Are You In It To Win It?

In 2010, I’ll admit that initially I was a reluctant competitor in the Toastmasters Evaluation contest at the club level. As a club officer, I was determined that we WOULD BE represented. So, I made the statement (and, let me just say, if you make a statement to a group of Toastmasters or any group, you have to be prepared to back it up; I had not thought that far ahead), so I made the statement, “Our club needs to be represented. If you don’t do it, I will!” Silence. Now, I couldn’t quite tell but I think I may have heard a few sighs of relief. After all, entering a speaking contest is not the easiest thing in the world. For those of you who have, kudos to you. Easy or not, it is definitely a good experience and one that will help you to grow by leaps and bounds as a speaker.

And that’s how I became the evaluation contestant for our club. While I had entered other speaking contests, I had never even considered the evaluation contest. No real reason except that I felt there were others much better than me at evaluation. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever let your perception of yourself hold you back?

Now, in Toastmaster evaluation contests, we compete at the club, area, division and finally the district (or state) level. The competition gets tougher as you advance. This is typical of every contest.

Somehow, in November 2010, I found myself on stage in Wilmington, NC, competing at the district level. Against the best of the best from around the state. By this time, I was no longer that reluctant contestant at the club level. Somehow, winning the area, then the division, had lit a fire inside me. I wanted to do my best, not just for me but for my local Burlington club. I was in it to win it!

Whether you’re competing now or plan to compete at a later date, here are two pieces of advice you should take to heart.

1) Find a mentor or mentors that you can trust to give you valuable feedback. Just because your Uncle Joe thinks you’re the best doesn’t mean he knows enough about the speaking biz to coach you to the win. Find someone who can.

2) Take a look at the judge’s ballot for your contest and make sure you meet the criteria for each section. This can take you far in any contest.

For a short 5-minute video with more valuable tips to winning a speech contest, click here.

Now, are you ready to compete? Are you in it to win it? Go forth and enjoy the ride.

Rock on,

Jean

Rock Your Evaluation! (Part 2)

Rock It!

When evaluating a speaker, look for advanced speaking techniques. Did the speaker use pauses effectively? Or would his speech have been more powerful if he had incorporated the use of pauses? Did his pauses seem rehearsed and stilted? Or did the few seconds of silence in his speech drive home his points?

An effective way to use a pause is just before you make an important point or just after you’ve made a point. Also, if you’re telling a story, pauses can add emphasis and make the listener’s ears perk up, anxious to hear what’s coming next. Another reason to pause is during audience participation. If audience members respond to something a speaker has said, it breaks the connection when the speaker does not allow them time to have their moment. Here’s what a World Champion of Public Speaking has to say:

“As presenters are gaining confidence, they have a tendency to step on laughs. Meaning, as the audience starts laughing, because the presenter is nervous, he / she keeps talking. Because the speaker keeps talking, the laughs are suppressed, because the audience is eager to hear more. The power is truly in the pause.” – Darren LaCroix, Structuring Your Humor

To really ROCK your evaluation, you must:

Remember to give value
Organize it like a speech
Conclude with encouragement
Keep it real

Next time you evaluate a speaker, take a moment to consider: Did he use pauses effectively? Or did he step on laughs?

What about you? When you’re speaking do you allow your audience to participate in your speech? Do you give them a moment to respond or do you rush forward into your next point or story? Visit Darren’s website and see how his tips can help you make your next speech connect with your audience on an even deeper level. And, armed with that knowledge, your next speech will be even more powerful, plus you’ll give more value the next time you evaluate a speech.

Rock on,
Jean
2010 District 37 Evaluation Champion

Rock Your Evaluation! (Part 1)

Rock It!

When evaluating a speaker, look for what the speaker did well and what he can do to improve. Take a look at your Competent Communicator manual and you’ll find the skills you should look for. Remember how each speech had a different focal point, something you would focus on as you crafted and gave your speech? #5 focuses on Body Language; #6 focuses on Vocal Variety. Keep these in mind as you evaluate your speaker.

But what if you’re evaluating the best speaker in your Toastmasters club? You know, the one that never says an ‘um’ even in casual conversation. The one that gives presentations for a living. The one that, let’s be honest here, is a bit intimidating to evaluate. What then?

The key to giving a rockin’ evaluation is to evaluate the speaker as if you were an audience member. (Which you are)! Even if you’re a newer Toastmaster, you can give valuable feedback when you share what resonated with you or what the speaker could have done differently to make their speech more powerful.

According to 2007 World Champion of Public Speaking finalist, Bryant Pergerson, “Giving a great speech evaluation is one of the most important jobs in a Toastmasters meeting. As you learn to give more purposeful evaluations, your fellow club members will become more effective speakers and evaluators.” And, when they become better, they’ll evaluate you and you’ll become better. That’s what Toastmasters is all about.

To really ROCK your evaluation, you must:

Remember to give value
Organize it like a speech
Conclude with encouragement
Keep it real

Before you evaluate another speaker, take a moment to visit Bryant’s website and watch his video, “4 Secrets of Great Evaluations.”

Rock on,
Jean
2010 District 37 Evaluation Champion