Inspired by the success of that activity, I offer you the Twelve Days of Public Speaking Christmas.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the presentation gave to me:

• Twelve figures of speech;
• Eleven poignant phrases;
• Ten timely gestures;
• Nine meaningful quotes;
• Eight laughs from humor;
• Seven smooth transitions;
• Six “um”-free minutes;
• Five metaphors;
• Four simple ideas;
• Three major points;
• Two stories told; and
• A message in the speech!

This worked out very well at a Toastmaster event where we sang the “On the twelfth day of Christmas, Toastmasters gave to me…”

Try out this song idea at your next Christmas event!

Similar Articles You May Like... Book Review: Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun) Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker? How to Connect With Your Audience by Moving Closer 8 Faulty Speaker Assumptions and How to Fix Them Are Your Speech Gestures Too Small, Too Big, or Just Right?

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.