Introduction to Toastmasters
 
TEN TIPS FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING Feeling a bit nervous before giving a speech is completely natural and sometimes even beneficial, but too much apprehension can be detrimental to your goal. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
1. Know your material. Pick a topic that interests you. Know more content than you choose to include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language to ensure that you won't easily forget what to say.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all the equipment you plan to use. Revise your speech as necessary. Work to control filler words such as ("um", "like", etc. ). Practice, pause and breathe. Rehearse your speech with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of your friends than it is to talk in a room full of strangers.
4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. 5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand." [Pause] [Begin]). Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping (this will boost your confidence).
7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They're rooting for you.
8. Don't apologize for any nervousness or problem - the audience probably never noticed it. 9. Concentrate on the message - not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you - as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need to develop your skills in a safe and friendly environment.
Do you fear speaking in public? Do you catch yourself stumbling or feeling nervous when you are in front of a group of people? Then join NAAAP San Diego as we welcome our esteemed advisor/speaker Jimmy Thai, VP of Technology at SAIC, as we present "Introduction to Toastmasters". Listen to experiences from experienced Toastmasters and learn how you can improve your public speaking and leadership skills through this program.
What: Learn about Toastmasters and how you can join!
Date: Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Address:
AI Center
4685 Convoy Street
4Suite 210
San Diego, CA map
Cost:
Free - Members
$10.00 - Non-Members and Partners
Please register online at www.naaapsandiego.org.
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