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Learning the skills you need to enhance your speaking ability is what Toastmasters is all about. On this page you can find out how to take the terror out of speech, relax and enjoy the speech, and tips for improving your speaking ability.
Let's start by asking the question:
What is Glossophobia?
Glossophobia is a fear of public speaking. Toastmasters can help you overcome this fear. Check the Ask a Toastmaster page for a full description.
"The Toastmaster" Magazine, April 2007 edition, has the following articles for speakers:
- 5 Sure-Fire Tips for Great Speeches
- Look before you Leap in front of an Audience
- WOW 'em like Steve Jobs
- Confessions of a Freelance Speechwriter
by Graeme Blick, ATM-S, Spinnaker Toastmasters Club 7868
Spinnaker Toastmaster of the Year 2004
www.spinnakertoastmasters.org.nz
Twenty years ago when I first joined Toastmasters just to get up and stand before an audience was a challenge let alone speaking before that audience. When I gained enough courage to give my first Table Topics I spoke about six words. It took me another 3 months to gain the courage to go back to Toastmaster again. Twenty years on I enjoy the challenge of speaking at Toastmasters and speaking in public to a variety of audiences.
Twenty years in Toastmasters has taught me how to construct a speech, the use of gestures and vocal variety, the art of thinking on one's feet, speech evaluation and how to control nerves in a friendly and supportive environment. I believe that Toastmasters is one of the best value for money organisations around. However, one area that I feel we need to pay more attention to is how to control the mind to 'Take the Terror out of the Speech'. To this extent I believe 'The Last 60 Seconds' before getting up to speak are the most important of the speech preparation.
Let's look at a professional golf player like Tiger Woods. Before he plays a ball he generally carries out what commentators will call a 'practice' swing. Do you really think that Tiger Woods needs to 'practice' his golf swing prior to taking a golf shot? I am sure he is well practiced in playing golf! I suspect what he is actually doing in 'The Last 60 Seconds' before taking his shot is controlling his mind and visualising himself hitting the ball and seeing where it is going to land on the fairway or green.
Toastmasters teaches us to prepare and practice our speaking. We learn how to construct the speech and the techniques to deliver the speech. Public speaking is like a game of golf. If we learn the techniques and prepare well we will deliver a good speech. But what sets Tiger Woods and other great golf players apart - it's what happens in their minds.
Tiger is now starting his golf round, or for us we are at a Toastmasters meeting and the time is fast approaching for us to get up on our feet and deliver the speech - it's too late to back out. If you are anything like me, your heart beat is rising and your chest is beginning to get a little tight.
Now the chairperson of the meeting is thanking the previous speaker and you are the next speaker on the agenda. You are now in 'The Last 60 Seconds' before getting to your feet to speak - this is the most important time for your speech preparation. This is the time to control the mind and to 'Take the Terror out of the Speech'. Like Tiger Woods, it is time to start taking some deep breaths and to start visualising your speech, to control those little habits that you continually get reminded of in your evaluations like, 'slow down', and 'watch the use of gestures'.
30 seconds to go. Control those butterflies - say to yourself this will be your best speech. Repeat the opening line of your speech to yourself. Three deep slow breaths.
'Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome X to the floor'
You're On - Go for it!
By Kim Chamberlain
Many moons ago when I started my first job as a careers adviser, I was horrified to discover that part of my work involved giving presentations to groups of people. And large groups of peoples at that! Sometimes several hundred people.
Back in those days, my goal when giving a talk was to get through the allotted number of minutes ﾅ and still be ALIVE at the end of it.
The main part of my job was one-on-one interviews, which caused me no concern at all, even though I often gave the same information as I did in a presentation.
So what's the difference?
There are a number of differences of course, but let's look at one of them: S.T.A.Y. - Stop Thinking About Yourself
When I was doing one-on-one interviews I found I could easily focus on the other person and their needs. But once I was in front of a group, all I could focus on was ME:
- What if I forgot what I was going to say?
- Or dropped my notes on the floor?
- Or blushed?
Meeting the audience's needs didn't feature in my thinking at all!
The purpose of a presentation is to get your message across - in the best possible way.
So if you find you're focusing on yourself and not the audience, ask yourself "Am I getting my message across in the best possible way?", tell yourself to STAY, and work through the following issues:
- Research your audience. Who are they? What are their needs?
- Structure. Does your presentation have a logical, easy-to-follow structure?
- Content. Does it have a simple, clear message?
- Delivery. How is your delivery style? (Videoing yourself or asking others for feedback are useful ways of finding out). Does it allow people to focus on your message?
o Do you speak slowly and clearly?
o Do you have variety to keep people's attention, eg variety of voice, movement, visuals. Do you vary the way you impart information, eg showing a video, doing a demonstration, asking people to do an exercise, inviting audience participation ﾅ
o Do you have distracting mannerisms?
So please S.T.A.Y., focus on your audience's needs, and you'll find you are more likely to keep the group with you and get your message across. It can take time, but is a very empowering experience!
Kim Chamberlain, Conference Speaker & Communications Trainer, www.successfulspeaking.co.nz
- Speak to their hearts - a great speech should be personal, touching your listeners in their head, heart or their wallet
- Make it real - your listeners feel like they are living the moment with you
- Make it memorable - your listeners will remember your main point far into the future, even if they forget your name or speech title
- Make it valuable - give your listeners some useful information they can take away with them
- Connect with your audience - make your speech relevant through use of humour, personal stories, or your body language
- Make it fun - if you're having a good time, so will your audience
- Make it visual - use quotes, stories, anecdotes, props and word pictures so your listeners can see it with their mind's eye as well as hear it
- Make it passionate - if you really care about your topic, so will your audience
- Be enthusiastic - your enthusiasm is infectious
- Be clear, concise and brief - keep your words simple and to the point
Source:
Copyright 2002 Susan Niven, CSP. Reprinted with permission.
Except for the Icebreaker, the remaining speeches in the Communication and Leadership Manual don't have specific topics, but rather focus on a specific aspect of communication. So how do you select a topic? Here are some strategies:
There's More to You Than Six Minutes
While developing your Icebreaker speech, there was probably a lot of things that left on the cutting room floor to get the speech within the time limits. Those "leftovers" would make excellent starting places for speeches.
Learn More About an Unfamiliar Topic
All of us have read or heard of something and said I wonder whyﾅ This is a great opportunity to dust off some of those curiosities you have and develop them into researched speeches.
Table Topics Redux
Table Topics can be a great starting point for a speech. Was there a question that you really wished you had gotten? A great story that a response reminded you of? A topic that you wished you'd had more time to really develop?
More than a Sound Bite
We are all bombarded with news and current events, though it is typically only provided in 30 second sound-bites. Many of these items would make a great speech - and an opportunity to delve into the details and multiple points of view.
Passion = Enthusiasm
What are the subjects and issues that you feel strongly about? These make great subjects for speeches, especially those that have a persuasive component. What are your hobbies, interests, passions? These make great informative speeches.
Keep a List, Make a Note
Speech ideas tend to crop up at the most unexpected times. Review the objectives for the next few speeches you will give, and as ideas pop up, jot them down on a list of possible ideas. Sometimes you find new ideas appearing as you research and prepare a speech. Add these to your list. Then, when you are starting preparation for your next speech, you'll have a ready-made list of possible topics.
Two Birds with One Stone
Have a special occasion coming up? An important presentation for work? Running for office? Teaching a scout troop a new skill? Your Toastmasters club is a great venue to practice your presentation or speech with a supportive, helpful audience. Let the Toastmaster know in advance who you'd like your audience to "be" for the day - and tell your evaluator a bit about the purpose of your speech.
Still stuck for a topic? Have a look at the article "Get Ideas for Speeches" in the August 2003 "The Toastmaster" magazine, page 22. There's some great ideas and tips to help you.
We are all familiar with the overall organization of a speech - Introduction, Body, Conclusion. But how do you organize the information within the body of your speech? There are a number of different organizational patterns. Choose the one that best fits the content and the objectives of your speech.
Chronological organization is organization by time; that is, your steps are ordered according to when each step occurred or should occur. Topical organization is used when your central has natural divisions or develops reasons. Spatial organization arranges items according to their location and direction. Cause-effect organization first identifies a situation and then discusses the effects that result from it. Or the speech may present a situation and then seek its causes.
Problem-solution organization discusses why a problem exists and the effects of the problem as well as suggests some solutions for the problem. Usually this format is used for persuasive speeches. Some examples of persuasive speech are:
Protest, Appeal or Call to Action
- Something is wrong. State what it is.
- Why is this wrong? Who is to blame? What harm is done?
- How can this wrong be corrected? Make definite recommendations for changing things for the better.
- What should we do? Tell your listeners exactly what you want them to do, think, or feel.
AIDA Outline
- A - Win the audience's Attention
- I - Arouse their Interest
- D - Create a Desire
- A - Stimulate Action or Agreement
Borden Outline
Ho-Hum. This corresponds to your introduction. The audience is sitting back, expecting to be bored. It's up to you to make them sit up and listen.
Why Bring That Up? You must build a bridge to carry the audience. Show that your subject is important and relate it directly to the interest of your listeners.
For Instance. Give the audience concrete evidence - illustrations, facts, and stories. Start your listeners thinking.
So What? This is the call for action. Tell listeners what you want them to do as a result of your speech. Be specific.
Problem/Cause/Solution Outline
- The problem is ...
- The problem is caused by ...
- Some solutions are ...
- The best solution is ...
Monroe Outline
Attention. Your opening should seize your audience's attention, direct that attention to your topic, and make the audience want to listen to what follows.
Need. State the existing need or problem, explaining why it's important to listeners.
Satisfaction. Here you present your solution to the need or problem. State your proposal and show how it meets the need. Support your opinion with evidence, and, if necessary, overcome objections or opposing solutions.
Visualization. Draw a picture of future conditions. Show how thins will be once your proposal is adopted or what might happen if the proposal isn't adopted.
Action. Turn the agreement and commitment you've gained into positive action or attitude.
People are always looking for model speech scripts from accomplished speakers. You can search the internet looking for sample scripts for ideas. Here's some websites where you'll find some amazing contest winning speeches.
Check the article from Ernest Speakers "Purpose Points the Way" to find out how "purpose makes the speech". Go to http://www.earnestspeakers.com/purpose.html.
The article "How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear" by Morton C Orman, MD gives an outsider's view of public speaking. Morton opens by saying: "Public speaking is a common source of stress for everyone" then he goes on to say why public speaking need not be stressful at all, giving 10 key principles to avoid stress. Go to http://www.stresscure.com/jobstress/speak.html for the full article. (Note: 7 pages printed.)
All about Mark Twain - http://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Twain/
by Dave Stonyer (email davestonyer@paradise.net.nz)
I originally compiled this list after one particular session of a Youth Leadership course (run with Rob Julian at Newlands College) where the 4-letter word was over-used! I have an aversion to simply saying something was "good" as I feel that "good" is the enemy of GREAT! I think that the use of "good" where there are so many other words that could be used is just verbal laziness. Hence the creation of this list. I have added other alternatives over the years - and am always open to adding more!
Please email me with your suggestions and have fun with using some of these in place of the ordinary, pedestrian and frankly boring "good".
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A |
admirable able adroit agreeable ample angelic adequate advanced apt adaptable applicable advisable auspicious appreciated advantageous amazing a-1 appropriate absolute |
|
B |
benevolent bright bonzer blue-chip better businesslike benedictory brilliant beneficial bona fide braw brill |
|
C |
consummate commendable candid capital considerable classic classy correct crackerjack complete creditable commodious copybook choice champion complimentary craftful competent copacetic corker convenient cracking |
|
D |
distinguished deft dazzling disciplined dandy divine downright desirable direct developed delightful delectable droll delicious discriminating discerning |
|
E |
equitable elegant ecstatic excellent exquisite enjoyable efficient estimable expedient entire edifying enriched elite evolved exemplary enhanced employable exhilarating efficacious effective extraordinary |
|
F |
faultless fabulous favourable foxy frank forthright finesse fine fertile full functional free forthcoming fit flawless fragrant fruitful first-rate fab fantastic fulsome first-class |
|
G |
great gratifying grand goodly gainful glarmy glorious groovy |
|
H |
handy humdinging helpful handsome |
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I |
impeccable intense intriguing increased immaculate irreproachable infallible indubitable ingenious indescribable invaluable incomparable ideal |
|
J |
joyous |
|
K |
knockout kind |
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L |
laudatory lovely large laudable loyal |
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M |
marvelous matchless meritorious mighty masterful magnificent magisterial |
|
N |
neat non-pareil nonesuch noble noteworthy |
|
O |
outstanding opportune outspoken obedient optimum |
|
P |
prime peerless par excellence praiseworthy precious passable pre-eminent pragmatic powerful plain pleasurable proper productive pleasant practical presageful perfect progressive profound priceless prolific paragon prestigious profitable positive prophetic prodigious professional propitious precise |
|
Q |
qualitative |
|
R |
rapturous rewarding radical refining remedial rectifying remunerative ravishing reliable right riveting reputable relevant reforming roaring |
|
S |
sagacious superfine stylish smashing satisfying select splendid safe sterling suitable sure starring skilled satisfactory sound substantial sincere salutary staunch stark salubrious sensible spiffing startling straightforward superlative stunning superhuman serviceable superior sublime scrumptious super slick sophisticated steal superb stupendous swell superdooper |
|
T |
transforming true transcendental tiptop thumping terrific talented tolerable topnotch thorough tickety-boo |
|
U |
uncensorious unabated unfeigned unsurpassed unblemished usable unequalled untainted unreserved unrivalled utilitarian unambiguous unparalleled unbelievable unimpeachable unmitigated unutterable ultraspecial |
|
V |
versatile valid virtuous vintage |
|
W |
wholesome workable worthy wicked wonderful well-behaved wise worthwhile whacking |
|
Z |
zingy |
Losing your place in the script
- Number the pages at the top centre.
- Type the text of your speech in at least 14 point Times Roman font, with at least 2 line spaces between each line and 3 line spaces between paragraphs.
- For each new sentence, start a new paragraph.
- For each new line of thought, start a new page. Have the theme in bold at the top.
- Have two pages visible at all times - slide the pages over.
- Rehearse with pauses to let a message sink in.
Seeing a sea of strange faces
- Meet and greet as many people in the audience as possible before you begin, as they enter, or over coffee at a break. That way no matter where you look in the room you will see a familiar and friendly face.
- As you are being introduced, scan the whole room. Get used to the lighting, as well as the location of friendly faces.
Getting tangled in a long sentence.
- One sentence per thought.
- Avoid using "and" or similar conjunctions to join several thoughts in one sentence.
- Very few sentences should exceed 15 words. Most should be under ten. A few should be five words or less, particularly those which introduce or hammer home an important point.
- Full stops are free - use them!
Ad libbing
- The brilliant additional thought that you have at the lectern should not be necessary to make the meaning clear.
- Read through the speech out loud at least ten times before delivery.
Tell them only what they need to know.
- Keep in mind that your objective is to tell them some things that they don't
already know.
- A question and answer period at the end can be used to clarify points that need it. Make sure you mention this at the beginning.
Reading from the script
- Never read from a script. Presenters who read word for word from a script lose their audience from the back of the room.
Not knowing how to use presentation and sound equipment
- Check whether you will have a datashow projector and laptop running a Powerpoint presentation, or at least an overhead projector, and make sure you know how to operate it. Ensure the sound equipment is working correctly before beginning.
- Know your material well enough that you can glance at the screen to keep your place.
- If there is something detailed like a formula, put it on the slide or point them to your paper or handout in the conference proceedings.
- Always have a backup plan in case electronic equipment fails.
Source: Toastmasters newsgroup discussion
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