In Conversation with Stella Young. Well, Almost!
Written by Maaike.
A good presentation feels like a nice conversation: you are fully present as both the presenter and the audience, in the here and now. That is the feeling I get from Stella Young’s TED talk. It feels like she is talking to someone, even though that person is not responding. How does she do it? Let me share my personal reflection.
First and foremost, she truly makes eye contact. She stands in front of a room with hundreds of people, yet it seems like she is genuinely looking at the audience. She calmly gazes at different individuals, and with her eyes, she scans the entire audience, from left to right and from top to bottom.
She ‘feels the pulse’ of her audience. She has practiced her presentation countless times. And yet, her story does not come across as rehearsed to me. She is focused on conveying her story and how the audience responds to it. For instance, when she makes a joke, she allows appropriate pauses for the audience to react. And she moves on when the natural moment arrives or if there is no laughter. Just like in a conversation, presenting involves listening, speaking, and understanding each other to effectively convey the message.
“But what if you are that person?” [04:14] The question and the brief silence that follows it are incredibly powerful. It is a form of interaction because she prompts the audience to contemplate an important and confronting piece of information. Engaging with the audience can be daunting. But it is also an opportunity. When people feel like they are ‘allowed to participate,’ it enhances the persuasive power and liveliness of the story.
Silence is a powerful tool when telling a story. Listen to the moment in the video when Stella says, “I really want to live in a world where disability is not the exception, but the norm.” The silence at the beginning of the sentence signals to the listeners that important information is coming that they need to absorb and understand. Silence, however small and subtle, encourages listening.
“I am not your inspiration, thank you very much.” With this title, she immediately grabs attention. Equally strong is the structure of her presentation. She starts with anecdotes, proceeds to outline the problem, and supports it with arguments and examples. She concludes the presentation powerfully with an inspiring closing thought.
“I want to live in a world where we value genuine achievement for disabled people,” advocates Stella. Her TED talk leaves a lasting impression on me. She combines profound insights with a natural way of speaking, good eye contact, interaction, humor, and silences in such a way that it feels like she is having a conversation. Even though it is one-way traffic. And that is what truly sets a presentation apart.
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