Practice! Practice! Practice! It's really not that hard.

The Vice President for Education's job is one of the worst in the world. Okay, not as bad as this:







but it's really hard. It's thankless and the pay is very low... oh wait, there is no pay. I can say that because I was once VP Ed. And being the President feels like a vacation after that VP Ed stint. You see, as Vice President for Education, you are in charge of putting together the program. Yes, every program. So, it's a regular 2-week cycle of preparation. And frustration.

Through the years, we have learned a few lessons and have improved our system, which now includes getting speaking commitments two weeks before the meeting. That means, while the current meeting is being held, we are filling in the spots for the next meeting. A pretty good system when things work out well.

But there are those weeks when a few days before the meeting, Captain Murphy and his darn laws march in and mess things up. Slated speakers cancel. (Yes, if this is guilting YOU out, it should.) And the VP for Education scamper for alternatives. Of course, it's totally unfair to suddenly awaken some poor Toastie from his or her relaxed reverie to be pushed to deliver a (not-so) prepared speech. So, we end up with evenings with less than the ideal number of speakers. It's a waste too considering that we had to turn down other speakers in favor of those who reserved first.

Now, this is a long (and bitter) preamble to the real topic of this post. I really just want to share tips on preparing for your upcoming speech. It works around the excuse that you've been busy because the Assistant to the Regional Deputy Manager for Something Something is here in town and there is this gimongous convention and you've got so many reports and stuff and stuff and excuses excuses.

When you commit to speak two weeks from now, the first thing you do when you get home is to read about the speech project manual just before you sleep. Total time requirement: 5 minutes. And then you think of the best topic to match that project. You can do this in bed. You don't have to Google. You don't have to go to the National Library to find a life-changing, earth-shaking topic. Pick from a personal experience: a recent success, a recent loss, a recent problem, a joke that had you snorting bubbles, a conversation you had with your boss, a conversation you didn't have with that officemate you're lusting after, a TV show, anything. And then build up from there. You don't even have to write your speech down yet. But spend your last waking minutes thinking about your topic. Hopefully you dream about it. And pray you wake up with a great idea concerning your speech.

The next day is when you write the speech. You can write it word by word. Or you can make an outline. Take some tips from how Boom does it. But really, you've got to do it as soon after you make the commitment. Before you start feeling scared. Or lazy. Or wishy washy. Or before that email comes announcing the Assistant Regional Deputy Manager for Something Something is coming and you find a convenient excuse. Just do it. And then shoot an email with your speech ideas to your mentor asking him/her for feedback. Do not do this a week before, a night before, or an hour before your speech. You're giving Captain Murphy too much to work with.

Now, it's 12 days to your speech and your speech has shaped up a bit. Don't wait for it to be perfect. Start practicing it. Try out the first few lines in your head. And then when you're alone, or even when you're not, start rehearsing it aloud. In the shower is the best place for this. Good acoustics. And you can imagine the sound of splashing water as the sound of applause. And the Assistant to the Regional Deputy Whatever won't bother you while you're in the shower. That's at least 12 shower practice rounds. Double if you shower twice a day. More if you're a neatfreak. That's a lot of time to perfect the speech. I also do it while driving. Anytime during your daily commute. Who cares about the other people in the bus? They might even find it entertaining.

If you do this, you deliver a natural-sounding but well-rehearsed speech. You get one step closer to your next norm. You don't stress yourself, your mentor, and the VP Ed out. And everyone is happy, including you. Most especially you.

Because the point is if you're thinking you need to clear a couple of hours from your busy schedule to practice, it's not going to happen. You need to find pockets of time to rehearse. So you need to incorporate it into your routine. You need to multi-task. You need to repeat your speech a number of times to make it sound natural. You need to creatively use your existing time, busy or not. It also takes commitment.

I say start the process as soon as you can. Because when you realize 1 week before the meeting that you haven't done anything, that is the time you realize you probably won't be ready for your speech. That is the time when you call/text/YM/email/smoke signal the Vice President for Education that you can't deliver your speech. And the VP Ed can start looking for a replacement.

I hope you, Toasties, know where this is coming from. The officers are all committed to make every meeting a fun, fulfilling learning experience. But it takes everyone's cooperation and commitment to make it fun and not-so-frustrating for the officers as well.

Okay, now I've just got to say this before I end my emotional tirade -- even if the VP Education Post is one of the most challenging posts, it was my favorite TM job. Really. At the end of the term, I felt that I've become more organized, more creative, more patient, more persevering, more connected to the club and to other people outside the club, more prayerful, more fulfilled. Practicing to be a better communicator and leader ceases in this post; it becomes real.

Every speech you deliver is not just an opportunity to tick off a speech project. It's also an opportunity to hone your time management and leadership skills. An opportunity to test your commitment and sense of responsiblity. It's an opportunity to be the best possible communicator you can be.

Crimes of Fassion - And Other Fronunciation Biolations

A Ba Ka Da E Ga Ha- That's the Filipino alphabet I grew up with. I know that this has now evolved into a new alphabet that looks so much like the English one. But, I suppose a whole lot of Filipinos learned the alphabet without an F. And that makes it undestandable when people say pour instead of four, pamily pirst instead of family first. I get it. F is hard to pronounce.

What boggles my mind and offends my ears is hearing people use the f sound for words that are spelled with a p. It's ferpectly understandable the other way around, but how did that uncalled for F come about? Flease fass the rice , black feffer, tof 10.

Now, here's my constructive suggestion.

Fractice, erm practice, practice, practice.

If you get your f's and p's mixed up, you can practice pronouncing these pairs of words.

F - P
feel - peel
four - pour
fine - pine
foot - put
fork - pork
fast - past
fart - part
fare - pare
fat - pat
fail - pail
far - par
fore - pore
faint - paint
fool - pool
fit - pit
face - pace
few - pew
fan - pan
fad - pad
fashion - passion


Read them twice daily at first until you get them right. Then, do it weekly. Make sure you apply them in your conversations. Eventually you won't need to practice that frequently; just do refresher drills when you think you're reverting back to your old ways. If you have a friend whom you can trust in pronunciation, let her listen to you. Be open to suggestions, and don't take it personally if your friend snickers sometimes. In time, you will learn to pronounce your f's and p's perfectly.

Preparing your Powerhouse Speech...

As Toastmasters, giving speeches is inevitable; which means that learning to prepare your speech is a crucial skill to have. However, I believe that PREPARING SPEECHES is not just a Toastmasters’ skill… it is a Life-skill. It helps us hone other skills like… for instance… WRITING… which is a handy skill to have in everyday life. It also encourages us to READ… especially if our speech is technical in nature or requires research. And… a well prepared speech builds our SELF-CONFIDENCE… and isn’t self-confidence the main ingredient in LEADERSHIP?

In my case, I not only prepare speeches for Toastmasters’ meetings or contests; I also prepare speeches for a living. Allow me to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned when preparing speeches. I certainly hope that what I share will help you in Life… and also in Toastmasters!

Selecting your topic...

I’ve read the manuals. They offer very good and practical advice in selecting a topic for your speech. Let me emphasize just a few of those advice.

Consider your Audience – Sure! We’ve heard this before! Based on experience, however, this is the most ignored advice in the manual! Even a seasoned speaker, like me, sometimes tends to ignore this advice and, at times, it has cost me dearly! Case in point: our most recent Triathlon Speech Contest held during our District’s Mid-Year Conference.

Had I stopped to consider who my audience was, I would have delivered a totally different speech! My speech during this event, “Shriek of the Banshee”, was an attempt at capturing the Fear of my target audience, who happened to be Ilonggo! The natives of Bacolod are fun-loving people. This is why Bacolod is called the “City of Smiles.” Though delivered well, my speech had less appeal to them than if a humorous speech would have had.

There’s a moral side to this too. Considering your Audience when preparing your speech means that you care for them! Isn’t this what it’s all about?

Sometimes, select a Topic you’re NOT comfortable with - Did I shock you? Doesn’t the manual say “Select a topic you’re comfortable with”? Yes… that is what the manual says. And it is very good advice for NEW Toastmasters! Selecting a topic you feel comfortable delivering (mostly these topics come from the speaker’s own experience) is a sure-fire way of getting you started in speaking! But if you already have adequate speaking skills, the tendency is for you to “wing it.” Or to improvise on stage. This does nothing to help you improve since you’re simply doing what you always do. We sometimes need to go out of our comfort zone to see an improvement in ourselves; otherwise, being a Toastmaster will, eventually, have no value for you!

I was recently asked to speak on topics I was NOT comfortable with. Twice. I was getting paid for both those times! The first time was when I was asked to speak about “Cost-Cutting” for Bayantrade. Now, “Cost-Cutting” was probably the most boring topic in the world and my job was to make it exciting. Can you imagine how thrilled I was (sarcastically)? The second time was when I was asked to deliver a speech about “Distinguishing Yourself” for San Miguel Brewery. I had no problem with the topic itself. My concern was my own credibility. How could I sound credible to these people when I had so many problems ranging from the financial to the emotional? It looked like I was due for a rude reception in both occasions!

But despite my initial fears, I did very well in both cases… and more importantly… the people got their money’s worth! My secret: PREPARATION! Since these were very difficult topics to give, I prepared well ahead of time! I racked my head trying to think of ways to overcome my obstacles! I kept thinking that this would be my last professional job if I failed. As JR Ewing (of the old Dallas TV Series) used to say “...If you ever want to work in this town again, you’d better deliver the goods...”! And deliver, I did!

I’m very proud of the work I turned out. If I hadn’t been given challenging assignments, I wouldn’t have grown. These experiences have actually shown me several new ways of preparing. Allow me to emphasize...

Preparing your Speech Content...

Now that you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to prepare the content of your speech. I’ve read many articles on how to prepare a speech topic, but most of them didn’t suit me. Don’t get me wrong! Many of the articles you will find (in the speech manuals or the internet) have some very sound advise on how to prepare a speech. It’s just that they’re not how I prepare my speeches. Here’s how I would do it.

Prepare the END (message) FIRST – Before you even write the Beginning of your speech, write the end first! Ask yourself “What do I want to tell the Audience? What is my MESSAGE for them?” Then prepare a STRONG conclusion!

This is good advice for writing as well. When I started typing this article, I typed my conclusion first. Then I typed the beginning and the body on top of my conclusion, pushing down the conclusion each time I pressed the “enter” key. By doing this, I kept my perspective. This technique helps me not to stray from my message.

When preparing your message, keep in mind what world renowned speaker and author, Dianna Booher, has to say, “If you can’t write your message in one sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”

Prepare an ATTENTION-GRABBING OPENING next – This is probably the easiest to do. Once you’ve established your conclusion, simply ask yourself “How do I make the Audience Interested in my Message?”

There are a number of techniques you can use for this purpose. You may immediately state your message, or you may ask a question that is answerable by your message or you may relate a story or an experience that will emphasize the need for your message. On this point, you can consider using the internet searches for more techniques on how to create a “killer” opening for your speech.

Write the BODY as if you were writing an ARTICLE, NOT a SPEECH – Shocked you again, didn’t I? I promise to explain this more as the article progresses. But, for now, trust me on this one!

When writing an article or any form of literature, the only tool you have is the written word. Without voice or gestures to help you, it is difficult to express emotion! Your words have to be very descriptive! Your words have to be able to convey EMOTION! Remember that your Audience does not relate to mere facts or figures; they relate to emotions! Without emotions, your facts and figures will have no impact!

When I was preparing my speech, “Shriek of the Banshee”, I wrote down a five page manuscript first. More than half of what I wrote down was never said on stage, but they were equally as important as what I had actually said! Here’s why.

Preparing the Delivery of your Speech...

When I wrote down “Shriek of the Banshee”, I had to be very descriptive with my words. I had to make my readers see what I was seeing, hear what I was hearing, and feel what I was feeling! This meant that I had to use a wide array of words to bring my readers with me… on a journey… into the “dark realm of Arthur’s life”! - See how that worked? This is why I said, in the beginning, that you learn the skill of writing when you prepare a speech.

But when delivering a speech, words aren’t our only tools! The difference between writing and speaking is that we have three (3) more tool sets we can use. They are Voice, Gestures and… the Pause! With this in mind, let’s prepare our delivery.

Use your Manuscript to Prepare your Voice and Gestures – Remember the BODY of your Speech that I just asked you to write down like you were writing an article? Well, here’s how you use it...

Scan through the manuscript and underline all the descriptive words you can turn into a Voice Inflection or a Gesture. Going back to my “Shriek of the Banshee” speech - I had to describe in words the fear I felt when I came “face to face with a dark cloaked creature whose stare could melt your heart and cause you to stop breathing.” I underlined these words and showed it in my facial expression when I was on stage. I kept the image of those words in mind as I stared at the Audience in shock and awe! I never used those words, but those words came through!

SIMPLIFY the WORDS you will use in your Speech – After you’ve selected the words and phrases that you intend to deliver as Gestures or Vocal Inflection, you will be left with the Words you will actually use for your Speech. Ask yourself “Are these Words simple enough for the Audience to catch quickly?” The disadvantage of speaking (as compared to writing) is that after you’ve said something, you can’t go back! Make sure that the Audience doesn’t have to struggle with the words you are using in your actual speech!

Prepare your PAUSES – Mark Twain said “The right word may be effective, but No Word was ever as effective as a Rightly Timed PAUSE.”


The Pause is a very powerful tool when delivering your speech! If used effectively, it could spell the difference between a good speech and a great speech! Here’s a tip.

Plan your Pauses just BEFORE you make a Point! For example: “…So what have we learned from all this? (PAUSE and look around a bit) We are what we believe ourselves to be…” or “…in so doing (PAUSE and look around) Peter proved he was the better man…”

Practice, Practice, Practice...

My final advice would be these three words above… Practice, Practice, Practice… ‘nuf said!

Conclusion...

As I’ve mentioned earlier… Preparing for your speech isn’t only about Toastmastering! IT IS A LIFE-SKILL!! For when you prepare for it, you prepare to be something more than who you are. YOU PREPARE TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE!!!

By: Enrique Salvador E. San Agustin

Table Topics Session Tips

Here are often heard tips for successfully participating in a Table Topics segment:

• Listen carefully to the question.
• Try to present sensible, worthwhile ideas that add to the knowledge of others.
• Keep your remarks brief and to the point.
• You can refute or elaborate on ideas and information already presented to others.
• Do not apologize. This weakens your speech. Avoid lines like: “Well, that’s all I can say.” or “Sorry, I don’t know much about the subject.” or “I hope I didn’t bore you.”
• You can talk comfortably on virtually any subject – even those about which you know little – if you have several mental outlines to follow. Here are some outlines you may want to remember.
• When the question asks for your opinion, use the PREP outline. State your Point or opinion, and give a Reason why. Illustrate your point with an Example. Conclude by restating your Point.
• When you want your listeners to take action, use the AIDA outline. Draw their Attention to the issue you wish to address. Create Interest by showing how this affects them. Instill a Desire in your audience to take action. State the Action(s) you recommend and call them to join you.
  

• The SMG outline can answer many types of questions. Begin with a Story that illustrates the point you want to stress. State your Message or the point you want to make. Expand your point with a Gain or moral of the story.
• Still another outline is PPF. Use it when your answer can be framed on a time-line or when you have three points to compare. Begin with your first points set in the Past. Move on to the next point, this time set in the Present. Lastly forecast your point set in the Future.
• The Two-point answer is the simplest outline. Here are some variations:

-Before and After
-Problems and Solutions
-Goals and Results
-Advantages and Disadvantages

You don’t need to have an encyclopedia of outlines in your head. Just remember one or two. Use them each time you are called in to answer an impromptu question and soon you will see the improvements in your impromptu speaking skills.