Proposal Interviews

I recently read the book Talk Like Ted.  The first two chapters reinforced much of what I tell others about choosing a good Gold Award project.  

The book is a guide for those making presentations.  It describes why the TED Talk format works so well. The book is structured so those that aren’t giving a TED Talk can still find valuable tips.  I picked up the book as I have applied to give a TEDx talk next spring and have been thinking about the presentation. After reading the book I have more confidence and am eager to create a presentation.

The first chapter talks about passion.  We often talk about identifying your passion when working to choose a Gold Award project.  The book takes this a step further. I love the question the book presents “What makes your heart sing?” (page 55).  This is about more than passion. I think of this as “What gets you fired up?”. This is what gets your heart racing. A subject that when it is brought up in conversation you just cannot keep quiet.  The subject that if your best friend, a stranger, and you were in a conversation and the stranger brought it up, your best friend would just roll her eyes, knowing what is coming. The train has left the station and there are no brakes.

The second chapter talks about storytelling.  As I read this chapter, I thought about the interviews related to the Gold Award process.  Often as we go through the Gold Award process, we answer questions as written or follow a checklist.  If instead, we used each question as an opportunity to tell a story, project connections would be clearer. The ‘why’ of a project would come across more easily.  Instead of checking requirements off a list, a fuller explanation would be available.

By sharing the story, the project becomes more personal.  Not only to the review committee but to others as you ask them to support your project.  The donor, your project advisor, your volunteers. All of them will better understand your goals when you share your story.

There are a lot of other interesting pieces regarding the presentation in the book.  One I found most interesting was regarding how fast you should speak. As someone who speaks fast and listens to podcasts at 1.9 speed, the material presented caused me to pay more attention to my speaking speed.  I learned a lot about listening too.

The presentation tips are valuable for all.  I know it drives me crazy when a presenter reads every word on the slide.  Why do we need a presenter? I could have read the slides myself. Using the slides to enhance the presentation is a tip many people could learn.

I encourage you as you consider your Gold Award project to pick up this book.  It could enhance not only your Gold Award, but other presentation opportunities.  The tips could possibly even get you more scholarship money or a job in your future.