notes and views on crm, social media, and the human side of information technology

If you can’t say it, say it with Toastmasters

On the podium, many people struggle: with their material, with themselves, and with the audience. Worse yet, they don’t know it. Since PowerPoint democratized public speaking, the bar has been gradually set so low are rarely surprised when given a boring presentation. It’s normal.

Companies do make half-hearted attempts at instilling some presentation culture by sending their employees to soft-skills seminars and such. But a 2-day training cannot substitute for what’s really necessary to develop your skills in this area (as in any other): practice, more practice, feedback, finding out what you can achieve if you persist.

Here is where Toastmasters can help you. You go through a very structured process of learning first the basics, then more advanced techniques of public speaking; you speak a lot, listen a lot, give feedback to others - in a group of your peers.

I’ve heard speakers there that would blow any conference-goer away. People who couldn’t introduce themselves when they joined giving polished speeches after only a couple of months. If this is possible, I can’t comprehend why we would settle for the normal.

Loads of blogs deal with PowerPoint and other paraphernalia. In Toastmasters, you don’t even use notes after a few speeches. You concentrate on the people and the message, which is what you should concentrate on.

Forget PowerPoint. If you’ve got anything to say and if you feel your delivery could improve, find a Toastmasters club near you. You’ll be surprised what you can do.

PS Full disclosure: I am an (unpaid) officer at Bohemian Toastmasters in Prague.

October 4, 2008 | Filed Under Presenting & Public Speaking 

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