Entertainment / Public Speaking Toastmasters’ Style

Public Speaking Toastmasters’ Style

Entertainment May 30, 2013

by Anokhi Admin

Learning the Art of Competent Communication

What do you think is the biggest fear for most people in the world? (Hint: The number two is death.) Based on several studies, the top ranking fear in this world is that of public speaking. Yes, majority of people would rather die instead of talking in front of a live audience.

The fear can have a negative impact on your career and can influence your success in life.

Sameer too was experiencing a similar situation. A business graduate with sharp analytical skills and a great personality, he was recently promoted to a Manager level position. His job now involved making effective presentations and leading teams. He thought he would be good at it. Yet, the transition to the new role was not going smooth. He struggled to keep the audience engaged during his presentations. He had trouble connecting with his team members. A few months ago, he expressed his frustration to his mentor who suggested that he try Toastmasters. It's been five months since he joined the club and the results are visible.

"Congratulations! Your presentation was awesome". Sameer is now a regular at receiving such praise. His presentations are now structured — have a strong opening, keep the audience engaged and he gets his messages across quickly. Sameer can't stop thanking his Toastmasters Club for that.

With more than 270,000 members and 13, 000 clubs worldwide, Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. At Toastmasters, participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a "learn-by-doing" environment. The best part -— there are no professors, instructors or classrooms. Corporate houses realize that most schools or universities don't offer this kind of training. So, they encourage their employees to sign up for the club. TD Bank has 4 such clubs in the Toronto area alone. Ashok Raghupathy, a Project Manager at TD Bank, joined one of the clubs a year ago. "When I first participated as a guest in Toastmasters, I observed that one can not only improve public speaking and communications skills but also improve on other leadership skills — like facilitation, organization, coaching etc in a fun, proven and structured way". He had no second thoughts about joining the club. He is now the VP (Public Relations) at the TD Supreme Toastmasters chapter, which has about 30 members.

There are clubs outside the corporate world too. Prasad, a Toastmaster member for 10 years is an active member of the Grosvenor Club, one of the oldest public clubs in Toronto. Back in 2002, he joined Toastmasters to network with people and get comfortable while speaking in front of a live audience. He adds, "we have about 25 members. Being an open club (and not a corporate one), we have a great mix of individuals by blend of gender, age range, speaking experience." Members of this club included individuals from different walks of life — industry professionals, artists, free lancers, public sector employees, retired individuals, life coaches.

A typical Toastmaster meeting consists of three sections. The first section is the Prepared Speech session where participants come prepared to speak on a topic based on a Toastmaster manual. The manual has ten speech projects and each project is designed in a different way to develop speaking skills one step at a time. Sample projects include the importance of organization, usage of right words, speaking to inspire and using visual aids.

The second section in the meetings is called the Table Topics. It is designed to help individuals think on their feet. Members are expected to speak impromptu for about 2 minutes on a given topic.

The last part is the Evaluation session. This is very precious for members as they get pointed feedback from evaluators on areas where they can improve and speak better.

In today's world, corporations are looking for people who are persuasive and comfortable communicating with a wide range of people, from top executives to assembly-line workers. They are encouraging employees to join Toastmasters. At TD Bank, the membership fee is considered as training and education for employee development and reimbursed by the bank. Toastmasters also ensures that the effort put by an employee is recognized. On completion of ten speeches from the manual and becoming a "Competent Communicator", Toastmasters can send a letter to the supervisor about the accomplishment.

Every Toastmaster club also has a unique personality. Besides improving the communication skills, the members make new friends and connect to a wide range of people. The Grosvenor Club even has a pub social after their meetings. Prasad adds "This is something I like about our club. The camaraderie and the friendships remain even long after club members have moved on."

Thousands of members worldwide can vouch for how joining a Toastmasters club has boosted their confidence and helped them formulate and express their ideas with ease. Public speaking is an art and you'll notice some of the finest speakers being developed here. With a lot of excitement, Prasad adds "On a broader level, Toastmasters is not just about public speaking and leadership skills. It provides an opportunity for interaction that enables us to learn and apply life skills in all aspects of our journey in a relaxed and supportive environment while having fun."

You can register as a guest and attend a Toastmaster meeting in your area and check if it will make a difference to your life.

BY SMRUTI DAS

_{Sources: Toastmasters.org, grosvenortoastmasters.com, toastmasters international}

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Public Speaking Toastmasters’ Style

by Anokhi Admin

Learning the Art of Competent Communication

COMMENTS

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