"I got this," Said The Hopeful TEDster
8 responses when i hear those words
By Devin D. Marks | Published Feb 14, 2025
The self-sabataging “I got this” attitude of VIP speakers misses the heavy lift that is a TED stage.
The intensity of the “red dot” is unlike any other speaking opportunity a leader has stepped to before.
Granted, when I hear that line, it generally comes from deep confidence and experience. Usually, the speaker has years of center-stage experience:
- Speaking to thousands, even tens of thousands.
- Billing $20-40K+ per motivational keynote.
- Preaching 20-30 mega-church Sundays a year.
- Enjoying multiple NYT bestseller rankings.
- Leading the C-suite with dynamic preso chops.
That’s all great, but what I want to hear (need to hear to productively collaborate) is...
“You got this.”
That one-word, two-letter difference signals a shift — from solo hero to collaborator.
Often those VIP motivational authors have been assigned to my coaching team. They’re part of a slate of TED-style summit speakers.
Standing heads and shoulders above their fellow presenters, they couldn’t be farther from trusting me or my team.
They know they don’t need any help wowing a crowd — and they’re right...
Almost.
The reality is that the demands of a *successful* TED Talk are unlike a sermon, keynote, product roll-out, or company all-hands.
You see, TED changed the paradigm in 2009. When the first TEDx Talks released — how we share and spread ideas on a stage or screen began to reflect that new norm.
Forever.
That unforgiving red stage requires something quite apart from the norm: in message focus, story, and the CTA.
Today’s “TED Talk Generation” of viewers demands something more than the Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie public speaking approach. In the context of TEDsters with viral talks, even John Maxwell’s speaker training falls short.
Evidence? Have you ever watched a 1M+ TEDx Talk by a Toastmasters World Champion?
I haven’t.
The number of motivational speakers with breakaway talks:
Minuscule.
And what’s so distinctive about a top TEDster delivery? It is defined by 8 factors:
1. COUNTDOWN CLOCK. Unforgiving time limits (and thus word count).
2. FULLY MEMORIZED. Flawless (or seemingly so) script-free deliveries.
3. REMOVE BARRIERS. Strip out anything that slows audience connection (e.g., podiums, PowerPoint).
4. STICKY STORIES. Concentrated, narrative designed around STICKY Story™ principles.
5. CAMERA-CODING. Training to accommodate 5+ angles during a live 1-&-done presentation.
6. SoMe BUILD-IN. Design talk to be multi-stream, social media-friendly.
7. BABY STEPS. Winnable Wins™ are emphasized and replace traditional CTAs.
8. FIVEFOLD FOCUS. Each movement in the script is sculpted to be focused and spread-friendly.
Unless a speaker is willing to abandon outdated “best” practices and learn new basics, the talk will release and... flop.
It won’t reach its potential and will likely be relegated to the YouTube cemetery of TEDx Talks — viewed by 133, 1,300, 13,000 or so.
The talk will be forever disqualified to appear on TED’s home page where views number 100K, 1M, 10M, and more.
That said, when a speaker leans into learning a new process — scaling a new mountaintop. Magic can happen.
For example, one of my favorite “alumni” speakers was an accomplished (traditionally trained) speaker. He was a Harvard M.D.; a professor; a world-renowned researcher; and a longitudinal data storyteller.
Yet, when we met and agreed to work together, Dr. Robert Waldinger** declared:
“Devin, I’m an expert in a handful of things. TED isn’t one of them. When I find someone who is an expert in an area I’m not, I listen. I lean in. So please guide me. I trust you.”
He shifted “I got this” to:
“You got this.”
And together, we accomplished something remarkable.
** Click here and see his all-time TOP 10 TEDx Talk of 45M+ views.
DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of TED, TEDx, and short-talk speakers — including Harvard’s Dr. Robert Waldinger for his all-time Top 10 TEDx Talk. The result: 100s of millions of views for clients. He helps niche experts, authors, and leaders spread world-changing ideas.
You can reach Devin at 617.804.6020, or DM him here. His newsletters are here.
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