Ten Things I Learned About Speaking Beyond Toastmasters

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.

James Feudo

James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.