Category: Speaking and Evaluating

by Lance MIller - 2005 World Champion. https://youtu.be/ZiU0XLw45L8

If you're having trouble coming up with ideas for a speech, below is a "cheat" sheet to help get your mind thinking about possible ideas.

Below is a great analysis of the 2015 winner of the Toastmasters World Championship contest. Lots of great tips we can all use in our next speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8GvTgWtR7o

I came across the video below which talks about eye-contact, gestures, body language, humor and confidence - all the things we need to work on in Toastmasters. I think you will enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PZKok5_KVA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpTrETgOASE

In the video below, Brian Brushwood talks about Performance Anxiety in magic and what the magician can do to calm his/her nerves. It turns out that these are the same type of skills that many speakers need when presenting in front of a crowd. Brian talks about giving the cards to an audience member. You … Continue reading Magic and Public Speaking

A pocket speech is a pre-written speech that you have handy for a last minute speaking opportunity. Every month we seem to end up with at least one meeting that we are short a speaker. This is a wasted opportunity for someone to get closer to one of their communicator awards. Some tips about pocket … Continue reading Consider Having a Pocket Speech

If one of your goals for the new year is to improve your self-confidence and presentation skills, then Toastmasters is a great place to start. Here's a free book download to get you started and help to get those butterflies flying in formation. Click on this link!

I came across this video of Fred Miller talking about preparing for a Tedx talk. He has a number of great points that we can all learn from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=101XGhK_g5o

Last night I used a presentation tool during my speech called Prezi. Prezi is an online software program that allows you build all your "talking points" on a single canvas. As you transition to each "talking point" you see the movement across the canvas. This grabs the audience's attention. It's also super easy to zoom … Continue reading Prezi

By: Carl Hendrickson Do you have or do you know someone who has glossophobia — the fear of public speaking? This is the No. 1 fear often expressed by individuals — a fear even greater than the fear of death. Career success often depends upon how well one is able to express oneself. But many … Continue reading Toastmasters can aid your public speaking skills.

Stacy Duncan gave a very informative speech last week, titled "The Four P's to a Presentation." In it, she offered multiple exercises to help us improve our vocal variety. Write Out Loud is the website reference she used for a majority of the exercises. Vocal variety is the way we use our voice. It is … Continue reading Vocal Variety Tips from Stacy Duncan

I thought I would remind everyone that my book "Scared Speechless - click here" is available as a free download on our website. It contains over forty ways to get those butterflies to fly in formation.

At some point in the past, Toastmasters Int. has stopped sending out three manuals for new members. I have found them online for members to view and download. Effective Evaluations Gestures: Your Body Speaks Your Speaking Voice Thanks to Sera J. for making us aware of this change in policy.

Here's a good article on presentation tips from one of the Ted leaders. These are all things we talk about in Toastmasters. http://www.techinsider.io/chris-anderson-how-to-give-an-amazing-ted-talk-2016-4

I just came across a study by http://www.scienceofpeople.com/ted/ and they investigated why some Ted videos went viral while others had few viewings. The main thrust of the piece was that it wasn't what you said, but how you said it that is important. Here are some questions to ask yourself. What are you doing in the … Continue reading How to Go Viral on a TedTalk

Here's a speech I did on Free Writing. Give it a try and it will help you in your speech writing in the future.

Here's a book I wrote a number of years ago which might help some of my fellow Toastmasters. Click Here to Download

As a frequent Ted Talk viewer, I thought I'd put together some research into how a good Ted Talk is developed and delivered. Slides - only use if they will enhance the message. Use graphics over text and if you use text make it 42 point or larger. Less is More. Practice, practice, practice. Opening … Continue reading Ted Talk Tips

Sam Horn shows us the Intrigue Process - How to create interest and connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere. Note that she does this by telling stories and audience participation  - all things that we need to do when giving a speech. Go ahead and borrow her techniques and see how they work in your next … Continue reading How to be Intriguing

The video below reminds us all of the fact that if you have good humor, vocal variety and facial expression, you not only don't need Power Point, but you don't even need pictures in a book.

I was reminded of a presentation tip by Jim last night at our TM meeting. He came up to me after the meeting and said that he was disappointed that I wasn't sitting out in the audience. I was the Toastmaster and was sitting in the back - off to the side. He said that … Continue reading Find a Friendly Face in the Crowd

Bob Gergen was nice enough to share his evaluation template not only for new Toastmaster training, but he also has given us permission to share it with club members. Bob is an evaluation award winner and gives us some practical advice and a template to follow to get us started in our evaluations. This is … Continue reading Speech Evaluation Template – Bob Gergen

Most of us know how important body language is not only when giving a speech, but in many other situations in life. Amy Cuddy in the video below shows us how to achieve that feeling of power that we all desire. "Fake it til you make it," is a quote shes uses to become the … Continue reading The Importance of Body Language

Here's a video Tom did on the process of writing a speech.

Tom Terrific is doing a program on Speech Writing tomorrow - December 11th - Wednesday - 7pm - regular club meeting - if you'd like to learn how to put together that "Terrific" speech.

This was a speech done by Keith Woodman at our club about how to add humor into your presentation. It's great material, so please take the time to listen to it.  

Many times a new speaker will resort to reading a joke he found on the internet and it will usually flop. What they need to do instead is to take that joke and turn it into a believable story and then add the vocal variety of a story teller. Here’s how to do it: #1. … Continue reading Turn a Joke into a Humorous Story

Free book download. Scared Speechless    

Here's a "how-t0" video from Adam Kutell on how to do an effective evaluation. Also Toastmasters International has a good article on this topic. (click here)

I just watched  a great "Ted" video about the importance of positive body language. Since the debates start tomorrow night, I thought you might enjoy watching this video and see how the candidates put this type of knowledge to use.

Google show us the usage of lectern versus podium. Lectern is losing badly. Note this graph came from http://books.google.com/ngrams/

I was walking on my treadmill today watching some of the speakers on Ted Talks. The speakers were all not only interesting in what they said, but were all accomplished speakers. They all were standing in front of a large audience without a lectern or notes and using Power Point in an interesting and useful … Continue reading Good Speakers to Imitate and Emulate

Tom Peters is an excellent business speaker and in this downloadable power point slide show, he give us 56 points to remember for "Presentation Excellence." I would never use an all text  slide show like this, but the points he makes are still valid. Click here to download the slides.

Here's a speech I did on Speech Topic Selection. There's also a worksheet at the end you can use to help generate ideas. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Speech Topic Selection - 101 “Talk About What You Know” Once a month in Toastmasters, this is what happens. “Let’s see -Time to check my email. Oh, I see the new … Continue reading Speech Topic Selection 101

1. Have an idea for a general topic - something that interests you. You can refine your topic later as you get more information and find out what “YOU” really have to say. Ideally you want to talk about a subject that you already know well and that will be of interest to your audience. … Continue reading Writing a Speech – the process

I'm always amazed at how we start out so open and vocal and free to move and gesture. Somehow though many of us lose those qualities over time. Watch these two kids and learn.

The Toastmaster magazine has previous issues of magazines available to download. There are lots of presentation tips going  back to January 2007. (Here's the link)

All of us at some point in our speaking career have to give a speech, but don't have the time to prepare. Illness, family problems, extra time needed at work - these are all valid reasons to be in a situation where you have to speak, but haven't prepared like you normally would want. What … Continue reading Writing a Speech in Five Minutes