World Champion Evaluator evaluating like a champion

We are now in the throes of contest season at Toastmasters.  My first recommendation when entering the evaluation contest is to get a copy of the judging criteria and study it.  How can you be expected to meet the judges expectations if you don’t know what they are?

The second recommendation I make is to check out Andrew Dlugan’s excellent series on speech evaluations.  He even gives pointers on winning the evaluation contest.

Now go and give the contests your best shot!

Posted under Toastmasters

..I’ll ask for it.

From Seth Godin:

When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it

Posted under evaluations

As a student of public speaking, I was definitely looking forward to reading Confessions of a Public Speaker.  An opinionated portrayal of public speaking, containing practical advice, and humorous and illuminating stories that will also improve my public speaking.

What more could I want?  After reading the book I actually found myself wanting less.  Like a food buffet with so many competing choices, more isn’t always better when they are presented together.

Let me explain…

Before opening this book I assumed it would consist of eye opening candid stories of adventures in public speaking as a way to pass on lessons learned.  There is some of this.  But there is more other stuff.  There is a discussion of various myths (seeing people naked, fees, and scarier than death).  Many tips for public speakers throughout the book (density theory, pauses, when things go wrong).  A fascinating discussion of why evaluation forms are less than useful.  A chapter on appearing on TV which I felt was out of place.  A fantastic recommendation section listing many books.  And a section of short confessions from other public speakers.

It felt like a brain dump of everything Scott knows about public speaking.

To add insult to injury, a chapter on storytelling was not included.  I also found it interesting that Scott’s “best advice” is to recommend Toastmasters, but he didn’t include any discussion of his experiences.

Despite the inclusion of some confessions, I don’t feel I know Scott very well after reading this book.  I know he doesn’t like mornings and has appeared on TV.  I know he cares about public speaking and has done a lot of research.  I know little more.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have to force myself to read this book.  It was interesting and I learned a few useful things from it.  The pointers to other resources are worth the price of the book in my opinion.  My only issue is its cohesiveness.  I have a hard time recommending this book to anyone unless all they want is an approachable introduction to public speaking.

Posted under Book review

I know I am guilty of this. Putting something into a speech because I loved it rather than it fitting the speech.  It seems especially true with contest speeches.  We want to impress.

Have you ever done this?

Can you recognize when another speaker is doing this?  Can you tell them?

John Kinde has an excellent newsletter where he wrote:

Too often, we’re tempted to force fit something into a talk that really doesn’t fit…the square peg in the round hole.  This applies not only to magic, but also to other things we love; stories, humor, a song.  A speaker who opens a talk with a joke, for the sake of the joke, is taking the same risks as a speaker who opens with a magic trick.  Anything we add to a professional talk needs to organically fit into the speech.  It needs to blend naturally into the content of the speech.  Adding something to a speech just because “we like it” is a critical mistake.

It really is a critical mistake.  I have seen evaluators focus on commending the square peg instead of calling it out for what it is.

Do the speaker a real favor, let them know if they are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Posted under evaluations

Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

Posted under General

Yet another thought provoking post by Seth Godin.  This time the post refers to using price as a competetive advantage.  It was the closing line that hit me though…

The scalable, profitable strategy is to change the game, not to become the most average.

If you want to become the best speaker you can be, you need to stop doing what everyone else does.  A New Year is fast approaching.  Use 2010 as an opportunity to redefine yourself.  Here are some ideas:

1. Compete in all the Toastmasters contests.  Yes, even Table Topics.
2. Prepare.  Prepare your speech.  Prepare for the contests.  Talk to the speaker before the meeting.
3. Join an advanced club.  Start a new club that pushes the envelope.
4. Present outside your club.  At a job group, Kiwana’s, Rotary, etc.
5. Push the limits of all of the Toastmaster roles.  Act out the Quote of the Day, do a backwards meeting, etc.

You left your comfort zone when you joined Toastmasters.  You regained it by being a member for a year or two.  Now is the time to push the envelope again.  Join me, and have fun!

Posted under Toastmasters

Lessons from a dentist visit by Angela DeFinis.

• Self Awareness
• Creativity
• Anxiety
• Renewal
• Shine Every Time

Check out the article here.

Posted under Public Speaking

Being in the throes of the Holiday season, I am focusing a lot of my time on giving. Gifts for my family and friends, the gift of time for worthy causes, and the gift of feedback to public speakers.

I have identified three types of feedback gifts that it is possible to give to experienced speakers:

1. The Re-gift – the evaluator passes along wisdom they have received with little thought.  Evaluators hear that vocal variety is important, so they pass this nugget on without regard to whether it would actually improve the speech or the speaker.  Not all speeches would be better with more vocal variety.
2. The Thoughtful Gift – the evaluator puts a lot of thought put into this gift.  If the speaker really takes to heart this feedback they will definitely be a better speaker…in your opinion.  Their speech will be dynamic and compelling if only they used the active voice.  Not all speakers would be better if they took your advice.
3. The Gift of Receiving – the evaluator does not give this gift directly.  Instead, the evaluator describes gifts received from the speaker.  The focus is not on what was done well, or could be done differently, but instead on how the speaker touched the evaluator  Surely all speakers want to know how they touch their audience?

When starting out in Toastmasters, we model the behavior of more seasoned members.  We re-gift the advice we have received.

As we grow, we learn to create unique feedback based on our experiences.  This feedback can be very good and helpful to the right person.

Finally, you can transcend to a new level by not “trying” to help the other person.  Instead you, as the evaluator, express how the speaker made you feel.  The speaker is free to create their own advice from your experience.  Often experienced speakers know what techniques they used effectively and what needs work.  They need feedback that goes beyond mechanics.  If they are to become great public speakers, they need to get into the minds of their audience.

What kind of gift are you giving?

Inspired by the Public Speaking Holiday carnival.  Check it out: http://www.definiscommunications.com/blog/public-speaking-and-the-holidays/

Posted under evaluations

Are they as good as the ones in the video below?  Skip to the 3 minute mark to see them…

Posted under General

by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International
World Championship of Public Speaking

Here’s a tip used by theater people to prevent memory blanks.  On the day of your presentation, just before getting on stage, repeat your text rapidly without emotion.

I once wrote a play for children and hired some professional actors to help me deliver my tale. On the day of the show I was happy as we were setting up the stage and the sound system when I heard one actor say to the others: “Let’s make a rehearsal!”.

I was shocked. We didn’t have time for a rehearsal! We only had a half hour before the kids would come in the room.

To calm me down they explained to me that they would not do a regular rehearsal but instead an exercise called a “speed run-through” aimed at bringing the text back to their memory.  That’s all. They would do it as they would work on something else. We would rehears the play but the actors would simply say their part rapidly without interpreting it.

I found it to be a quite ingenious way to refresh one’s memory. In addition, once it was over I was less nervous. I felt more confident because the exercise proved to me that I knew my text since I just said it out loud.

Here’s what I suggest. A short while before giving your next speech, say your text out loud, rapidly and without emotion.  You should make this exercise even if you don’t know your text by heart. Read your notes out loud if you have any.  What’s important here is to refresh your memory just before you speak.

Is it a guaranty that you won’t have a memory blank? No.  However, it will decrease significantly the risk that such an accident occurs. Having taken such a precaution you’ll be less stressed and that will make a difference on stage!

Happy speech!

©MMX J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com. All rights reserved.

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PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduced text is sent to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided that this byline, including the following paragraph, appears along with the reproduced text:

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.

Posted under Guest Article