I’m frequently invited to speak at Toastmasters clubs about how to speak beyond Toastmasters. Last year, I gave a presentation at a District Conference on this topic and was excited about how much interest there was in learning more about it. It’s just a natural progression – once you’ve peaked in Toastmasters, you feel ready to go out and use these skills that you’ve mastered.

So here are the top then things I’ve learned about speaking beyond Toastmasters:

1. Ums and ahs don’t really matter unless they are excessive.
2. Going over your allotted time can quickly turn your audience against you.
3. Not all audiences are friendly, but it’s rare to encounter a truly hostile audience.
4. You can’t please everyone so don’t try to.
5. Just because you’re speaking for free (or a reduced fee) doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put forth your best effort.
6. Feedback can be a tough pill to swallow so be careful of what you ask for.
7. It is okay to open with “Hello” or “Thanks for having me here.”
8. Always bring two copies of your speech introduction with you.
9. Always over prepare – the unexpected happens a lot more than you might expect.
10. If you make a mistake or things don’t work out the way you want them to, pick yourself back up and try it again.

I’ve written entire articles on most of these tips but they are generally self-explanatory. If you have some additional tips or experiences you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment.

Post from: Overnight Sensation

Ten Things I Learned About Speaking Beyond Toastmasters

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways For Toastmasters to Take Their Speaking to the Next Level – Part 1
2. 10 Ways For Toastmasters to Take Their Speaking to the Next Level – Part 2
3. Tips For Toastmasters: Speaking at Rotary and Other Service Clubs
4. What I Learned at Toastmasters Last Night

Whether you’ve been laid off, downsized, quit due to frustration, forced out or you’re absolutely miserable in your current situation – if you’re looking for work, you probably know how difficult it is to find a good job, especially these days. When the market is this competitive, you need every advantage that you can get so it’s time to boost your resume, learn how to interview and start hitting the pavement. Here are ten tips to get you started:

1. Every company has its own style and procedures for the hiring process – make sure you learn it and follow it.
2. Phone screens are a common way for employers to weed out candidates – make sure you’re prepared for phone screens and take them as seriously as you would an in-person interview.
3. Be on the lookout as you can connect with someone who can help you find a job practically anywhere – the gym, the library, the train station and even the supermarket.
4. Employers don’t always extend the courtesy of telling candidates when they didn’t get the job – follow up within a week of your interview if you haven’t heard back.
5. In many cases, interest and enthusiasm are as important as job skills and experience – always be positive and enthusiastic.
6. You should study for each job interview like you would with a final exam – learn about the company, the position, the industry and how you fit in.
7. Practice the common interview questions – many people still ask them.
8. If you’re invited for an interview but not really interested, be open minded and go anyway – you might find that you like the people, the duties or the company more than you originally expected.
9. Allow yourself enough time for expected delays when going to your interview – while traffic, late-running trains and other unexpected delays happen, they still make you look bad.
10. Be pleasant to everyone you come into contact with on your way to your interview (including other drivers) – you never know if one of them might be someone that will be interviewing you.

Post from: Overnight Sensation

10 Things You Should Know About Job Hunting

Related posts:

1. Do You Need a Job to Get a Job?
2. 10 Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
3. Interview Questions – Why did you Leave Your Last Job?
4. Interview Tips for College Students in a Tough Economy

My first “Ten things you should know about…” post is on (big surprise) Public Speaking. It’s the number one social fear and many people fear it more than death. Yet, there are people out there that you’ve probably never heard of that are getting paid over $10,000 to give a two hour presentation.

So here are ten things that you should know about Public Speaking:

1. The only way to overcome your fear of public speaking is to actually get up and speak.
2. There’s a lot of bad advice out there related to public speaking – and some of it even makes it into best selling books.
3. Toastmasters can be an excellent resource for improving your speaking skills -just make sure you choose the right club.
4. Public speaking is NOT like riding a bike – you need to keep at it to remain good at it.
5. Your speech is should be focused on the audience – it’s not all about you.
6. Content and style are both important – but in the real world, your content is more important that your style (provided your style isn’t extremely bad).
7. It is an absolute must to practice your talk – even if you’re an experienced speaker.
8. When you overdo it with vocal variety and gestures, your audience is less likely to take you seriously.
9. What works best for someone else might not work best for you – try new things, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the same result as others.
10. PowerPoint is an excellent tool for presenting – just make sure you use the right way and in the right situations.

Post from: Overnight Sensation

10 Things You Should Know About Public Speaking

Related posts:

1. Public Speaking Success: How to Give a Great Speech
2. Public Speaking Success: Four Speaking Experts Worth Checking Out
3. Public Speaking Success: Developing your own Speaking Style
4. Public Speaking Success: Seven Tips to Improve your Public Speaking Skills Right Now