How to TEDx: Discover the TEDTalk in your speaker

How to TEDx is a brand new series of videos produced entirely by the TEDx community. Each video breaks down one aspect of organizing a TEDx event and offers best practices for getting started. Search for How to TEDx or go to tedxtalks.ted.com/to see them all!

[How to discover the TEDx talk
inside your speaker]

I'm "Z" Holly, curator of TEDxUSC.

Hey, I have my theme,
I have my speakers,

how do I find the best talk
from within each of the speakers?

Well let's find out.

Everybody's got a story inside,
and the key is to find that story.

They come to you with interesting ideas
and to them It's the ideas that they have,

you know, they carry them
and they think "here you go".

But, I think the main thing here is
to find other interesting things

that they are not aware of

and make them very comfortable
to become storytellers.

Why and how come...

Coach

The key to coaching, I think,
is to get that story out.

Best ever talk you have delivered before,

that's also different
than the TEDx or the TED talk.

So please come and let's have

a short video TED talk
watching session together

and then we start from there.

Focus.

...That the old story from Buddhism.

So there's a story where
there is an elephant

and then blind people touch it
and everyone tells different stories.

The talk is like a journey
from the river to another one

and there are ten stones
between the two rivers

and you have to find those stones.

And those stones could be
like a tweet or a phrase or a title.

And while the talk moves,
I try to get this attention

and focus more and more on this talk.

And how they do this
"Ah! See how he says,

see how he got
response from the audience?"

So I put him in a mindset
to accept the curation.

Reveal!

Leave two things. First, a message,
a clear message.

And secondly, use emotions.

The interesting part is
to connect with the people,

to make them feel you care,
to make them feel

that it's actually taking them
to a higher level.

These people, this whole process
is about making them

the best of what they can.

I'm looking for, you know,
ideas that are worth sharing,

worth spreading, and then a speaker
who has the will

to share this idea in our timeframe.

Everything that a speaker
brings to the stage

should be kind of a bonus
for the audience

a bonus for their talk.

Without these great speakers,
you don't have the event.