This TED talk appears on a lot of must-watch lists for sales and business professionals, especially those looking to enhance their skills to meet today’s needs. Business Educator Eddie Obeng’s entire profession is about predicting what the world will want 5 years into the future, and how businesses and individuals can keep up. Like a hunter, Obeng picks up the signs he sees in the current environment in order to track down the prey deeper into the forest. It’s an impressive and interesting subject, even for those outside of the business world. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch below:
But, how does Obeng’s talk accomplish this in just over eleven minutes?
We analyzed the talk itself to see how he creates such a compelling argument for change, and how his tactics can be modified for other professionals trying to convince their audience that “the future is nigh.” The magic formula of his argument really lies within the structure of his talk, which we’ve detailed below so you can fully understand each part.
The Problem.
“My simple idea is that what’s happened is, the real 21st century around us isn’t so obvious to us, so instead we spend our time responding rationally to a world which we understand and recognize, but which no longer exists.”
The quote above summarizes what Obeng is talking about in its entirety. But just before he gets there, he sets the stage with a beautiful metaphor of this shift happening at midnight while we were sleeping…only it was a midnight that happened 15 years ago. It’s more than a normal “problem” set up. In fact, it’s a little bit like a horror story.
If you don’t make the problem scary, then your audience will have less of a reason to change. Obeng is especially convincing because of how visceral he illustrates the problem. Take a lesson from his talk: make your set up spooky.
The Proof.
Why should businesses take change seriously? Obeng uses the halfway mark (at about 5:22) to offer the exact reason using proof points. You don’t have to feel like things are different without knowing the exact reason why, Obeng offers the reason behind your natural suspicion.
Take a lesson from this talk and give your audience a number, even if it’s just a single stat, that they can quote to their friends and coworkers later. You never forget something as clear as “we’ve doubled the population in 40 years.” It also ties perfectly in with the problem as set up in a more metaphorical way at the beginning of a talk. This is a perfect example of a proof point in action.
The Ask.
“They say to people, “Take risks and be creative!” But unfortunately the words get transformed as they travel through the air. Entering their ears, what they hear is, “Do crazy things and then I’ll fire you.”’
Obeng really has two parts to his call-to-action. The first is that he wants his audience to accomplish the “crazy,” and put effort into creativity even when it terrifies them. The second is that he would love his audience to visit his website and learn how to change their perspective to accommodate the post-midnight economy.
A good “ask” not only reminds the audience of why it’s important to change the outcome of the problem, but how they can accomplish it in such a way that makes them feel relieved. If the problem was sufficiently scary enough, they will be happy to visit the provided website and question their own internal processes. That’s the power of a strong call-to-action, which Obeng beautifully accomplishes here.
Feel like you’re ready to deliver a presentation as solid as this? If not, here are a few more articles that can help you structure a talk similar to this one, and why it matters:
Why Presentation Skills Matter in Today’s Economy
