There are several categories of presentation narratives from which a presenter can base their speech. After analyzing many of the most recent TED Talks, we noticed that each of the presentations and talks fell into one or more of the following 5 groups:
1. The Biography
In this group of presentations, you’ll find subcategories ranging from the personal experience story like Leila Hoteit’s “3 lessons on success from an Arab businesswoman” to the decision-breakdown narrative – such as Ameera Harouda’s “Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza.” A presenter aiming to switch up their standard presentation format should consider adding a personal touch. Tell a story about how you got involved in a certain topic or field. Did you meet a particular person during a semester abroad who changed the course of your life? Segway into the brick and mortar of an investor pitch by relaying compelling background information. Adam Driver’s TED Talk does almost exactly that – by detailing his personal experience story transitioning from the Marines to acting.
2. The Crystal Ball
Robert Palmer predicted next steps following a major current event in his TED Talk, “The Panama Papers exposed a huge global problem. What’s next?” Others have speculated how a recent invention or breakthrough in the technology, health, or variety of other industries will impact the world, a country, population, or individual in the future. Appeal to the curiosity of your presentation audience by naming your presentation with an inquisitive or questioning title. What question or questions would your audience ask about your topic or subject matter? Ask yourself this when devising the headline slide.
3. The Discovery
Whether a presenter wants to use a problem/solution narrative structure or a hero’s journey narrative, The Discovery route is an intriguing one to take for any presentation. For example, Danielle Feinberg used a hero’s journey to tell the story of “The magic ingredient that brings Pixar movies to life.” Casting Pixar as the hero, Danielle spends most of her TED Talk describing the way the company has mastered animation and the steps it took to become a leader in the field. In Adam Grant’s “The surprising habits of original thinkers,” the speaker conveys his thoughts as a series of problems and solutions.
4. The Explanation
When a presenter decides that the purpose of his or her presentation is to explain and inform, the topic can encompass a process, an idea, a concept, or a product or service, and much more. Stephen Petranek explains a concept in his TED Talk, “Your kids might live on Mars. Here’s how they’ll survive.” On the other hand, Christiana Figueres explained a process in her talk, “The inside story of the Paris climate agreement.” Through an account of her role in facilitating discussions, debate, and negotiations among nearly 200 countries’ leaders, Christiana explained the steps to achieving agreement for the TED Talk attendees.
5. The History Lesson
Joshua Prager’s “Wisdom from great writers on every year of life” is a perfect example of The History Lesson TED Talk. Throughout the talk, Joshua hinges his overarching message on historical elements as he analyzed quotes from authors from different ages and life stages. The main point of this lesson? That literature reveals our past, present, and future. Use a similar approach in your next presentation by exploring studies or recognizing trends in your own industry. What can you learn from the past to inform your current processes and strategies? And how can you condense this information and research into an easily digestible, interesting, and conversational presentation? It’s a challenge worth taking on any day of the week.
Although this list doesn’t fully cover the gamut of presentation structures in the TED Talk universe, these 5 groups are ideal starting points for the presenter with structure troubles. Choose which category you believe your presentation or speech should fall into and build your narrative from there. Need more resources?
Download this free narrative-building template!
Or check out the following articles:
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