How Toastmasters Can Help

By Eric Monse (edited by Fran Watson)


I have a fear of public speaking. More precisely, I should describe it as a phobia.

I’m not really scared, I just react badly when I get up in front of a large group of people. My blood pressure starts to rise, my skin starts to get flush, and worst of all, I lose all ability to think on the fly.

I’m not so bad if I have something prepared, but God forbid if I have to think up something right then and there.

Learning to be a better public speaker is a great thing. But conquering this area of my life probably wouldn’t be enough for me to practice public speaking every other week.

I don’t make very many public speeches. But the benefits that I pickup with learning public speaking will help me in my every day life and in meeting new people.

People are attracted to the person up on the podium speaking to hundreds of people, whether he’s a preacher, a politician, or a professor. He is the one wielding control over the room and captivating the multitudes. True charisma is the ability to seduce thousands, not just one person.

Toastmasters is a worldwide nonprofit organization for the purpose of helping its members improve public speaking, communication, and leadership skills. Joining a Toastmasters club is one of the best things you can do to improve several aspects of your ability to meet new people.

I joined a club about three months ago and it has been a fantastic experience. The people there were skilled and knowledgeable and at the same time, they were warm, friendly and supportive in helping new people learn the ropes and pickup tips to improve.

Toastmasters grooms you to speak in front of large groups of people by critiquing or evaluating your public speaking.

They teach you to focus on things like your body language:
* Don’t rock back and forth when you speak.
* How to move comfortably around when you speak.
* The importance of making solid eye contact.

They also help you learn:
* Ways to vary your tone of voice.
* How to vary your pace but don’t speak too quickly.

Sound familiar? These are all things you should be focusing on when meeting new people.

You will also get critiqued on your language.

A member taking on the role of Grammarian will keep track of unnecessary words like: um, you know, and stuff, right, like, etc. That member will report towards the end of the meeting as to who used what "filler words" in order to help people improve their speaking.  Eliminating riff raff from your vocabulary makes you a more effective and high-value communicator– exactly what you’re looking for when communicating with someone you are interested in.

Developing Leadership Skills

A little known fact is that one of the best aspects of Toastmasters is their focus on teaching leadership skills.

Everyone at a Toastmasters meeting is a volunteer. There are numerous roles at a meeting such as Toastmaster, Sergeant-At-Arms, Table Topics Chair, General Evaluator, Evaluator, Quizmaster, Gramarian, Joke/Word, Educational Tip, Speaker, Table Topics Speaker and Timer.  During the meeting the person in each role gets up at the front of the room and conducts that part of the meeting and or gives reports about that part of the meeting.

The Grammarian is the person who listens and keeps track of vocabulary errors.  The Timer keeps track of all the aspects of the meeting to ensure that everyone is on time.  They will make note by use of cards or lights when the person reaches the minimum amount of time (green card), when they are close to their time (yellow card), and when their time is up at which time they will hold up a red card or turn on the red light to let the person speaking know that they should be wrapped up.

There are usually two or three people who give a 5-7 minute prepared speech at every meeting, and there are people designated to critique those speakers. These people are known as the Speech Evaluators.  Those people get up in front of the room and speak for 2-3 minutes on what the speaker did well and some points for improvement. 

During the Table Topics segment, members of the club who do not have a role will get an opportunity to present a 1-2 minute speech on the topic of the week.  This way, a meeting will rarely pass when you would not get up and practice speaking.

Many of the members of Toastmasters are excellent speakers. They know how to captivate an audience. They are a diverse group of people and are varying ages as well. Some of them have been in Toastmasters for 20 years or more. The speeches they give are usually insightful and worth a listen, even if just to see how people can communicate.

At the same time, they provide an amazingly supportive environment for a new person to learn. These people know what it was like to have such a fear of public speaking. This makes it also easier to get up in front of a group like this and speak.

How Toastmasters Helped My Fear of Speaking to Strangers

When you’ve never done it before and you begin speaking with strangers, the anxiety can be nerve-wracking. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride for me when I started.

If I talked to three people, by the end of the night I would be drained. I felt like I’d been through an emotional heavyweight title match.  However, as I talked to more new people, the fear and anxiety lessened. But Toastmasters helped out as well.

The fear of approaching people is very similar to that fear of getting up in front of a group of people and speaking. As I got more comfortable with one, I became more comfortable with the other as well.

There are thousands of Toastmasters clubs around the world. Different clubs meet at different times and for differing amounts of time.  Some are breakfast clubs, some are lunch hour clubs, some are evening clubs, some are Saturday morning clubs.  Some are advanced clubs, some are corporate clubs.  There is a club for every need.

When you attend Toastmasters as a guest, you’ll be offered the opportunity to speak in their Table Topics  impromptu section where you will speak for 1-2 minutes on a random topic. It’s a great exercise and it's good practice for speaking on the spot at work or at a cocktail party.

The cost is minimal compared to the value you will receive.  It varies from club to club, depending on the costs of the meeting place, but one fee will cover you for a year and you will receive a monthly Toastmasters magazine, your first two manuals - Competent Communicator and Competent Leader and when you have completed your first 10 speeches, you will also receive your first two Advanced manuals. The cost is usually less than a one day program and definitely less than a 4 day or 4 week program at a local college.  Meetings are held weekly or bi-weekly.

You also get educational materials and an opportunity to speak in the Speech Contests where you can get up in front of hundreds of people, not just the 15-25 people who attend at each meeting. They also try to set you up with a mentor to help you with your first few speeches, or as long as you need help.

Toastmasters is an excellent way to become more confident, and it will improve your social life and help you to feel more comfortable in social situations.

************
I have been a Toastmasters member since 2002 and I have served in all of the Executive roles in my 3 clubs.  I have also served as an Area Governor and a District Public Relations Officer.  Toastmasters has made a big difference in how confident I am in speaking with minimal notice at various functions including a recent memorial service for a friend and fellow Toastmaster.

Why not check out a local Toastmasters Club?  There is no cost to visit and you just might find out it isn't at all what you feared it would be.  Tell them Fran Watson sent you!!

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

  P.S.  Get speaking topics and more speaking tips here

Public Speaking Tips

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small people do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can somehow become great.  - Mark Twain




I found this recently in my collection of quotes and other interesting things.  It was written by Christian D. Larson.

Promise Yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

As Jim Rohn said - "Look at each day as a chance to invest life into life.  A chance to share your experience and deposit it into someone else's conscience.  Each day is a chance to work miracles in the lives of others."

Ideas for speech topics are everywhere.  Look around you and let your eyes rest on a number of different things.  For each thing come up with two or three ways they can be used or how they impact your life.  For instance, your kitchen table - what do you do at it besides eat?  Is it a place for gathering family and friens to engage in conversation, games, puzzles, etc?  What about your couch?  A place to nap, watch tv, take the cushions off to build forts?  You get the picture.  Get creative and get speaking.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson
P.S.  For more speaking tips, click here

Distracted Listeners ?

This article was reproduced from "Speaking in Public with J.A.", a FREE electronic magazine authored by J.A. Gamache, International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit: http://www.jagamache.com.

HOW TO RE-FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF DISTRACTED LISTENERS
by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking

Although you may be an energetic and interesting speaker, it's still normal to lose the attention of some of your listeners. To remedy this situation, plan to include in your presentation some attention-getting elements that will pull in absent-minded audience members. In other words, make your crowd react regularly. There are many ways to make a room react. I find that I can snap out of my daydreaming if a speaker uses one of the following methods:

1- LAUGHTER When I hear everyone laugh, I stop daydreaming and ask my neighbor what the speaker said. After that, I'm on the edge of my seat so I don't miss the next joke.

Since almost everyone likes to laugh, inject humour into your presentation when it's appropriate. The more laughter you get from your presentation, the more you motivate your audience to listen.

2- MOVEMENTS OF OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS When everyone around me starts to move, it obviously gets my attention. I ask my neighbor what's happening and the person explains that the speaker has asked everyone to participate to an activity. In spite of myself, my interest re-focuses on what's happening in the room. That's why professional speakers often ask audience members to shake hands and say something to their neighbor.

A participating audience is an attentive audience. Make it a habit to incorporate a strategy to refocus absent-minded listeners, and make them react regularly. An easy way is to have humorous moments in your speech and invite audience participation. These are all good methods to reclaim the audience's attention.

Happy speech! ©

MMXI J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com.
All rights reserved. ---------------------------------

To your speaking success!
Fran Watson
P.S. Sign up for some more speaking tips on my websitehere

Public Speaking to Attract Clients?

For tips on public speaking, click here

How To Use Public Speaking To Attract Clients


When Robert Middleton moved his marketing consulting practice, Action Plan Marketing, to Palo Alto, California several years ago, he started his business from scratch. He had left his well-established client base several miles away and now had to find strategies to generate new clients.

Because Middleton had always spoken to promote his business, he turned to public speaking with a vengeance. He researched local organizations whose members comprised professional business owners, his target clientele. He called chambers of commerce, business groups and others likely to be interested in his three-hour marketing workshop.

Within a few months, Middleton had spoken at over a dozen organizations, establishing his reputation as a marketing expert for professional service firms. He quickly became a known entity, having personally introduced his business and credentials to hundreds of prospects.

Better yet, Middleton's speaking strategy helped him land all the business he could handle in a relatively short time period.

Over the course of sixteen talks, he averaged one new client each time.

Speaking Is Selling

Many business people never consider standing in the front of their buying public to share professional wisdom. If you're one of them, you're missing the boat.

Speaking is a marketing strategy you can immediately embrace to get in front of potential customers. Speaking puts you within handshaking distance of your best prospects, many times helping you close sales before you leave the room.

By speaking regularly you can end the uncertainty of knowing where your next client will come from. Speaking can help you reach dozens, and sometimes hundreds of your best prospects every time. Speakers report that speaking regularly continuously fills their prospect pipelines, ensuring a steady stream of new clients and customers.

Speaking is effective because it showcases your knowledge before groups of people who eagerly show up to hear it. Your prospects may tune out advertising, but they'll pay attention to your talk because it presents your knowledge in polished form to people who think it will help them.

Speaking gives you tremendous visibility and credibility that increases over time. Whenever you are in the front of a room, you get noticed. People will remember who you are and what your business does. The more people see you speak and see your business name, the more successful people think you are.

Speaking gives prospects a taste of what you offer in a non-threatening environment. When they are in a room full of people, they feel comfortable. There's safety in numbers. They do not feel the sales pressure of a one-on-one meeting. It's also low risk, as chances are, they didn't pay as much to hear you speak as it would cost to hire you.

Get On The Program

You don't have to be a seasoned speaker to put speaking to work for your business. If you're willing to speak for free, you'll find that there are more outlets available than you'll know what to do with.

"If you can get up there and do a decent job you will immediately position yourself as an expert in the minds of an audience," says business coach, author and professional speaker Caterina Rando. "You only have to be 'decent' to make an impact. Even though speaking can be scary at first, anybody can find groups to speak to and master the basics of giving a good speech."

Choose the right topics

Before you contact an organization about speaking, create sample talk descriptions with catchy titles. For example, a financial planner could avoid generic descriptions like "Planning Your Retirement," and use a more snappy title like "Enjoying Your Gold Years On A Champagne Budget".

Targeting speaking opportunities

Once you are clear about your topic and its benefit to the audience, make some calls and offer yourself as a speaker.

• Chambers of Commerce

• Service Clubs

• Industry Specific Associations

• University Extensions

• Professional Associations

Getting the most out of your speech

The promotional value of your talks goes beyond your time on the podium. Often, when you speak to a group, the group publicizes the event. Many people who do not attend the event will still read the information, or will hear about you from other attendees, and may give you a call.

Consistency is the big thing. Getting out there and speaking on a regular basis keeps your pipeline full of prospects. When you're done, put a follow up mechanism in place, even if it's a simple mailing or newsletter. If you keep in contact with people who've heard you speak, you get more long-term leverage from your efforts.

Steven Van Yoder is the author of Get Slightly Famous™. He teaches small business owners how to attract more business with less effort by becoming a mini-celebrity in your field. Visit GetSlightlyFamous.com to claim your free Slightly Famous Marketing Plan Workbook.

To your success in speaking!!

Fran

P.S.  Want more  tips?  Sign up here

How To Give A Presentation

Almost everyone feels a bit nervous about delivering a presentation before a group. It seems that some people would rather undergo a root canal than experience the anxiety of giving a speech.  They must have a really good dentist!


If you can follow some basic guidelines for preparation and delivery, you can transform your nervousness into positive energy that will allow you to achieve the results you desire.

The secrets to successful presentations are simple and are based on common sense. Unfortunately, many people fail to discover these secrets.

Step One: Purpose

This first step is the most important step.  You need to ask yourself some hard questions, such as:

* What’s the purpose of your presentation? Why this topic?  Why you?  There are many reasons to make a speech or announcement, and you need to clearly define your goal.
* Do you have to deliver bad news to your department?
* Do you require a decision from your superiors on a problematic business situation?
* Do you have a solution and want to convince people?
* Are you trying to sell a solution or product?

The reason you are giving your speech is to persuade your audience to buy into specific ideas. You must sufficiently inspire and motivate listeners to take action or give the green light to act on suggested solutions.

 However, unless they believe they “own” the decision, they won’t act upon it.  You need to lead your audience through the decision-making process so the audience members can go through it with you.

It’s critical to avoid spelling everything out for them. Let them “see” what the problems are and which decisions are needed. They will then be happy to engage in finding solutions and be enthusiastic about acting on them.

Step Two: Know Your Audience

Your audience includes those who may be influenced or affected by your proposal. Before you think about what to say, you must determine who your audience is and what they’ll need from you to buy into your argument.  Always focus on your audience's interests.

Make sure you’re selling the benefits of your solution—not the features. For example, if your new program benefits the company by saving time and money, this is what you should emphasize. It will appeal to your audience much more than any discussion of actual program features. 
Step Three: Structure Your Presentation

Most of the time, it’s a good idea to open with a story that reveals a picture of the problem at hand. Stories engage people, especially if they’re personal and real. They create an authentic connection and grab people’s attention. Remember: Your first 30 seconds are the most crucial.

Follow up your story with an honest analysis of the problem, and back it up with research statistics. The Internet makes this part of your task easy, but be cautious about spending too much time on stats.

Then, present the solution. This is the “good stuff,” as people want to know relief is in sight. Spell out the benefits to your audience.

Strengthening Your Presentation

Slides or PowerPoint graphics should supplement your talk and illustrate key points, not deliver the presentation for you. Don’t use graphics that contain every word you say, and never read directly off the screen.  After all, if people can read the information, why do they need you?

Limit text to subheadings, which should be large enough to read from the back of the room. Don’t talk to the screen instead of your audience. And always be prepared for the possibility of a power or technological failure; bring handouts and have an alternative way to deliver your speech in case there’s no screen.

Managing Anxiety

Some experts suggest memorizing the first 60 seconds of your speech. If you do this, make sure it sounds natural and authentic. Because you’re likely to open with a personal story, introduce yourself and explain why your topic is so important to you. This makes the first 60 seconds sound natural, even if you memorize your text.

Don’t draw attention to your nervousness by telling your audience about it. You can share your feelings, but not your anxieties. Your goal is to present yourself authentically, as a real human being.

Don’t fidget or fiddle with your hair, clothes or body parts.

Practice your speech in front of a mirror as often as you can, and minimize nervous tics by standing behind a lectern, if necessary.

Practice drawing a deep breath for instant relaxation.  Take two or three deep breaths before you get up to speak.

To your success in speaking!

Fran

P.S. If you would like some more tips on public speaking, click here