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President's Tip of the Week

10 Tips for Winning a Toastmasters Contest
(1/14/09)

Source: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/2008/03/18/speech-preparation-10-win-toastmasters-contest/ Visit the site for more details on each point.

  1. Craft Compelling Content. Content counts for one half of the judging points. Delivery is important, but content is more important.
  2. Make it Universal. Winning topics are those which have universal appeal.
  3. Include Humor.
  4. Ask Probing Questions. When you practice before an audience, ask them what they key message was, if the message was clear, if there were any confusing words, phrases, or parts, and if they connected with the speech.
  5. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Gestures. Practice the speech without any deliberate gestures, notice the gestures your body naturally makes, and then work on perfecting the delivery of those gestures.
  6. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Vocal Variety. Apply vocal variety naturally to enhance the words.
  7. Improve at Every Level. Solicit feedback at every level of competition.
  8. Seek Magic Moments. Incorporate at least one utterly unforgettable moment into your speech.
  9. End Positive and End Strong. The last impression you leave before the judge marks the ballot should put them in a positive frame of mind. A strong conclusion will increase applause from the audience.
  10. Don’t “Try” to Win. The focus should be on the audience and the message. Your passionate performance will propel you to victory.
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