Page 23 - September 2017 Voices

Lessons Learned as a TEDx Coach

by Jim Daniel, DTM

entertaining manner so
SHOCK! My Toastmasters speaking
skills were not really that important. My first that you will retain what
they share.
realization as a coach for TEDx Roseburg, here The first thing I had
in small town America, was that my style of to do was really study the material I’d received
speaking and laying out a speech was not really from Cathey Armillas, DTM who is a District 7
all that applicable. You see, a TED talk is not about Toastmaster, TED Presenter, and professional
the speaker as much as it is the style of the overall TED coach. I soon realized all the little twists
presentation of a single idea. A TED talk is about and tricks a Toastmaster uses in a club speech
a single idea, and you focus that talk in either a are not going to fly in TED. My coaching went
very narrow, almost straight line to a single point quickly from trying to help with presentation
or takeaway with only a small number of side skills to hardcore evaluations, critiques, and
references to support your point—or—it can be severe edits. Because the presenters were all
a very broad exploration of that idea, but it’s still accustomed to talking to groups, initially there
clearly just one idea. was less concern about speaking before an
TED actually stands for Technology audience. In the following weeks, I’m sure there
Entertainment Design, and to that end, each were “butterflies,” but the level of practice and
part has equal value. The concept is that each memorization made up for that.
presenter has a single idea and shares it in an The first obstacle was the fact that the people

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