Comments on: Does Toastmasters Really Need the Ah Counter Role? http://blog.jvf.com/2009/05/25/does-toastmasters-really-need-the-ah-counter-role/ Achieving Fast Results through Powerful Communication Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:50:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ten Things I Learned About Speaking Beyond Toastmasters | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development http://blog.jvf.com/2009/05/25/does-toastmasters-really-need-the-ah-counter-role/comment-page-1/#comment-2623 Ten Things I Learned About Speaking Beyond Toastmasters | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:29:21 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=604#comment-2623 [...] Ums and ahs don’t really matter unless they are excessive. [...] [...] Ums and ahs don’t really matter unless they are excessive. [...]

]]> By: 10 Ways For Toastmasters to Take Their Speaking to the Next Level – Part 1 | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development http://blog.jvf.com/2009/05/25/does-toastmasters-really-need-the-ah-counter-role/comment-page-1/#comment-2292 10 Ways For Toastmasters to Take Their Speaking to the Next Level – Part 1 | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:32:54 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=604#comment-2292 [...] just stick to prepared speeches and table topics. Offer to be a timer, joke master, ah counter, etc… so that you can try new things. Each role requires you to use a different set of speaking [...] [...] just stick to prepared speeches and table topics. Offer to be a timer, joke master, ah counter, etc… so that you can try new things. Each role requires you to use a different set of speaking [...]

]]> By: James http://blog.jvf.com/2009/05/25/does-toastmasters-really-need-the-ah-counter-role/comment-page-1/#comment-1547 James Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:57:26 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=604#comment-1547 Wow, sorry for missing some of the comments on here. Jeff, I agree 100% with you. I think a simple comment during the evaluation is enough rather than the exact count of ums, ahs, etc.... Then the speaker knows to watch out for filler words. JB, I agree that ums and ahs are a distraction and it's great to get rid of them. I remember listening to speaker years before I even knew about Toastmasters who said "you know" so many times that the person next to me was keeping track (and no, he wasn't in Toastmasters either). So it's definitely a problem. Paul, I don't think that people should relax their standards. I just think that too many people take ums and ahs too seriously. I do have to say that I'm kind of on the fence on this one because I've been thinking a lot about the topic since I originally wrote this post. If you've ever been to a Disney park, you've probably noticed that they pay extreme attention to detail, even though most people don't notice it. There are benefits to doing this, just like there are benefits to taking the time to pay that much attention to detail when giving a speech. I might have to revisit this one. Thanks for the comments. Wow, sorry for missing some of the comments on here.

Jeff,

I agree 100% with you. I think a simple comment during the evaluation is enough rather than the exact count of ums, ahs, etc…. Then the speaker knows to watch out for filler words.

JB,

I agree that ums and ahs are a distraction and it’s great to get rid of them. I remember listening to speaker years before I even knew about Toastmasters who said “you know” so many times that the person next to me was keeping track (and no, he wasn’t in Toastmasters either). So it’s definitely a problem.

Paul,

I don’t think that people should relax their standards. I just think that too many people take ums and ahs too seriously. I do have to say that I’m kind of on the fence on this one because I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic since I originally wrote this post. If you’ve ever been to a Disney park, you’ve probably noticed that they pay extreme attention to detail, even though most people don’t notice it. There are benefits to doing this, just like there are benefits to taking the time to pay that much attention to detail when giving a speech.

I might have to revisit this one. Thanks for the comments.

]]> By: Paul Simkins http://blog.jvf.com/2009/05/25/does-toastmasters-really-need-the-ah-counter-role/comment-page-1/#comment-1540 Paul Simkins Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:00:17 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=604#comment-1540 So we should relax our standards and not demand the best from ourselves because it just doesn't matter? Sorry, not buying it. No matter whether the general public "seems" to care ( and in reality I think they do), I care enough to be the very best speaker I can be and to communicate as effectively as I can. A brief mention in the eval is not enough as most people aren't aware when they do it and how often. Correcting audible pauses has to be a conscious effort and you therefore must be aware of when you use them. So we should relax our standards and not demand the best from ourselves because it just doesn’t matter? Sorry, not buying it. No matter whether the general public “seems” to care ( and in reality I think they do), I care enough to be the very best speaker I can be and to communicate as effectively as I can. A brief mention in the eval is not enough as most people aren’t aware when they do it and how often. Correcting audible pauses has to be a conscious effort and you therefore must be aware of when you use them.

]]>