When you first start speaking at Chiltern Speakers, you work your way through a series of speech ‘projects’; each of which is designed to help you practice different speaking skills. This way you’re not worrying about all the aspects of speech making at the same time, and you can build on your skills each time you speak. Once the first 10 are completed, you are eligible to become a Competent Communicator (CC).
After that, you can go on to your Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB), by completing another 10 speeches, and then Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) and Gold (ACG). ACG, along with other Leadership projects, will make you eligible for the ultimate prize – Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). You will find full details in the Competent Communicator manual that you receive on joining.
First 10 speeches for CC…
- IceBreaker (4-6 Minutes) To begin speaking before an audience and introduce yourself to your new club friends. To discover speaking skills you already have and skills that need some attention. (New members can download a pdf for this here)
- Organise Your Speech (5-7 Minutes) Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech. Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message. Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another. Create a strong opening and conclusion. (New members can download a pdf for this here)
- Get to the Point (5-7 Minutes) Select a speech topic and determine its general and specific purpose. Organise the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes. Ensure the beginning, body and conclusion reinforce the purposes. Project sincerity and conviction and control any nervousness you may feel. Strive not to use notes.
- How to Say It (5-7 Minutes) Select the right words and sentence structure to communicate your ideas clearly accurately and vividly. Use rhetorical devices to enhance and emphasise ideas. Eliminate jargon and unnecessary words. Use correct grammar.
- Your Body Speaks (5-7 Minutes) Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose. Make your body language smooth and natural.
- Vocal Variety (5-7 Minutes) Use voice, volume, pitch, rate and quality to reflect and add meaning and interest to your message. Use pauses to enhance your message. Use vocal variety smoothly and naturally.
- Research Your Topic (5-7 Minutes) Collect information for your topic from numerous sources. Carefully support your points and opinions with specific facts, examples and illustrations gathered through research.
- Get Comfortable with Visual Aids (5-7 Minutes) Select visual aids that are appropriate for your message and the audience. Use visual aids correctly with ease and confidence.
- Persuade with Power (5-7 Minutes) Persuade listeners to adopt your viewpoint or ideas or to take some action. Appeal to the audience’s interests. Use logic and emotion to support your position. Avoid using notes.
- Inspire Your Audience (8-10 Minutes) To inspire the audience by appealing to noble motives and challenging the audience to achieve a higher level of beliefs or achievement. Appeal to the audience’s needs and emotions, using stories, anecdotes and quotes to add drama. Avoid using notes.