How Listening Transforms Speaking: A Deep Dive with TED's Julian Treasure

Julian Treasure is one of the most-watched TED speakers in the world, but his message is simple: the most important skill for speakers is listening.

In this episode, Julian explains why audiences don’t hear your message “as delivered.” They hear it through filters: culture, mood, expectations, time of day, the speaker before you, and even the acoustics of the room.

We talk about how to “listen to their listening” in real time, how to recover when the energy is off, and how to make your voice land with more impact, without turning into a motivational foghorn.

What you’ll learn

1. Why speaking and listening form a circle, not a straight line
2. The listening filters that shape how audiences receive your message
3. How to handle the “graveyard slot” and other attention dips
4. What to do when the speaker before you has poisoned the room
5. The “gift” visualisation to instantly improve your on-stage presence
6. Why sound affects physiology, focus, behaviour, and buying decisions
7. Practical advice on mics, acoustics, and why lavaliers can betray you
8. The role of silence and humility in real listening
9. Julian’s Listening Society and his speaking and listening assessments

Links mentioned

1. Julian’s Listening Society (free resources and membership) https://www.thelisteningsociety.community/sign_up?request_host=www.thelisteningsociety.community
2. https://www.juliantreasure.com/
3. Julian’s speaking and listening assessments (individual and organisational scorecards) https://juliantreasure.floot.app/

CHAPTERS

1. 00:00 Intro: Julian Treasure and why listening beats speaking
2. 02:00 Julian’s contrarian stance: listening is the base of the pyramid
3. 04:00 Listening to their listening: the filters audiences use
4. 06:00 Graveyard slots, room mood, and the speaker before you
5. 08:00 How to recover when the audience is off
6. 12:00 The “gift” visualisation for stage presence
7. 16:00 The three intentions: you, the audience, and their intention for themselves