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TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL:

.CompetentCommunicationAPractical Guide to Becoming aBetter Speaker

www.toastmasters,org
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Competent Communication

TOASTMASTERSINTERNATIONAL:P.O. Box 9052 Mission Viejo, CA 92690 U.S.A. Phone: 949-858-8255 Fax: 949-858-1207 e-mail: [email protected]

Printed in USA Rev. 712009 Item 225
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y ~ Contents - - - - - - -=-------"'- -- - - - - - .- - - - , - - - -"" - - - -Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1. The Ice Breaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. Organize Your Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3. Get to the Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4. How to Say It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 5. Your Body Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Evaluate Your Progress, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 6. Vocal Variety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 7. Research Your Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 8. Get Comfortable with Visual Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 9. Persuade with Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

10. Inspire Your Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

About Your Club

Your Toastmasters Survival Guide

Evaluate Your Progress, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Advanced Project: The Enterta ining Speaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Toastmasters Educational Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Award Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Other Communication and Leadership Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

The Club Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Meeting Roles and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Your Club'SLeadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 How to Make Your Butterflies Fly in Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Speech Topic Suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Table Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 How to Introduce a Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Thanking a Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Advanced Communication Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 CC Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Project Completion Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Evaluate Your Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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YU may be more comfortable communicating by electronic mail or telephone than in person. Speaking tolarge or small groups, or even one-to-one,may intimidate or frighten you. Yet goodcommunication skills are vital ifyou want tobe successfUl. Corporate leaders say that the ability to communicate well orally is one of themost important skills their recruiters look for in job candidates. Businesses want people whoexpress themselves clearly and confidently, and are persuasive and comfortable communicatingwith a wide range ofpeople, from top executives to assembly-line workers.

Most schools and universities don't offer thistype of training. Toastmasters does. In Toastmastersyou'll learn how to formulate, express and sell yourideas and yourself with poise and confidence.You'll improve your ability to listen and evaluateothers' ideas, and you'll learn leadership skillsalong the way.

By joining your lbastmasters club, you'veembarked on a journey that will greatly improveyour life.How It WorksThe Toastmasters program is not a college, tradeschool or other formal course in public speaking.You'll find no instructors, professors or classrooms.No one's work is graded and no tests are administered. In Toastmasters, members learn by studyingthe manuals, practicing and helping one another.Learning takes place in the club environment.Club meetings are workshops where you studyand practice communication and leadership sldllswith others who are there for the same reasonsyou are. You learn by doing and by watchingfellow club members.

During dub meetings you'll build "quick think-ing" skills as you give one- to two-minute speecheson general subjects during Taole Topics. You'llintroduce speakers, conduct meetings and perform

other roles that will give you plenty of practice ina variety of communication experiences. But yourgreatest learningwill come from preparing andpresenting speeches based on the projects inthis manual.This manual has 10 speech projects, eachdesigned to develop your speaking skills one stepat a time. Every project builds upon what you'velearned in the preceding project, so you shouldpresent the speeches in numerical order. You'llbegin with "The Ice Breaker" speech. Since it willbe your first speech before the dub, it will bebased on an easy subject - yourself. In subsequentspeeches you'll learn the importance of organization, speech purpose, proper word usage, bodylangnage and vocal variety. You'll also learn how todo research, use visual aids, speak persuasively andinspire others. Read each project and "EvaluationGuide" carefully before you prepare your speech.This is your workbook, so you may write in it.Most of your talks will be only five- to sevenminutes long. This gives you enough time to developyour topic while still keeping duo meetinll$ to areasonable length, but the principles you learn in afive- to seven-minute speech apply to a 40-minuteformal address or a two-minute impromptu speech.You'll learn to speak with confidence, darity,persuasiveness and enthusiasm.

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An evaluator will give you verbal and writtenfeedback on every speech you present. The evaluator provides a personal opinion of your talk,pointing out its strengths and offering suggestionsfor improving your next speech. Evaluations haveone purpose: to help you become a more effectivespeaker. Eventually, as you gain more experience,you will evaluate the speeches of others.This manual teaches you the basics of publicspeaking. After you finish it, you can begin refiningand enhancing your basic speaking skills in theAdvanced Communication program. This programconsists of 15 manuals with five speech projectseach. Some manuals focus on career-related presentations, such as public relations and technicalspeeches, while others address topics such as interpersonal communication, humor and storytelling.You choose the manuals to complete and the skillsyou want to iearn. For more information on theadvanced program turn to page 76.Leadership TrainingYou'll learn more than just communication skillsin your club. You'll build leadership skills when youcomplete the 10 projects in the Competent Leader-ship manual. You can develop additional skills byserving as a club officer, formulating and implementing plans to help the club meet members'needs. You may also complete the High PerformanceLeadership program, working on a leadershipproject related to your personal or professionallife. Serving in leadership positions at other levelsof the organization also will help improve yourleadership skills.The Rewards are ManyNot only will you learn speaking and leadershipskills, you will be recognized for your efforts. Onceyou've completed all 10 projects in this manual,you will receive the Competent CommunicatorCCC) award, a certificate you can display at homeor in the office. If you wish, ToastmastersInternationalwill also send a letter to youremployer about this accomplishment.But that's only the beginning. Toastmastersprovides two educational tracks: a communicationtrack, in which you develop your speaking skills,and a leadership track, in which you developleadership skills. When you participate in the

communication track, you can be recognized asan Advanced Communicator Bronze, AdvancedCommunicator Silver and Advanced Communicator Gold. When you participate in the leadershiptrack, you can be recognized as a CompetentLeader, Advanced Leader Bronze and AdvancedLeader Silver. The tracks are not mutually exclusive. You may work in both tracks at the sametime, and you are encouraged to do so. The ultimate recognition is the Distinguished Toastmasteraward, given to those who have worked in bothtram and have received the Advanced Communicator Gold and Advanced Leader Silver awards.

For an illustrated list of available awards andthe reqnirements for each, see pages 59 and 60.There's More!Toastmasters offers other communication andleadership opportunities as well, from speechcontests to speakers bureaus. See pages 61-62for more opportunities available to you.Throughout this manual you'll find referencesto manuals, books and other programs that mayhelp you further develop your speaking andleadership skills. You may purchase these itemsfrom Toastmasters International's WorldHeadquarters. Place your order online atwww.toastmasters.org/shop, by telephone at949-858-8255 or by fax 949-858-1207.How Do I Get Started?By now you realize just how much you can do andlearn in Toastmasters, and you're eager to begin.You will get a great start i fyou do the following:1. Ask your vice president education for amentor. Amentor is a friendly, experienced fel

low member who will help you with your firstfew speeches and answer any questions you mayhave as you begin working in the Toastmasterseducational program. The mentor was once anew member like you and knows how important help can be to someone just starting theprogram. Amentor request form is includedin your New Member Kit Complete the formand give it to your vice president education. Ifyou've misplaced the form, simply ask your vicepresident education to assign a mentor to you.

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2. Ask the vice president education to scheduleyou to give your first speech, "The Ice Breaker:'which is Project 1 in this manual. I f theschedule permits, most likely you will give yourfirst speech at the next meeting or at least beassigned to another meeting role that requiresspeaking up in front of fellow club members.The sooner you begin speaking in the club, thefaster you will learn. Also ask the vice presidenteducation to orient you to the club. During thisorientation, the vice president educationexplains how the club operates, the learningopportunities the club provides and yourresponsibilities as a member. Both of you willdiscuss your goals and how the club can helpyou achieve them.

3. Read the section "About Your Club" 011 page63. This section explains what happens at adub meeting, as well as the meeting roles youwill be asked to fill and how to fill them. Youwill also learn about the club's leaders and theirresponsibilities.

4. Study the booklet Effective Evaluation (Item202), which you received in the New MemberKit. Every speech you give in the club will beevaluated by another member, and you alsowill be asked to evaluate others' speechesalld leadership roles. Evaluations providethe feedback all members need to improvetheir skills, so it is important that you know

how to evaluate. Effective.Evaluation reviewshow to evaluate and what to do with theevaluations you receive. You also received twoother publications in the New Member Kit:fuur Speaking Voice (Item 199) and Gestures:Your Body Speaks (Item 201). You need notread these booklets now, but be sure to keepthem on hand. You will want to read themafter you have completed two or three speechprojects. Both will help you develop some keyspeaking skills.

5. Finally, begin preparing your first speech.Carefully read Project 1, including the"Evaluation Guide;' and work with yourmentor to develop a speech about yourself.Prepare thoroughly and practice your speechrepeatedly. Preparation and practice, 1I0t onlyfor this first speech but for every speech yougive, will help you overcome any nervousnessyou may have and make you a better speaker.

One Last ThoughtMore than four million people will confirm thatthe Toastmasters program works, but it works onlywhen you prepare carefully, actively participateand speak as often as possible.

Apply yourself, and you will experience thebenefits you want in all aspects of your life.

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The Ice Breaker.

Bnow you've heard speech

es by club members andhave probably participatedin Table Thpics. This is your

opportunity to give your first prepared talk and "break the ice."

The best way to begin yourspeaking experience is to talkabout a familiar subject - yourself.Of course, this subject is toobroad for a short four- to sixminute presentation. You mustnarrow it by selecting three orfour interesting aspects of yourlife that will give your fellow clubmembers insight and understanding of you as an individual. Thesemight include your birthplace,education or family. You couldexplain how you came to be inyour present occupation and tellthe audience something aboutyour ambitions. Or you couldexplain the effect an incident fromyour youth has had on your life.One speaker donned hats as shetalked about her life. She wore achauffeur's hat as she talked aboutdriving her children to theiractivities, a fireman's hat as shediscussed the crises or "fires" sheencountered daily at her work,and a chef's hat as she told ofher love of cooking.

Once you have the highlightsof your talk in mind, weave theminto a story, just as if you were

telling it to friends around thedinner table. Share significantpersonal experiences. The morepersonal your talk, the warmerthe relationship will be betweenyou and the audience.Opening, Bodyand ConclusionLike any good story, your talkneeds a dear beginning and ending. Create an interesting openingsentence that captures the audience's attention. Memorixe it, ifnecessary, and use it even if a better idea occurs to you just beforeyou speak. Then devise a goodclosing and memorize it, too.A memorized beginning andending enable you to start andfinish your talk with confidenceand ease. In any speech, it's best toselect a few main points (three orfour at the most) and emphasizethem by using examples, storiesor anecdotes. If you merely statea fact and then continue, most ofyour audience will miss the point.You should make a point, say itagain in different words, illustratethe point, and then state it oncemore in order to be clearly understood. This is a good skill tolearn. Choose your points andillustrations carefully. Too muchinformation may overwhelmthe audience.

; i ' ~ E K E G U T l l j E SUMMARY:.rVllrlr.ti'RtSpe6Ch i i r o j ~ c t , '

introduce yourselfreliHIV' LIIJfJ members .them some information

' ~ ~ H V ' } " V ' background, interestsani! ill1il)iti0l1S. Practice'giving .i!J(j:peeCh to friends or famiiy:

and strive to make ....1 l [ J [ ~ I l r ; e . l m l . l I l H V usenotes.:,.:

your sPllilch if you ~ ~ s l t .. entire project before

your talk.

QBJECTIVES:" , ~ l o : b e ! l i n speaking before

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If you think you will need notes, write a briefspeech outline on note cards, which you can placeOn the lectern. Refer to them only when you needthem. Remember, you're speaking, not reading.Many speakers begin by writing out an entirespeech, then breaking it into parts, with a keyword for each part, and linalJy writing just thekey words on one note card.Preparing YourselfNow the talk is ready, but are you ready to presentit? Practice the talk until you are comfortable withit. You won't need to memorize the body of thetalk, since you already know all about the subject.As mentioned earlier, you shonld memorize theopening and conclusion.

Present the talk to a family member, a friendor your Toastmasters mentor. Ask for comments.They may give you some helpful suggestions. I fyou have a tape recorder, record the talk and listento it carefully, making any necessary improvements.Using a tape recorder is one of the best ways toimproving your speaking ability.Instead of thinking of this presentation as"making a speech;' think of it as a talk before agroup of friends, sharing information of interest.Don't be afraid of the audience. They have alreadyexperienced the same feelings you're having. Theywant you to succeed and they're eager to help you!

Appearance is important. Be well-groomedand appropriately dressed for your presentation.When you look right, you feel good about your-self. You'll then forget about your appearance andconcentrate on your talk. You will have increasedconfidence because you know you've made a goodfirst impression with the audience.Presenting Your TalkOnce yottve prepared and practiced your talk,relax. Nervousness is common to every speaker, nomatter how experienced. In fact, you can put thisnervou;; energy to work for you by using it to addexcitement to your delivery. No one is going tonotice a little quavering in your voice, and it willsoon disappear anyway as you become involvedwith what you're saying. (More information aboutcontrolling nervou;;ness appears on page 72.)

While being introduced, take a deep breath andslowly exhale. This will help your voice sound resonant and natural. Begin by facing the Toastmaster

and saying, "Mr. (or Madam) Toastmaster;'then face the audience and say, "Ladies andgentlemen ..." or "Fellow members and guests ... "Pause, then begin with your memorized opening.

While speaking, make "eye contact" withvarious members of the audience, first lookingdirectly at one person for a few seconds, thenlooking at another, so people feel included in yourtalk. As you do this, glance periodically at thetimer. If the red light comes on while you're talking,move smoothly to your conclusion and finishquickly. Observe time limits whenever you speak.

Don't worry about what tQ do with your hands.Leave them at your sides if this makes you morecomfortable. You'll have opportunities to practice"body language" later.

Finish with your memorized conclusion. Somespeakers say "thank you" at the very end to signalto the audience that they are finished, but this isnot necessary. Instead, after you say your concluding words, nod at the Toastmaster of the meetingand say, "Mr. (or Madam) Toastmaster" and enjoythe applause.Your EvaluationAfter you finish, you'll probably begin evaluatingyourself even before you return to your seat. Youmay think you left out some of the best parts.Every speaker thinks that. Just congratnlate yourself on having delivered your first speech, thenwrite down the things you did well and the thingsyou want to improve to make your next speecheven better.

To supplement your self-evaluation, an experienced club member hasbeen assigned to evaluateyour efforts. Before the meeting begins, give thismanual to your evaluator so he or she may makenotes on the evaluation page of this project. Thisgives you a permanent record of your progress. Ifyou want the evaluator to observe something in particular, be sure to inform the evaluator in advance.

Ask other members for additional commentsafter the meeting (some may give you their ownbrief written comments during the meeting). Allof these comments may not be u;;eful to you, butyou should consider them carefully. Remember,each evatuation is an QpiniQn of how that personperceived you and your presentation. These opin-ions usually (but not always) will be helpful toyour self-development.

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TWe ___________________________________________________________Evaluator __________~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - D ~ e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Note to the Evaluator: In this speech the new member is to introduce himself!herself to the club and beginspeaking before an audience, The speech should have a clear beginning, body and ending. The speaker hasbeen advised to use notes ifnecessary and not to be concerned with body language. Be encouraging and pointout the speaker's strong points while gently and kindly mentioning areas that could be improved. Strive to havethe speaker look forward to giving another speech. Your evaluation should help the speaker feel glad aboutjoining Toastmasters and presenting this speech. In addition to your verbal evaluation, please write answersto the questions below.

What strong points does the speaker already have?

How well did the audience get to know the speaker?

Did the speech reflect adequate preparation?

Did the speaker talk clearly and audibly?

Did the speech have a definite opening, body and conclusion?

Please comment on the speaker's use of notes.

What could the speaker have done differently that would have improved the speech?

What did you like about the presentation?

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Organize YourSpeech

YU have delivered your lead them step by step from the .first prepared speech and beginning to the end.participated in Table Topicsand other meeting roles. Now Organizing your speech helpsyou're ready to concentrate on you, too. When you plan thestructuring an effective speech. points you want to make and theAs a speaker, your role is to order in which you want to pre

tell others about your ideas and sent them, you will be less likelyoccasionally persuade them to to forget anything and your prelike some action. Your audience sentation will be more effective.will be more receptive to yourefforts i f you take the time to Select Your Topicassemble your thoughts in a Your first step in creating yourlogical manner. Well-organized speech is to decide what to talkspeeches have several benefits about. Novice speakers sometimesfor the audience. They are: find this difficult. The world is follofpossible speech topics. YourEasier to understand. Your challenge is to select the best oneaudience wants to know what for you and your audience.your speech is about and the Finding a topic doesn't requirepoint you are trying to make. special ability or long hours ofA well-organized speech helps research or thought. Consider,them do so. for example,

Easier to remember. Awell Discussions you've had recently .organized speech enables the with friends or coworkersaudience to better identify and

remember the points you made. Magazine or newspaper articlesthat attracted your interest More credible. Speakers who take the time to carefully Your expertise on certain organize their presentations topics - real estate, writing, are perceived as more knowl personal computers, etc. edgeable and believable than Everyday experiencesthose who give rambling, shopping, commuting, familydisjointed speeches. relationships.

More enjoyable. Audiences appreciate presentations that Any of these can generate are thoughtfully crafted and speech ideas.

ta.. .F

; ; F Y I F r . I I r l \ l ~ SUMMARY:::sne,echormlnii",,Nonis .I if your audience is to' .

ili'!nlliiw Mrt understand your~ r e s e n 1 l i t t i o n . You must take the

ili/iliMfo' nllt your ideas togemer .I manner. You can .speech in several ...

ways; choose the ..!!I""'" ."'at best suits your.. Opening should catch .. . . attention, the. support the idea you.:.. to convey, and the can- .

reinforce yourbe memorable. '.JransifiOllS ootween thoughts .....

.. ,-

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Eventually, as you become a more experiencedspeaker, you will encounter situations that willcause you to think, "That would make a goodspeech topic." Write down these ideas and filethem, You can refer to them later.

You'll find more tips on selecting speech topicsin the appendix and in The Better Speaker Seriesprogram Selecting Your Topic" (Item 274).

Be sure the topic is not too broad. For example,instead of talking about sports - a general topicnarrow the subject to children's sports or, morespecific still, children's gymnastics. Remember,you will be speaking for only a few minutes, andyou will need all of that time to fully develop asingle facet of the larger subject. Be sure yourtopic is timely and relevant for YOilr audience.

Once you know your topic, determine the pointyou want to make. If the topic is children's sports,for example, do you want.to convince listeners thatadults are making children's sports too competitive?Do you want to entertain your audience withfunny stories about your child's soccer team?Make an OuUineThe next step in preparing your speech is to logically assemble your ideas into a sequence that willhelp you achieve your objective. There is no "best"way to organize your speech. There are severaldifferent ways to organize, and the method youchoose often depends on the topic you select andyour objective.

Chronological. The topic is arranged by time.For example, in a speech about your town's upcoming centennial celebration, you would beginwith details about its founding, followed by information about its growth over the years, then itscurrent status. Or your speech could describe stepsin a process, such as a speech about the five stepsin making a career change.Spatial. This type of speech follows a direction.For example, in a speech about planning a flowergarden, you could first discuss low-growing flowersappropriate for the front of a garden, followed byslightly taller flowers suitable for the center of thegarden, then taller flowers appropriate for the rearof the garden.

Causal. This type of speech shows cause! effectrelationships. Often the effect is discussed first,then the cause. Aspeech about hurricanes that

describes how a hurricane is formed and itsdestructiveness fits this organizational patter!).

Comparative. You compare and contrastdifferent proposals or plans, usually to persuadethe audience that one plan or proposal is better.For example, in a presentation to your company'sexecutives, you could compare and contrast twodifferent proposals coucerning a new product toconvince the executives that One proposal is betterthan the other.

Topical. This speech splits the main topicinto subtopics. For example, a speech aboutchanging radio programming could addressthree different types of programming: music,news and talk shows.

Problem-solution. You present a problem thatneeds to be solved and a solution to that problem.This type of organization is effective if you aretrying to motivate your audience to take somekind of action. For example, a speech describingthe effect of water pollution on people and theenvironment fits this organizational pattern,provided it lists sources of water pollution in yourtown and describes what can be done to stop it.Develop the OpeningIn Project 1you learned that every speech has anopening, body and conclusion.The opening should immediately catch theaudience's attention and tell the audience whatyou will be talking about. Examples of a goodopening are:

A startling question or a challenging statementAn appropriate quotation, illustration or storyA display of some object or pictureAn attention-getting generalization that ties inwith your subject

Avoid these weak openings:An apologetic statementA story or joke that does not relate to yourtopic Acommonplace observation delivered in a commonplace manner A long or slow-moving statement or story A trite question, such as "Did you ever stop to think...?"

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Draft the BodyThe body is the main part of your speech andconsists of the facts or ideas you want to present.The amount of information you include in. thebody will be limited by the amount of timeavailable to you and how much the audience canremember. Most listeners will remember onlythree to five main fucts or ideas. For a five- toseven-minute talk, three facts or ideas are plenty.

What facts or ideas do you want to convey?You may find it helpful to write down all of thoserelated to your topic on small note cards, usingone card per idea or fuct and one sentence per ideaor fact. Then select the three best or most impor-tant facts or ideas. These will be the main facts orideas you will present. Arrange them in the orderthat will most effectively present your message.

For example, i fyou are writing a speech aboutthe benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, thethree main points you could select are:1. Eating fruits and vegetables provides nutrients

your body needs to function.2. Eating fruits and vegetables protects against the

effects of aging.3. Eating fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of

canoer and heart disease.The next step in developing the body of your

speech is to elaborate on each main point withsubpoints. A subpoint clarifies, emphasizes orproves the idea or fuct it supports. Subpoints makethe speech more interesting and help listenersremember the main point or idea. For example,a subpoint for point number one above could be:Theyeontain carbohydrates, proteins and fatsthe body uses to generate energy or build cells:'

Supporting material then follows each subpoint Supporting material can include:Statistics. These are numerical ways of conveying information about incidents, data andevents.

Testimony. These are quotes or opinions frompeople with expertise on the matter.Examples, stories or anecdotes. These usuallyrelate an event that happened to you or someone you know, or someone you've read about.VISual aids. These could be diagrams, charts, pictures, models or other objects.

(More information about using visual aidsappears in Project 8.)

Facts. Facts are verifiable information.Whichever support method you choose, make

sure it is relevant to the point you are making.The ConclusionThe conclusion is your final opportunity to conveyyour message and main points in a manner thatwill help the audience remember them. It shouldreinforce your ideas and leave listeners with alasting impression. If you were informing the listeners, you could conclude with a summary ofthe ideas presented in the body of the speech. Ifyou were persuading or motivating the audienceto take some action, you could suggest a course ofaction listeners could take. You could then conclude with a fiuaI remark, such as a challenge,question, anecdote or quotation.

Occasionally, as you deliver the conclusion, youmay remember something you forgot to say earlier.Resist the temptation to talk about it now. Intro-ducing new material in the closing may confusethe audience. Also, don't apologize for anythingyou mayor may not have done or said duringyour talk. Finish forcefully and confidently.Sample Speech OuUineFollowing is an outline fur a speech containingthree main points:A.Opening

I. Captures audience attention2. Leads into speech topic

B. Body1. Main pointa. Subpoint

b: Support material2. Main point

a. Subpointb. Support material

3. Main pointa. Subpointb. Support material

C. Conclusion1. Review or summary2. Call to action or memorable statement

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Pay Attention to TransitionsAudiences need help in moving smoothly fromone topic to another. Transitions provide thesevaluable bridges, helping the audience to fullowthe ideas being presented and to see the relation-ship of those ideas. 1fansitions usually are usedas you move

from the speech introduction to the body from a main point to a subpoint from a subpoint to support material from support material to another main point from the last support material to the conclusion.Transitions can be words, phrases, statements or

questions. Some transitional words are afterward,also, consequently, consider, finally, instead,later, meanwhile, moreover, next; then, yet. Sometransitional phrases are: according to, as a result,for e:ulmple, for instance, in addition, let's beginwith, more importantly, this means, to illustrate.Some transitional statements or questions are:"If this program is so valuable, why is everyoneresisting it?" "We must consider three thins> indeveloping this new product. First is ... Secondis ... Third is ..."

Your AssignmentIn this project, the focus is on effective speechorganization. Your assignment is to:

Select an outline that's appropriate for yourtopic and allows your listeners to easilyfollow and understand your presentation.

Make your message clear to the audience;the main points, snbpoints and supportmaterials should contribute to that message.Use appropriate transitional words, phrases,statements or questions as you move fromone idea to another.

Create a strong opening and conclusion.You may find it helpful to memorize themas you did in Project l.

Incorporate suggestions from your evalua-tion for Project 1 as you prepare andrehearse this speech.

For more information on speech organiza-tion' refer to The Better Speaker Series program"OrganizingYour Speech" (Item 276). Review theSpeaker's Checldist in Project 1 as you prepareyour speech.

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Title____________________________ _Evaluator ___________________ Date__________Note to the Evaluator: The speaker is to presenta talk that is organized in amanner that leads the audienceto a clearly defined goaL The speech includes a beginning, a body and a conclusion; major facts or ideas; andappropriate support m a t e r i a ~ with smooth transitions between the facts and ideas. In addition to your verbalevaluation, please complete this evaluation form by rating the speech in each category and offering commentsor specific recommended action where warranted.

5 = Excellent4 = Above average for the speaker's experience level.3 = Satisfactory2 = Could improve1 = Needs attention

CATEGORY RATING COMMENTS I SUGGESTIONSSpeech Value(Interesting, meaningful to audience) 5 4 .3 2 1

Preparation(Research, rehearsal) 5 4 .3 2 1Organization(Logical, clear)

5 4 .3 2 1

~ O p e n i n g(Attention-getting, led into topic) 54321

~ B o d y(Flowed smoothly, appropriatesupport material)

54321

Conclusion(Effective)

5 4 .3 2 ITransitions(appropriate, helpful) 54 . 3 2 I

r

What could the speaker have done differently to make the speech more effective?




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Get to the Point

Ayou plan a speech, you

must be absolutely clearabout what you want theaudience to do or know at the endof your talk. Your speech musthave a purpose. Once you knowyour purpose, all other decisionsrelating to the speech - whatinformation to include, organiza-tion and delivery - are easy tomake, since you will measurethem against their helpfulnessin achieving your purpose.There are two types ofpurposes: general and specific.General PurposeA general purpose is the broadintent ofyour speech. Mostspeeches fall into one of fourgeneral purposes:

To inform. You present aspeech to inform when you wantyour audience to learn about anew subject, develop a neW skill orlearn more about a subject theyalready know something about.Lectures, briefings and demon-strations are all informative talks.

To persuade. Apersuasivespeech strives to change the audience's attitudes or behaviors, orto convince the audience to acceptor approve your point ofview.Sales presentations and campaignspeeches are examples of persua-sive speeches.

Competenl Communication

To entertain. An entertainingspeech strives to amuse or provideenjoyment ror the audience. Hu-morous speeches are the mostobvious kind of entertainingspeech. However, any speech maybe entertaining without beinglaugh-aut-loud funny simply byincluding anecdotes, such as aspeech about some unusualexperiences you had whileOn a business trip.

To inspire. Inspirationalspeeches ask people to achievenoble goals or ideals or reachtheir highest potential. Theydraw on emotions and sentiment.Acommencement speech is atypical example ofa speechintended to inspire.Perhaps you've heard a speechthat seemed to have two purposes- ror example, an informativespeech that also was entertainingbecause the speaker told somefunny stories. Using humordoesn't mean the speech had twogeneral purposes. The speech'spurpose was to infurm, but thespeaker used humor to helpconvey his message. Although it'spossible for a speech to have twogeneral purposes, it's not reCOmmended. Your speaking time islimited, making it difficult toeffectively achieve two purposes.Also, your audience can be

you more cOnvincing,':enJlhusiastiic and sincere. Of"'"',W'''=, [he better organized the

I ~ , ; : s p e e c h is, the more likely iUs'to;:'achi've your purpose.

, , ~ ,

OBJECTIVES:" ~ ' S e l e t ; t a sp)lech topic and ': ." determineiis general and, specific purposes,

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overwhelmed and confused when presented withtoo much information.Specific PurposeSuppose you are planning to give an informativespeech about remodeling a home. This is a verybroad purpose, and you would have difficultyadequately addressing the SUbject in a five- toseven-minute speech or even a 30-rninute speech.Narrowing the general purpose into a more clearlydefined specific purpose will make the presentationmore practical and manageable for you, as well asmore beneficial for the audience.

The specific purpose is a one-sentence statement about what you hope to accomplish in yourspeech. It should meet three criteria. The statement should be:1. Worded from the audience's viewpoint.

What do you want the audience to be ableto do after listening to your speech?

2. Specific. The wording is precise.3. Attainable. The specific purpose should be

realistic and possible to achieve.Write the statement from the audience's view

point. Instead of saying your purpose is "to informthe audience about remodeling a home:' you couldsay, "After hearing my presentation, the audiencewill be able to identify the five steps in hiring acompetent contractor." In a persuasive speech,your specific purpose could be, "After hearing myspeech, the town council will approve the proposalto build an art center."

Be sure to keep the specific purpose reasonable."After hearing my speech, the audience wili be ableto repair a bicycle" is not a realistic statement. Thisis better: "After hearing my speech, the audiencewill be able to do two simple maintenance tasksthat will keep their bicycles safe."

Keep the specific purpose clear and concise.Write it down, paying careful attention to the verbsyou use. If you are giving an informative speech,the specific purpose statement could include verbssuch as compare, identifY, name, prepare. analyzeand list, while a statement for a persuasive speechcould include verbs such as buy, contribute, join,offer and vote. Avoid using words like know, under-smnti, recognize and be aware - they're vague andnot readily measurable. The statement should

be worded so that, after your speech, you could-actualiy test the audience to see if you achievedyour specific purpose.Once you have written your specific speechpurpose, you can decide the main points youwant to make, the facts and ideas that best support the main points, and the most appropriatespeech outline to follow. Occasionaliy you maybe tempted to digress. Be careful to includeonly the main points and supporting facts andideas that directly contribute to your specificspeech purpose.

As you write the speech, make its purposeclear to the audience. The audience wants toknow what you are going to talk about, so thebeginning of your speech should tell them thissuccinctly. The body of your speech shouldprovide the information you promised; theconclusion should reiterate what you've toldthem. By the time you conclude the speech, theaudience should be able to state in one simplesentence the specific purpose of your talk.Speak with ConfidenceIn Project 2 you learned the importance of speechorganization. Knowing your specific purpose andbeing able to effectively organize your speech toachleve that purpose provide a big benefit for youas a speaker: increased confidence. When you areclear about what you want to accomplish with thespeech and the method by whlch you will accomplish it, you feel better and more confideniaboutyourself and your speech.

You may have discovered, too, that when youare interested in your topic and have strong feelings about it, it is easier to prepare and present thespeech. Why? Because you are enthusiastic aboutthe subject, believe in what you have to say andbelieve your audience will be interested in it, too.This makes you more convincing and sincere.When you are confident, enthusiastic, sincere andconvincing, you have more credibility. As a result,the audience pays attention to you and is willingto consider your viewpoint.

When you speak on a subject that interests youand!or evokes strong feelings, you'll experience yetanother benefit: You'll become so involved withyour talk that you will forget your nervousness.In Project 1you learned that some nervousness isnormal for any speaker. However, if you have been

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feeling very nervous when speaking, now is thetime to confront it

First, you should realize that your Toastmastersclub members are a receptive, friendly and pleasantaudience. They want to help you in your efforts tobecome a better speaker; you have no reason to beafraid of them. Take advantage of your nervousenergy to add excitement to your talk - this willhelp the audience catch your enthusiasm. Also. usethe nervous energy toward thoroughly preparingand rehearsing your speech. When you have a sub-ject that excites you, a clear purpose and w ~ - o r g a nized material, and you have rehearsed the speechso much that you are comfortable with it, you nolonger have reason to be nervous, You'll find moretips about controlling nervousness on page 71.TryHWithout NotesFor this speech, try not to use notes. You'll want toconvey confidence, enthusiasm and sincerity; byrelying on notes you might convey the oppositeimpression. By maintaining eye contact with theaudience and speaking from your heart ratherthan from a script, you'll be more effective.

Ifyou're not ready to abandon notes entirely,try this method: Write each main point of your

speech in large letters on a single card in a simplephrase. You can then read each card with a quickglance, which will allow you to keep eye contactwith the audience.Your AssignmentThis project 'focuses on knowing your speech'spurpose. You should

Select a speech topic and determine its generaland specific purposes,

Organize the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes. Ensure that the beginning, body and conclu-sion all tie into and reinforce the purposes.

Project sincerity and conviction, and controlany nervousness you may feel.

Strive not to use notes. Incorporate suggestions from previous evalua-tions as you prepare and rehearse this speech.

Review the Speaker's Checldist in Project 1 asyou prepare your speech.

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Tille _______________________________________________________________Evaluator _____________________________________ Date _____________________Note to the Evaluator: The speaker is to prepare a speech that has a clear general purpose (to inform,persuade, entertain or inspire) and a specific purpose. The speech is to be organized in a manner that bestachieves these purposes. The beginning, body and conclusion should aU tie into and reinforce the purposes.The speaker is to project sincerity and conviction and strive not to use notes. Any nervousness displayed shouldbe minimal. In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete the evaluation form below by rating thespeech in each category.

5 = Excellent 4 = Above average for the speaker's experience level 3 = Satisfactory 2 = Could improve I = Needs attention

RATING COMMENTS / SUGGESTIONS The general purpose of the speech 5 4 3 2 1was clear.

The specific purpose of the speech 5 4 3 2 1was clear.

The speech organization supported 5 4 3 2 1the speech's specific purpose.The main points and supporting 5 4 3 2 1material contnbuted to the speech'sspecific purpose.

The beginning, body and conclusion 5 4 3 2 1reinforced the specific purpose. The speaker achieved the specific 5 4 3 2 1purpose. The speaker appeared confident 5 4 3 2 1and sincere, with minimal nervousness.The speaker did not rely on notes 5 4 3 2 1throughout the speech.



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How to Say It

Alear purpose and effectiveorganization are the foun-

dations of any speech.However, your presentation'ssuccess ultimately depends on thewords you use and how you placethem together. Words are power-ful; they communicate your mes-sage and affect how the audienceperceives you and your message.Oear, simple, vivid and forcefulwords add excitement to yourpresentation, stimulate the audi-ence and communicate a specificmessage, while good grammarand proper pronunciation giveyou credil>ility. Ifyou have a goodcommand oflanguage, yourpresentations will sparkle withenergy and you'll have greatinfluence on your listeners.Write for the EarWhen you don't understand a sec-tion of a book or magazine article,you can read it again and againuntil the meaning is dear to you.When you speak, your listenersdon't have this luxury. What yousay must be immediately clear toyour audience. For this reason,spoken language is much less for-mal and more repetitious thanwritten language. Repetition andsimple, clear language help listen-ers remember certain points. Ifyou want listeners to understand

22 Competei'll CommvniCOjjon

and accept you, be sure to speakthe same way they speak, usingfumiliar words and concepts.Construct your speech in anoral style, using:

Short words. Some peoplebelieve they impress others whenthey long, convoluted words.In speaking, the most effectiveand memorable words are short-usually comprised of only onesyllable. Short words are easier forlisteners to follow and remember.Review your speech draft andcount the number of syllables ineach word. If most have three,four, five or more syllables, youraudience may have difficultyunderstanding your message. Thisdoesn't mean every word you useshould have one syllable onlythat most of your words should.

Short sentences. Shorter Sen-tences are easier for a speaker tosay, easier fur the audience tounderstand, and they have morepower and impacr. However, aspeech made up entirely of shortsentences is boring and tedious tohear. Use longer sentences period-ically to add variety, but make surethe audience can easily follow them.To tell if a sentence is too complex,look for commas. More than oneor two commas indicate the sen-tence structure is too complicated.

.!II""::":

1 ; ~ ' t < l J s e c o r r E i C I grammlll. :l I j 1 ~ J ~ e : flveto seven minuteS:


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Short paragraphs. Aparagraph develops oneidea or thought. When you limit your paragraphsto a few sentences, your audience will more readilyfollow your logic. Pausing between paragraphsalso gives your listeners time to "digest" whatyou've said.Be SpecificSome words are general and have a number ofmeanings. You want to use concrete, specificwords that communicate exactly what you mean.

If you said, "Andrew has a large collection ofletter openers:' one person may think Andrew has10 letter openers in his collection, while anothermay think he has more than 100. Ifyou said,"This suit is cheap," you could mean that thesuit is inexpensive, affordable or poorly made.Depending on a person's viewpoint, the state-ment "Francois ate a nice dinner" could meanthat Francois dined on a hamburger or on filetmignon. Criminal could mean a pickpocket,bank robber, embezzler or murderer. Words likeliberal and conservative may have a differentmeaning for every person in your audience.As you prepare your speech, select words thatleave no opportunity for misunderstanding.

Many words carty special associations or sug-gestionsbeyond their dictionary meanings. This iscalled connotation. The dictionary definition of adog is "any of a large and varied group of domesticated animals related to the fox, wolf and jackal"and literally has no emotional value associatedwith it However, a woman who has been bitten bya dog may attach fear and pain to the word dog,while a little boy with abeloved puppy may attachaffection to the word. The words you choose shouldgive listeners the connotations you wish to convey.Vivid WordsThe words in your speech should appeal to thesenses, helping the audience to see, hear, feel, tasteand smell. They should stir the audience's imagi-nation and be so descriptive that the audience canvisualize what you are saying. Instead of stating,

' ~ c e ' s feet hurt as she walked to town" say,''As Alice trudged along the dirt road to town,she grimaced in pain as the blisters on her achingfeet swelled." Instead of saying, "This proposal willresult in more money for our school" say, "Thisproposalwill boost the school's income by $20,000,

enough to buy new textbooks and classroomsupplies for the next year?'Select verbs carefully. Verbs conveying actionadd power to your presentation. As you write yourspeech, use verbs that have energy. Shake, roll andwiggle have more energy than move. Bellow, shout,whisper, scream or whine could replace speak. Hobble,creep and trudge could be used instead of walk.Use active voice. In the English language,sentences have a voice. This voice is defined by theverb in the sentence. The verb indicates whetherthe subject performs the action. In the active voice,the subject does something. "The club electedMarion president"; "We reviewed the programs."The active voice dearly states who is doing what.In the passive voice, something is done to thesubject. "Marion was elected president by theclub"; "The programs were reviewed by us:' Theactive voice uses fewer words. is easier to fullowand sounds more lively and interesting.The verbs is, are, was and were weaken yourmessage because they don't show action. Instead ofsaying,"There are two remaining proposals:' say"Two proposals r e m a i n ~ "Restricting automobiletraffic in our parks is a way to protect the treesand wildlife" can be changed to "We can protectthe trees and wildlife in ourparks by restrictingautomobile traffic." "I t is a fact that Barbara is acandidate" can be changed to "Barbara announcedher candidacy."Incorporate Rhetorical DevicesRhetorical devices are special ways ofarrangingwords to make an idea or thought sound morepleasing and easier for listeners to remember.Some of the more effective devices are:

Simile. Asimile is a comparison that uses the words like or as. "Ifwe deny our children an eduGation, ignorance will grow like a cancer:'

Metaphor. A metaphor merely implies the comparison. "Ignorance is a cancer that must be cured." Alliteration. In alliteration, the initial sounds inwords or in stressed syllables within the wordsare repeated in a pleasing or memorable man"ner: "Unnoticed and unused," "hallowed halls:'"protect and preserve peace;' Triads. Ideas, adjectives and points are groupedin threes. Expressed in threes, thoughts have a

Compelenl Communicotion 23


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pleasant rhythm, are dramatic, and become morememorable. "We mutually pledge to eaeb otherour lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."UseWords EconomicallyStrive to say a lot in as few words as possible.Many words are unnecessary or are used as"fillers: and they detract from and dilute yourmessage. For example, phrases such as as youknow; needless to say, it has been shown that canbe eliminated. Replace cliebes such as tried andtrue and quick as II flash with more appropriate,descriptive words or phrases.

Other phrases can be reduced to one or twowords. A large number ofcan be reduced to many.At the present time can become now, and in theevent ojcan become if. Conduct an investigation ofcan be reduced to investigate; take into considera-tion can be changed to consider, exhibits a tendency .can become tends; in view of the fact can be reducedto because.

Pay attention to redundant words, too, such assum toto/' joint collaboration, future plans, unex-pected surprise and new record. The extra wordshave no meaning or value.Watch for JargonPerhaps you have heard speakers use sports termsas they talk about business or politics, or incorpo-rate business words in a speech about art ortheater. Use specialized terminology only whenspeaking to people familiar with those terms.Some buzz words can be considered jargon eventhough they are not related to a specific profes-sion. Following are some of these words and themore acceptable ones to use instead:J8!lJ!!lIl l!mmconceptualize imagine downsizing laying off finalize finish implement begin, use infrastructure framework interface talk with operational working output results parameters limits strategize plan utilization use viable possible

24 Compelent Communi.cO!ion

Say ItCorrectlyGrammar and word pronunciation are majorfactors in )'Uur ability to influence your audience.Audiences see good grammar and pronunciationas indicators of a well-educated and credibleperson. Some common grammar problems are: Subject/verb agreement. A singular subject requires a singnlar verb, and a plural subject

requires a plural verb. Lilian runs home. Lilian and Sean run home. One in five ebildren has eyeglasses. Five cbildren have eyeglasses. Statistics is a confusing subject. The statistics are not available.

Misplaced modifiers. Keep related wordstogether and in the order that communicatestheir intended meaning. "Arturo telephonedto talk about the meeting yesterday" and"Yesterday Arturo telephoned to talk aboutthe meeting" have two different meaningssimply because of the placement of one word.Similarly, "The child ebased the sheep wearingthe hat" gives listeners a different image than"The child wearing the hat chased the sheep."

Misused pronouns. Use the correct pronoun insubjective and objective cases. "He and I racedthrough the course"; "The supervisor chosebetween him and me"; "A few of us employeesrallied behind her"; "No one in the choir singsbetter than she."Some people have difficulty pronouncing wordssuch as nuclear, statistics and aluminum. Spell a

problem word phonetically on paper and practicesaying it. If)'Uu continue to have problems, replacethe word with an appropriate substitute that stillconveys your meaning. If you plan to say a foreignlanguage name or expression, make sure you knowthe correct pronunciation and can say it smoothly.Your AssignmentThis project focuses on language. You are to: Select a topic that allows )'Uu to USe vivid, descriptive words. Pay attention to the words

)'Uu select and their arrangement. Your words should be so colorful that the audience can "see" them in their minds. WOrds should be clear, accurate, descriptive and as short as possible, and verbs should convey action.


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Keep sentence and paragraph constructionsimple and short Use rhetorical devices to enhance andemphasize ideas. Eliminate jargon and unnecessary wordsand use correct grammar.

Your speech should incorporate what youlearned in previo us projects about purpose andorganization and include appropriate suggestionsfrom the evaluations you received. Review theSpeaker's Checklist in Project 1as you prepareyour speech.

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___________________________________ ____________________

- - -

TItle ____ ~ _____________________________________________________D ~ eEvaluator

Note to the Evaluator: The speaker is to use words and arrangements ofwords that effectively communicatehis or her message to the audience. The speaker should select clear, accurate, descriptive and short words andchoose verbs that convey action. Sentence and paragraph construction should be simple and short. The speakerneeds to include rhetorical devices, avoid jargon and unnecessary words and use correct grammar. The speechmust have a clear purpose and be appropriately organized. Please complete the evaluation form below bychecking the appropriate column for each item.

COULD COMMENTSIEXCELLENT SATISFACTORY IMPROVE SUGGESTIONS

Was the speech topic appropriate forthis particular assignment?Did the speaker use simple, shortand dear words?Did the speaker use vivid, descriptivewords that created mental images?Did _the speaker use words that hadmore than one meaning or were inaccurate?Were the speaker's sentences short,simple and understandable?Did the speaker use rhetorical devicesto enhance his or her ideas?Did the speaker avoid jargon andunnecessary words? _Did-the speaker use proper grammarand pronunciation!Wasthe speech purpose dear?Was the speech effectively organized?


What did you like about the speech?

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,".':-:', ' :;0-

.", - . ; '>"'-

Your Body Speaks

Wen you talk to your

friends or co-workers,you move your hands andarms, walk around, make eye con

tact and change facial expressions.These movements are called bodylanguage. Body language is asimportant in public speakingas it is in everyday conversation.Imagine a speaker who is sincereabout her topic but stands stifflybefore the audience during theentite speech, not moving or evenlooking at anyone as she speaks.Her words say she cares about thesubject, but her body communicates otherwise_ The result? Heraudience doubts her message.

Not only does body languagecommunicate confidence andpower, it enhances your believability, illustrates and emphasizesthe points you are making, andhelps to release any nervous energy you may have. Body languageis expressed in stance, movement,gestures, facial expressions andeye contact.StanceAlthough you should move during a presentation, occasionallyyou'll stand still as you speak,usually during your opening andclosing words or as you make animportant point. The stance youassume while standing still is

, SUMMARY: ' ,0,01' lan!lUa!le is ah importantal:t'if p e a k i n g because it :' ':nnafiQes your message and

more credibility: It also'

~ ~ , r r l m j J , n i C 1 l t e your message{ ~ : : : i e ~ ~ ; : ! speech's > ' ,;!! .Body language should' '

natural and conVeymessage mal your

hear. Read Gesture,s:rllon. Speaks ~ t e m 201), .I ; ~ t w b i c h

, ; acial expressions,:contact to 'express,,,,;,,vo,,', message imd achieve'speech's purpose. '

'

important because it indicatesyour confidence and comfortlevel. If you slouch your shouldersand fix your eyes on the floor,your audience thinks you're shyand weak. Ifyou repeatedly shiftyour weight from one foot toanother, you appear uncomfortable and nervous, and your audience may be distracted by yourmovement. But if you standstraight - feet slightly apart aodyour weight evenly distributed oneach foot - and look directly atyour listeners, you convey confidence and poise.MovementMovement during a speech provides variety for the audience.When you walk from one placeto another, you attract listeners'attention and get them involved'as their eyes and heads follow you.

Your movement from your seatto the lectern or podium is actna!ly the beginning of your presentation and the first opportoulty touse body language. You want toappear confident and eager tospeak, so walk purposefully to thefront of the room with your headup and shoulders back. Thrn andface your audience directly, thenbegin speaking. When you've fin-ished speaking, return to your seatin the same manner.

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Any movement during your speech should bepurposeful as well. Avoid pacing, fidgeting, sway-ing from side to side or bouncing up and down onyour toes. These are nervous habits that distractthe audience. Instead, deliver part of your speechfrom one spot, then move crosswise two or threesteps as you transition to another point in yourspeech and deliver that point from your newlocation. Step toward the audience to emphasizeimportant points. If you want to dramatize aspecific point, use movement. For example, i f youare describing a physical action such as t h r o ~ ga ball or shivering from the cold, act out yourdescription by moving your body appropriately.The movement should take place slightly befurethe verbal point it reinforces.GesturesGestures are the most expressive part ofbodylanguage and consist of movements of the head,shoulders, arms, hands or some other part of thebody. Some basic gestures show:

Size, weight, shape, direction and location.These physical characteristics call for handgestures. "He went that way!" you may exclaimas you dramatically point out the direction.Importance or urgency. Show your audiencehow important your point is. Hit your fist intoyour open palm.

Comparison and contrast. Move both your hands in unison to show similarities; move them in opposition to show differences. To be most effective, gestures should be made

above your elbow and away from your body, andthey should be vigorous and definite to show con-viction and enthusiasm. Asweeping wave of yourarm to show distance and a rapid, repeated upand-down-nod of your head to indicate approvalwill add more to your message than a half-heartedhand wave or a barely noticeable dip of your head.Gestures also should be full and varied rather thanpartial and repetitious - the same movement overand over is distracting. Make your gestures largerfor large audiences to ensure that even people inthe back of the room can see them.

Gestures can mean many things and thesemeanings may vary from culture to culture, so besensitive to your audience. Generally, clenched fistsshow power or anger. If you want your audience to

join you in fighting some injustice, for example,you could clench your fist as you urge them to takeaction. Opening your palms indicates generosityand caring, so you may display your open palmswhen describing how a kindly tourist helpedsomeone in need.In North America, a forefinger pointed towardthe ceiling means people shouid pay attention towhat you are saying. Folding your arms across yourchest projects strength and determination. Claspingyour hands together in front of your chest conveysunity. Of course, body language and its meaningwill vary in different countries and cultures.Facial ExpressionYour face unwittingly conveys cues about howyour listeners are supposed to react or feel. Ifyouare talldng about a terrible automobile accident,yet you are smiling and nodding, your audience,vill be confused, not sad. Your facial expressionmust be consistent with the feelings or infurmationyou are communicating.

Your eyes, eye movement, eyebrows andmouth play vital roles in showing sadness, fear,happiness, anger, frustration, nervousness, excite-ment, boredom, interest, wonder, exhaustion,aggressiveness, confidence and uncertainty. Whenyou show these feelings, your audience will emu-late them. Show sadness by lowering your eyelids,turning down your mouth Slightly, and bowingyour head. Show surprise or disbelief by wideningyour eyes and raising your eyebrows. Smile broadlyto show happiness.Eye ContactHave you ever conversed with someone who didnot look at you directly? The person looked overyour shoulder, above your head, at the floor oreven at someone else - everywhere but at you.What did you think?

Most likely you doubted that person's interest,honesty and confidence. Or you may have feltexcluded or ignored. Eye contact plays a majorrole in how people perceive one another, and asa speaker you should pay special attention to it.

In Western cultures, people more readily believepeople who look them in the eyes while speaking.If you make eye contact with your listeners, they'llthink you are sincere, credible, friendly and hon-est. These feelings have a great impact on yourmessage and listeners' willingness to accept it.

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Eye contact has another benefit. It allows you toestablish a bond with listeners. By looking at them,you command their attention and they will havedifficulty ignoring you.

A;; you speak, look at the people in the audience.Don't simply gaze around the room. Look directlyat one person until you finish a thought, then moveon to another person. Make eye contact randomlythroughout the room and avoid moving your headfrom side to side like an oscillating fan. Look atpeople toward the back of the room as well as atthose in front. Be careful that you don't look atsomeone too long you could make that personuncomfortable. Also, looking at each person tooquickly may make you appear nervous or deceitful.If your audience is small, making eye contact isfairly simple, because you will be able to look ateach member of the audience at some point. Butif the audience is large, you won't be able to dotbis. Instead, make eye contact with someone ineach section of the room, front and back.Make It NaturalBody language should look natural and unrehear-sed and be consistent with the meauing of thewords being spoken. Using body language that iscomrortable for you and enjoyable for the audiencetakes thought and practice.

After you have drafted your speech, read it andnote any places where body language would beappropriate and help convey your message. Tryseveral different ways of using your arms, handsand facial expressions.Match your gestures to your words. You shouldbe compelled to gesture and make facial expressionswhen your thought requires such action. This

means your gesture or facial expression should bedone slightly before or as you speak, not afterward,to look natural.Don't worry if at first your movements are stiffand awkward. Natural positions and smoothmovements will come the more you rehearse yourspeech and become familiar with it.If you have access to videotape equipment, useit in your rehearsals to help you improve.Rehearsing in front of a mirror also is helpful.Your AssignmentThis project focuses on body language. You are to:

Select a topic that facilitates the use ofbody language.

Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expres-sions and eye contact to express your messageand achieve your speech's purpose. Ensure that body language enhances and clarifies your words and helps the audience to visualize your points and overall message. The message your listeners see should be the same one they hear.

Make YOUf body language smooth and naturalBe sure to incorporate what you learned in pre-vious projects about purpose, organization andlanguage and use appropriate suggestions fromthe evaluations you received. A;; you prepare your

speech, review the Speaker's Checklist in Project 1and Gestures: Your Body Speaks (Item 201), whichyou received in your New Member Kit. You mayalso refer to The Better Speaker Series program"Using Body Language" (Item 279).

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TItle ______________________________________________________________________________________________ D ~ e ________ ~ ____ ~ ____Evaluator

Note to the Evaluator: The speaker is to use stance, body movement, gestures, facial expressions and eye con-tact t1Wt illustrate and enhance his or her verbal message. Movement, gestures, facial expressions and eye cot!-tact should he smooth and natural, Body language should enhance and clarifY the speaker's words and help theaudience visualize the speaker's points and overaU message, The message you see should be the same one youhear. The speech must have aclear purpose and appropriate organization. Also, the speaker must use wordsand arrangements ofwords that effectively communicate his Or her message to the audience. In addition toyour verbal evaluation, please complete this'evaluation form by checking the appropriate space for each item.Add your comments for those items deserving praise Or specific suggestions fM i m p r o v e i n ~ i l t .

COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONSTopic selection:

Preparation:

Manner:

Posture:

Gestures:

Body movement:

Eye contact:

Facial expression:Speech purpose:

Speech organization:

_ Facilifatell body language_ Satisfactory_ Could improveExcaIIllnt_ Satisfactory_ Could imp!l)'/1l

_ Confident, enthusiastic_ Satisfactory_ Nervous1 tense_ Pdsed, balancell_ SaIisfaclDly_ Could improve_ Natural, """",1M!_ Satlsiactoly_ Could improve_ Purposalul, smoolll_ SaIisfaclDly_ Awkward, dlstracting

EsIllbUsIled visuaJ bonds_ Satisfactoly_ Could imp!l)'/1l_ Animated, friendly, genuineSatisfactory_ Could imprOve

Clear_ SatisiactOlY_ Could improve

logical, clear_ Satisfactory_ Could improveWhat could the speaker have done differently to make the speech more effective?

What did you like about the speech?

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Congratulations! You've now completed five speech projects. This is agood opportunity toevaluate your progress and to set new goals. Complete the evaluation form below, ratingyour abilities in each category using the following guide. Circle the appropriate rating foreach statement:

5 = Excellent, a personal strength 4 = Very good, little room for improvement 3 = Satisfactory, but could be better 2 = Could improve, needs more attention 1 = A real weakness fur me, needs plenty

of attention

l. I feel confident and comfurtable about giving a speech. 5 4 3 2 1

2. I enjoy speaking before an audience. 5 4 3 2 13. I easily find good speech topics. 5 4 3 2 14. I am able to organize my speeches so they effectively convey my message. S 4 3 2 1 5. My speech openings capture the audience's interest and lead into my topic. 5 4 3 2 1 6. My speech conclusions are strong and memorable. 5 4 3 2 17. My speeches are free of such verbal crutches as "ah" and "um" 5 4 3 2 18. I am careful to use words that precisely and vividly carry my message to the audience. 5 4 3 2 1 9. I am able to think quickly and dearly in an impromptu speaking situation. S 4 3 2 1 10. I do not depend on notes when giving a speech. 5 4 3 2 1What skills would you like to improve? Set your goals in the sPace below.

Don't worry ifyou found some skills that you would like to improve. You'll have moreopportunity to practice in the next five projects! There is still much more to learn. In thenext projects, you'll study how to use your voice effectively, how to research your topic,how to use visual aids, and how to persuade and inspire your audience.

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Vocal Variety

Yur voice is the link between

you and your listeners. It is .the primary medium for

conveying your message. Whatkind of voice do you have? Is itrich, exciting and easy to listen t01All speakers should work 10 developa voice that enhances their wordsand attracts listeners' attention.A good speaking voice has severalqualities. It is:

that breathing deeply, from yourabdomen or lower chest, willprovide better vocal quality thanbreathing shallowly from yourupper chest. Abdominal breathingwill help you manage your breath-ing as you speak. Inhale duringlogical pauses in your speech,before you run out of air. Thenrelease the air slowly so you don'trun out of air or lose projection

.v""i,",,,i: SUMMARY:j Y q ~ r ' V o i c e has a iriajOreffect on , ,;your aU.ljienl:e . Alively, ~ i : i t i n g . i:iillil:ealltracls arldkE;eps listiin:';8rf,':al:re'Won; I\speaKlngvOice, .

';;p,rllSllllting . Review YourSpeakirlgVoice (Item 199),

Pleasant, conveying a sense offriendliness.Natural, reflecting the true personality and sincerity of the speaker.Forceful, conveying vilality andstrength, even when it isn'tespecially loud.Expressive, demonstrating variousshades of meaning, never soundingmonotonous and emotionless.Easily heard, as a result of propervolume and dear articulation.

Iflisteners can't hear you, or i fthey find your voice annoying,they will not pay attention andyour message will be lost.The Role of Posture andBreathingA goodquality voice begins withgood breathing. Your voice issupported by a column of air.The depth and steadiness of thisair affects your voice. You'll find

after the first few words.Posture has a great impact on

your voice. Air must flow freelythrough your lungs and vocalchords. If you slouch when speak-

. ing, with your shoulders hunchedand your head down, your lungsand vocal chords are blocked andair flow is reduced. For maximumcontrol of your breath and voicewhen you speak, stand straight,knees slightly flexed, head straightand shoulders back.Characteristics ofaGood VoiceAgood speaking voice should bebalanced between extremes ofvolume, pitch, rate and quality.

Volume. Being able to controlthe loudness or softness of yourvoice helps to keep the audience'sattention. Speaking too loudly fora long lime will bother your audi-ence. Speaking too softly for along lime will annoy listeners too,

j 1 i . ~ ' I I ' n l c n you received in your New.__ ... Kit.

. OBJECTIVES:Use voice volume. pitch, r a t ~

. . 'and quality to reflect and add':meaning and interest to Ydllr

message.Use pauses to e n ~ a n c e your

Use vocal variety smoothly . nd naturally. .Five I() seven minutes .

' .........

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as they struggle to grasp your words. Volumelevel depends on the size and shape of the room.However, you should also vary your volume levelfor emphasis. For example, i f you're conveyinganger, you will want to increase your volume.If you are sharing something secretive with theaudience, lower the volume.

Pitch. The pitch of a sound is how high orlow it is on the musical scale. Vary your pitch asyou speak - droning on in a monotone voice willquickly put listeners to sleep, and speaking in asqueaking voice will make them want to cover theirears. You should adapt the pitch of your voice tothe inaterial you are presenting. For example, a highpitch conveys excitement and enthusiasm, while alow pitch indicates sadness or thoughtfulness.

Rate. This is the number of words you speakper minute. Speak too fast and your audience willnot be able to keep up with you. Speak too slowlyand your listeners will lose interest. You want tospeak fast enough so that people have to pay attention, but slow enough that they can digest what youare saying. The most effective speaking rate isapproximately 125 -160 words a minute. You shouldvary the rate, moving quickly through some ofthe material but slowing to emphasize importantinformation or to communicate a complex idea.

Quality. Your voice should convey friendliness,naturalness and confidence, and be enjoyable andpleasant to the ears. Listen to yourself on tape.Does your voice sound harsh, breathy, shrill, thinor nasal? You can improve it by relaxing, eliminating any tension from your voice.Silence Can Be GoldenAt times you won't want to use your voice. Welltimed silences or pauses add impact to your wordsand are a powerful speaking technique. A pausecan be used to: Emphasize your main points. A moment of

silence before a statement tells listeners that you are about to say something important. A brief pause after you make a statement tells listeners that what you just said is important.

Breathe. Appropriate pauses are your opportunity to inhale. Punctuate. Pauses often serve as punctuation,

telling listeners that you have ended a sentenceor thought.

Attract attention. When you feel that listeners are distracted, pause. Your silence will attract their attention back to you.

Be ExpressiveYour voice should be expressive, showing a widerange of emotion. An expressive voice adds moremeaning to the words you use, enhances yourmessage and adds interest for your audience.Read these passages aloud using the tone of voiceappropriate to each:

I appreciate all you have done for me, and I hopeto return the favor some day. (Simple, honeststatement, or sarcasm.)Kindness! Do you call that kindness? I wouldn'ttreat a stray dog the way you've treated me!(resentment, anger, unfrien.dliness.)If each of us do one kind thing for someone elseevery day, we could help make the world a betterplace to live. (Deep feeling of earnestness andconviction. )Notice how your tone and effect vary with

the different thoughts you express. See how easyit is to change the meaning by changing youremphasis.

As another experiment, call a friend on thetelephone and talk for several minutes on sometopic of mutual interest. Vary your tone of voice,rate, pitch and volume. Use pauses to emphasize apoint or arouse interest in what you will say next.At the same time, keep your vocal experimentation within the context of normal conversation.The Value of RehearsalLike body language, your speaking voice shouldbe natural and consistent with the meaning of thewords being spoken. Achieving a speaking voicethat is comfortable for you and enjoyable for theaudience takes thought and practice.

After you have drafted your speech, read it andnote any places where you can vary the rate, pitch,volume and vocal quality, or pause to add emphasisand meaning. Speak dearly and project your voice.Try several different methods to see which one ismost effective.

Match vocal variety to your words. You shouldbe compelled to change your voice when yourthought or words require it. Don't worry if at first



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your efforts at vocal variety are awkward. Themore you rehearse your speech and become famil-iar with your voice, the more comfortable you willbecome. If you have access to a tape recorder, useit in rehearsals to help you improve.Your AssignmentThis speech focuses on vocal variety. You are to:

Choose a subject that calls for vocal variety.It could be a topic that requires a display ofemotion, one that enables you to quote orimitate different tones ofvoice or mannersof speaking, or one that involveS a great dealof description.

Use a voice that is pleasing to listen to, with proper balance of volume, pitch and rate. Use pauses to enhance your message. Use your voice to reflect and add meaning andinterest to the thoughts you are presenting.

Be sure to incorporate what you've learned inprevious projects about purpose, organization,word usage and body language, and use appropri-ate suggestions from the evaluations you received.As you prepare your speech, review the Speaker'sChecklist in Project 1and Your Speaking Voice(Item 199), wbich you received in your NewMember Kit.

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Title_____________Evaluator. ___ ~ _______________ Date__________NIJte tIJ the EvaluattJr. The speaker is to use a voice that is pleasing to listen to, with proper balance ofvol-ume, piich an4 rate, and use pauses to enhance his or her message. The speaker's wife should ref/ect and addmeaning to the thoughts he or she is presenting. The speaker is to incOrporate lessons learned in previIJus PTIJ-jects about purpose, organization, word usage and body language. In addition to your verbal evaluation,please complete this evaluation form by checking the appropruue space for each category. Add commentswhere praise is warranted or where you can offer specific suggestions for improvement,

Topic selection: _ Facilitaled vocal ~ I y _ Satisfactory _ Could improveVolume: _Excellent _ Salislaotllly Too Iced or softRate: _ Excellent, ~ d _ Satisfa


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Research Your Topic

Te most challenging part of How to Beginpreparing a speech is gather- , Start your research by compilinging the material. If you want what you already know or have on '

to convince an audience, you need your speech subject. You may havethe facts to support your message. had personal experience with theBut how do you find the informa subject matter, perhaps even havetion you need? files, magazines and other literaIn Project 2 you learned about ture about it. Organize what youthe different types of support already know or have and seematerial: where any gaps exist. Your research 'Statistics. These are numerical goal will be to fill in these gaps.ways of conveying information Search the Webabout incidents, data and events. Today the most convenientTestimony. These are quotes or research source is the Internet.opinions from people with You can comfortably sit at yourexpertise on a particular subject. desk with your personal computerExamples, stories or anecdotes. and find a variety of informationThese relate an event that On numerous subjects on thehappened to you or someone Internet through common searchyou know, or someone you've engines such as Yahoo and Google.read about. Some encyclopedia companiesVisual aids. These could be put versions of their books ouline. diagrams, charts, pictures, Many magazines and newspapers models or other objects. (More are available ouline too. Govern-information about using visual ment agencies post information aids appears in Project 8.) and statistics, and so do publishers of books and journals.You'llFacts. Facts are verifiable also find sites containing quotainformation. tions, biographies and other help-

ful resources. Much of the inforLots of resources offer these mation you'll find from thesetypes of information. Your chal- sources is free; some sources maylenge is to find the ones that will charge per use, monthly, or annuhelp you with your presentation. al fees for access to their data.

infQfmatirOll' 'COllected)!; ~ J " ) 1 i I r n e r o u s Suurcesand',"'"" " ~ ! ~ t S w i ~ ; r' ~ n l , c i f l " f.,;s e x a m p l e s ~ n a \'

: ; A j l l ~ s t r a t i b r l s " ralher ll1an II'l!h':,;ius\)'IJur own opinions, ,

OBJECTIVES:Collect infonnaiiOil about'your topic from numerous ', sOurces,

'.r,,,.fllliv support your pointS" ,arid' opinions with specific.,; iacts, examples and iIIuwa

tions gathered through 'Five to seven minuteS

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Because the Web contains so mucb data, findingthe specific information you're looking for willtake time. In some cases, you may not find thesubstantive information you need.

Searcb engines are software tools that allow youto ask for a list of Web pages containing certainwords or phrases from a searcb index. The searcbengine then indexes the findings for your review.

If you are looking for information on breedingSiamese cats, for example, you could type"Siamese cats" in the search box. The searchengine then looks for Web pages containingthe words, combinations or phrases containingthe words "Siamese cats." You can program theengine to look for an exact match or for a closematch. Usually the engine will rank its findingsbased on their closeness to the words you typed.Be aware, though, that the process is automated.No person screens the Web pages to see whetherthey are applicable to your needs. For example,someone's personal Web page may contain thewords "Siamese cats" only as it relates to his orher family's pets.

For best results, define your search as narrowlyas possible. "Siamese cats" yields an index of morethan 77,000 Web pages - a lot for you to review."Applehead Siamese cats" yields about 600 Webpages - more manageable.

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