Do I need to hire a coach to help me through the TEDx process?
(Spoiler: you don’t, and here are a few pointers)
You don’t need to hire a team or an individual coach to guide you along your TEDx journey.
But that doesn’t mean you should do it all on your own, either.
If you read through the First Steps to TEDx post, you might remember that a lot of different skills go into landing, creating, and performing your TEDx Talk.
You’ll likely have a different comfort level with each part of the process, ranging from “Eek! I’m not at all comfortable with this” all the way to “I got this, 100%.” A lot of the time, you’ll probably feel something in the middle, and you’ll want some support.
But when I get accepted to speak, the event organizers will assign me a TEDx coach for free, right?
Most events have a group of volunteers who will be paired with speakers. Sometimes, a volunteer will be required to meet with their speaker 2-3 times during the process. Other times, there are no real requirements at all—after all, these people are donating their time, and they have busy lives outside of TEDx.
For the most part, these volunteers listen to their speakers’ ideas, hear their talks, and share their thoughts here and there. (Mileage may vary.)
It might be that all the coaches at your event are all highly-trained, super-focused, and ready to provide hours of one-on-one attention and effective feedback, but it’s not very likely. Some organizations will ensure that their coaches have at least given a TEDx Talk themselves, so they can speak about what worked for them. But even that’s not always the case.
What is likely is that they are all good people who care about their communities and ideas worth spreading, and will cheer you on when you walk on stage. We can all use a hype team!
You’ll probably want (and need) more support than they’ll be able to provide, and while working with a dedicated TEDx coach, either one-on-one or in a group setting, can hugely impact your TEDx experience, there are other ways to go about it, too.
How can I get the support I need to give an amazing TEDx Talk?
Start with Your First Steps to TEDx Done-in-a-Day Course to find your general idea.
From there, there are a few tools you can use:
You can join a speaker’s group.
The most well-known of these is Toastmasters, but you might find local alternatives, too!
Benefits: They’re a group of people who already get together specifically to talk about speaking, and they’ll (mostly) be really excited to be part of your TEDx process!
Challenges:
These meetings are usually focused on hearing and evaluating speakers, so they might not provide much benefit to you in the early stages of your process, when you’re still in idea generation or writing mode.
They don’t meet often, and you don’t get to speak at every meeting, so you may only get to rehearse in front of the group once or twice before your event.
Take feedback with a grain of salt:
Feedback structure and philosophy is very corporate—and outdated, even for corporate. The TEDx style is casual, conversational, personable, and relaxed. Counting the number of times you say “so” isn’t going to be super helpful here. (Side note—I will fight anyone who says you can’t say “so” in a talk. You hear that, Toastmasters?!)
Depending on your local group, you might get more or less out of the experience. I’ve only been to a couple of meetings, but during those meetings, I watched some members steer speakers in the very wrong direction, and saw others who seemed more interested in proving how much more they knew about Being a Presenter than they were in giving effective feedback (empathetic and effective feedback training matters, folks.)
Thick skin and high levels of discernment? A local speaker group might be a good fit for you.
You can also piece together a support plan using peers in networking communities, Facebook groups, or other friends, colleagues, and family.
Benefits: Their time is free!
Challenges:
Right off the bat, you’re in charge of all the emotional labor, expending a lot more energy and using up a lot more time than you would if there were a professional guiding you. Because you’ll be relying on the availability and energy of your community, you’ll have to carefully plan where and how you’ll use that social capital. And as the plan unfolds, you’ll be responsible for managing all those people and their schedules. Not only can that be emotionally exhausting, but it can make relationships feel a little awkward, too, when a friend continuously cancels last-minute (or, worse, no shows) or gives feedback that you can’t (or don’t want to) take.What you need to navigate this challenge: careful, attentive planning, dedicated follow-ups, and straightforward, open, and kind communication.
The majority of your friends, family, and colleagues haven’t been trained to give effective and empathetic feedback. (And the ones who have, if any, may not be interested in volunteering their time to do so!)
They might give indirect feedback (which makes things confusing) or not give feedback at all. (“It was so good!” doesn’t count in this case.) They love you! They want you to feel good! Others might feel like you’re the expert, so surely you already know better than they do. It’s a tough place to be (for both speaker and audience).
Because this method relies on spreading out your resources and relying on multiple sources, feedback can vary a lot—even in contradictory ways—and that can lead to overwhelm and uncertainty. To help with this, check out the timeline I’ve provided in my TEDx Planner, which starts by focusing on one specific, trusted source of feedback. Beginning with this level of focused feedback can help strengthen your own understanding of your talk and give you a solid foundation for receiving more varied feedback from others later.
Careful with your social capital. Use it wisely, and spread it out among many people in your circle—you want your community to still have the energy and excitement to share your talk when it comes out!
If you go this route, a great way to help your audience feel engaged and useful—and help you get higher quality feedback—is to be very specific about the feedback you’re asking for. For a brief bit of insight on how to ask for specific and effective feedback, check out this post.
Finally, you can hire a professional.
It’s probably not a surprise that this is my favorite option. If you want to give a TEDx Talk, and you can prioritize your budget, I do want you to work with a coach—even if it’s not me!
A TEDx Talk can have an enormous impact on your business and your life. It’s so worth it to ensure the right person is there to guide you through it, give clear and effective feedback, and help you in all the areas where you need support. (If you’re not sure what they are or how to find out, read this article next.)
So, no, you absolutely do not NEED to hire someone to guide you through the process, but for most people, it has the potential to make an enormous difference in 1) getting accepted to speak, 2) the impact of your talk, and 3) your stress (and joy) levels throughout the process.
If you’d like to learn more about my TEDx coaching services, you can find information here. I want you to reach your TEDx goals and do it with joy, confidence, and power.
I’d love to help. 💜
Drawing on her decade+ experience as an actor, director, writer, editor, and educator . . .
Messaging Expert Cathlyn Melvin helps mission-driven personal brands design and deliver their world-changing messages through TEDx coaching and done-for-you copywriting services.
Her insight has been featured via TEDx, Thrive Global, Fempreneur Online, Much More Media, Captivate + Convert, She Built This, The Writing Cooperative, and other outlets. Learn more about her copywriting and TEDx coaching services.