Objectives
~To begin Speaking before an audience.~To help you understand what areas require particular emphasis in your speaking development.~To introduce yourself to your fellow club members.~TIME: Four to six minutesBy now you've heard speeches by club members and have probably participated in Table Topics. Here is your opportunity to give your first prepared talk and "break the ice." The best way to begin your speaking experience is to talk about the subject closest to you-yourself. At the same time, you will be introducing yourself to your fellow club members and giving them some understanding of your background, your interests and your ambitions. As you prepare and deliver your talk, you will become aware of communication skills you already have and areas that require some work. "Your fellow members will help you understand these needs, as they see them.
As you read through this project, make notes in the margin. Underline the key phrases to help you quickly review what is expected of you. Define the project objectives in your own words. After you have read through the entire project, you're ready to prepare your first talk.
Preparing Your Talk
The general subject of this talk is you. But that subject is too broad for a short talk-in this case, four to six minutes. Select three or four interesting aspects of your life that will give your fellow members insight and understanding of you as an individual. These might include your birthplace, education or family. Explain how you came to be in your present occupation, and tell the audience something about your ambitions.
Should you prefer to avoid autobiography, you might talk about your business, your hobbies, or anything that relates to you as an individual. Having complete knowledge about your subject will add greatly to your confidence.
Once you have the highlights of your talk in mind, weave them into a story, just as if you were telling it to friends around the dinner table. Share personal experiences of significance to you. The more personal you make your talk, the warmer will be the relationship between you and your audience.
Opening, Body and Conclusion
Like any good story, your talk needs a beginning and an ending. Try to create an interesting opening sentence that captures the audience's attention. Get it clearly fixed in your mind, and use it even if a better idea occurs to you just before you' speak. Then devise a good way to conclude, and fix that in your mind. With a good start and a good finish, you can easily fill in the body of the speech.
In any speech, it's best to select a very few main points, three or four at the most, and expand on them by using examples, stories or anecdotes. If you merely state a fact and then continue, most of your audience will miss the point. You should make a point, say it again in different words, illustrate the point, and then state it once more in order to be clearly understood. This is a good skill to learn with your first talk.
What about notes? If you think you will need them, write a brief speech outline on 3x5 cards, which you can place on the lectern. Refer to them only when you need them. Remember, you're speaking-not reading. Many speakers begin by writing out an entire speech, then breaking it down into parts, with a key word for each part, and finally writing just the key words on one note card.
Preparing Yourself
Now the talk is ready, but are you ready to present it? You will certainly need to rehearse. Practice the talk until you are comfortable with it. You won't need to memorize the talk, since you already know all about the subject. But you may want to memorize your opening and close. A memorized opening insures that this most important part of your talk will be stated correctly. Also, if you are nervous as you begin your speech (as are most speakers), you will gain confidence as you give your prepared opening-and your speech will be off to a successful start. A memorized close insures that your talk concludes with impact.
Next, try the talk on someone in your family, a friend, or your Toastmasters coach/mentor. Then present your talk, and ask for comments. You may get some helpful suggestions. Try this with several people if you can. If you have a tape recorder, record the talk and listen to it carefully, making any improvements that are necessary. Using a tape recorder is one of the best ways to improve your speaking ability.
Rather than thinking of this presentation as "making a speech," think of it as a talk before a group of friends, sharing information of interest. Don't anticipate being afraid of the audience. They have already been through the same feelings you are having. They want you to succeed, and they're eager to help you.
Appearance is important. Be well groomed and appropriately dressed for your presentation. When you look right, you feel good about yourself. You will then forget about your appearance and concentrate on presenting your talk. You will have increased confidence because you know you have made a good first impression on your audience.
Presenting Your Talk
Once you've completed your speech preparation. . .relax. Peeling a bit nervous is common to every speaker, no matter how experienced. In fact, you can put this nervous energy to work for you by using it to add excitement to the delivery of your talk. No one is going to pay much attention to a little quavering in your voice, and it will soon disappear, anyway, as you become involved with what you're saying. (More information for controlling nervousness appears on page 59.)
While being introduced, take a few deep breaths and slowly exhale. This will help your voice sound resonant and natural. Begin by facing the Toastmaster and saying, "Mr. (or Madam) Toastmaster"; then face the audience and say, "Ladies and gentlemen. . .," or "Guests and fellow Toastmasters. . ," Pause for a second to let things settle down, then plunge in with your prepared opening sentences.
While speaking, make "eye contact" with various members of the audience, first looking directly at one person for a few seconds, then looking at another, so no one feels left out of your talk. As you're doing this, glance periodically at the timer. If the red light comes on while you're talking, move smoothly to your conclusion and finish quickly. Observe time limits whenever you speak.
Don't worry about what to do with your hands. Leave them at your sides if you wish. You'll have opportunities to practice "body language" later.
One final word: Don't end by saying "Thank you." It's the audience who should thank you for the information you've shared. Instead, just close with your prepared ending and wait for the applause (or stand back from the lectern and nod at the Toastmaster of the meeting, saying, "Mr. [or Madam] Toastmaster").
Your Evaluation
After you finish, you will probably begin evaluating yourself even before you sit down. You may think you lerft out some fo the best parts. Everyobdy thinks that. Just congratualte yourself on having delivered your first speech, then write down the things you did well and the things you want to improve. try to avoid making the same mistakes in your next speech.
To supplement your own evaluation, an experienced Club member has been assigned to evaluate your efforts. Before the meeting begins, give this manual to your evaluator so he or she may make notes on the evaluation page for this project. This will give you a permanent record of your progress. If you wantthe evaluator to observe something in particular, be sure to inform the evaluator in advance.
Ask other members for additional comments after the meeting. All of these comments may not be useful to you, but you should consider them carefully. Remember the evaluations are representations of how the audience perceived you and your talk. They are usually - but not always - helpful to your self-development.
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