TEDx Talking: Google’s Claire Li On What You Need To Know To Secure, Prepare, and Deliver a Highly Effective TEDx Talk
I’m a huge believer of humor, obviously. 🙂 So I’ll add self-deprecating humor whenever I don’t think audience is engaged enough. I also improvise questions to ask the audience although that probably doesn’t apply to TEDx talks. Another thing I do is turning myself into an actor on stage — I will “act” the characters in my story with movements and voices. Sometimes I will dramatize things a bit to capture attention if that’s needed.
In a world that is more connected than ever, the power of a well-crafted message to inspire, educate, and evoke change cannot be understated. TEDx Talks have emerged as a prestigious platform for sharing ideas worth spreading, reaching a global audience and creating impact on a grand scale. In this series, we are discussing the process of delivering a TEDx Talk that resonates and leaves a lasting impression. We are talking with experts who have successfully navigated the TEDx journey, including TEDx speakers, speaking coaches with a focus on TEDx preparations, and organizers involved in the selection and coaching of speakers. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Claire Li.
Claire Li is a Management Consultant by day, and a “Hollywood Investigator” by night. She has analyzed 600+ talk show clips to identify how anyone can be funnier in everyday conversations. She is also a YouTuber with 20 million views, a contributor to Harvard Business Review, and a sought-after speaker at top universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. She currently works at Google, previously working at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Growing up, I had an “obsession” with how to be funny. I had a close friend in high school who’s naturally funny, and she always had a lot of friends. I remember I had always wanted to be like her. One day, I saw Sofia Vergara on the Ellen Show, and she was hilarious! I started binge-watching all Sofia Vergara clips I could find on YouTube and analyzed what made her funny, and I found some of her “signature patterns”! Then I did the same for Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp, etc. as they are all very funny celebrities. After watching and analyzing 600+ talk show clips, I’ve synthesized a set of actionable ways that anyone can use in their daily conversations to be funnier. That was the origin of my project. 🙂
Can you tell us a bit about what you do professionally, and what brought you to this specific career path?
Professionally, I’m a management consultant at Google. After getting my MBA from Duke University, I’ve been doing strategy work, advising C-suite executives on revenue strategy. I like this work because it’s intellectually stimulating and impactful — oftentimes, my strategy will literally affect billions in revenue.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussions. Can you tell us a bit about your particular experience with TEDx talks?
I’ve been thinking about doing a TEDx talk for a long time. I have been giving talks to large audiences at universities, including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, etc. I’m very comfortable talking to cameras too since I’m a YouTuber. Every time I share my how-to-be-funny tips, people tell me that they are very refreshing — they’ve never heard of something like this before, and at the same time, very practical. My manager said to me once that she became 30% funnier two hours after hearing my talk. I believe now is the time to share with more people through TEDx!
Before we talk about the details, let’s consider the big picture. Preparing for a TEDx talk and securing it obviously requires a lot of mindshare, bandwidth, resources, and energy. From your personal experience, why is it worth it to invest all that to do a TEDx talk?
1) I believe that my message is useful and impactful. Every time I share my findings on a platform, the results shocked me. About six years ago, I first organized my findings in an article. That article was ranked #1 on Google for six years. Then, I started a YouTube channel, the channel gained 10M views in 10 months. Then, I organized my findings in an online course, and I didn’t do any marketing and just let it sit on Udemy. That course became a best-seller on Udemy in three months.
2) I’m used to putting continuous effort into something, even if I may not get much back immediately. As the saying goes, the ultimate freedom comes from discipline. When I first started my YouTube channel, I’ve spent hundreds of hours creating videos, and almost nobody watched them. But I kept going, and eventually figured it out.
Therefore, it’s not a problem that TEDx requires a lot of mindshare, bandwidth, and resources. I know my message can help more people and that’s all that matters.
Now, let’s talk about the how. Can you describe the application process for becoming a TEDx speaker? What are some common challenges faced in the application process that our readers should be forewarned about?
1) With respect to content, the biggest challenge may be getting clear on your idea. You may have many to start with, but eventually, you need to pick one idea that’s ground-breaking, and also “surprisingly simple” for audience to take action. It took me three months to get to that clarity.
2) You may have to apply to a large number of TEDx platforms until one may accept your application eventually. This process can easily take 5–8 months.
Is there a website where you can apply for a TEDx talk? How do you apply and submit? How can you find out about all of the TEDx’s that are available?
Yes, TEDx events can be found on https://www.ted.com/tedx/events. You can filter for the location / time that may work for you. Usually, TEDx will open their application ~6 months before the event time. You may also want tot check out who the organizers are, and create customized pitches, which could be a laborious process. 🙂 But if keep doing it, everyday, eventually, something will come up.
What strategies did you use or would you recommend to ensure that a talk is engaging and impactful?
Oh I love this question! Almost every time I talk, I want to make it fun. I think that may be why I was obsessed over “how to be funny” in the first place.
1) I added humor throughout my speech draft.
2) I organized my speech as a “hero’s journey.” It’s easy to follow. I’ve tested this script out at multiple occasions, and audience told me that I had their attention for the entire 18 minutes.
3) I included a clear, recurring, and practical theme throughout my speech. So people will walk away with one clear idea / action.
There’s a saying from Mark Twain about how it takes more time to prepare for a five-minute talk than for a two-hour talk. The point is that crystallizing an idea and using the exact words is much more difficult than a freeform talk. So, how does a person do that? How does a person boil down an idea into five minutes?
1) It takes asking the hard questions. I kept asking myself when writing the speech draft: What was most surprising in my journey? What’s the one action I want audience to take after hearing my talk? These hard questions ensure that my talk will be focused and thought-provoking.
2) It takes time. It took me three months to write my speech draft. It was a mess when I first started. 🙂 Inspiration takes time to arrive.
3) It takes practice. Once I’ve written my speech, I went out to multiple occasions to test it out, including Toastmasters, company retreat, etc. I also showed it to TEDx Executive Producers that I know to make sure the speech resonates.
Most of us can think of maybe half a dozen different topics that they could speak about. How does a person choose, and say “Okay, this is the one for a TED talk”? How do they choose which of all their ideas should be the one?
I use the “3I” framework: Individual, Impactful, and interesting.
Individual: the topic must be something I personally study — not just something I read off of a book. I need to have compelling experience /research to back it up.
Impactful: the topic must be what audience cares about. Oftentimes, they’re mega trends, e.g. leadership, mental health, AI.
Interesting: the angle I bring to the topic should be refreshing, not something people have heard over and over again.
Feedback is crucial in shaping a compelling TEDx talk. Can you describe how to seek out and incorporate feedback during the talk’s preparation? Who do you turn to for honest critiques, and how do you iterate on your presentation based on the feedback received?
Sure, I have several friends who are already professional speakers, including my close friend Jia Jiang whose TED talk has over 10 million views. I met with Jia weekly for three months to polish my speech. I’ve also tested my speech at multiple occasions, including Toastmasters, company retreats, etc. to fine-tune it continuously.
Let’s talk about the actual delivery of an excellent TEDx Talk. Most people are scared of speaking in public. How do you manage the stage fright before the talk?
Ha, my favorite question! Strangely, I’ve almost never had stage fright. I thrive on stage. The bigger the stage, the more excited I’ll be. That’s a core reason for why I want to take my message to bigger platforms like TEDx. I believe that I was born to be a speaker.
What can a person do to ensure that people will remember the talk and that it won’t just go in one ear and out the other? Can you share how you gauge and adapt to audience reactions in real time during your talk to ensure maximum engagement?
I’m a huge believer of humor, obviously. 🙂 So I’ll add self-deprecating humor whenever I don’t think audience is engaged enough. I also improvise questions to ask the audience although that probably doesn’t apply to TEDx talks. Another thing I do is turning myself into an actor on stage — I will “act” the characters in my story with movements and voices. Sometimes I will dramatize things a bit to capture attention if that’s needed.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience or research, what are the “Five Things You Need To Deliver a Highly Effective TEDx Talk ”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1 . Start with the hard questions: Why do you want to speak about this topic? Why do people care about this topic?
2 . Know why you’re THE person to deliver it. Did you do research? Do you study this? What unique experience / expertise do you have that makes you THE person to deliver the message.
3 . Make your speech fun! Use a good (and yet simple) structure for your story such as hero’s journey. Add humor. Add visuals. Add acting!
4 . Does your speech pass the “TEDx test”: Can you describe your TEDx idea in one sentence that’s groundbreaking and yet actionable?
5 . Practice, practice, practice! Test out your script at as many occasions as you can. Show your script to speakers who have done TEDx talks. Keep refining your speech.
After delivering a TEDx talk, what strategies do you use to maximize its impact and reach? Could you share how to engage with your audience through social media, follow-up events, or other means to encourage action or further discussion on the topic?
1) I will write an article for Harvard Business Review (HBR) about my TEDx talk — their senior editor has already expressed interest, and wants to share it with their 3 million followers on Instagram.
2) I will share my idea through my own YouTube channel.
3) I plan to become a professional speaker to share the idea at more and bigger platforms.
How can our readers watch your TEDx talk and follow your work?
They can follow my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@claireli
Or connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-siyan-li/
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
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