What is toastmasters? Toastmasters ia an organization that has been around for 84 years helping people develop and practice their speaking skills. This international organization offers chapters in many places including corporations to help their employees enhance their leadership and communication skills. Check out this link to visit the toastmasters web site for background information.
Then, check out this ">youtube clip of a winning toastmaster speech.
What makes this speech a winning speech? Apply the criteria of effective communicators to this speaker. Is it style? Substance? Both? What works for you as the listener? What ways does he engage his audience in his speech? Breakdown the elements of delivery and content to illustrate the elements of a winning toastmaster speech.
3 comments:
This speaker is very effective. It is easy to see that he is clearly a professional speaker, and perhaps, an actor. He sucks his audience from the moment he opens his mouth. The speaker has wild and crazy energy and his body movements make it certain that all eyes will be on him. While, this could be a downfall, the speaker made sure that the content was there while he was being silly.
It is important to entertain your audience to keep them focused on you, as the speaker. If the speaker were to give this same speach with a monotone voice, no body language, no sudden movements, it would have lost its charm and effectiveness. The audience wouldn't be laughing and the presentation could become very awkward and stifled.
The reason this speech went over so well was mostly because of his body language and actions rather than the content. While there was a story that was arranged well and full of details, it was his gestures, prancing around, and unexpected shouting that kept the audiences attention. He also dressed the part of a snowboarder which was obviously for his presentation as everyone else was wearing dress shirts and ties. Overall it was the appearance and gestures more than the story that made it as interesting as it was.
The speaker is so well received because he utilizes every tool he has to deliever an entertaining speech. First of all, he is funny. His story is funny, the topic is funny, and everyone is in a lightened mood. Secondly, he changes his volume levels and reinacts the scenario that he is describing as if he was an actor preforming a play. He changes his voices, voice levels, imitates the sound an echo makes, and makes the audience feel as though what he is describing is really happening. These two important factors in a speech are both well done by this speaker.
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