be Interesting: Essential TED Speakers Communication Secrets
Vanessa Van Edwards, founder of Science of People, cuts through the complexity with beautifully simple expert public speaking advice: “To be interesting, you be interested.”
She illustrates this with a brilliant historical story about two politicians running for Prime Minister in 1852 – William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli. A reporter interviewed both men. Her verdict? “After sitting next to Mr Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest person in England. But after sitting next to Mr Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest person in England.”
Guess who won? Disraeli. “He was interested and that made him more interesting.”
Van Edwards’ advice is refreshingly straightforward: “Don’t worry about impressing people. Don’t worry about being the funniest or cleverest person in the room. Just show up interested. Ask good questions. Be empathetic.”
This expert public speaking advice flips the script on networking and presentations. Instead of trying to prove how brilliant you are, focus on making others feel brilliant. It works every time.
The Idea at the Heart: Chris Anderson’s TED Formula
Chris Anderson, who curated TED for 25 years, has seen what separates good talks from transcendent ones. His insight is profound: “Your number one task as a speaker is to transfer into your listeners’ minds an extraordinary gift – a strange and beautiful object that we call an idea.”
This isn’t about following a formula (“Give a talk on a round, red rug. Share a childhood story”). It’s about genuine idea transfer. As Anderson puts it: “Ideas are the most powerful force shaping human culture.”
His four guidelines for building ideas in minds are:
1. Limit your talk to just one major idea. “You need to slash back your content so that you can focus on the single idea you’re most passionate about.”
2. Give your listeners a reason to care. “Stir your audience’s curiosity. Use intriguing, provocative questions to identify why something doesn’t make sense and needs explaining.”
3. Build your idea piece by piece. “You use the power of language to weave together concepts that already exist in your listeners’ minds – but not your language, their language.”
4. Make your idea worth sharing. “Ask yourself the question: ‘Who does this idea benefit?’ If the idea only serves you or your organisation, then it’s probably not worth sharing.”
Your Voice as an Instrument
Treasure reminds us that our voice is “the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world, probably. It’s the only one that can start a war or say ‘I love you.'”
He encourages us to explore our vocal range – from register (speaking from your chest rather than throat for authority) to pace (slowing down for emphasis) to the power of silence. “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of silence in a talk, is there? We don’t have to fill it with ums and ahs.”
Fake It Till You Become It
Perhaps the most powerful message comes from Cuddy’s personal story. After a traumatic brain injury that made her feel like “an impostor” at Princeton, her advisor gave her crucial advice: “You are going to fake it. You’re going to do every talk that you ever get asked to do… until you have this moment where you say, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m doing it. I have become this.'”
Years later, when a struggling student told Cuddy “I’m not supposed to be here,” Cuddy had a revelation: “She is supposed to be here! She can fake it, she can become it.”
The lesson? “Don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it. Do it enough until you actually become it and internalise.”
The Small Changes That Transform Speaking
What strikes me about these TED speakers communication secrets is how they focus on small, actionable changes rather than personality overhauls.
Cuddy’s two-minute power pose. Treasure’s conscious word choices. Van Edwards’ shift from impressing to being interested. Anderson’s focus on one clear idea.
As Cuddy says: “Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes.” These aren’t massive transformations requiring years of practice. They’re adjustments you can make before your next important conversation.
Making It Real
The beauty of this expert public speaking advice is its practicality. Before your next presentation, spend two minutes in the bathroom doing a power pose. In your next networking event, focus entirely on asking good questions rather than proving your worth. When planning a talk, ruthlessly cut everything that doesn’t serve your one key idea.
As Treasure concludes: “What would the world be like if we were speaking powerfully to people who were listening consciously in environments which were actually fit for purpose? That would be a world that does sound beautiful, and one where understanding would be the norm.”
That world starts with each of us applying these TED speakers communication secrets – choosing to communicate more thoughtfully, more authentically, and more generously. The tools are here. The question is: will you use them?
Source:
TED’s secret to great public speaking | Chris Anderson | TED
How to Speak So That People Want to Listen | Julian Treasure | TED
The #1 Trick to Be More Interesting in Any Conversation – Vanessa Van Edwards
