TED talks have changed the way people approach and appreciate public speaking. These presentations, given at the annual TED (short for Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences and other TED events, have been viewed online more than one billion times.

Keynote speaker, communications coach, and author Carmine Gallo says that while very few of us will ever be invited to give a TED talk, the ability to communicate your ideas persuasively in work and life is the single greatest skill you need to accomplish your dreams.

For his new book, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds, Gallo analyzed more than 500 TED presentations (over 150 hours). He found that the best TED talks share three components: they are emotional, novel, and memorable.

1. Emotional

When giving presentations, most people use data, statistics, buzzwords, and marketing jargon to try get their point across. But in order for persuasion to occur, Gallo says you much first connect with your audience emotionally. This fact is well established in neuroscience literature; where your heart takes you is where you are going to move. One of the best ways to make this emotional connection is by demonstrating passion for your topic or product. Most charismatic communicators are people who wear passion on their sleeve.

2. Novel

Every person invited to give a TED talk is mailed a list of “TED Commandments” for guidance. Among them is the admonishment, “Thou shalt not simply trot out thy usual shtick.” According to Gallo, our brains cannot ignore novelty. We are simply hard wired to spot something brilliant and new, which is why being novel is the best way to get someone’s attention. In order for a lecture, sermon, sales presentation, or the like to stand above the rest, you must take information and package it in a way the audience doesn’t expect.

3. Memorable

In the end, nobody will act on your novel idea if they can’t remember it. TED presenters in particular use specific techniques like the “rule of three” to make their talks memorable. Humans’ short-term memory can’t consume more than a few nuggets of communication, yet just two points aren’t substantive enough. That’s why you see “threes” everywhere: from corporate names (e.g. UPS and IBM), to stories (e.g. “The Three Little Pigs”), to well-known phrases (e.g. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”). Plus, if you list three points or features, your audience will want to hang on to find out what the third one is.

There are incentives and deals for businesses that purchase copies of “Talk Like Ted” by March 4th, 2014. Free materials include videos, workbooks, workshops, and keynotes. Details can be found here.

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