By Shirley M. Carolan, ATMG
Often folks who know I’ve been around Toastmasters for a few years ask me “What’s the best way to improve my speaking skills?” Without skipping a beat I usually say “One of the best tips I’ve learned, as a Toastmaster and would-be speaker, is to tape record my speeches after I’ve written a final draft.” It helps me to hear how my voice sounds and whether the material flows.
Here’s a short list of questions I ask myself: Is it well organized or does it need some more editing? Does it address the objectives of the manual speech? How is the pitch and the tone, too fast, too slow? Does it have too many repeat words or phrases? Can an audience understand the flow and purpose? Did I include something for the audience to chew on?
Once I’m satisfied with the material I try to listen to it whenever I can.... sometimes driving to work, getting caught in traffic, or driving down the freeway are good times to play it. Each time I play it and hear it I get more comfortable with it, until finally, I feel I own the words. This doesn’t mean that I sound like a parrot but it cuts down my fear of public speaking and gives me confidence in knowing that I am well prepared.
When it’s time to give my speech to a live audience I like to tape record it again. However, if you belong to a Toastmaster Club that is lucky enough to have a video camera you may want to use that as well. I know Toastmasters who then post their speeches on their websites or have copies made to sell down the road.
And, over the years, I’ve even learned to tape record my Evaluator’s comments too. It’s another educational tool or bonus to help me improve my speaking skills. So why not take advantage of everything Toastmasters has to offer?
Regardless of why you joined Toastmasters, whether you aspire to become a professional speaker, are an entrepreneur who must market yourself to others, or have received a promotion and now must conduct meetings, your credibility and success will be greatly improved when you take the trouble to record yourself.
The next time you prepare to give a speech, I urge you to take a few minutes during rehearsal and ask yourself the above questions about your material. When you are comfortable and sure that you’ve covered all the bases the next step is to tape record your material. Only you will know when you are ready to do this. If necessary, remind yourself of the benefits you will gain from taping your speech:
Here are a few benefits to consider:
• You will cut down on rambling
• You will hear how you sound delivering your material
• You will stop needlessly repeating yourself
• You will avoid jargon, slang and misunderstood terminology
• You will avoid crutch words and overuse of pet phrases
• You will avoid outworn or overused clichés
• you will be able to adjust your pitch, volume, pace!
I leave you with these thoughts: “Words are the poetry of the soul! They are as unique as your fingerprints. You owe it to yourself to leave the finest imprint!™ Stay tuned. My next session deals with “Why You Should Use A Videocam in Your Presentations.
Shirley M. Carolan, ATMG
Artist ● Speaker ● Writer
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0663
http://www.angelscross.blogspot.com
http://www.smcarolan.blogspot.com
Copyright© 2008 by Shirley Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any portion of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net.
