The TEDx Talk by Will Stephen exemplifies good use of slides and exceptional delivery, the main criteria to look for in the analysis of a TED speech. To explain, Stephen’s thesis is in the title, “How to sound smart in your TEDx Talk”. The speech itself contains multiple bits of humor, which add to the overall idea that this is a template and not a legitimate researched speech.
To begin the analysis, Stephen’s Organization is unmatched in the TEDx community. Will starts his speech with an attention grabber by asking the audience a rhetorical question – “Do you hear that? That’s nothing” – immediately followed by his introduction to his thesis saying “I have absolutely nothing to say whatsoever” but explains that he will make it appear as though he does through his manner of speaking. Stephen comments on the cliche of giving a personal anecdote and asking the audience a question. This leads to the body of his speech, the slides. Will uses slides to give more information on his ‘nothingness’, all the while repeating his main argument of not having anything to speak about. The conclusion wraps up his points, explains his delivery, and reminds the audience of the thesis telling the audience that “It was nothing, and still is nothing. Think about that”.
In addition to the masterful organization, Will Stephen utilizes powerpoint slides to build his argument. The powerpoint slides reveal one point at a time. In doing so, the speaker can direct the audience’s attention and hold it where he wants (the essential skill of comedy). Comedy comes from leading the audience straight ahead and at the last minute forcing them to make a sharp left turn to somewhere unexpected. For example, Stephan explains what he is doing by revealing one word at a time on his slides explaining they are simply “Me… Buying… Time”. This allows him to make the audience laugh but does so by utilizing his use of powerpoint slides. Stephen also clicks on to numbers individually and portrays every point as unrelated. As the last example of an exemplary slideshow, he enhances his argument of speaking about nothing by explaining vague pie chart templates and irrelevant data.
Lastly, Will Stephen delivers his speech with dramatic theatrics. To illuminate, he combines physical and vocal aspects of delivery to drive home his thesis. In terms of vocal delivery, Will Stephen adds emphasis to specific ideas that have little to no meaning. By adding this emphasis, the audience feels as though what he is saying is important when it is actually not. Furthermore, towards the end of the speech, he starts to slow down his speech and adds space between each word spoken to change the tone. This drastic drop-in speed allows the audience to recognize the conclusion and become emotionally attached to what Stephen is speaking about. In terms of physical delivery, the author appears as intelligent and his speech seems well-rehearsed. The intelligence comes from his glasses that “are just frames”, which he wears to make himself look smarter. To add more emphasis and give off the impression of a rehearsed speech, Stephen employs a multitude of different hand motions and physical movement such as pacing or fixing his glasses.
As a TEDx Talk to be analyzed for Organization, use of PowerPoint, and delivery, Will Stephen’s “How to sound smart in your TEDx Talk” attacks all three categories from many different angles and with a plethora of examples.
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– Michael Magnotti
Part-time writer, Michael Magnotti, thrives on leading passionate people to see the world in different ways. Although Michael writes about very different topics, he uses them all as an easy-to-read guide for seeing what you didn’t know was there!
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