Sure viral** talks happen (on rare occasions). But the counterpoint is this painful reality:

They missed the mark.

BY A LOT.

In fact, most are in the TEDxGraveyard of YouTube. There are 100s of thousands of weak talks buried there!

Tragic really.

They were hopeful ideas.

(But the views never climbed past 4 digits.)

They were big ideas.

(But not BIG enough. They weren't TED calibur.)

Sadly, the vast majority of TEDx-er ideas will never be featured on the TED home page. (The most certain path to virality.**)

Why?

Far too many, many wannabe TEDsters prematurely jump right to scripting or rehearsals with a half-baked idea.

The “Ahaa” may have been good — even great.

But it wasn’t TED-ready.

Or as is said...

“It was a not-so-big idea that’s not worth spreading.

Ouch.

How to avoid that?

ONE WAY: Join me for an upcoming 4-week exercise, kicking off soon. RVSP for The BIG IDEA Mill™ here.

ANOTHER WAY: You can DIY things a bit. Consider these seven actionable suggestions to be starter-steps for a chance at a viral** talk:

Those 7 steps will get you on a TED-ready trajectory. What’s more, your “idea worth spreading” will be prepared for the next-level rigors of The BIG IDEA Mill.

Now's the time to give your TED Talk dreams of a viral idea a chance to come true!
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** A viral talk is qualified by experts as 100K views. Not 25, 50, or 75K. Only six figures count. Seven figures... That’s Olympian medal level. BTW, most TEDx Talks garner a mere 3 digits — averaging 313 views by family and friends.

P.S. Take heart, if you enroll in The BIG IDEA Mill, the DIY tasks above won’t be redundant. (It all rolls into one whole.) Again, here’s that RSVP link to The BIG IDEA Mill: https://bit.ly/3LSU0Ya

DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of TED, TEDx, and TED-Style speakers. The result: 100s of millions of views. His team helps leaders, just like you, catalyze ideas.

You can reach Devin at 617.804.6020, or DM him here.

INTRODUCING:
The TED Speakers Bureau

If you're an event producer, you're thinking about a TEDster for your next keynote. But instead of sorting and sifting to find an agent, a personal website, etc., etc.

TED just made it infinitely easier for you.

A new speakers bureau launched within the last year, simply titled: TED SPEAKERS​
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​"Thinkers. Doers. Idea-generators. These are the speakers who have delivered a talk featured on TED.com. Whether delivered at an official TED conference, at one of thousands of local, independently organized TEDx events, or on another stage altogether, these are the people who brought it to life."

To find your next main stage speaker... click here!

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A BREAKAWAY TALK: >1M <1Yr.

It is said that 100K views make for a "viral" talk, and I'm not quibbling there. But those are really a dime a dozen.

What marks a BREAKAWAY in my way of thinking is a talk with one million views.

I love to highlight and celebrate those (whether from my clients or otherwise) that have just recently surpassed the 1M view mark. They are outliers.

This April 2023 at the TED Series: The Way We Work, speaker Tiffany Yu delivered a stand-out talk: How to help employees with disabilities thrive​

Here's the TED description:

When a talk like this one hits the 1M marker within the first year... that's special. But when it does so at an accelerated pace (< 4 months?!) there's clearly something special going on.

It. Is. Spreading.

Many so-so talks can accumulate an impressive view count over years. But hitting the 7-figure marker within a concentrated time frame is a signal that there's something truly extraordinary going on in the talk and around the topic.

So my equation is as follows:

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 = >𝟏𝐌 + <𝟏𝐘𝐫

P.S. Know of an about-to-happen breakaway talk? Even better, did you deliver one (or hope to)? Please touch base and 411 me here.

BECOME A BREAKAWAY TEDster!

When you're ready to take center stage (or center screen), let me know. Whether you're working on a TED Talk... or a commencement address, an all-hands preso, or a keynote, you will want to be:

And those three priorities make our TED Messaging Method so very, very connecting and compelling. Click here to begin a conversation.

PROBLEM: What type** of TED Talk should I deliver?

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SOLUTION: Take this short quiz to find out!

Ever consider giving a TED Talk? It's actually not as impossible as you might imagine. I can certainly help you get there.

(That's what I do.)

Soooo, where to begin...?

There are generally 8 different categories of talks. What category could yours be?

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 by way of 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭.

In just 15 questions you’ll have your answer and a 15-page PDF with worksheets, TEDster examples, and more.

​DM me with your results.

We can synch up to explore how your ideas synch up (or don't) within that category and what has the best potential to truly be TED-worthy.

That's a simple, easy step towards the red dot stage!

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** “Wait, what?! There are multiple types of TED Talks?!”

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Were you forwarded this newsletter? Every Tuesday (or so), another edition of TEDxTuesdays: Weekly TEDx Tips... from The TED Talk Whisperer is released. If you'd like to receive these directly to your inbox, click the button to subscribe. I want TEDx Tips!

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