Thursday, December 1, 2011

Three Tips to Make Your Speech More Effective

Tips offered by Carolyn Cousins-Goldman, Distinguished Toastmaster & District Governor

Tip #1: Tell Stories!
Stories can make an otherwise dull subject much more interesting. Spoken from the speaker’s experience or that of someone else, well told stories enhance any speech. Of course, this does not mean just randomly telling tales. The stories need to make points which you, as a speaker, want to convey to your audience.
There’s an “old saying” among speakers and that is, “Tell a story, make a point. Tell another story, make another point.” The mind makes a connection between a well told story and the point of that story. Your audience will not only be entertained, but will remember your speech and the points you want to convey.


Tip #2: Use Humor!

Not only do we want our audiences to learn from us, we also want our audiences to enjoy hearing us. Humor is a way to do that. And you don’t even have to be a comedian, giving one liners. A chuckle here and a chuckle there can make people want to come back to your seminars.

Just like stores, humor can be used to make points. And just like stories, your audience will remember your points and come back for more.


Tip #3: Be Yourself!

When I first started speaking, I listened to other speakers and admired their styles. I thought, “I want to be like him! He’s so dynamic! I want to be like her! She’s so intellectual!” I soon found out that trying to be someone else, just as in everyday life, comes off as phony and not credible.


Miscellaneous Points:

  • Why not just be yourself? Look within your own personality and bring that to your audiences. People will come to listen to you because you are real. 
  • Credibility counts tremendously in public speaking. Credibility is not just having the prestigious diploma or writing the right books. Credibility is how real you are!
Author: Carolyn Cousins-Goldman, Distinguished Toastmaster & District Governor

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