How to be a Better Speaker
Is there one thing any speaker, regardless of their experience, can do to become a better speaker almost immediately? I believe the answer is yes. And, that one thing is to video tape your speech and evaluate your own presentation.
One of my friends and best speakers in District 3 is Michael Desiderio. He is a member of Dobson Ranch and has won several district speech contests. I have never seen Michael give a speech that he did not videotape. He attributes his success to being Italian, and contracting exotic diseases that he can speak about (lol).
When I was in high school I enjoyed playing chess. At that time there was a chess program on the local PBS station on Saturday dedicated to becoming a better chess player. One week the host said that if you tuned in next week he would offer a tip guaranteed to make any player better by 50%!
The following Saturday I was waiting in front of the TV with baited breath. The host introduced the concept of ‘blindfold chess’. This esoteric game of chess has two opponents playing the game mentally as a third person moves the pieces on the board which is out of sight. Needless to say, this is a very difficult exercise and will dramatically improve your game if you master the frustrating version.
Fortunately, as Toastmasters we have an easier way to improve our speaking ability. The new Flip video cameras are inexpensive and easy to use. They are the size of a package of cigarettes. They have built-in USB port so they can plug directly into a computer. They are virtually plug and play. The videos can be stored on your hard drive, uploaded to You Tube, emailed for a friend to review, or posted on your club website.
Make it a New Years resolution to improve your speaking ability by videotaping your presentations in 2010.