10 Tips For Successful Public Speaking from Toastmasters International
Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about doing well. But, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations:
Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
Know the audience. Greet some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
Know your material. If you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary.
Relax. Ease tension by doing exercises.
Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.
Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail.
Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent.
Concentrate on the message -- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate.
Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.
Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Ice Breaker Guide
Project 1 Supplementary Guide:
"The Ice Breaker"
The following article was written by Kan Kin Fun, DTM.
Suggestion to the Speaker: First read the project in the Manual. Then read this guide to clarify.
Project objective: To introduce yourself, to discover speaking skills you already have, and areas for improvement.
Real objective: To start building confidence, on a subject - yourself - of which you are the world's expert.
Question: What are the keys to tackling project one?
Keys: (a) Attitude (b) Selection of points (c) Staying within time limits (d) Opening, body, conclusion, title.
(a) Attitude. Think of the presentation as an informal sharing about yourself, to a group of friends around a coffee table. Your fellow members are there to support you. They will focus on your strong points, and are unlikely to even remember any glitches you think you may have. No one expects your speech to be perfect. This is the start of your improvement journey. You are entitled to have as many glitches as you do. The more glitches you have now, the larger your improvement will be in the future. So go ahead, prepare, practise, and just do it!
(b) Selection of points. This speech is to introduce yourself to the listeners. In the short time span (4-6 minutes), you have time for only about 3 to 4 points. Too much information will cause you to exceed the time limit, and may overwhelm you and your listeners. Choose only those aspects of your life that make you special and different, and that help the listeners get to know you better. For example, try not to just give a shopping list of where you went to nursery school, primary school, secondary school, etc (who has not gone through these?), or a list of past and present employers. Perhaps you like to play the violin, grew up in another country, or have an unusual occupation - that make you different. Be highly selective on what information to include.
(c) Staying within the time limits. Some speakers have exceeded the maximum time limit, 6 minutes 30 seconds. When you practise, time the speech. If it is too long, cut out the less important parts. If the speech is too short (shorter than 3 minutes 30 seconds), add another point, or expand on the existing points.
(d) Opening, body, conclusion, title. Have an opening that captures the listeners' attention. For example, "My name is John. I have a mistress with an hourglass figure. She is my violin." Have 3 or 4 points in the body of the speech. Conclude by giving a brief summary of your main points. Don't present new information in your conclusion. Have a catchy title that generates interest.
Question: Can I use notes during the presentation?
Absolutely. This is not a memory test. By all means use notes.
That said, try not to use the notes as a security blanket. Memorize the opening and the conclusion. Practise giving the body of the speech so well, that you only need to take a glance at the key words in the notes, to know what to say next.
Use a note card (about 3 inches by 5 inches). First write the full script of the whole speech on another piece of paper. Then select the key words for each main point. Write only the key words on the note card. Then practise presenting your speech using your note card, not your full script. At first, you'll need to peep at your full script frequently. As you practise more, you will become more and more familiar with the material. Eventually, you only need to take a quick glance at the key words in your note card (and not the full script), to know what to say next. However, don't memorize the body of the speech word by word. Otherwise, during the presentation, you will tend to focus on recalling the script, not on presenting the speech. When you give your speech at your club, you don't have to faithfully follow 100% of your script, as long as you cover all your main points. Don't be pre-occupied with recalling every single little detail in your script. No one else has read your full script. Even if you miss a few minor details, no one will notice. Focus on presenting the main points. You have your note card to help you.
Question: What if I "blank out" during the presentation?
During the presentation, if you need one, hold the note card in your hand. Have the full script of your speech, in large font, in your pocket. In the unlikely event that you "blank out" (cannot recall what to say next, even with the help of the note card), you can pull out the full script, and read from the script, to restart your speech.
Question: Will I be failed by the evaluator?
No. The evaluator will highlight your strengths, and offer you a few suggestions for improvement, in an encouraging and supportive manner. He or she will not pass or fail you, or give you a grade.
Also, whatever the evaluator says, is just his or her personal opinion. The evaluator does not represent the audience, or the Club, or Toastmaster International, or any "Speech Authorities". The evaluator does not hold the ultimate authority to the eternal truth. Don't be discouraged or argumentative, if you feel the evaluator has missed the point, or if you don't agree with the evaluation. Evaluators, like speakers, come with different levels of experience.
Question: What are some examples of suitable topics? Less suitable topics?
Suitable topics (reflected by the titles): Son of a Gan. A chilli padi. Son of a beach. Bald and beautiful.
Less suitable topics (reflected by the titles): My husband and slave. My dog. My bundle of joy. My mother-in-law. (These topics are less suitable because the main subject should be you, not any one else.)
Question: Where do I get help in preparing my speech?
The most personal help is that from your mentor. Ask your club's Vice President Education (VPE) to assign you a mentor, who is usually a more experienced toastmaster in your club.
You can also ask your VPE to arrange for a talk during club meetings, conducted by an experienced club member, or by someone outside the club. The Division U web site has a "Resource" segment, with tips to help you to do your manual projects. Go to www.division-u.org.
In addition, you can search the Internet for more information. Other Toastmasters district websites may also have tips on tackling manual projects.
What Not To Do
Don't wait until you have the perfect speech, before you present it at club meetings. There is no perfect speech.
Don't worry about making mistakes. All speakers make mistakes, including the professional ones.
Don't memorize every single word of the speech. Memorize just the opening, and the conclusion.
Don't try to give every single detail of your whole life, in 4-6 minutes. Select 3-4 salient points.
Don't try to recall every minor detail in your script. Focus on presenting the main points.
Don't just look at your notes during the presentation. Look at your listeners too.
Don't spend too much time talking about your spouse, your children, your parents, your pet, your company, your bosses, or any subjects other than yourself. You are the main subject of the speech, not your loved ones.
Don't skip your preparation or practice, for those who have some previous speaking experience. You may be the expert on the subject, but it will be a challenge to stay organized and within the time limits, if you do not prepare or practise.
Don't worry about body language.
(Based on the 2003 edition of the Communication & Leadership Manual, Toastmasters International.)
Note: This guide is to be used together with your Communication and Leadership Manual, to answer some of most frequently asked questions. It is not meant to be used on its own. The methods suggested are not the only suitable ones. If you have other methods that you are more comfortable with, and that help you meet the project objectives, use them. There is no such thing as the best method. This guide is the author's opinion only, and is not part of the Toastmasters International literature.
Copyright Kan Kin Fung
"The Ice Breaker"
The following article was written by Kan Kin Fun, DTM.
Suggestion to the Speaker: First read the project in the Manual. Then read this guide to clarify.
Project objective: To introduce yourself, to discover speaking skills you already have, and areas for improvement.
Real objective: To start building confidence, on a subject - yourself - of which you are the world's expert.
Question: What are the keys to tackling project one?
Keys: (a) Attitude (b) Selection of points (c) Staying within time limits (d) Opening, body, conclusion, title.
(a) Attitude. Think of the presentation as an informal sharing about yourself, to a group of friends around a coffee table. Your fellow members are there to support you. They will focus on your strong points, and are unlikely to even remember any glitches you think you may have. No one expects your speech to be perfect. This is the start of your improvement journey. You are entitled to have as many glitches as you do. The more glitches you have now, the larger your improvement will be in the future. So go ahead, prepare, practise, and just do it!
(b) Selection of points. This speech is to introduce yourself to the listeners. In the short time span (4-6 minutes), you have time for only about 3 to 4 points. Too much information will cause you to exceed the time limit, and may overwhelm you and your listeners. Choose only those aspects of your life that make you special and different, and that help the listeners get to know you better. For example, try not to just give a shopping list of where you went to nursery school, primary school, secondary school, etc (who has not gone through these?), or a list of past and present employers. Perhaps you like to play the violin, grew up in another country, or have an unusual occupation - that make you different. Be highly selective on what information to include.
(c) Staying within the time limits. Some speakers have exceeded the maximum time limit, 6 minutes 30 seconds. When you practise, time the speech. If it is too long, cut out the less important parts. If the speech is too short (shorter than 3 minutes 30 seconds), add another point, or expand on the existing points.
(d) Opening, body, conclusion, title. Have an opening that captures the listeners' attention. For example, "My name is John. I have a mistress with an hourglass figure. She is my violin." Have 3 or 4 points in the body of the speech. Conclude by giving a brief summary of your main points. Don't present new information in your conclusion. Have a catchy title that generates interest.
Question: Can I use notes during the presentation?
Absolutely. This is not a memory test. By all means use notes.
That said, try not to use the notes as a security blanket. Memorize the opening and the conclusion. Practise giving the body of the speech so well, that you only need to take a glance at the key words in the notes, to know what to say next.
Use a note card (about 3 inches by 5 inches). First write the full script of the whole speech on another piece of paper. Then select the key words for each main point. Write only the key words on the note card. Then practise presenting your speech using your note card, not your full script. At first, you'll need to peep at your full script frequently. As you practise more, you will become more and more familiar with the material. Eventually, you only need to take a quick glance at the key words in your note card (and not the full script), to know what to say next. However, don't memorize the body of the speech word by word. Otherwise, during the presentation, you will tend to focus on recalling the script, not on presenting the speech. When you give your speech at your club, you don't have to faithfully follow 100% of your script, as long as you cover all your main points. Don't be pre-occupied with recalling every single little detail in your script. No one else has read your full script. Even if you miss a few minor details, no one will notice. Focus on presenting the main points. You have your note card to help you.
Question: What if I "blank out" during the presentation?
During the presentation, if you need one, hold the note card in your hand. Have the full script of your speech, in large font, in your pocket. In the unlikely event that you "blank out" (cannot recall what to say next, even with the help of the note card), you can pull out the full script, and read from the script, to restart your speech.
Question: Will I be failed by the evaluator?
No. The evaluator will highlight your strengths, and offer you a few suggestions for improvement, in an encouraging and supportive manner. He or she will not pass or fail you, or give you a grade.
Also, whatever the evaluator says, is just his or her personal opinion. The evaluator does not represent the audience, or the Club, or Toastmaster International, or any "Speech Authorities". The evaluator does not hold the ultimate authority to the eternal truth. Don't be discouraged or argumentative, if you feel the evaluator has missed the point, or if you don't agree with the evaluation. Evaluators, like speakers, come with different levels of experience.
Question: What are some examples of suitable topics? Less suitable topics?
Suitable topics (reflected by the titles): Son of a Gan. A chilli padi. Son of a beach. Bald and beautiful.
Less suitable topics (reflected by the titles): My husband and slave. My dog. My bundle of joy. My mother-in-law. (These topics are less suitable because the main subject should be you, not any one else.)
Question: Where do I get help in preparing my speech?
The most personal help is that from your mentor. Ask your club's Vice President Education (VPE) to assign you a mentor, who is usually a more experienced toastmaster in your club.
You can also ask your VPE to arrange for a talk during club meetings, conducted by an experienced club member, or by someone outside the club. The Division U web site has a "Resource" segment, with tips to help you to do your manual projects. Go to www.division-u.org.
In addition, you can search the Internet for more information. Other Toastmasters district websites may also have tips on tackling manual projects.
What Not To Do
Don't wait until you have the perfect speech, before you present it at club meetings. There is no perfect speech.
Don't worry about making mistakes. All speakers make mistakes, including the professional ones.
Don't memorize every single word of the speech. Memorize just the opening, and the conclusion.
Don't try to give every single detail of your whole life, in 4-6 minutes. Select 3-4 salient points.
Don't try to recall every minor detail in your script. Focus on presenting the main points.
Don't just look at your notes during the presentation. Look at your listeners too.
Don't spend too much time talking about your spouse, your children, your parents, your pet, your company, your bosses, or any subjects other than yourself. You are the main subject of the speech, not your loved ones.
Don't skip your preparation or practice, for those who have some previous speaking experience. You may be the expert on the subject, but it will be a challenge to stay organized and within the time limits, if you do not prepare or practise.
Don't worry about body language.
(Based on the 2003 edition of the Communication & Leadership Manual, Toastmasters International.)
Note: This guide is to be used together with your Communication and Leadership Manual, to answer some of most frequently asked questions. It is not meant to be used on its own. The methods suggested are not the only suitable ones. If you have other methods that you are more comfortable with, and that help you meet the project objectives, use them. There is no such thing as the best method. This guide is the author's opinion only, and is not part of the Toastmasters International literature.
Copyright Kan Kin Fung
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Reflections
Another year has come and gone and soon we will be bidding adieu to the year 2008.
It has been an eventful year for me and it is timely to reflect on how the year has developed in terms of my key interests in toastmasters, kidsREAD and personal goals.
Toastmasters
It has been a good year for toastmastering. I have accelerated my growth and personal development in this area by completing my Competent Leader as well as Advanced Communicator Bronze awards this year. I have visited many clubs and made some new friends along the way. It has been tiring at times when one has to go to a club after a day at work and to take up appointments as project evaluator or language evaluator. I continue to learn about event management, planning, scheduling, getting people to say "Yes" to my request for them to come to my club and act as project evaluators and appointment holders. Winning friends and influencing people are a hallmark of Toastmasters skills that one develops (in addition to a thick skin) to get people to help you with meetings. *haha*
kidsREAD
My first full-year of kidsREAD saw me taking care of my 9 cute but at times active class of mosly 7 year-olds. I am blessed to teach this class as the children are mostly well behaved (especially the girls) while the boys were manageable. I believe my vocal variety and ability to be more animated in reading stories has improved as my audience lets me know it whenever the novelty or excitement of the story wears off. Children are very frank in letting you know if you are boring with a capital "B". :-)
Blogging
As the year nears to the end, the creative juices are flowing with sometimes multiple blog entries in one day. It is getting more therapeutic and carthartic to pour out some (not all) of my thoughts electronically for the world to see. Of course, in reality if more than 3 persons read my blog, that is already a good audience. *smile*... It used to be difficult in the beginning to think of what to blog and I felt self-conscious in thinking that my articles would not be worth the bandwidth it took to upload and download. I have managed to overcome this inhibition and now am able to blog relatively freely about recurrent themes and thoughts that permeate (a word I practiced during the previous December club meeting) my mind.
It is amazing sometimes when we document our thoughts we realise there is actually quite a lot going on in the little grey cells up there. Blogging helps us to structure some of the meandering streams of consciousness into a coherent flow which can be navigated by you dear reader. :-) It allows me to explore more of both hemispheres of my brain as I use both words and also pictures or graphics in my blogs to help maximise the creative energies within my mind.
Others
It has not been smooth sailing this entire year. There were periods of depressive tendencies and times when I felt lost as well despite my busy schedule. The busyness at times masks the thin line that separates us from being "OK" to not being "OK" in transactional analysis terms. While most of the time I am "OK", I am also susceptible to bouts of hopelessness and despair as well when the darker side of my mind takes over with the poisoness pessimism that can strike any of us when we least expect it. That is why I have tried to, in my connections with people, be a positive element rather than a toxic, negative element which neutralises good vibes and makes eveyone feel sucky.
Conclusion
It has been an interesting year as there were hits and misses. Overall, I felt that the hits outweighed the misses and begin to realise that when we grow older, we really do trade our youthful idealism and enthusiasm for a more mellowed outlook that is realistically positive. The realistic positive way of looking at things accepts situations more "AS IS" but with a hopeful view. It knows that all that separates us from living and dying is at times just the most minute of circumstances and occurrences. We live in God's hands. He may decide that one day, that is our day to go be with Him.
I wish all my reader(s) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May your dreams drive your reality in 2009!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Keeping Audience on Edge of their Seat
One of the most valuable parts of the recentDistrict 80 Toastmasters Annual Convention held in Hong Kong from 18 to 20 May 2007 was Craig Valentine's Keynote address plus his seminar on "How to Keep your Audiences on the Edge of Their Seats".
Despite being the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig sought out Patricia Fripp, one of the top speaking coaches in the USA, and got coaching from her on his presentation skills even after he was crowned World Champion.
Simply amazing.
There I was, sitting amid 500 participants made up of toastmasters from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand and from neighbouring Asean countries. In the comfortable grey seats of the Hong Kong Convention Centre, listening attentively to Craig Valentine, arguably one of the best speakers I have ever heard in my life.
Craig's 3 step method how to keep our audiences on the edge of their seats comprises of the following:
1) Breathe Life into your Speech
The steps here are nothing magical but it works. First, tell a story and make a point. It's as simple as that but yet it's not that simple?
Sounds paradoxical?
When we tell the story we also need to paint the scene in the mind's eye of the audience. People remember what they saw in their mind. It's not what they see visually through their eyes but what is described to them in vivid detail in their mind's eye. For example, the scene, the sounds, the taste, the texture and feelings all come into play. Make it come alive for the audience.
2) Bring your Audience to You
Many speeches fail to connect with the audiences because the speech is about I, me, myself, the speaker. The audience is selfish, they want to know, "What's in it for me?" To answer that, Craig shared how we can:
The way we can do this is to be as specific as we can in painting the scene in our audience's mind. The use of foundational phrases also help because it summarises in a apt phrase the point the speaker wants to make. E.g. What got you here can't get you there was used by Craig to illustrate how we all can improve beyond our current level. Our past achievements have gotten us so far, but to move even further up we need to have more commitment, more drive and more willpower to do it.
It's not the same for you to read what I told you compared to the actual experience listening to Craig Valentine up-close and personal. He is a very tall gentlemen as you can see from this picture and has a great sense of humour. He uses his body language very effectively because no gesture is wasted, and it is all scripted yet it flow so naturally during his speech. Indeed, when you see a World Champion in action, the quality and ability shines through.
This was my first toastmasters annual convention but it won't be my last. I want to attend more conventions in the future, because if I want to be the best, I have to learn from the best!
Despite being the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig sought out Patricia Fripp, one of the top speaking coaches in the USA, and got coaching from her on his presentation skills even after he was crowned World Champion.
Simply amazing.
There I was, sitting amid 500 participants made up of toastmasters from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand and from neighbouring Asean countries. In the comfortable grey seats of the Hong Kong Convention Centre, listening attentively to Craig Valentine, arguably one of the best speakers I have ever heard in my life.
Craig's 3 step method how to keep our audiences on the edge of their seats comprises of the following:
- Breathe Life into your Speech
- Bring your Audience to You
- Build a Message that Sticks
1) Breathe Life into your Speech
The steps here are nothing magical but it works. First, tell a story and make a point. It's as simple as that but yet it's not that simple?
Sounds paradoxical?
When we tell the story we also need to paint the scene in the mind's eye of the audience. People remember what they saw in their mind. It's not what they see visually through their eyes but what is described to them in vivid detail in their mind's eye. For example, the scene, the sounds, the taste, the texture and feelings all come into play. Make it come alive for the audience.
2) Bring your Audience to You
Many speeches fail to connect with the audiences because the speech is about I, me, myself, the speaker. The audience is selfish, they want to know, "What's in it for me?" To answer that, Craig shared how we can:
- tap and transport
- search for similarities
- show our failures and flaws
The way we can do this is to be as specific as we can in painting the scene in our audience's mind. The use of foundational phrases also help because it summarises in a apt phrase the point the speaker wants to make. E.g. What got you here can't get you there was used by Craig to illustrate how we all can improve beyond our current level. Our past achievements have gotten us so far, but to move even further up we need to have more commitment, more drive and more willpower to do it.
It's not the same for you to read what I told you compared to the actual experience listening to Craig Valentine up-close and personal. He is a very tall gentlemen as you can see from this picture and has a great sense of humour. He uses his body language very effectively because no gesture is wasted, and it is all scripted yet it flow so naturally during his speech. Indeed, when you see a World Champion in action, the quality and ability shines through.
This was my first toastmasters annual convention but it won't be my last. I want to attend more conventions in the future, because if I want to be the best, I have to learn from the best!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Moral of the story
I delivered my third Advanced Project in the Story Telling manual and crashed and burned to some degree! :-P
The title of my speech was "Big Peter, Little Peter" and it was based on a Norway folktale. I was initially attracted to this story because it was rather macarbe. It was a story of 2 brothers Big Peter and Little Peter and how the younger brother was able to use his cunning and wit to outsmart and in fact kill his older brother. On hindsight, a better story could have been found.
My evaluator L gave me a very fair and educational evaluation. Essentially here were the areas for improvement:
- Inappropriate story selection: Less is more! - I had too many details - I overran the time 4-6mins by 100% ending up at 12mins!
- Incongruence of facial expression and tone - It was a macarbe story but I had a smile on my face the entire time....Hmm.. maybe I have the makings of a serial killer (just kidding!)
- To select a shorter story with simpler moral and to embellish it to make it fit the timing would have been a better strategy
- Flow of the story was jerky and abrupt and hard for the audience to follow as there were too many details that did not help to advance the plot
For my own benefit, I will try to schedule a time to redo this project as I feel that it is an important one given the short duration of 4 to 6 minutes. This is critical to my development as a kidsREAD volunteer if I want to be serious about delivering my speech.
V the President of the Club has done the story telling manual too and he started the meeting by telling us about the story of the donkey who was being buried alive by the farmer when it fell into a pit. But instead of being buried alive as dirt was poured into the pit and onto its head, the donkey shook it off and took one step up and was finally able to escape from the pit.
We are put in the position of the donkey at times, life pours dirt on our heads but we need to shake it off in order to take a step forward.
Onwards with my story telling manual journey!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
First Fear
Public speaking comes easy to some but not so for others.
I realised that I had some ability in public speaking only after making mistakes such as having up to 40+ pause fillers in my speech and also forgetting bits of my speech even as it was being coughed out in front of a live audience. My ability came after doing 10+5+5 speeches along with at least 30-40 table-topics over an interrupted span of 5 years in toastmastering.
Some evaluators have been gentle with me. Some have been harsh but fair, others have been harsh and unfair [but these were the minority].
What I learnt from my toastmastering experience was the fear of speaking is very real. There is something about fearing ridicule, laughter or embarrassment that triggers the flight or fight instinct in us. That is why I try my best to smile at first time public speakers doing their first few speeches from the Basic Leadership and Communication Manual because it can be so hard for them to overcome their inate fear of embarrassment or "malu-ing" [embarassing in malay] themselves in front of an audience. By smiling, I show support and I also empathise with how difficult it is when one gets a negative reaction from a frowing listener.
Looking back at my toastmastering, I realise that the benefits come now as I am more confident in dealing with interviews and speaking situations at the workplace compared to what I was 5 years ago.
If you are a new toastmaster and continue to struggle with the fear. Brother or sister in public speaking, I share your fear. The fear IS REAL. The fear CAN be PALPABLE. But the good news is that the fear can be overcome with practice, practice and practice as well as mentorship and genuine coaching. I saw the benefits of my toastmastering experience and my ability in speaking off-the-cuff after training my mind to be able to handle table-topics. This ability is one of the greatest tangible benefits I have received from my investments in my time with toastmasters.
If you are discouraged over your toastmasters performance, my suggestion is to HANG IN THERE. It will get better but in the short-term it may get worse before it gets better. In each of us, there will be this "ah-ha" or eureka moment where it finally clicks for you how all the components of a excellent speech come into play. The combination of content, genuine conviction in what you have to say and being able to use voice, gestures, tone, pace and all the toastmasters skills to deliver an effective speech will materalise.
And when it does, you will be so glad that you stuck with it and managed to reap the rewards for doing so.
Public speaking can be hard for some. But it can be so rewarding when you are able to do it.
I realised that I had some ability in public speaking only after making mistakes such as having up to 40+ pause fillers in my speech and also forgetting bits of my speech even as it was being coughed out in front of a live audience. My ability came after doing 10+5+5 speeches along with at least 30-40 table-topics over an interrupted span of 5 years in toastmastering.
Some evaluators have been gentle with me. Some have been harsh but fair, others have been harsh and unfair [but these were the minority].
What I learnt from my toastmastering experience was the fear of speaking is very real. There is something about fearing ridicule, laughter or embarrassment that triggers the flight or fight instinct in us. That is why I try my best to smile at first time public speakers doing their first few speeches from the Basic Leadership and Communication Manual because it can be so hard for them to overcome their inate fear of embarrassment or "malu-ing" [embarassing in malay] themselves in front of an audience. By smiling, I show support and I also empathise with how difficult it is when one gets a negative reaction from a frowing listener.
Looking back at my toastmastering, I realise that the benefits come now as I am more confident in dealing with interviews and speaking situations at the workplace compared to what I was 5 years ago.
If you are a new toastmaster and continue to struggle with the fear. Brother or sister in public speaking, I share your fear. The fear IS REAL. The fear CAN be PALPABLE. But the good news is that the fear can be overcome with practice, practice and practice as well as mentorship and genuine coaching. I saw the benefits of my toastmastering experience and my ability in speaking off-the-cuff after training my mind to be able to handle table-topics. This ability is one of the greatest tangible benefits I have received from my investments in my time with toastmasters.
If you are discouraged over your toastmasters performance, my suggestion is to HANG IN THERE. It will get better but in the short-term it may get worse before it gets better. In each of us, there will be this "ah-ha" or eureka moment where it finally clicks for you how all the components of a excellent speech come into play. The combination of content, genuine conviction in what you have to say and being able to use voice, gestures, tone, pace and all the toastmasters skills to deliver an effective speech will materalise.
And when it does, you will be so glad that you stuck with it and managed to reap the rewards for doing so.
Public speaking can be hard for some. But it can be so rewarding when you are able to do it.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
What I Learned in Toastmasters
If you want to be an effective public speaker, you must also learn to be an effective public listener!
What is a public listener?
Officially, this term "public listener" doesn't exist. It's something I coined to be the opposite of public speaker. Too often in your quest towards public speaking, you forget that part of effective communication is to listen using your ears and you eyes for feedback from your audience.
In a one-to-one conversation, it is relatively easy to maintain eye contact with audience of one. You can see her body language, facial expression and listen to her tone, pitch and volume.
However when you are a public speaker delivering a speech, you are having a one-to-many dialogue where one party speaks i.e. YOU, while the other party i.e. THE AUDIENCE, listens. The trick of powerful speech making is to make the speech a dialogue where you are not TALKING to but are INTERACTING with your audience.
How can you do this?
Firstly, make eye contact with selected members of the audience from different parts of the room to establish rapport and don't forget to smile. Look out for their facial expressions to see if they are happy, interested or bored with your speech.
Establish a connection with the audience by using YOU and US to be inclusive. Rapport with your audience can also be established if you understand the composition of your audience. Are they linked by geographical location, i.e. Singaporeans or Singapore residents. Are they affiliated through the toastmasters movement? Are they young, old or middle-aged? Are they members of the same company, club or charity?
React to the audience! If they laugh, pause to let the laughter permeate and then subside. If they are looking look puzzled or confused, you may want to slow down and articulate your next point carefully and take your time to speaker clearly. If they are frowning, then you may have to make some changes or lose your audience.
Listening to the mood of the audience
Your audience is a group of individuals who have different motivations, moods and mannerisms. However, when they are in the room to listen to you speak, there must be a purpose that draws them together with you in that room, hall or auditorium. Find out how they are feeling by mingling with some of the audience and picking up on the vibes by speaking with a few persons there. You'd be surprised how you can release some of the tension within yourself as you've made one or two acquaintances or even friends before you address the audience.
To really improve in your public speaking, follow-up by speaking with one or two members of the audience to get some feedback on your speech. They make give you the audience's perspective on how your speech went.
Speak well, listen well and live well.
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