7 Powerful TED Talks That Can Change Your Business

Melonie Dodaro  •  Business Growth

TED Talks

How often do you watch videos on YouTube?

Do you search for videos on topics to help you with your business?

There’s never been a time before where we’ve had instant access to the wisdom and insight from some of the worlds smartest, most talented and wisest people.

This wisdom is gathered in one place and continues to grow every year at TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design). Every year TED holds a conference (as well as numerous independent TEDx events held around the world), which feature passionate and often revolutionary speakers who discuss both current and evergreen ideas, topics and issues.

Their very motto is “Ideas worth spreading”.

The best part is that anyone at any time can access this collection of wisdom and inspiration, for free, from the comfort of their computer or electronic device.

I have brought together seven of my favorite business related TED Talks that can inspire businesses of all sizes. These talks are inspiring, funny and most importantly informative about how we can create better, more successful businesses.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner or employee, here seven powerful TED talks that you need to watch.

7 Business Changing TED Talks

Understand Your Brand’s Purpose

Do you know why you and your brand does what you do?

I am not referring to the what you do or how you do it, but rather the underlying reason that you offer the products or services that you do.

What is the story behind your why and are you clearly conveying this story to your community and customers?

You might be wondering just why this is so important.

The answer is, if you don’t know what your why is, you won’t be able to share with your customers the most fundamental reason why you are different from your competition and the only choice for them. You won’t be able to clearly communicate how you can make their life better or easier in a way that is meaningful to them nor will you be able to create an invested community of people who care about what you care about.

You see, in marketing today, these are very important goals if you want to be successful.

But before you can create a loyal community of customers, you need to know your WHY.

And there is no better person than Simon Sinek in his Ted Talk “How great leaders inspire action” to help you understand just how vital this is and how you can start this process.

Simon Sinek – How great leaders inspire action

Bonus Video

While not a TED Talk, this funny and relevant 5-minute video provides another way you can figure out your brands why message.

Comedian Michael Jr. – Know Your Why

Build Your Brand’s Community

No one explains the importance and power of community better than Seth Godin.

While he refers to them as “tribes”, his talk leaves no doubt about the power and importance of building a community of people who are passionate about what you are passionate about.

By sharing your passion or why message, you will attract those people who long to connect with people of a similar passion. These people will form your community and can greatly impact your success.

Some of the most successful businesses today (like Zappos and TOMS Shoes) found their success by connecting with people that valued what they valued.

Seth Godin – The tribes we lead

Creating A Better Customer Experience

When you are creating your product, service or customer experience are you creating something that is broken?

Every experience or touch point a customer has with your brand is important. Each is an opportunity to improve or diminish your customer’s opinion of your brand.

In the words of Scott Stratten:

“There’s no such thing as a neutral brand experience. You are either improving or harming your presence and reputation. Everything you do provides a brand experience.”

If you are creating something that is broken in the eyes of your customers (YOUR OPINION DOESN’T COUNT), then you are harming your relationship with your customers.

So the money and resources that you might have saved creating something that was broken, will in fact cost you more in the end.

Seth Godin provides comedic insight into a number of different ways that things can be broken and what could have been done differently.

Seth Godin – This is broken

Creating a More Successful & Productive Workplace

Leadership

A successful company starts with great leadership.

But just what does it take to make a great leader? Someone who can create a workplace where employees feel safe and valued.

What must a leader do to build trust and cooperation into the culture of their workplace, which will ultimately increase the well-being and success of the company?

Simon Sinek gives a powerful talk on what it takes for a leader to do this successfully and why it can have such powerful implications for your company.

Simon Sinek – Why good leaders make you feel safe

Workplace Motivation

“There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.” Dan Pink

The old model of incentives (sticks and carrots) no longer works as motivation in business today. In many cases, not only does it not work, but it can decrease results.

Don’t believe me?

In this his talk, Dan Pink shares the science behind motivation and how you can truly increase motivation and productivity in your company.

Dan Pink- The puzzle of motivation

Workplace Happiness & Culture

You can further increase the productivity, creativity and sales of your employees by increasing their workplace happiness.

Shawn Achor shares the science behind positive psychology, how it can improve your company and what you can do to create more happiness in your workplace in his talk “The happy secret to better work”.

Shawn Achor – They Happy secret to better work

The Woes of Unsubscribing

Have you ever unsubscribed from an email list, only to continue to receive emails?

Well here is how James Veitch decided to deal with the situation (and much hilarity ensued).

James Veitch – The agony of trying to unsubscribe

Wrapping Up

I hope that you have found value and inspiration from the talks listed above and that they have given you ideas to improve your brand as well as some motivation to make it happen.

As a bonus, I want to share a non-business TED Talk (one of my most favorites), which has profoundly affected me, Brene Brown’s “The power of vulnerability”.

Have you ever found inspiration from a TED Talk and acted on it? Which talk is your all-time favorite TED Talk? Share it in the comments below so that others can be inspired by it as well.

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