How An Expert Prepares For A TED Talk

Reading this headline you might be thinking, “Oh yeah, this guy says he is an expert? Is that really true?”. In this fake news world, that’s a fair question—so let me pull back the velvet curtain and show you exactly how I prepared for my TEDx talk (my 546th public speech), including what I cut, what I scripted, and how I rehearsed to survive nerves and tech issues on the day.

Dr. Greg Story is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo and an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University, specialising in leadership, communication, and Japan-focused business performance. He is a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer and a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021). He is also the author of multiple books including Japan Presentations Mastery and other Japan Mastery best-sellers, with work translated into Japanese.

Is TED/TEDx preparation really different from a normal business presentation?

Yes—TED/TEDx forces ruthless compression, because you have a strict format and a hard time cap. TEDx has restrictions on what you can talk about and how long you can talk for, and in my case I had up to thirteen minutes—so every word is gold.

Unlike a 30–60 minute corporate briefing (where you can wander a little and recover), TED is one clean runway: no questions, no “let’s unpack this,” and no time to earn clarity mid-flight. That’s why you need a single central message, a structure that can be cut without collapsing, and a delivery plan that holds up under lights, cameras, and pressure.

Do now: Treat a TED-style talk like a product launch—one thesis, one runway, no filler.

How do you choose a TED topic and central message that will land globally?

Pick a topic that fits the format and travels across borders, then lock the thesis until it can’t wobble. I needed a topic that fit TED’s “ideas worth spreading” mission and would work for a global audience, because TED talks are broadcast around the world—so I chose “Transform Our Relationships” for universal appeal.

Once you pick the topic, you need the central message to be crystal clear, because you have no time to rebuild it later. For me, the title was the message: “transform your relationships for the better.” If your thesis isn’t that sharp, you’ll be tempted to cram in extra “interesting” material and blow the clock.

Do now: Write your thesis as one sentence you’d be happy to see quoted out of context.

Why should you design the ending before the opening?

Your ending is your compass—if you don’t know the close, the middle becomes a junk drawer. The first thing I considered was how to end the talk, because that forced me to clarify the central message I wanted to impart.

I chose the close first (“transform your relationships for the better”), and then linked it back to remarks from the start so the whole talk would tie a neat bow. With TED format there are no questions, so there’s only one “landing” to design—one close that must hit cleanly, every time.

Do now: Draft your final 20 seconds first, then build backwards so every section earns its place.

How do you structure a 13-minute talk without rambling or cramming?

Build chapters, not vibes: choose a small number of principles and make each one a complete unit. I built the body around Dale Carnegie’s human relations principles, but there are thirty—far too many—so I selected seven and made each principle a chapter.

Chapters make writing easier and cutting survivable. Later, when rehearsal exposed I had too much content, I jettisoned one principle overboard rather than watering down everything else—because each chapter was complete in itself. Then I added “flesh on the bones” using story vignettes (some created to make the point, some real-life examples).

Do now: Build 5–7 removable chapters max; if you’re over time, delete a chapter—don’t dilute the whole talk.

How do you craft a TED opening that grabs attention (without cheap theatrics)?

The opening has one job: grab attention and create anticipation for where you’re going next. I researched what others were saying about transforming relationships and found a report called “Relationships in the 21st Century.” The findings felt unremarkable to me, which made it perfect for a debunking-style opener—slightly controversial, but honest and attention-grabbing.

Crucially, I left the final design of the opening until the end. Once the ending and the chapters were locked, I could polish the start to tee up the central message and pull the audience forward. If the report had contained something earth-shattering, I would have used it as authority reinforcement instead.

Do now: Build your ending first, then engineer an opening that makes people lean in—debunk, authority, or story.

What rehearsal system prepares you for nerves, timing, and tech failures?

Rehearsal isn’t “practice”—it’s risk management, under a stopwatch, at full power. I wrote a full script (something I don’t normally do), recorded it, and played it about ten times until the flow was absorbed—then did three live rehearsals and kept editing to stay under thirteen minutes.

Then I went hard: five full-blood, full-power rehearsals the day before, and ten more full-power rehearsals at home on the day, checking time every run. On-site, I didn’t chat in the Green Room—I slowed my breathing, re-read the script, and even adjusted the head mic placement to avoid audio distortion. When a technical issue hit (including a stop-start delay just four seconds before going on), I protected concentration, used a backstage mirror to prime gestures, and was ready to deliver without slides if needed.

Do now: Rehearse full power, assume tech will fail, and make sure you can deliver without slides.

Conclusion

TED-level delivery looks natural only because the preparation is engineered: thesis locked, ending designed first, chapters built for removability, opening polished last, and rehearsal deep enough to survive screens failing, delays, and nerves—without a brain whiteout. When you finally walk to your spot (yes, the red carpet moment), first and last impressions are forming, so you plan the entrance and the exit as carefully as the content.

Next steps (fast checklist):
• Write your final line first (your one-sentence thesis).
• Organise the body into removable chapters, then cut one if you’re over time.
• Record the script and replay it until the flow is in your bones.
• Do full-power rehearsals and build a “no slides” version for tech-failure immunity.

FAQs

You should design the ending first, because it controls the message and prevents rambling. If you know the close, you can cut anything that doesn’t earn its way to that landing.

Chapters are the easiest way to cut time without weakening the talk. When each section is complete in itself, you can delete one chapter instead of watering down everything.

Full-power rehearsal is what keeps you calm when something breaks on the day. If you can deliver without slides, a screen failure becomes an inconvenience—not a catastrophe.

Your opening should create anticipation, not drama. A debunking opener works if you genuinely believe it and it tees up a better idea.

Author Credentials

Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).

Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.