Wade Armstrong

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Speaking, Communicating, and Toastmasters

Posted Wednesday September 27, 2006 in Business

The Messengers showed us the variety of tools that can be used to speak effectively, and gave us all the chance to experience effective public speakers. It’s easy to forget that the vast majority of us must play the role of public speaker at some time in our lives; yet we certainly haven’t learned to speak effectively in any way. I know I hadn’t — except for one eighth-grade assignment to give a speech in front of my middle school, an activity which included no practice and no training, I had never practiced public speaking in any way until I joined Toastmasters International while getting my MBA.

Like many people, I’ve always feared public speaking. That eighth-grade speech? One teacher said she’d “never heard such clear enunciation at such high speed before.” I wasn’t the cool kid who walked around the stage while he spoke, or even the practical joker who gave the principal a pie in the face (her speech was on slapstick comedy); I got on and off stage as quickly as I could. Ever since then, when up in front of a group, I’ve felt my throat get tight, my mouth dry up, my chest stop pumping enough air — I’ve feared public speaking. Toastmasters hasn’t completely eliminated all that, but it’s helped me deal with my sensations and be an effective speaker anyway.

Part of this is preparation. Toastmasters encourages all new members to pursue its Competent Toast Master (CTM) certification, which is really a pedagogical process that takes you through organizing your speech, considering its objectives, selecting your words, controlling your gestures, even learning to appreciate and use silence. Anybody following the ten-speech CTM track learns to incorporate many of these tools into their speaking preparation process, and these skills form many of the basic components that allow me to successfully communicate in front of a crowd even when my autonomic nervous system is screaming panic! flee!

Part of this is also becoming accustomed to the feeling of speaking. Attending regular Toastmasters meetings, and taking the opportunity to speak at each one, lets you understand exactly how tight your stomach will feel as you speak and that, you know what, that’s not such a bad sensation. It lets you learn how much you need to worry about breathing, so that you speak slowly enough, and breathe enough, that you don’t catch yourself panting. With enough practice, it’s even possible to get comfortable speaking — during my first semester of business school, when I was giving a presentation in front of my 70-person core almost every week, I certainly felt comfortable talking on any topic, any time.

And part of this is also being comfortable on your feet. Everyone forgets their lines; if you’ve focused on memorizing your written speech, a brain fart can be disastrous. Toastmasters has an activity called Table Topics, in which all members get the chance to go to the front of the room and speak for two minutes on a topic that they don’t learn until they get to the front of the room. You have to think fast and keep an open mind, but, after a few tries, it gets easy and fun. Building comfort and learning to work on-the-fly allows you to know your points, practice your speech, and yet speak spontaneously and naturally onstage.

Put all of this together, and Toastmasters can prepare you for a lot of life’s speaking opportunities. Making a sales pitch? Preparation is key. Called on in a department meeting? Table Topics keep you light on your feet. Have to give the department’s big quarterly presentation? Congratulations, you know exactly how you’ll feel up there and can do fine.

I know that Toastmasters has helped me. My presentations have become crisper, even when I haven’t been making many. I’m comfortable talking in front of groups — yes, my mouth gets dry and I forget to breathe, but I know that I can make it through those sensations and, even, that taking the time to breathe deep can provide the pregnant pause that will support my point.

And sometimes, Toastmasters unexpectedly comes in handy. Two years ago one of my best friends got married, and his bride e-mailed me a note that I should be prepared to give a toast at the wedding reception. Well, technology being what it is, I never got the e-mail, and only learned that I was to give a toast at the most important day in my best friend’s life as we were being seated for dinner. I was slated to go third and traded with the fourth person to gain another moment to think about what I’d say; but I knew I could do it anyway. I had two minutes and I’d given dozens of two minute Table Topics. I stood up and gave a toast that made the audience laugh and brought a smile to my best friend’s face. That event alone justified every moment I’d ever spent in Toastmasters, and I’m confident that a membership in this association will have a similar benefit for you.