After completing my ice breaker in front of a varied audience, I was eager to give my second speech. Having received my objectives from TM Sid who had taken up the role of a mentor, I had immediately started to go about it the software professional way........
" I GOOGLED IT!!!!"
I quickly came up with the objectives ..
Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech.
Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message.
Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another.
Create strong opening and conclusion.
TIME: Five to seven minutes.
#Tip 1:- Make Sure That The Opening Catches The Audience Attention
With a speech titled " Pop It", I had intended to acquire the attention of the audience.
I was much more at ease with the audience but yet not at a stage to judge the impact a good title has on an audience. Now that I reminisce about my #CC2 I start marveling about the different ways that I have missed which would have created a greater impact with the kind of title I have chosen.
#Tip 2:- Some effective ways of creating a great opening are to use Startling statements, Pose a Question,Refer to the Occasion, Compliment the audience, tell a short story and my favorite make the audience guessing with the opening statement
[For Advanced Speakers] Having introduced the opening and posing questions briefly outlining general situations, I faced the challenge of drafting the body of my speech. The manual states the following ways for drafting the body.
Chronological : The topic is arranged by time. For example, in a speech about your town's upcoming centennial celebration, you would begin with details about its founding, followed by information about its growth over the years, then its current status. Or your speech could describe steps in a process, such as a speech about the five steps in making a career change.
Spatial : This type of speech follows a direction. For example, in a speech about planning a flower garden, you could first discuss low-growing flowers appropriate for the front of a garden, followed by slightly taller flowers suitable for the center of the garden, then taller flowers appropriate for the rear of the garden.
Causal : This type of speech shows cause/effect relationships. Often the effect is discussed first, then the cause. A speech about hurricanes that describes how a hurricane is formed and its destructiveness fits this organizational pattern.
Comparative : You compare and contrast different proposals or plans, usually to persuade the audience that one plan or proposal is better. For example, in a presentation to your company's executives, you could compare and contrast two different proposals concerning a new product to convince the executives that one proposal is better than the other.
Topical : This speech splits the main topic into subtopics. For example, a speech about changing radio programming could address three different types of programming: music, news and talk shows.
Problem-solution : You present a problem that needs to be solved and a solution to that problem. This type of organization is effective if you are trying to motivate your audience to take some kind of action. For example, a speech describing the effect of water pollution on people and the environment fits this organizational pattern, provided it lists sources of water pollution in your town and describes what can be done to stop it.
I had chosen the Topical approach, highlighting 3 different subtopics which were meant to enhance the message I was trying to put forth.
Tip#3:- If you feel Topical Arrangement appeals your Speaking style,the following points would help you create a better arrangement.
Keep main points separate
Use the same pattern of wording for main points
Balance the time devoted to main points
With a better opening and a good arrangement of your points in the body of the speech, you are now heading towards the most important but mostly ignored part:-THE CONCLUSION
#Tip 4:- Occasionally, as you deliver the conclusion, you may remember something you forgot to say earlier. Resist the temptation to talk about it now.Introducing new material in the closing may confuse the audience.
To deliver an effective conclusion, I had used a prop which was a bubble blower. The prop was used to reinforce the opening and also to deliver the message.
" When we were children, We always had the confidence that we would catch and "pop" all the bubbles being blown at us! But as we grow, we start doubting ourselves when faced with problems. After this speech, if you are facing a problem, remember your childhood, remember the confidence and don't be afraid to "POP IT".
And lastly, Practice makes a Toastmaster Perfect!!!! And this is the advise I would like to leave you with at the end of this mail.