Does your voice put your audience to sleep? Does it put you to sleep?

Do you find it hard to  conveying emotions with your voice?

Are you easy to listen to, or does your voice let you down?

The sixth Toastmasters speech project guides you to harness the power of your own voice. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

Why is This Speech Important?

The objectives for this speech project are to use your voice to complement your message:

• Use voice volume, pitch, rate, and quality to reflect and add meaning and interest to your message.
• Use pauses to enhance your message.
• Use vocal variety smoothly and naturally.

Your voice is the best tool in your delivery toolbox. You must learn to use it effectively to enhance your presentation.

Tips and Techniques

1. Plan Around the 4 P’s: Pace, Pitch, Power, and Pauses

Be conscious of all four major vocal variables, and work all of them into your speech.

1. Pace — One of the easiest ways to incorporate variable pace is to slow down through key statements.
2. Pitch — A convenient way to hit different pitch points is to play with different emotional content. A sad voice takes on a different pitch than a content voice, which is distinct from an excited voice, and so on. Stories are good speech building blocks for many reasons, including how they bring a speaker’s voice alive through different emotions.
3. Power (Volume) — Don’t overdo it with changes in volume. Again, align your variations in volume with emotional content. Anger or joy tends to bring out a loud voice. Fear or sadness calls for a quiet voice.
4. Pauses — There are a multitude of ways to incorporate pauses in a meaningful way (watch for a future Six Minutes article dedicated to pauses). For this speech, keep it straightforward. Make sure you’ve got short pauses following every sentence, and longer pauses at the ends of paragraphs or transitions within your speech.

2. Be Deliberate (Keep Score if You Have To)

Don’t just write a speech and try to incorporate vocal variety on the fly as you deliver it. You won’t get any value from this speech project if you take that approach.

As you write, edit, and rehearse your speech, select words or phrases where you will consciously vary your voice in each of the four P ways. As you grow as a speaker, you’ll hit all four of these unconsciously, but when you are learning, it’s okay to be a little more deliberate.

Consider annotating your speech with colored pen to highlight vocal variation opportunities.

You might even consider making a “scorecard” in the margin of your page, and giving yourself one point for each vocal manoeuver. Shoot for a score of at least 3 for each P.

3. Align Your Voice with Expressive Gestures

One of the best ways to bring out your most expressive voice is to use expressive gestures, particularly facial gestures!

If participate in teleconference calls or webinars, you may have learned this trick. Even though nobody can see you, it really helps to stand up in your office and give body, hand, and facial gestures as you talk on the phone. Your voice will naturally come alive, as if synchronized with your gestures.

The same trick applies to face-to-face presentations as well. If you are expressive with your face and other gestures, your voice tends to naturally align.

4. Ditch the Notes, Keep Your Head Up, and Project Your Voice

Maybe you have used notes for the five previous Competent Communicator projects, but now is a great time to break free of your notes.

• When you glance down to read notes, your neck and throat bend and can get contorted. Your voice tends to be low, or poor quality, and low volume.
• Without notes, you’ll be able to keep your head up high and your eyes on your audience. With your head high, your neck and throat will be stretched out, and the quality of your voice will be much more resonant.

5. Exaggerate Words

If your speech allows, find some words where you can play with the pronunciation to add some vocal spice to your delivery. For example:

• Instead of saying “The car was a long way from the beach,” you could say “The car was a looooooong way from the beach”.
• Instead of saying “The hamburger was delicious,” try “The hamburger was deeee-licious.”

6. Don’t Speak About Vocal Variety

When choosing your topic for this speech, avoid the temptation to speak about vocal variety, like this guy (who admits he “cheated”). If you do, you are missing the point of this speech project.

Your objective for this speech project is not to educate your audience about vocal variety. Your objective is to incorporate vocal variety to enhance your delivery.

You have infinite speech topics at your disposal… explore!

What I Did for Speech 6

I chose to deliver a biographical speech about Theodor Seuss Geisel, the children’s book author better known as Dr. Seuss.

This topic was fantastic as it begged for me to use my voice in a wonderful variety of ways:

• My “normal” speaking voice was used for “bones” of the speech — the biographical details which formed the framework. Even in this section of the speech, I used vocal variety to emphasize key words, phrases, and points.
• I included numerous quotations from his stories, each carefully selected to both (a) illustrate the biographical details and (b) allow me to convey a different emotion or mood. Each of these required varying the pitch, pace, and volume. For example, I included:
  • Happy, sing-songy passages from Fox in Sox and The Cat in the Hat
  • A stalwart, committed passage from Horton Hatches the Egg
  • An angry passage from The Lorax (this was one of my all-time favorite moments in Toastmasters as I used one of the audience members as a “prop” to be the source of my anger)
  • An optimistic passage from Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Reading Dr. Seuss books and other stories with my daughter is one of my favorite activities. Therefore, this topic revealed an inherent passion, and I knew this would come through in the quality of my voice.

Toastmasters Speech 6 Examples

Here are a few sample video speeches which may provide inspiration for you. As you watch some of these videos, ask yourself which speakers are using vocal variety to enhance their speeches, and which are missing opportunities. Then, try to emulate the best behaviors in your own speech.

• How to Communicate with Me by Shana(?)
  • Pauses are used effectively, particularly before/after transition statements. This (along with clear language) helps convey the structure of the speech.
  • Increase volume and pace when impersonating another person @ 2:00
  • Varying voice to mimic personality traits on “the person who needs love more than information” @ 2:35
  • Emphasis on the word “perturbed” (to make it sound perturbed!) @ 2:55, and the great emphasis on  “I wish you’d show me more respect” (in a way that is demanding respect)
  • “I was in this one loooooooooong class about muscles” @ 4:05
• For the Love of Animals by Emilie Staryak
  • Effective use of pauses throughout, particularly in the opening minute of the speech, to enhance the understandability. For example (starting @ 1:00), notice the pause after phrase  “herding, hauling, and hunting”; brief pauses after after “loyalty” and “security”; and then the longer pause after “companionship”.
  • Effective exaggeration used in the phrase “DESperate meOW” @ 2:08
  • Notice the variation in pitch @ 2:25 and 2:40, and also how this is accompanied by gestures
• The Art of Procrastination by Chance Litton
  • Effective vocal variety throughout.
  • The speaker’s variation in pace and pauses conveys much of the humor.
• Is Your Dream a Loud Gong or a Faint Whistle by Daniel
• Unknown Title by Anonymous
• Last Child in the Woods by Paul Miller
• That’s Just Rude by Dianne
• Friend or Foe: It’s All In Your Perspective by Robin
• Sioux Hockey Fan by John Sanders
• My Turn Around by Jerome Moore
• Who Wrote That Book? by Stephanie Bryant
• Beyond the Nineteenth Hole by Glenn Woodson
• It’s Your Money by Anonymous
• Unknown by Dick
• The Upside of Failure by John Armstrong

Next in the Toastmasters Speech Series

The next article in this series will examine Speech 7: Research Your Topic.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Preparation #7: Choreograph Your Speech with Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety 8 Faulty Speaker Assumptions and How to Fix Them Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers Toastmasters: Please Share Your Story Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks Are… um… Filler Words… ah… Okay?

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.

To mark the 85th anniversary of the world’s leading organization devoted to communications, we recently asked Six Minutes readers to share their stories of growth through Toastmasters.

Question: How has Toastmasters made a difference in your life?

We received a flood of testimonials, and are pleased to share several of them below.

Bryan Senter:

I had expectations when I came into Toastmasters. I expected to become a better speaker and a better overall communicator. I even bought into the opportunities to improve my leadership skills. But what caught me by surprise was the personal growth.

Peggy Machol-Bassett:

“What a wonderful experience that first meeting was [...] speech evaluations with substance and kindness!”

I used to teach my speech classes just as I was taught in college:  assign a list of speeches to be completed by semester’s end, have students work independently and present speeches, and the teacher (me) announces to the entire class how each student failed to achieve the objectives. Needless to say, after the first speech or two, students began refusing to speak!

I heard of Toastmasters and found my club, JSC Toastmasters #3116. What a wonderful experience that first meeting was — being sincerely welcomed by the members when I arrived, tantalizing Table Topics, speech evaluations with substance and kindness! I was hooked.

My students immediately noticed the change in class. Three years later, I’m working towards my AC Silver and display my speech evaluations for my students to read. There’s no way to know what my fellow speech students might have been able to achieve had our instructor used Toastmasters methods.

Frank Andrassy:

“I joined Toastmasters because my company had cancelled all their personal skills development training.”

My life has changed and I have met exciting, outgoing, approachable, caring, giving, helping, and (most of all) people that support, help and drive you to be the best.

I joined Toastmasters because my company had cancelled all their personal skills development training. I was just planning to get my CC and stop. I decided to get my CL and attended officer training. My trainer hooked me — I wanted to speak like him. On the way home, I developed a speech which I used to enter the Humorous Speech Contest. I won my club contest and my Area contest, but lost in the Division. I was hooked. I later competed in the International speech contest and did the same. It seems my speeches were lengthy and growing longer. I eventually became my club’s President and now I am an Area Governor. My goal and plan is to get my DTM in June 2010.

How has Toastmaster helped me? Contacts, networking, beating shyness and being introverted, support, being believed in, and most of all friendship. My plan was to develop a blog (needed a topic) I also wanted to get into Professional speaking and found out I needed a strength or area. Toastmasters has made me looked deeply at myself and realize that who I was and what I believed in was not only Ok but needed to be shared with others. I started giving speeches on the loss of civility in America, Personal Freedom and how to get controlled back in your life, overcoming Apathy, finding meaning and direction in your life, etc. Toastmasters and the people, friends, contacts that I have developed have supported, driven, encouraged, guided me to become a better speaker, speech writer and speak from the heart so others can hear, change and become a better person and help make America great again.

Joanne Soong:

Toastmasters helped me eliminate my crippling fear of speaking which prevented me from pitching my small business plan to investors. Now, I speak without fear, and my small business is thriving!

Kevin Wortman:

“I joined Toastmasters 16 years ago to attack, head on, a profound fear of public speaking. I reached a point, in my life and career, where the inability to communicate effectively was impacting everything I did.”

I joined TM 16 years ago to attack, head on, a profound fear of public speaking. I reached a point, in my life and career, where the inability to communicate effectively was impacting everything I did. I decided that my only alternative was to succeed. To tell you that TM changed my life would hardly do the experience justice. Today, I have my Able Communicator Gold designation and I’m currently working in the Competent Leader program. I speak in public every chance I get, and I teach public speaking skills in TM clubs, learning institutes, and high schools. I have won District level speaking competitions and have spoken to large and small audiences alike. Now, I am sought out for communication skills and public speaking mentoring.

“My communication skills have vaulted my career to the executive level in a Fortune 100 company. [...] Toastmasters gives you a skill that 95% of professionals don’t have. That’s a differentiator!”

My communication skills have vaulted my career to the executive level in a Fortune 100 company. Communication is a necessary leadership skill and the TM program teaches the participant to think on their feet through Table Topics with precision and key messaging while manual speeches hone individual skills for both speech mechanics and content. Personal development through the TM program requires commitment and a willingness to be “teachable.” However, the investment is small in comparison to the infinite return achieved through strong public speaking skills. I am convinced through years of speech evaluation, observation and participation that strong public speaking skills are absent in 95% of professionals thereby evidencing the invaluable nature of the TM program. To this end, TM gives you a skill that 95% of professionals don’t have. That’s a differentiator!

TM has afforded me the opportunity to meet great people from a broad range of professions and backgrounds. There is always a willingness to help participants succeed because the success of every individual is the success of the TM club and mission. I am well coached and well trained in public speaking because other Toastmasters took the time and interest in my personal development. I can’t give back enough to repay the success it has brought me both personally and professionally, but I keep trying. There are friendships that I have developed which now span years of TM participation. People make the program and passion makes the people.

“The hardest part is taking the first step from the ‘burning platform’ of fear [...] ”

I hope, in a small way, I’ve captured the essence, opportunity and challenge of public speaking through the expressions and participation in the TM experience. I consider myself a public speaking work-in-process forever and truly believe in the benefit of the TM program and larger organization. The hardest part is taking the first step from the “burning platform” of fear, nevertheless, it‘s a step you’ll remember forever and opportunity for personal development that parallels the same.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters: Please Share Your Story
• Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks
• Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
• Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
• The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking

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.

October 22, 2009 is the 85th anniversary of Toastmasters International.

Since that first meeting in the basement of the YMCA in California, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have become more effective communicators, more effective leaders, and more effective citizens.

Are you one of them? Please share your story!

Be Featured on Six Minutes

Six Minutes is looking for personal stories of success through Toastmasters. We’ll compile the best responses and feature them in a future article.

Question: How has Toastmasters made a difference in your life?

Maybe your career was boosted by superior presentation skills? Maybe your extra confidence helped you achieve your goals? Maybe your relationships improved thanks to better communication?

Please share your story, whether it be short or long, personal or public. Include your name, location, and (if relevant) your occupation.

Update: Responses have been compiled here.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers
• Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks
• Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
• Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
• The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking

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.

Does your face signal fear or does it signal excitement for your topic?

Do your hands vibrate, or do they punctuate your words?

The fifth Toastmasters speech project encourages you to make every body movement enhance your speech rather than detract from it. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

Why is This Speech Important?

The stated objectives for this speech project are to have your body complement your speech message:

• Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose.
• Make your body language smooth and natural.

If you aren’t aware of your body language, you are missing an incredible opportunity to improve your effectiveness as a speaker.

Tips and Techniques

1. Remove “Noisy” Movements

The Competent Communicator manual advice for this project is excellent, and among my favorite pieces of advice is “any movement during your speech should be purposeful.”

For many people, there is as much to be gained from removing nervous and distracting movements as there is from adding conscious gestures. It may seem counter-intuitive, but this is “addition by subtraction.”

Before delivering this speech, ask your mentor or a fellow club member to highlight your most distracting physical mannerism. We all have one. Mine is “wringing” of my hands. Yours might be a tendency to play with your hair. It might be playing with your keys or coins in your pocket. It might be rocking back and forth from your heel to your toe.

Whatever it is, make a goal in this project to consciously remove or reduce it in this speech project. By doing so, you can clear your physical palette, and then you’ll be ready for purpose additions of gestures to complement your message.

2. Avoid “Forcing” Gestures into Your Speech

One common mistake I see in Toastmasters who tackle this speech project is to overdo it by awkwardly forcing a hand gesture into nearly every sentence. This almost always results in a very choppy and awkward delivery.

Remember that your goal is not to provide a continuous physical interpretation of every word spoken. Instead, add gestures selectively where they add the most impact.

I find that the best way to avoid forcing hand and arms gestures is to try to strike an even balance between the other forms of physical gestures — eye contact, facial expressions, posture, or whole body movements. For example, if you convey an important emotion with your facial expression, your arms can relax to your sides because they “aren’t needed.”

3. Record Video of Yourself Speaking

If you have not seen yourself speaking yet, use this project as the motivation to finally do it. The best way to discover any distracting movements is to watch yourself delivering a speech with the volume turned off.

• Is your body constantly in movement, or do you come to rest in between gestures?
• Do your gestures alone (without the sound) convey emotions which match your message?
• Is your face expressive or flat?
• Are your eyes darting around the room or providing sustained contact?

What I Did for Speech 5

I decided to select a speech with a range of emotions so that I could practice having my body express the emotions. I chose to talk about a hobby that I shared with my dad — woodworking. Some examples of body language I used were:

• eyes wide open to mimic child wonder;
• angry face to signal frustration at a woodworking project gone wrong;
• shaking head to signal disappointment from my dad;
• a thrusting arm to show how wooden furniture was smashed; and
• various arm movements to show the sizes of pieces of wood.

The title of the speech was Measure Twice, Cut Once. Years later, I rewrote a substantial portion of this speech and entered the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, eventually placing third in District 21.

Critiques of Toastmasters Speech 5 Examples

Here are a few examples of Toastmasters members delivering speech 5 on video. Each is accompanied by a few critiques which highlight positive behaviors and things to improve. In several cases, a time is given (e.g. 0:45) Clicking on this link will take you to the moment the gesture is used in the speech.

Speech Example #1

Feeling Naked by Heather Applegate

• Gestures to Improve
  • Repetitive gesture (both arms spread out to sides), many times in a row. [0:45] If you repeat any action too many times, your audience starts to ignore it, or be annoyed by it. Both are bad for you.
  • In general, arms are quite “busy” with many “generic” gestures throughout. In her defense, this creates a relaxed, conversational style that is appropriate in for this speech topic. Still, I would like to see it toned down.
• Effective Body Language
  • Facial gestures convey a “puzzled look” to complement the confusion of the “neighbors being around you”. [0:55] This gesture comes through strong even with the imperfect video quality.
  • It’s better to avoid notes because they tend to limit gestures as you hold on to the paper. However, if you do must have notes, this is the way to do it [1:30]: briefly look down to orient yourself, and then look back up again before speaking. (Contrast this with talking to the paper @ 5:00.)
  • Inhale, exhale to complement “Just breathe” [3:05]

Speech Example #2

Let’s have disagreement by Anonymous

• Gestures to Improve
  • Forced gesture – The opening walk from right to left [0:02] seems forced to me. However, he recovered well with broad arm to right while saying “you’ll be one mile apart”
  • Repetitive action – Throughout the speech, two gestures are repeated over and over again. [1] two arms with palms upward; [2] two arms with thumbs up.
  • Back to the audience. [5:32] Try to avoid facing away from the audience, even when writing on a whiteboard or flip chart.
• Effective Body Language
  • Natural smile throughout the speech.
  • Raising of right arm reinforces that he wants the audience to respond to his question. [0:57]
  • Arms mimic “building a wall” [1:45]
  • Arms mimic a complete circle to punctuate “a whole” [3:16]
  • Emphasize opposites. Notice the use of the two arms for “stupid” and “smart” [4:16]
  • Arms “hugging” to punctuate the word “embrace” [6:03]

Speech Example #3

Speak Without Saying a Word by Emilie Staryak

• Gestures to Improve
  • It’s difficult to focus naturally on gestures when talking about gestures. For this reason, I recommend choosing a topic other than gestures for this speech.
• Effective Body Language
  • Natural smile throughout the speech.
  • Get the lectern out of the way [1:06]. Removing barriers between you and your audience helps them to see your body language and connect with you.
  • Emphasize opposites — “If we have a party that is going to start at 5 o’clock, we have to tell my Uncle Joe that it starts at 6 (arms gesturing to the right), and we have to tell my Dad that it starts at 4 (arms gesturing to the left)” [3:15]

Speech Example #4

Learning from Yourself by Anonymous

• Gestures to Improve
  • Arms tucked behind body for the first 70 seconds of speech. Try to keep your hands and arms in front and “ready” to gesture.
  • Repetitive gesture, both arms out in front, palms up, hands going up and down. [e.g. 4:40 to 5:20, and other times]
• Effective Body Language
  • Broad smile accompanies “I had lots of fun there” [2:20] Authenticity!
  • While saying “Projection”, arms project strongly outwards to complement words [2:48]
  • Emphasize opposites by providing opposing gestures. Arms sway to right = “too fast”; arms sway to the left = “too slow” [2:52]

More Examples of Your Body Speaks

Here are a few more sample video speeches which may provide inspiration for you. As you watch some of these videos, ask yourself which body language is effective and which is not. Then, try to emulate the best behaviors in your own speech.

• The Joy. The Ecstacy. The Moment by Anonymous
• Home Invasion by Annie
• Stuck in a Rut by Jason Turner
• Unknown by Sanjiv Santhanam
• Death of an Apostrophe by Chris J
• Unknown by Julia Billingsley
• Competition by David Stokes
• Couch Exercise by Eric
• Change by Accident by Bruce
• Invest a Little Discipline by Harsh Singhal
• Learning from Kids by Sachin Shah (including an evaluation)
• What Winners Do To Win by Lisa

Next in the Toastmasters Speech Series

The next article in this series examines Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Are Your Speech Gestures Too Small, Too Big, or Just Right?
• Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007)
• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers
• Toastmasters: Please Share Your Story
• Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

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.

• What is Toastmasters?
• Who joins Toastmasters?
• When did Toastmasters Start?
• Where do Toastmasters Meet?
• Why Should You Join Toastmasters?
• How to Join Toastmasters?

Interested in Toastmasters? Read on…

Are you a member? Please share your story!

What is Toastmasters?

Toastmasters International is:

• a nonprofit organization,
• comprised of over 250,000 members in over 106 countries,
• represented by over 12,500 clubs, and
  
• dedicated to excellence in communication and leadership

Most Toastmasters clubs meet weekly for 1-2 hours, and follow a pretty basic agenda:

• Prepared speeches – Members are given opportunities to prepare, rehearse, and then deliver presentations in front of their fellow members.
• Speech evaluations – Whenever you speak in Toastmasters, you receive helpful and supportive evaluations from your peers.
• Impromptu speaking – Members practice speaking “off the cuff” for one or two minutes by responding to general topics of interest (table topics).

For a more complete introduction to Toastmasters, watch the promotional video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Who Joins Toastmasters?

Anyone over the age of 18 can join Toastmasters, provided they have the desire to improve their communication and leadership skills.

Beyond that, Toastmasters members are a diverse group, spanning countries and cultures, and all socio-economic backgrounds.

The Toastmasters International website tells us that:

• 52% of members are female and 48% are male.
• Average annual household income: $85,000-$99,000.
• 30% earn $100,000+ annually.
• 69% of members are between the ages of 35 and 49.
• 82% have a college degree.
• 36% have an advanced degree.

What industries employ Toastmasters?

• 20% Sales, Consulting, Self Employed
• 18% Management
• 15% Finance & Insurance
• 15% Government
• 12% Education
• 20% Other

When Did Toastmasters Start?

The first Toastmasters club was started by Ralph Smedley in Santa Ana, California in 1924 at a local YMCA to meet the need for speech and leadership training for young men. His initial “Ten Lessons in Public Speaking” still forms the core of the Toastmasters educational program as the 10 projects of the Competent Communicator manual. ( It has, of course, been updated and revised many times.)

The single club turned into a network of affiliated Toastmasters Clubs as the idea spread throughout southern California. When an affiliated club formed in British Columbia, Toastmasters International was born.

Where Do Toastmasters Meet?

Everywhere!

Well, not quite, but the network of clubs is growing:

• 11,000 Toastmasters clubs meet in over 90 countries.
• Clubs meet within corporations, in community centers, on university and college campuses, in churches and temples, in restaurants, in libraries, in prisons, and many other places.
• The majority of clubs are still in North America, but the organization is growing fastest outside of North America, particularly in Asia.
• Most clubs meet weekly for 1-2 hours.

Why Should You Join Toastmasters?

Everyone has their own personal reasons for joining Toastmasters, but here are a few of the most common:

1. Become a Better Public Speaker
   Members work through a series of educational programs (at their own pace) designed to improve their ability to write speeches, design presentations, and deliver them.
2. Overcome Public Speaking Fears
   The most positive and supportive audience in the world is a Toastmasters club audience. Speaking regularly in front of a group helps you calm your nerves and communicate effectively.
3. “Practice” Presentations for Other Audiences
   Everyone has different motivations for wanting to speak better. Maybe you want to hone your presentation skills for your career. Perhaps you want to be able to speak out in your volunteer organization. Maybe you want to complement your portfolio as an author, manager, or other professional with speaking gigs? Whatever the case, Toastmasters is a wonderful laboratory for you to practice your presentations and gain valuable feedback.
4. Gain the Confidence and Courage to Lead
   Leadership and communication skills are intimately bound. Some might argue that leadership is nothing more than the ability to effectively communicate a vision. As your communication skills improve, your ability to lead will improve as well.
5. ???
   Many Six Minutes readers are Toastmasters, so I’ll pass this question to you.
   Why did you join?
   What advice would you pass to someone considering joining?
   Let us know in the comments.

View several testimonials on this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Join Toastmasters?

1. Search the Toastmasters club database to find clubs where you live.
2. If you live in an urban area, you may have many options. Narrow the list down based on the time of day (morning, mid-day, evening) or day of the week (most clubs meet Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) that works best for you.
3. Visit several clubs (if the options exist). Don’t settle for the first club you find. Every club has a unique club culture. Find the one that suits you the best.
4. Sign up. Toastmasters dues are inexpensive, particularly compared to other training options.
5. Commit yourself to excellence. Toastmasters is a program where you only get out in proportion to what you put in.

Any Other Questions?

If you are considering joining Toastmasters and have questions, drop a question into the comments, or contact me directly.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers
• Toastmasters: Please Share Your Story
• Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks
• Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
• The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking

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.

As reported earlier, LaShunda was one of 10 finalists to compete in the world championship speech contest.

One of my colleagues noted that “she delivered the best speech I’ve ever heard — a speech that moved my soul.”

I am honored that LaShunda made the time to answer several questions about her victory, her speaking career, and her remarkable life story. I am delighted to share this inspirational interview with you.

Six Minutes Interview with LaShunda Rundles

Question: How did you develop a passion for public speaking?

My passion for public speaking began as the youngest in a family of achievers. We all looked for our time to shine. My parents were both educators and rewarded participation in extra curricular activities.

My mother was a teacher and majored in English. She loved poetry and often used recitation as punishment for us. We would have to memorize pieces and learn to effectively interpret the meaning and deliver it to her satisfaction to get off the hook.

I enjoyed singing in the choir and being in church so much as the daughter and granddaughter of ministers, speaking was just something that came naturally.

Question: Several titles are now associated with your name: “World Champion of Public Speaking 2008″, “first woman to win since 1986″, “first African American woman to ever win”. Describe what these accolades mean to you.

The titles are all wonderful. I am proud to represent women, the African American community, and people with disabilities.

However, my favorite title is Dennis’ mom. When he was proud of me, it made all the difference in the world to me. I just want him to know that with hard work and dedication your rewards will come.

If these titles are anything, it is just a testimony of being brave enough to follow your dream. I believe in our life being a legacy. To know at this point that I have done something to leave a lasting name for me on this earth is a breathtaking thought. The individual lives that I have touched are something that I treasure much more than a title. I just want people to be hopeful and I just want life to be happy.

Question: What was the core message in your championship speech? What prompted you to choose this theme?

The theme of my speech was to speak up. People sit in silence so much afraid to express themselves and it often diminishes the quality of their lives and those that they love. The fear people have has to be overcome and the purpose has to be the passion.

I chose this theme because growing up, I saw so many people abused because of their silence. I witnessed people be broken because they would not speak in their own defense. Most painfully, I watched my mother die from cancer. When she began to finally complain, it was too late. I am sure that she had symptoms long before she revealed it to us. She was the kind of person who would grin and bear it. She was so giving that she didn’t ever want to feel like she was imposing on anyone. I believe that her silence allowed the cancer to take [her] life because it was about one month from her diagnosis until her death.

In addition, what I learned from her is that our words make a lasting impression on this earth. Her words still live in me and the values she instilled in me live in me and will live on through my son.

I believe that my victory also shows something else that I believe. I believe that when you can take self out of something and uplift others, you will often be lifted in the process of lifting others. My father passed away when I was very small and my mother worked hard to raise us. I want her to know even in heaven that I appreciate her direction and her unconditional love.

Question: Having gone through six separate speech contests this year, what lessons have you learned from competitive speaking?

The thing I learned most from competitive speaking is that you have to stay genuine.

As you advance you have all of these new people in your life. Some of them do not have your best interests at heart.

I learned so much about defining human emotions and seeing what does and doesn’t work. Through evaluations, I learned so much about writing and really listening.

I also learned about putting filters in place. I actually had someone evaluate me and slam my gestures, my voice, my enunciation, and me referencing my ethnicity. After the tears dried up, I realized that some people just have evil intentions. Your speech can be perfect and some people will find something wrong just to have something to say. I decided to follow my heart and I knew that even if I lost, I was true to what I had to say. Needless to say, my heart won.

I encourage all speakers to really grip this concept. What is right is right. It may not always win but we don’t always speak to win, we should speak to change lives even if it is just one. Hopefully that one may be a judge, but if not, it will still be okay.

Question: What personal goal did you set when you entered the speech contest this year? Were you aiming for the World Championship, or did you have a different goal?

People have asked me if I started out with winning the championship in mind. In reality, after almost losing my life, I set out to fulfill my part of a promise to God. When He brought me from 90 pounds and a feeding tube back to walking around and caring for my son, I knew I had to acknowledge His power.

In addition, my club had such faith in me and supported me so much while I was in the hospital, I wanted to make them proud. I have the most awesome club and I love them. They are my family. They let me talk about what was going on in my life and I drew so much strength from it, I couldn’t help but try for them.

So it never was about me from the beginning, it was about the collective efforts of all the people who said you belong on this earth and talked me into believing it. I feel that those were the words that gave me the power to fight. So when despair came up against the words of the Town North Trendsetters, there was no contest. My club won, hands down! Recently, they changed our flyers to say “Home Club of LaShunda Rundles…” In my heart I know that TNT is not only my home club, it’s my home.

Question: You are a lupus survivor, and I’ve read that you hope to become the national spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America. What would it mean to you to be able to accomplish this?

People who do not understand lupus do not have an idea of what I deal with each day. There are thousands of people living in pain daily.

I want to raise money, awareness, and understanding. I don’t want people to live with the shame that I did for many years wanting to hide it. My skin is not flawless, my scars are many, but my resolve is unbreakable. I want to bring hope to the lives of those that know what it is really like to have a “good” day. As the awareness grows the quality of life for many people will mean many more “good” days and better yet restful nights. In a world of limited resources we have to fight for our piece of the pie.

I lost a friend of mine who was 28 and died blind and in a wheelchair with lupus. If I can help prevent things like that through my voice, it would be a blessing and an honor.

Question: What other goals have you set for your speaking career?

For the long term, I just want to speak and sing to maintain a happy life. I don’t have any visions of grandeur other than to be able to travel and share as much time with my son as I can. I have several projects in the works both written and musically. I want to continue to help people live their best lives and to uplift the kingdom of God. I want to stay as healthy as possible and hope the doctors can advance research to make my life meaningful and long.

Then if I could have my ultimate goal, I can take over for Oprah when she decided to retire. I love the giving spirit in her heart and I believe without a doubt that is why she has been so successful.

I will have to live life in moderation because most people do not realize that I have days that I cannot walk. I still have periods of time when I cannot tolerate food and when the pain brings me to my knees. However, I am the World Champion of Public Speaking and no one can tell me that I didn’t do the work because I did. I believe that it was my destiny and I want to be a beacon of light to everyone who is not perfect. Your destiny is still your destiny. I am living my dream.

Question: Studying other speakers and developing self-awareness are necessary to grow as a speaker. What do you consider your greatest strengths as a speaker? How about weaknesses: what speaking skills or habits are you currently striving to improve?

My greatest strength as a speaker is the ability to stay truthful. I find my message and I let my words guide me from there. Also, I don’t try to become too staged. I work to have a conversation with the audience not a one-act play. I love to make eye contact looking for that one person who needed to hear me that day. I like to make the connection with my audience and laugh with them.

My weakness is timing. I always have so much to say. I am still learning that sometimes fewer words can still bring the necessary message. I guess that comes from growing up listening to ministers all the time. Unfortunately, they didn’t have timing lights in church. It may not be a bad idea though.

Question: What other advice can you give to Six Minutes readers who are striving to become more confident and effective speakers?

To become a better speaker I encourage people to just practice, practice, practice. You have to get comfortable in your own skin.

Also, be open to feedback. I believe that being able to expose yourself to a variety of settings for feedback assures the universal appeal of your message. Assemble a group of honest coaches who will tell you without the sugar coating what works. Don’t be so resolute that you cannot accept honest and reasonable criticisms. After all you are not talking to yourself, but if you don’t have enough care to consider the audience, you will be very soon.

Resources related to LaShunda Rundles

• Learning about Lupus:
  • Lupus Foundation of America
  • Lupus books and other resources
• FOX News video: Local Woman Crowned Champion Speaker
• Toastmasters International
  • Announcement of LaShunda’s victory
  • List of World Champions of Public Speaking

Has LaShunda Touched You?

If you experienced LaShunda’s winning speech at the World Championship contest, or if you have a message for LaShunda, please share your thoughts with others.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking
• Lessons I Learned from Toastmasters Speech Contests
• Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest
• Speech Analysis #5: Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers

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.

Each year, over 230,000 members in over 11,000 clubs in 92 countries around the world have the opportunity to participate in this contest where competitors deliver 7-minute speeches judged on core message, speech development, language, and delivery techniques.

The club contest is the first of six stages which culminate in the World Championship of Public Speaking contest. The 10 speakers left standing have each out-spoken and out-inspired fellow competitors at five previous contests. [Back in May, I bowed out in the quarter-finals.]

Here are the 2008 finalists for the World Championship of Public Speaking. As you can plainly see, there is no single “speaker mold”: they bridge four countries, both genders, numerous ages, and diverse backgrounds.

2008 World Championship of Public Speaking Finalists

Region 1: Rich Hopkins (Provo, Utah)

• Bio and Personal Links
  • Rich took 3rd place at the 2006 World Championship of Public Speaking.
  • It Takes a Village to Build a Champion: Rich’s blog where he is chronicling his journey to the World Championships. (It is featured in the Public Speaking Blogs list.)
• Speech Videos
  • Glorious Victory (Youtube video)
• In the News
  • Provo Man is toast of Toastmasters (Deseret News, June 13, 2008)
• Home club: unknown

Region 2: Robert MacKenzie (Santa Monica, California)

• Speech Videos
  • My Alter Ego (Region 2, 2008) (Review of this speech by Bob Freels)
  • Time (District 1, 2008)
• Home club: Westside Toastmasters (638), District 1

Region 3: LaShunda Rundles (Dallas, Texas)

• Interview with LaShunda Rundles about her Toastmasters World Championship victory
• Region-winning speech title: Dirty Little Secrets
• Home club: Town North Trendsetters (4533), District 50

Region 4: Martin Presse (Wetaskiwin, Alberta)

• In the News
  • Presse competes in speech contest (The Camrose Canadian, August 14, 2008)
  • Camrose man off to ‘olympics of oratory’ (Edmonton Journal, August 10, 2008)
• Region-winning speech title: I Believe in You
• District-winning speech title: Commit to Your Swing
• Home club: Camrose Toastmasters Club (1432), District 42

Region 5: Colin William (West Lafayette, Indiana)

• Home club: Hanna Center Toastmasters (5212), District 11

Region 6: Charlie Wilson (State College, Pennsylvania)

• In the News
  • Local Toastmaster Competes in World Championship (KDKA Video, July 15, 2008) – Charlie is interviewed by Kristine Sorensen and discusses his district, region, and world championship speeches.
  • The Power of Speech (Centre Daily Times, August 9, 2008)
• Home club: ARL/Penn State Pingers (7132), District 13

Region 7: Katherine Morrison (Massachusetts)

• In the News
  • Curry College Professor Recognized as the Best Public Speaker on the Eastern Seaboard (Curry College website, July 15, 2008)
• Region-winning speech title: Stand Up Again
• District-winning speech title: The Challenge
• Home club: Boston West Toastmasters (4735), District 31

Region 8: Henry Flowers IV (Chapin, South Carolina)

• Region-winning speech title: My First Time
• Home club: Richland (2500), District 58

Outside Regions – A: K. Loghandran (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

• Tough Love: Advice from K Loghandran on speech contest success
• Home club: Speakers’ Dream (220), District 51

Outside Regions – B: Jock Elliot (West End, Queensland, Australia)

• Bio and Personal Links
  • Jock has reached the World Championship of Public Speaking on four previous occasions, placing 3rd in 1994.
  • Argent Star Profile for Jock Elliott
• In the News
  • He’s the talk of the town (City South News, July 23, 2008)
• Home club: unknown

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
• Lessons I Learned from Toastmasters Speech Contests
• Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest
• Speech Analysis #5: Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers

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.

• “What was that about?“
• “He was all over the place today.“
• “What was her point?“

These are symptoms of a speech that had no clear objective and was not focused on achieving that objective.

The third Toastmasters speech project stresses the importance of clearly identifying your target objective, and then maintaining precise focus to achieve it. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

Why is This Speech Important?

The stated objectives for this speech project revolve around being focused and precise:

• Select a speech topic and determine its general and specific purposes.
• Organize the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes.
• Ensure the beginning, body, and conclusion reinforce the purposes.
• Project sincerity and conviction and control any nervousness you may feel.
• Strive not to use notes.

The Easy Part: Get to the Point

Your first task is to get to the point. Before you generate an outline or your first draft, be sure you know your purpose precisely. Make sure you can state it in a single simple sentence.

A common pitfall is to choose topics which are too broad; remember that your time is limited. This can be challenging, but if you adopt the practice of determining your purpose before writing anything else, you will find this to be the easy part. (Read an earlier article about selecting a speech topic.)

The Harder Part: Stay Focused On the Point

The much harder part — and the part that many speakers struggle badly with — is staying focused on the point.

No speaker intends to stray from their purpose; rather, it happens quite accidentally. Somewhere between getting to the point and writing the first draft, a collection of off topic elements are inserted into the speech.

• It might be an off-topic opening anecdote which is “too good not to share”.
• It might be some jaw-dropping statistics that are only remotely related to the topic.
• It might be the latest whiz-bang effect in PowerPoint that is glitzy, but content-empty.

Find these extraneous elements, and eliminate them while editing your speech. Every element of your speech must reinforce your purpose. Each time you edit your speech, your goal should be to sharpen the focus. (Read a previous article with six power principles for speech editing.)

What I Did for Speech 3

My speech topic was Raising a Reader. (I had just finished reading the excellent book from Jim Trelease titled The Read-Aloud Handbook. I highly recommend it for parents.)

My original purpose was going to be to encourage the audience to be lifelong readers. I discovered a wealth of supporting evidence. However, I felt this topic was too broad.

Instead, I wrote my specific purpose: “After hearing this speech, the audience will be able to identify three reasons why reading aloud to a child is the best way to encourage them to be a lifelong reader.”

To support this purpose, my speech was organized as follows:

• Opening hook which illustrated the strong correlation between life success and a love of reading.
• Body of speech gave three benefits of reading aloud to children. Each was supported with simple facts and stories.
  • Reason 1 – Increase the child’s listening vocabulary.
  • Reason 2 – Gives the child a reading role model.
  • Reason 3 – Associates reading with pleasure.
• Conclusion repeated the three benefits and emphasized that these benefits were easy to achieve.

Other Ideas for Toastmasters Speech 3

Below are three sample speeches delivered to satisfy Toastmasters speech project 3. All three are excellent examples which have a very clear purpose and strong focus on that purpose.

For each of these three example speeches:

• What are the general and specific speech purposes?
  (Do you agree with those that I have listed?)
• What techniques were used to reinforce on these purposes?
• Was the speech focussed, or were there elements that did not belong?

Example #1

Lessons Learned in Napa by Emilie Staryak (video)

• General purpose: To persuade.
• Specific purpose: To convince the audience to be open to new experiences by sharing lessons learned on a winetasting weekend.
• The speech opening was strong. It identified the four lessons:
  1. You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy Napa.
  2. Wine tasters are not as hoity-toity as you might think.
  3. Your tastes can grow if you allow them to.
  4. Don’t just stop to taste the grapes.
• Focus: The lessons were supported with a series of personal stories. Every story related to these lessons. For example, the first lesson is supported by sharing that she and her husband were beer drinkers, but are now planning a second trip.
  
• Conclusion: The concluding sentence (”Who would have thought that two beer drinkers would be planning a second trip to Napa valley?“) reinforces the speech purpose.

Example #2

You’re Going to Wear THAT?!? by Arnie Buss (video)

• General purpose: To inform
• Specific purpose: To provide advice in handing questions in a problem area.
• Introduction:
  • Opens with a problematic question (the speech title) that many in the audience have probably experienced.
  • Outlines 3 frameworks from which we answer questions
    1. our child self (the victim; taking blame)
    2. our parent self (passing judgment)
    3. our aware self.
• Demonstration #1: “Why do you only ever think of yourself?”
  Excellent demonstration which gives three possible responses which correspond to the three frameworks.
• Demonstration #2: “Does this dress make me look fat?”
  This question generates humor (particularly since asked by a male audience member). However, it isn’t focused because the speaker has no “good” answer.
• Demonstration #3: “Why don’t you ever take me anywhere?”
  Another excellent demonstration applying the three frameworks.
• Conclusion: A very solid conclusion which focuses on the specific purpose. He advises against using the first two frameworks, and then suggests using the third.
  “It doesn’t enhance the relationship to make yourself wrong [1 is bad]. It doesn’t help enhance the relationship to make the other person wrong [2 is bad]. So, whenever you’re asked an entrapping question, never answer it until you find out why its being asked. Track the intent of the question. [3 is good] Don’t take the blame, track the pain. [memorable closing line]“

Example #3

Value Generated vs. Mark-Up Fund Raising by Paul Miller (video)

• General purpose: To inform
• Specific purpose: Contrast two philosophies of fundraising, and suggest tools to evaluate fundraising strategies.
• Introduction: Clearly identified the specific purpose of the talk.
• Story #1 (Boy Scouts & popcorn): Excellent example of mark-up fund raising.
• Story #2 (Balloon dog): Excellent example of value generated fund raising.
• Numbers and Statistics: all focused on speech purpose e.g. “10 dollars leaves community versus 5 cents leaves community”
• Transition to the second half of the speech: Identifies 3 criteria for evaluating fund raising: (1) effect on individual (2) effect on community (3) effect on environment.
• More Stories: illustrate each of the three criteria

More Examples of Get to the Point

Here are a few more sample written and video speeches which may provide inspiration for you. For each speech, you might read (or watch) it first, and then check to see whether you agree with the general and specific purposes that I have listed for each speech. If you agree with me, then perhaps the speaker has achieved their purpose.

Written Speech Examples

• The Devil’s Gardens by Les Aquino
  General purpose: To inform
  Specific purpose: To describe the relationship between the Schumanni ants and Hirsuta trees in the Amazon rain forest.
• Channelled Authorship by Seamus McInerney
  General purpose: To inform
  Specific purpose: To describe the concept of channelled authorship.
  (The last line of this speech is priceless.)
• To Live Once by Edwin Vinas
  I will not give general or specific purposes for this speech because the speaker has specified his purpose along with the speech text.
• Break the Chain by Amit Bhatnagar
  General purpose: To persuade
  Specific purpose: To encourage the audience to stop forwarding chain email.
• Blushful Moments by Felicity
  General purpose: To persuade
  Specific purpose: To encourage the audience to celebrate embarrassing moments.
• You Put Your Left Arm In by Kane Baltetsch
  General purpose: To entertain
  Specific purpose: To share the history of the “Hokey Pokey” dance.

Video Speech Examples

• The Fair Tax by Alex Bein
  General purpose: To persuade
  Specific purpose: To convince the audience that a 23% national sales tax should replace individual income tax and several other taxes.
• A Mystery of Matter by Chance Litton
  General purpose: To inform
  Specific purpose: To introduce the audience to the wave-particle phenomenon.
• Have a Little Faith in Yourself by Karen Woodson
  General purpose: To inform
  Specific purpose: To highlight sources of low self-esteem and methods to improve self-esteem.
• Double Your Happiness By Doing This by Vince
  General purpose: To persuade
  Specific purpose: To persuade the audience to overlook the temptation to pass judgment.
• Appreciation by Heather
  General purpose: To persuade
  Specific purpose: To encourage the audience to appreciate life.
• Dyslexics are Anything But Dumb! by Rosetta Ishag
  General purpose: To inform
  Specific purpose: To talk about the characteristics of dyslexia.

Next in the Toastmasters Speech Series

The next article in this series examines Toastmasters Speech 4: How to Say It.

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Toastmasters Speech 4: How to Say It
• Toastmasters Speech 2: Organize Your Speech
• Toastmasters Speech 1: The Ice Breaker
• Speech Preparation #5: Six Power Principles for Speech Editing
• Speech Preparation #1: How to Prepare a Presentation
• Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007)

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.

Speech contests are your fastest route to your greatest improvement.
David Brooks, 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking

This past weekend, I won the Toastmasters District 21 Speech Evaluation Contest and placed third in the District 21 International Speech Contest.

The accolades are very nice, but they are fleeting in nature. On the other hand, the breadth and depth of lessons learned during these speech contests are long-lasting.

This article highlights just a few of these valuable lessons which apply to all speakers, whether novice or professional.

Note: Toastmasters contests begin at the club level. Winners then proceed through area, division, and district contests. The International Speech Contest continues through regional and world levels. LaShunda Rundles (2008 World Champion of Public Speaking) shares her lessons learned at those levels.

International Speech Contest – 2006

I entered the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in 2006, and was excited to win my club contest and then the area contest. I was pretty happy with this result, particularly considering I beat an experienced competitor who placed second. The top two contestants moved on to the next level.

Happiness morphed into being content and overconfident. I strolled into the contest at the division level and I delivered the exact same speech. The competitor who finished second last time improved his speech considerably. This time, he won and I placed second. He went to district, and I was eliminated.

• Key Lesson — Never get comfortable. Never be content. Capitalize on every opportunity to improve your skills and refine your speeches.

Evaluation and Table Topics Contests – 2007

In both cases, I scraped my way through club, area, and division contests and earned passage to the district contest.

At the district contest, I was confident but not overly so. I prepared as much as possible despite the fact that neither of these contests involve prepared speeches.

I delivered a solid, respectable, safe speech in both cases. In both cases, I was beaten by a contestant who was not only just as strong, but also was much more memorable.

• Key Lesson – Incorporate a truly memorable element in every presentation you give. Your audience will remember it, they’ll remember your message, and they’ll remember you. It is this quality which separates you from your peers.

Humorous Speech Contest – 2007

This was my first time competing in the Humorous Speech Contest. Before choosing my topic, I studied district speeches from previous years.

I wrote a speech which I felt could win the district contest based on my audience analysis. The subject for my humorous speech was Toastmasters itself. The audience would consist of 250 dedicated Toastmasters members attending a conference; I felt my speech would be received well.

The problem was that I didn’t make it to the district contest. I finished 3rd in the division contest where the audience was much smaller. More importantly, the demographics of the audience were different than the one for which I prepared.

• Key Lesson — Every audience is different. Even if you recycle much of your content, insert elements which reflect the unique audience characteristics.

International Speech Contest – 2008

I survived the club, area, and division contests over very tough competition. I advanced to the district competition for the second time. (I previously detailed my first trip in 2007 in the Speech Preparation Series.)

The district contest briefing was held about 5 hours before the contest. During this briefing, we learned the height of the “stage” was only about 2 inches. The audience for this contest was large (about 300 people) and spread around tables in a hotel banquet hall. The consequence of this setup was that contestants were not visible from the chest and below to audience members beyond the front row.

Three contestants featured either sitting in a chair or crouching beside a chair for part of their speech. At these times, they were completely invisible to the audience, and I believe this considerably diminished the effectiveness of their choreographed actions.

• Key Lesson: Adapt to your surroundings. If the room setup is such that your planned speech will suffer, then improvise. If you don’t, the audience cannot see you. If they cannot see you, it will be much, much harder to connect with them.

Evaluation Speech Contest – 2008

This was the third consecutive year that I reached the District 21 Evaluation Contest: eleven contests before this past weekend, and I had won 9 of them. I had not, however, taken the top prize at district level in previous years.

Instead of being content with last year’s second place district performance, I worked hard to hone my skills. I developed a speech evaluation workshop which helped me reflect on my strengths and weaknesses. The speech critiques on this blog allowed me to exercise my speech analysis muscles.

The competition was very strong. When first place was announced, my name was called!

• Key Lesson: You can always improve. Work on your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Hard work and persistence pays off.

As David Brooks predicted, speech contests have been the fastest route to the greatest improvement for me. I encourage you compete in speech contests whenever you can, and reap the tremendous benefits.

Your Lessons Learned?

Have you entered speech contests? What have you learned from these experiences?

Similar Articles You May Like...

• Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
• The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking
• Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest
• Speech Analysis #5: Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
• Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
• Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers

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.

When you speak, does your audience get it?

If your audience doesn’t grasp your message (even though your topic is one you know they are interested in), you need to rethink the way you present it. You need to organize your ideas to promote understanding.

The second Toastmasters speech project addresses organizing your speech. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

Why is This Speech Important?

The stated objectives for this speech project center around organizing your ideas to promote audience understanding:

• Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech.
  I previously discussed several speech outline examples in detail.
• Make your message clear with supporting material directly contributing to that message.
• Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another.
• Create a strong opening and conclusion.

These are fundamental skills that you apply to every speech you’ll ever deliver, whether it is a 2 minute off-the-cuff speech, a 15 minute business proposal, or a 60 minute keynote.

Transitions are the Key

Of the four elements, appropriate transitions are most lacking in the majority of presentations that I have seen. Most speakers have an introduction and conclusion, with supporting material arranged in some form of outline. But, there is often little in the way of transition phrases that link the speech together in a cohesive unit.

• In a written piece (like this article), headings, bullets, and punctuation provide cues to the reader that help them understand the macro-organization.
• In a verbal speech, use pauses and transition phrases to achieve this effect so that the audience knows when one point ends, and the next begins.

What I Did for Speech 2

For my second speech topic, I chose The Open Directory Project (ODP). Here’s a brief outline and the key transitions I used:

1. Opening – State topic: the what, who, and why of ODP.
2. What is ODP?
   1. Large – 4.5 million sites
   2. Internet Directory (compared to a telephone book to aid understanding)
   3. Transition: “Something this large doesn’t just spring out of the earth. Someone has to build it.” (this leads naturally into the “who”)
3. Who builds ODP? 67,000 volunteers!
   1. Volunteer demographics
   2. Volunteer roles
   3. Transition: “What inspires 67,000 people to volunteer their time?” (this leads naturally into the “why”)
4. Why is ODP important?
   1. Anyone can join
   2. Data is free
   3. Data complements results of Google and other search engines
5. Conclusion – Summary of 3 main points, and a call-to-action to check it out.
   1. “I hope this talk has whet your appetite to find out more.” This was a reference back to the speech title: A Taste of ODP.

Topic Ideas for Toastmasters Speech 2

Select a straightforward outline to organize your speech:

1. The Classic “Three Supporting Points”
2. Chronological
3. Geographical

Idea #1: The Classic “Three Supporting Points”

In this outline, you begin by stating a premise in your introduction, support it with three reasons or three supporting points in your body, and then summarize in your conclusion. It doesn’t need to be 3 points, but this is a convenient number that fits well with a five to seven minute speech.

Example: Maile provides an excellent example of clear and parallel structure for a speech with How Dance has Helped Me In the Real Estate Business (video). Her basic structure is:

• Opening: “20 pounds and nine years ago, I was a dancer…” which leads into stating 3 dance principles which help in real estate.
• Principle 1: Practice Perfect Performance
• Principle 2: Visualize the Result You Desire
• Principle 3: Get Out and See the People
• Conclusion: restate three principles

This speech was especially strong because of a consistent pattern that was used for each of the three points, along with a parallel structure. The pattern applied was:

• Transition: “the second principle I’d like to share…[name principle]“
• Lesson from dance: “… as a dancer… [explain principle in dancing context]“
• Relate to real estate: “… this technique has also served me well in the real estate arena… [explain principle in real estate context]“

Maile used this parallel pattern for all three points, and the speech is very easy to understand. The Toastmaster evaluation of this speech (video) is also available.

Example: Tanya Huang also demonstrates this classic method in a speech titled Cougarlicious (written). Her basic structure is:

• Open with a surprising revelation: she wants to be a “cougar” when she grows up.
• Definition of a cougar.
• Reason 1: Fashion.
  • Transition: “So, why do I want to be a cougar when I grow old? My first reason is…”
• Reason 2: Confidence
  • Transition: “Confidence is another quality …”
• Reason 3: Aggression
  • Transition: “Aggression is another cougar characteristic…”
• Conclusion: Sums up speech by reiterating the three reasons, and explicitly saying “These are the cougar qualities and the reason I want to be a cougar.”

Idea #2: Chronological

A chronological outline is appropriate for many speeches that describe a sequence of events. It is also appropriate for describing a process or a step-by-step technique.

Example: Brian demonstrates this technique with a speech about Six Sigma (video).

• Introduction to Jack Welch and origins of Six Sigma
• Definition: What is six sigma?
• List the 5 Stages: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (and then stepped through each stage with explanation)
• Conclusion to reinforce importance of Six Sigma

Note his transition phrases which give a direction or imply a sequence (”… from there, we…” or “… after analyzing, we…”).

Idea #3: Geographical

A geographical outline is a convenient method to organize a speech about travels, or where you are contrasting your topic (e.g. pastries) across many locations (e.g. French pastries vs. German pastries vs. Dutch pastries).

Example: Elizabeth Mitchell uses this method in Seven Lessons from Seven Continents.

Of note, the introductory words for each segment (”My first continent…”, “My second continent…”) clearly mark the boundaries for each of the seven segments of the speech.

More Examples of Organize Your Speech

Here are a few more sample written and video speeches which may provide inspiration for you.

Written Speech Examples

• Scotch by Chris Lee
• Democracy! God help us by Seamus McInerney
• What’s in a Name? by Amit Bhatnagar

Video Speech Examples

• Videoblogging by Stephanie Bryant
• 37.5 Hours by an unknown speaker

Next in the Toastmasters Speech Series

The next article in this series examines Speech 3: Get to the Point.

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• Toastmasters Speech 3: Get to the Point
• Toastmasters Speech 1: The Ice Breaker

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.