Toastmaster Speech Manual Number Two

Speak With Sincerity  
 
 

     In your first speech, you concentrated on actually standing before an audience and making through a talk. Now, having "broken the ice" you've ready to discusss a subject of general interest about which you have strong convictions. Your purpose is to convey this sincerity and conviction to your audience, to make them understand, and possibly join you in enthusiastic suport of your viewpoint. As you prepare and deliver this talk, make an effort to confront and overcome any nervouness you may feel.  
 
 

Sincerity and Conviction  
The successful speech is one that radiates conviction and sincerity. The purpose of the speech - in ths project , to advocate a point of view on which you feel strongly - should dominate your preparation and delivery. Your primary goal is  to learn how to convey your true feelings to the audience. Be natural, but forceful; the combination of thought and strong feeling should be an expression of your personality.  

Remember that since the listener are volunteering their time to hear your talk, you owe them more than a uperficial excercise in words. When a subject has meaning for you and you can convice listener of the fact, they will pay attention to you and be willing to consider your point of view.  
 

Speak With Confidence  
When you speak on subject that interest you - and about which you have strong feelings - you will become so involved with speaking, you will forget your nervouness. Remember, some stage fright is a normal reaction for any speaker. Don't be concerned about feeling a certain amount of nervouness before you speak.  

However, if excessive nervouness is a problems for you, now is the time to confront it. You don't want to totally calm, thus putting your audience to sleep, but you should try to understand and overcome any nervouness taht creates problems for you. Direct your natural nervouness towards two objects: yourself and your topic.  

First, use the nervous energy to add excitement to your talk so the audience will catch your enthusiasm and be symphetic to your cause. Second, use your nervous energy towards throughly researching the topic. Your full mastery of the subject will give confidence as you speak. Once you've demonstrated your understanding of the topic and stimulated enthusiasm in your audience, what's to be nervouness about?  
 

Selecting The Subject  
Choose the subject of interest about which you have define convictions. The world is full of controversial subjects, and you certainly have strong feelings about some of them. Your topic could be anything from taxes to education, arms control to barking dogs. Just be sure that you have a definite pont of view and then prepare the protest, appeal, or call for action that promotes your viewpoint.  

Your purpose should determine your choice of supporting material (fact and illustration), the arrangement of your ideas, and your delivery. As in any speech, adapt your presentation to fit the audience, speaking directly to listener interests. In this talk, you may assume your audience represents the city council, chamber of commerce, the general public, or any other group. Be sure the Toastmaster of the meeting understand and make clear to club members what role you want them to play.  
 

Make An Outline  
Plan your introduction to awaken your audience. Make them interest in your subject. Show its timeliness and relevance to them. The body of your talk should identify the source of your concern, show how the problems can be solved, and build listener understanding of and symphaty toward your position. Finally, your conclusion should leave the audience ready to support you in your convictions.  

Another way of stating this progression is to tell your audience:  
i. Something is wrong. State just what it is  
ii Why is this wrong? Who is to blame? What harm is done?  
iii. How does this wrong be corrected? Make definite recommendation for changing things for the better.  
iv. What should we do? Tell your listeners exactly what you want them to do, think or feel. Let your enthusiasm peak, and show them sincerity.  
 

You Need To Rehearse  
Of course, you will need to practise, preferebly with someone who will give you helpful feedback, such as your mentor. tell that person about your speech plans, then try to win agreements as you proceed through the points of the outline. Try several different illustartions and lines of reasoning to determine the most effective and discard the rest. Think clearly about your approach to the subject, and delete everything that does not directly relate to your purpose. If you can enter to a dialogue or friendly argument with your listener, you will discover weakness in your position which you can then streghten.  

Become excited about the topic. You can't accomplish anything worthwhile unless you're enthusiastics about it. If you lack enthusiasm, you may selected the wrong subject.  
 

Try It Without Notes  
In this project, try speaking without notes, since you will want to convey sincerity and mastery of the subject. You should be telling your listener something you really believe, rather reading the script to them.  

Consider the effectiveness of a presentation when the speaker looks you in the eye, drops all pretense, and tells you from her heart exactly how she feels about the subject. Compare that presentation with one in which the speaket stands stiffly behind the lectern and speaks from his notes, with an occasional glance at the audience. Which one makes the graeter impact?  

At this stage of your speaking development, however, you may not be quite ready to abondon notes entirely. If this is true for you, try ths method as a first step away from written notes: Write on a single card asimple phrase for each of your main points. write in large letters so you can read each card with a quick glance. Never lets your notes com between you and contact with your audience.  
 

Delivering Your Talk 
Involve your listeners from the beginning of your talks. Your first sentence should wake them up and make them want to listen. your opening should also clearly introduce the subject.  

Carry through with sincerity and finish with  strong appeal. Assume you have already sold the audience on your position; now add the finishing touches. Dont be concerned about so involved with your subject; your toastmasters club is just the place to turn yourself loose. The main consideration is to put the force of conviction into everything you say; revealing your true beliefs.  
 

Your Evaluation  
The evaluater will be looking the way you project sincerity and conviction to your audience. You should also be taking steps to control any nervousness you may have.  

All the skills you learn through speaking are culmulative and should be included in each sucessive speech. In your first talk, you learn about planning (purpose, introduction, main ideas, conclusion), and this talk you're learning the importance of sincerity (convincing your audience that you know subject and believe what you are telling them). Plan to include both of these skills in future talks. Remember, unless you have convictions and can demonstrate them in a logical form, you have nothing to say. When you show enthusiasm skillfully, your audience will follow you.