When I'm accepted to speak, will my TEDx event give me a free coach?
Here’s something I didn’t know until I was accepted to give my TEDx Talk:
Some TEDx event organizers will pair each of their speakers with a coach.
Others don’t.
If your TEDx organizer pairs you with a volunteer coach, you will not be asked to pay a coaching fee. TEDx teams are volunteer teams (with a few exceptions for essential services like audio-visual professionals).
Why do some events choose to assign volunteer coaches to their speakers?
TEDx organizers want to put on great events! They want to be sure that as a speaker, you’re creating a great talk, sharing an idea that’s truly worth spreading, and staying on track in the weeks leading up to the event.
It’s in their best interest to set you up for success.
(That’s why some organizers encourage their speakers to hire a professional coach, too.)
The coaches they bring on are volunteers because the parent organization, TED, wants TEDx teams to be comprised of volunteers whenever possible.
What can I expect from the volunteer I’m assigned to?
Your experience can vary not only based on what event you’re speaking at, but also who your individual coach is, what their experience is, and how much time and energy they have to dedicate to you.
Your volunteer might be more skilled in writing than delivery, or more skilled in brainstorming ideas than in writing.
They might be retired with dedicated time to meet with you every week, or they might have a full-time job and be hard to pin down.
Some events have guidelines or requirements for their volunteers, like meeting with you at least two times across the course of your TEDx process. Some events have no specific requirements for their volunteers, so be ready to decide what you need and be assertive enough to ask for it! The worst thing your volunteer can do is say “no.”
Are these volunteers professional speaking coaches?
Just because someone is volunteering their time doesn’t mean they’re not a professional or an expert.
The experience range of coaches who volunteer with TEDx events is as varied as the events themselves. At the most established TEDx events, organizers may recruit a group of TEDx experts to volunteer as coaches.
For most events, these coaches may draw their experience from:
Their own public speaking events
Membership at a speaking club like Toastmasters
Training in a related area (like a communications degree or working as an English teacher)
Sometimes, the volunteers may have given a TEDx Talk or volunteered in a different position on the local TEDx team in a previous year.
How do I find out if an event will assign me to a coach?
When you’re researching events, you can ask the organizer if they assign coaches to their speakers. You can also reach out to last year’s speakers to ask about their experience with their coach, if they were assigned one.
If your event assigns you a volunteer:
Ask the organizer what to expect from the coach (are there specific requirements they need to fulfill?).
Determine what you need. Use the Skills Audit included in the First Steps to TEDx Done-in-a-Day Course to figure out what areas of the TEDx process you need most help with.
Prioritize your asks. Of all the areas where you could use help, where do you feel like this particular volunteer will be most effective? Focus your time with them on that area.
Keeping the event’s requirements in mind, be assertive and ask your volunteer for the specific help you need.
If you feel like this volunteer can’t support you as fully as you need in order to have a stress-less, powerful, and joyful TEDx experience, get additional support from a TEDx expert like me or from other resources. (I’ve shared a few suggestions on how to succeed without hiring a coach here!)
If your event doesn’t assign you a volunteer coach:
You can go it alone (which can be successful! Suggestions here.)
You can also work with somebody like me to help you through the process from choosing your Idea Worth Spreading to applying, writing, editing, memorizing, and rehearsing your TEDx Talk.
As a TEDx coach, I draw on my training and professional experience as not only a speaker, but as an actor, director, theatre teacher, copywriter, and editor—all to help you design and deliver your world-changing message on the TEDx stage.
Drawing on her decade+ experience as an actor, director, writer, editor, and educator . . .
Messaging Expert Cathlyn Melvin helps mission-driven personal brands design and deliver their world-changing messages through TEDx coaching and done-for-you copywriting services.
Her insight has been featured via TEDx, Thrive Global, Fempreneur Online, Much More Media, Captivate + Convert, She Built This, The Writing Cooperative, and other outlets. Learn more about her copywriting and TEDx coaching services.