Speaking Elevated

Author: Samuel Santana

  • The Best Way to Start Writing a Speech

    The Best Way to Start Writing a Speech

    Feeling stuck when you write papers. I know how it feels. When I was in school I disliked writing speeches. It felt like I stared at my paper for an eternity to write something down on my paper. As deadlines drew closer, I had no choice but to write sentences down. As years passed I found the best way to start wasn’t to write paragraphs down. It was to make a bulleted list of ideas and to make an outline.

    Why Outline?

    Outlining lays out all your points on your topic. By writing your points out for a speech that is 10 minutes or under, you’ll find you often have more than enough points for your timespan. Instead of struggling to find content to fill in the time, remove points so you don’t go over time.

    Brainstorming points

    For your outline, the first thing you need to do is list all your points for your topic. Don’t worry about the introduction and conclusion. It’ll be easy to write as the final step. In my speech for cooking Burgers, I created the following list:

    • Meat Selection
    • Meat Preparation
    • Cooking Times
    • Best Cheese
    • Bun Selection
    • Smashburgers vs traditional
    • Burger Toppings
    • Gas vs Charcoal
    • Burger Sides

    That’s a lot of points! 9 to be exact. Each point can take 1-3 minutes easily depending on how much depth I write to each point.

    Find your story

    Now that we have so many points its time to weave a story from them. Some stories I can write are:

    • Focusing on Smashburgers vs Traditional Burgers
    • How to cook a burger
    • Why Smashburgers are better
    • How to cook an amazing Smashburger
    • How to cook the perfect burger
    • Better Ingredients, Better Burgers
    • Different topping combinations create new burger experiences
    • The best cheeses for burgers

    See all the directions I can take my speech. Some are slight alterations of each other. Some stories only focus on one point. By choosing your story you will need to remove and add more points.

    For this speech a PowerPoint presentation will be needed, I will aim for a 6-8 minute presentation, and I will choose the story: How to cook an Amazing Smashburger.

    Write an outline for the story

    Now that we know what direction we want our story to be we can modify the outline for our new direction.

    • Why Smashburgers are better
    • Ingredient choices
    • Cheese Selection
    • Meat Selection
    • Cooking the burger

    That looks good but seeing how we have 6-8 minutes for this presentation, let’s move “cheese” to under ingredient selection. We can also start adding subpoints to each point.

    • Why Smashburgers are better
      • Easier
      • Better taste with Maillard Effect
    • Meat Selection
      • 80/20 Meat
      • .25 – .3 oz optimal patty size
    • Additional Ingredients
      • Brioche Bun
      • American Cheese
      • Your choice of additional toppings
    • Cooking the burger
      • Smash and Season
      • flip after 90 seconds, add cheese
      • wait 30 seconds and remove

    And just like that, we have a body outline for our speech. At this point, the superpower of an outline is shown. You can easily rearrange, add or remove points. It may possibly need some subpoints shortened or removed, but I think the outline looks doable for a 6-8 minute speech.

    Your next steps

    Now that we have our outline for the body, the paragraphs will be practically writing themselves. You’ll know what to talk about and what direction you’re heading. When the body is done it’ll be easy to write an introductory and conclusion as well.

    Outline you’re content first and stalling will be a thing of the past. Watch as your ideas pour onto your paper.

  • A beginner’s framework for evaluation

    A beginner’s framework for evaluation

    If you’re not used to giving feedback, it can be difficult to give it. You want others to get better. How can we give constructive negative feedback without making them feel bad? The answer is easier than it seems. Give both positive and negative feedback with the CRC framework.

    Commend, Recommend, and Commend. By opening and closing on positive comments you are able to leave people in a positive mindset. You acknowledge their efforts and skills. To make it more effective, you need to give it with the right energy, like a motivational coach or teacher.

    In the recommendation phase, you pick out a weakness you want to see the person improve upon. Whenever I make recommendations, I like to share if I or others have struggled with that weakness. If the recommendation is something I struggle with, I’ll share that detail. I want the person I’m evaluating to know their struggle is common. I want the person to feel the faith I have in them. I can sell this because I’m convinced they can get better. By working on their weaknesses and strengths they’ll become an amazing speaker.

  • How I gained my confidence and you can too

    How I gained my confidence and you can too

    Before I first joined Toastmasters I never thought I’d be a public speaker. I had a knack for making presentations and assembling content in college, but I’d always be nervous when I presented. I needed to gain confidence.

    So I tried watching communication videos and reading tips online. It was ineffective. I needed a safe place to practice. I could try at home, but it wasn’t the same. That’s when I stumbled across Toastmasters. “Learn how to become a confident speaker,” the advertisement said.

    I made it a visit to the club and knew it was exactly what I needed. I knew I wasn’t ready for a speech or to lead the meeting as Toastmaster. I knew I had to start small. Of course, I can give a joke and a motivational quote. So I did it. Of course, I can be an Ah-Counter and a grammarian. I did those roles too. Each time I experienced a role, I believed I could do the next role. This continued until I completed all roles in a Toastmasters meeting.

    No matter which role I did there were always mishaps. Missing the count of the word of the day. Using the wrong title to call someone. Forgetting parts of my speech as a speaker. Making those mistakes was embarrassing and painful, That pain emphasized the problems I had to work through. And I kept coming back to practice.

    With practice, I make less mistakes. My speeches and presentations are better than its ever been. I’ve been in Toastmasters for two years now, and I thought by now I wouldn’t be nervous when I speak. I still am nervous but the difference is I have confidence in myself.

    I’ve been in rough spots and learned to push through it. Forget a part of my speech? Keep on talking as if you aren’t missing anything. Forget the word of the day. I’ll admit it’s my fault. Someone reminds me I skipped a role responsibility. I thank them and perform it. From experience, I know that when I make a mistake, I can depend on myself to pull myself through.

    If you want to transform your speaking skills, get that experience. Push yourself. Keep on speaking.

  • Be a showman for your roles

    Be a showman for your roles

    Whenever we’ve done a role dozens of times, our enthusiasm drops. Maybe our enthusiasm came from the stress of a new role. Maybe it came from the novelty. Now, when we perform the role, our energy is duller. It becomes noticeable in our performance. Our lack of energy becomes contagious to the rest of the meeting.

    Penn and Teller, two magicians, have performed the same old tricks for decades. Their enthusiasm still shows. They learned to summon it. That is how they still pull you to the edge of your seat.

    Part of their mastery of the trick is their communication. Penn’s choice of words and energy. Teller may not speak a single word, but he is able to communicate with his body. They’ve learned how to display the energy they need through practice.

    Whenever you communicate with colleagues, friends, or family members ask yourself this. What energy do you give out? When you lose that enthusiasm, find it again. Practice over and over again to get it to appear. The energy you have will flow through your body, voice, and eyes and reach your words. Be the showman who pulls in their audience.

  • Choosing your Pathway Cheat Sheet

    Choosing your Pathway Cheat Sheet

    Having paralysis analysis on choosing a pathway? You’ve arrived to the right page!

    All six pathways share the same projects aside from their three unique projects. If you want to choose a pathway, then choose the pathway based on the unique three projects it has. See below for the unique projects each pathway has.

    Pathways Projects

    Dynamic Leadership

    • Negotiate the Best Outcome
    • Manage Change
    • Lead in any Situation

    Engaging Humor

    • Engage your Audience with Humor
    • The Power of Humor in a Impromtu Speech
    • Deliver Your Message with Humor

    Motivational Strategies

    • Understanding Emotional Intelligence
    • Motivate Others
    • Team Building

    Persuasive Influence

    • Understanding Conflict Resolution
    • Leading in Difficult Situations
    • High Performance Leadership

    Presentation Mastery

    • Persuasive Speaking
    • Managing a Difficult Audience
    • Prepare to Speak Professionally

    Visionary Communication

    • Develop a Communication Plan
    • Communicate Change
    • Develop Your Vision
  • Pathways Level 1: Your Introduction To Toastmasters Speeches

    Pathways Level 1: Your Introduction To Toastmasters Speeches

    If you’re ready to give a speech, you’re ready for Pathways Level 1. Level 1 teaches you the fundamentals of giving a speech and how to get better in Toastmasters. Here are the projects designed to introduce you to speeches:

    • Ice Breaker
    • Writing a Speech with Purpose
    • Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language
    • Evaluation and Feedback

    The Ice Breaker

    An Icebreaker is the perfect speech for a new member. Why struggle on deciding a speech title, when you can talk about yourself? Giving an icebreaker speech will ease you into the club.

    The fundamentals

    Now that you got your feet wet, you can start learning about fundamentals.

    With Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language, you become aware of how these add to presenting a great speech. With awareness, you get to learn to practice and incorporate these skills in your speeches and presentations.

    With Evaluation and Feedback, you’ll learn how Toastmasters help each other improve. It’s already a given that feedback will assist you in approving your skills. But can you deal with harsh feedback when it’s meant to help you?

    In Toastmasters, you don’t only receive feedback but learn to give it to others. You learn how to become the person who applauds accomplishment and encourages growth. Just like Master Miyagi in the Karate Kid. Except clearer.

    Repeat again for every Pathway

    If you repeat a pathway, you’ll always return to level 1. Why? Because Level 1 serves not only to teach but remind you of the fundamentals. No matter your level, you will always rely on the fundamentals.

    The fundamentals will elevate your speeches. Engage people with well organized content. Bring your audience into your presentation your audience with your voice and body. To not only know how to learn but to teach others as well.

    This is what it means to be a Toastmaster.

  • How Toastmasters improves your business life

    How Toastmasters improves your business life

    Communication is one the most important skills you. Advantages are given to the person who can communicate better. Hard work is important too, but it won’t matter if you convince others how valuable you or your work is.

    Appearance over performance

    Alan is an outstanding programmer who’s been with the company for 8 years, He not only finishes his tasks but finishes it with easy-to-use menu interfaces. Alan presents his works through an email with a list of features.

    Marcus is an average programmer who can make incredible presentations with or without a slide show. He is able to elevate the appearance of his work’s impact by how he presents it. Marcus not only sends emails but has a way with words to show how impactful his features are. Marcus will take it a step further and arrange meetings to present his software so more people in the company will be convinced by his impact on the company.

    Between Marcus and Alan, the one who will more likely get the higher position in the company is Marcus. Even if Alan is better than Marcus, managers will see the opposite due to his communication skills.
    The one with both work and communication experience will be better suited for managerial and executive positions.

    Toastmasters is your playground

    At Toastmasters you have an opportunity to practice and improve. You direct and lead when you’re in charge of leading the pledge. You can report gracefully when you’re a timer or grammarian. Learn to give others feedback that will motivate them as evaluator. Bring everyone together as Toastmaster.


    Know that whichever role you have whether in Toastmasters or business, you can be more impactful by how you communicate.

  • You have more potential than you know

    You have more potential than you know

    There was a sweet warm-hearted woman who quit my Toastmasters club. She loved the members there, and the members loved her back. Perhaps we failed her because she felt we didn’t do enough to help her.

    Jane was a very talented speaker. Whenever she talked she had a bit of warmness. Depending on the table topic, she can draw you in with her choice of words and the emotion she put into it. Even though she was talented, she didn’t know it.

    Jane always was nervous about speaking. Rarely I could pick up a bit on a slightly nervous tone, but she would finish off strongly. She came to Toastmaster’s about facing her fear of public speaking. She was very active, and came frequently. I didn’t know she felt like she wasn’t growing until she quit.

    Jane had signed up for a big role. Jane had been around long enough that I was sure she would handle it fine. She received our club’s guide to the role the day before the meeting. Jane notified us she wouldn’t make it to the meeting and didn’t show up again.

    The board contacted her if she was alright. This was when she explained that she felt as if we weren’t able to provide her with the support she needed. We gave her all the material she needed to perform the role. Yet what she was missing was confidence.

    Jane had a potential she wasn’t aware of. If she had performed, she would’ve been able to gauge her level. She has embarrassed herself before in front of the other members, but in Toastmasters we want our members to grow.

    I’ve seen many people like Jane come in. They can speak better than they realize, but they need to develop confidence. After this experience, I hope I can inspire confidence in others so they can see the potential they have. This blog is dedicated to helping support those like Jane or me who needed help when we didn’t know who to ask. If you lack confidence, I hope you can learn about it, and find people in your club to lean on.

  • Facing your fear of public speaking

    Facing your fear of public speaking

    The heart pounds fast. The body become stiff. You are in the front of the room, giving your first speech. Its a struggle standing there, saying your lines. Its overwhelming because you may look like a fool. At this moment you are faced with your fear of public speaking.

    Many new Toastmasters go through this experience. Its such a challenge that they join to overcome their fear of public speaking. Its common, but why do so many people have this fear?

    Why do we fear public speaking?

    People don’t want to be judged negatively. When a person comes up and speak for the first time, he’s worried he’ll be seen as inadequate. He’s worried he may not have the skills to to look confident through the speech.

    People know they shouldn’t care what others think, yet they still get nervous. They are afraid of being judged by themselves. They don’t want to speak. They don’t want to be in front of everyone, only to underperform. Its hard to accept being an incompetent speaker. To be such a beginner. But in order to get better we need to accept our current level to get better.

    Overcoming this fear

    There is no easy way to overcome fear. If you try to understand it alone, it doesn’t cure your fear. You need to condition yourself with the the mindset that you’ll be okay no matter what the outcome is. That you can improve. The best way to overcome the fear of public speaking is by doing it.

    Knowing this will not make it easier. But as you give more speeches you will slowly accept any judgement you receive. You will learn to become a better speaker. You will see your improvement. When you realize your learning potential, your public speaking level will matter less.

    Conclusion

    You forget a part of your speech? You skip and maybe bring it back later. You start to forget a line? You bring a notecard next time. As obstacles arrive, you learn to solve them. This is what experience provides you. An opportunity to look back and see your improvement. An opportunity to look back and see that you were always ok.

  • Finding your next members

    Finding your next members

    One of the biggest challenges in growing a club is getting new guests to walk through the door. In today’s day and age most engagement is done through the internet. You need the club marketed online and offline. Effective recruitment requires discovering effective lead generators and fine tuning them.

    Standard Lead Generation

    What are the best lead generators? Ask your guests. Every club will be different in what works best for them. The size of your valley, demographics, and the local culture make a difference.


    After hearing what the guests in my club say here is the lead generators that work best ordered by effectiveness.

    1. Meetup
    2. Toastmasters.org / Club Website
    3. Word of Mouth / Social Media

    Meetup

    Meetup is my club’s best lead generator. Any time a person looks for a club they will come across Meetup. Its at the top of Google search results when searching for a group. If you haven’t used Meetup, you definitely should try it out. It has a yearly fee, but most of our guests and new members have found my club through it.

    Learn how to gain members with Meetup.

    Get people in the door

    It doesn’t matter which lead generator you use. They serve the same purpose. Getting people in the door. All lead generators should do the following:

    1. Show your club is active
    2. Say what your club can do for them
    3. When and where you meet

    Showing your club is active is the most overlooked aspect. Before fine tuning my club website, the biggest question we received was if we were still meeting. People were intrigued by what Toastmasters could do for them. They didn’t want to waste their time going to a dead club.

    You can link your digital lead generators to active social media accounts, or even better, link to a Meetup with a healthy amount of RSVPs.