[AMA] Public Speaking: I Am a Toastmaster - Ask Me Anything

LAutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:19
Last edited 26/06/2018 - 09:42

I’ve been trying to find some ways to contribute back to OzB more, and following a few references to Toastmasters in forum threads over the past couple of months I thought it might be something of interest.

I have been in Toastmasters for about 4 and a half years, starting during my Uni days. In that time I have been in a number of clubs and held a number of roles in the organisation so I know a fair bit.

What is it? In a nutshell, a place to practice public speaking and develop leadership skills. There are many educational materials provided from the organisation (many are quite good), but the real benefit is learning off other people and just having a safe place to stuff it all up and learn.

I actually go because I have lots of friends in TM and enjoy it, rather than needing the skills. However, it can be a life changer for those with anxiety, fear of public speaking, confrontation or needing development in leadership and facilitation.

I don’t want this to be a sales pitch. Happy to answer questions relating to TM or just speeches, evaluations, facilitation etc in general.

Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • cypher67 on 26/06/2018 - 09:20
    +5

    If I could just say a few words … I'd be a better public speaker

    Is channelling Homer J Simpson at the start of a speech recommended?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:24
      +2

      Hahaha, I might just use that some day!

      Absolutely - humour is key in maintaining audience engagement. By opening with an attention grabbing quote or joke (instead of 30 seconds of explaining who you are, why you are there etc), you can have the audience hooked from the start, then you can run through the formalities at the start of your second paragraph (assuming you are scripting it out).

      • Scrooge McDuck on 26/06/2018 - 12:27
        +3

        Should butter be left out of the fridge in summer, and do you prefer lightly browned or golden brown?

  • iforgotmysocks on 26/06/2018 - 09:25
    +12

    What's the secret to cooking the best piece of toast?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:28
      +5

      Having a decent toaster! I have an old sunbeam 4 slice and it will burn one end before the other is cooked.

      Glad somebody got the joke out of the way though (y)

  • HardQuiz on 26/06/2018 - 09:25
    +4

    I bet you like talking to naked people.

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:30
      +2

      I have never understood that technique - that would be so incredibly awkward that I wouldn’t be able to think what to say!

      Random side note; we have tried doing off the cuff speeches with blindfolds on before and it is incredible how difficult it is to think of what to say without looking out at people and things.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 26/06/2018 - 12:33

        In all seriousness, what should a speaker do if their body becomes excited?

        I've seen a few sets of pokies and tents pitched during school speeches.

        • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 16:11

          Whoa, and I thought forgetting your words was embarrassing!

          My only thought would be to hide behind the lecturn as much as possible!

  • JimmyF on 26/06/2018 - 09:27

    Oh toast master, How do I get my crumpets crisp on the top and the bottom at the same time?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:32
      +2

      I’m more of a pancake man, sorry!

      • JimmyF on 26/06/2018 - 09:44
        +2

        Then how can you call yourself a toastmaster!!?? Shouldn't it be pancakemaster!?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 26/06/2018 - 12:37
          +7

          Either way, he's not a crumpetmaster.

        • JimmyF on 26/06/2018 - 12:46

          @Scrooge McDuck: haha yes, I guess I need to wait for the AMA - I'm a crumpetmaster thread ;)

  • Serathis on 26/06/2018 - 09:44
    +1

    how much is the annual fee for TM? Does it go up as you improve your skill?

    • EightImmortals on 26/06/2018 - 09:49
      +2

      It WILL improve your skill and you will have a lot of fun. I went to one once but they kept passing the hat around all night, at least in Church they only do it once. :) (Not sure if that's a TM thing or just that particular branch)

      • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:58

        That seems unusual - must have been that particular club. Every club I have been in only request payment once every 6 months at the minimum amount to cover costs.

        The most notable exceptions to this come around venue. Some clubs are dinner clubs for example so you have to buy a meal from the venue to cover room hire and everybody eats together at the break mid-meeting. These details will be advertised on the club website though.

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 09:51

      You apply through your local club (which is not supposed to be run for a profit), so there are club fees that cover tea and coffee, sometimes venue hire etc, and then the Toasmasters International fee.

      All up it typically is between $80-120 every 6 months; for that you usually have 2-3 2 hour meetings each month, and access to the online educational program.

      There are no extra fees as you progress, except to unlock more speech projects. Each ‘Path’ will probably take about a year to complete in full. You get 1 free when you join and each additional one is $20USD.

  • altomic on 26/06/2018 - 09:55
    +1

    is Powdered Toast Man the offical or unofficial mascot of Toastmasters?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 16:03
      +1

      Did a bit of research, and whilst there is a MASCOT Toastmasters club in Sydney, the organisation does not appear to have one.

      We might be able to find something a little bit closer aligned to our purpose though!

  • Islund on 26/06/2018 - 10:09
    +1

    ummmmmmmmm

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 10:52
      +1

      Lots of those; even as an experienced speaker now I still struggle occasionally with them (or their friends; ah, so and now). We summarise them all as crutch words. Silence is always more powerful but it takes a while to kick the habit!

  • Heracles26 on 26/06/2018 - 10:21

    Who do you admire as a public speaker? I am always in awe of the late Christopher Hitchens and his vast vocabulary and quick wit

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 10:55
      +3

      I don’t really keep track, but quick wit and extensive vocabulary are always a winner!

      The best speaker I have ever heard in person was Barack Obama. No matter what your view of politics, you can’t argue that he is a truly exceptional public speaker.

      • Heracles26 on 26/06/2018 - 10:59
        +3

        Yes Obama is a great public speaker! Quite the juxtaposition with his successor

  • jellykingdom on 26/06/2018 - 10:25

    I've considered it before, but wasn't really convinced i needed to improve my skills that much. You've said something similar, so you'd say there's benefit to it?

    What's the cost to be a member?

    What kind of leadership skills?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 11:09
      +2

      Absolutely, I had already done a few years of drama as a child and been school captain etc. I had been speaking on stage in front of 1000+ people since 9th grade at our yearly awards ceremonies. So I considered myself to be a very proficient public speaker before I joined.

      The reason I wanted to join was as a creative outlet really, I was studying a technical field in university and hadn’t done any speeches in quite a while and thought it would be interesting to do some speeches and maybe improve my speaking off the cuff a little bit.

      I didn’t even comprehend the level of improvement I could make in that first 12-18 months. Instead of reading from a strictly rehearsed speech every time I stand up, I am now comfortable to give a 7 minute speech with just a few minutes notice to jot down a couple of dot points. I am animated on stage where I was clinical before. And critically, my ability to think and respond quickly to stimulus has improved drastically for job interviews and client meetings.

      Costs roughly $80-120 every 6 months, which is practically nothing if you break it down per hour of preofessional development.

      Whatever leadership skills you want to take on! Every club has an executive; President, Vice President Education (in charge of managing speech and meeting scheduling), Vice President Membership, Vice President Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer, Seargant at Arms (opens the meeting and calls people back from breaks). Each of these roles require and nurture relevant business and leadership skills. Every year there are also many events that are organised in the greater area with all of the local clubs, speech contests, club officer training etc. Organising these events is fantastic leadership experience.

      Taking a step back from the big ticket items, simply dealing with the networking every meeting with other members, mentoring new members, giving effective feedback and evaluations are all critical skills for a manager / leader.

      Feel free to message me if you have any more personal questions for your situation.

      • Ozpit on 27/06/2018 - 09:42

        Do members have a secret handshake?

        • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 10:01
          +1

          No… maybe we should get on that!

  • Godric on 26/06/2018 - 10:51
    +1

    I didn't know that was a thing

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 11:23

      Glad to expand your knowledge :)

      It’s something that I find most people have heard of before, but most don’t know what it is.

      • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2018 - 11:31

        That was 'expended' long ago.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 26/06/2018 - 13:01

        It’s something that I find most people have heard of before, but most don’t know what it is.

        Or where it is.

        • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 14:22

          Everywhere shifty eyes

          I’d say most people living in major cities in Australia will have access to a club within 15 minutes of home or work - there are so many out there.

          There is a find a club tool on the Toastmasters International website to find local ones.

  • myusername on 26/06/2018 - 11:04
    +1

    do you consider yourself a cult member?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 11:22

      You could make an argument that any club or group of people that get together to take part in a sport, activity or learning was a cult (based off the definition of the word to devotion to a thing, object or idea).

      However, The answer to your question would be no. Just a group of people that meet up every couple of weeks to enhance their speaking and leadership skills.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2018 - 11:30

    What's your best comeback to a heckle? (you had to be there doesn't count)

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 14:14

      Wow this one does depend so much on the situation. I’ve had some good ones, and I’ve also dug myself deeper into the hole a few times as well. Most heckles in our clubs are over unintended innuendo, so it can deteriorate quite quickly :P

      Best response I’ve seen to an aggressive heckle was when an event organiser was taking questions and comments at the end of the day and somebody tried to turn the audience against the presenter by asking them a question and then asking why that content wasn’t included as he had requested in his capacity as XXX. The presenter very calmly said, ‘ I would love to talk to you about that, but I’d appreciate if we could do that privately instead of trying to embarrass me in front of my audience’. Cue round of applause.

  • garetz on 26/06/2018 - 11:33

    How long did it take you to master toast?

  • mbck on 26/06/2018 - 12:05

    any good books you'd suggest? As in, any material that you think is quite a valuable addition to add if you'd like to improve your public speaking skills

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 13:14

      No sorry, I tend not to read much non-fiction.

      However, I am a strong believer that just getting out there and doing some practice is far more valuable than any tip sheet.

  • rompastompa on 26/06/2018 - 12:30
    +1

    What are the demographics of the other members?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 13:20

      HUGE variation. Members from age 18 to well over 80.

      It depends what club you go to, for example most large universities seem to have a university club that has a vast majority of younger members (and a higher percentage of English as second language members). Where as I was at a Monday morning 9AM in the suburbs meeting once that was almost exclusively retirees.

      It is usually free to go and check out as many clubs as you want (just check for venue requirements like having to buy a meal). The Toastmasters international website has a club finder than shows your local clubs with contact details so you can message ahead and double check.

      I recommend trying 2-3 different clubs and see which club culture suits you.

  • ihbh on 26/06/2018 - 12:54

    Have you been to the regional and maybe beyond competitions? If so what was your experience like?

    Man, the participants are like actors!

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 13:39
      +3

      Good bye remaining anonymity :P

      (Our competitions go Club, Area (local 5-8ish clubs), Division (5-8ish areas), District (usually like state+), and the World Championships (only for one contest - the International contest, all others finish at District).

      A couple of months ago I placed 2nd at District level in the Evaluation contest. This is a 2-3 minute analytical speech based off a test speaker that you have just heard. 5 minutes to prepare.

      I also placed 2nd in the Division level in the International Speech Contest. The reason why these speeches look so animated on stage is that they take months of continuous development and practice!

      Contests are a huge amount of work, but a fantastic way to push yourself. I was so happy with my International speech because when I delivered it I was completely satisfied that it was as great as I could possibly make it. You rarely put so much effort into something and finish it to that level, so it was a great feeling.

  • Scrooge McDuck on 26/06/2018 - 13:04
    +1

    Do you have any advice for proceeding whilst people are talking, and when people try to interject?

    • AutomationGuy on 26/06/2018 - 13:54
      +1

      It depends on how they are interjecting. If I am giving a 20-40 ish minute educational presentation and I am just getting too many legitimite questions I will try and say something along the lines of ‘great question, I am going to touch on that in a couple of minutes, and we will have time for some additional questions at the end’.

      If the problem is just people talking to each other, you need to involve the audience for a moment. Asking for silence can work once or twice but if you get frustrated in doing so or have to ask too many times it isn’t a great look. I will instead try and throw in a question to the audience and get everybody making a bit of noise for a moment and then bring it back to me. That usually brings some silence afterwards. A rhetorical question has some of this effect in less time if required.

      If it is a continuous barrage from one person I will try to cut them off and say something along the lines of, ‘you seem to be very passionate about XYZ, I’d love to chat to you afterwards about it but we need to keep moving along now so we don’t take up everybody else’s time’.

      Obviously every situation and audience is different, but those are some of my techniques.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2018 - 19:39
    -1

    So, Lucy Zelic's fancy and sometimes iffy pronunciations are trending and she's going on the standard owning it, anti-troll vigil, inbetween foetal position breakdowns. I think she should have taken the funny tweet route. What's your best amusing Lucy Zelic defends herself tweet. She's just pronounced Coolohmbia playing at St Petersboorg stadium, and it's going viral. How can she slay the trolls in one witty, James Blunt tweet?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 10:01
      +1

      I feel like, given my age, I should understand that. But I do not. Sorry.

  • na8an on 27/06/2018 - 07:51

    Is the fee tax deductible? if main purpose is for work?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 09:59

      I know many people do, although my understanding is that the ATO changed the rules about 2 years ago regarding what educational expenses were deductible, which removed everything that doesn’t actually result in a degree (or something along those lines - please check for yourself).

      Some people are able to use Toastmasters to fill professional development hours to maintain professional memberships and certifications. This may change the taxable status.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2018 - 09:29

    What profession/industry is/are over represented in these meetings.

    I know only a particular subset of my friends attend. They are all of the same industry.

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 10:08

      I know people from many different fields. Many people join when they are between jobs as that is one time when they recognise the need to network and expand their skills but that usually doesn’t last long.

      There are a lot of corporate clubs that are run within one company (for example RACQ) where the memberships are usually subsidised by the company and you have to work there to be a member. Those sorts of clubs obviously have high numbers or people from their specialist fields.

      Another one that is highly represented is the public service, but I know they can use Toastmasters as part of their PD KPIs for work.

      In the clubs I am part of there are a good mix of engineers, finance, health care, disability services, teachers, small business owners, project managers, sales and customer service and more.

  • kacak on 27/06/2018 - 12:00
    +5

    Not a question, but just an observation that based on your responses here - you write very well, in an engaging, relevant and lightly humorous manner that puts people at ease. I can imagine this matches your delivery when presenting, all very impressive :)

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 13:49

      Thank you, that is certainly what I am for :)

  • chuderino on 27/06/2018 - 13:50

    Do you have some examples of Leadership skills that you have developed through TM?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 15:55
      +1

      I am an engineer and my career path is moving almost immidiately into project management. Being natuarally an introvert and a very quiet, reserved person, Toastmasters has provided me the confidence to be able to talk up in meetings and effectively manage a team.

      I have served many roles as both personal mentors for members, as well as coaching a struggling club as a whole. These interactions have provided valuable insight into effective methods of coaching and being able to set and follow up on goals on somebody working under your guidance.

      I am currently organising an event which should have over 100 people in attendance and have been implementing a professional project management plan essentially such that I haven’t actually lifted a finger to make or do anything - only manage the team.

  • djmm on 27/06/2018 - 20:09

    Have you ever had a shoe flying towards your general direction?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 23:06

      In the school yard yes, Toastmasters / public speaking no!

  • movieman on 27/06/2018 - 21:05

    As an absolute beginner at public speaking, or coming from a country with English as a second language, how would someone progress to be confident speaking in public?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 23:18

      Practice. Practice is always the answer, and in front of other people too.

      Going to Toastmasters, or a similar other organisation if one exists in your area, would be the perfect thing in this scenario. Being able to talk in front of a group of people on a regular basis where you push yourself, but it is okay to stuff up (because everybody else has been in the situation before) is very valuable, and you receive lots of help and tips from other members every week.

      If you were not going to do that, I would probably suggest starting by reading aloud. Get a novel that you like, go Somewhere private like your bedroom and just read the words out loud. As you go, start challenge yourself by trying to project your voice (imagine you are talking to a room full of people and need to make your voice fill the room). You would need to do this a fair bit to have a real impact. I was using this technique recently to prepare myself for some audiobook narration. In doing so, I would have to stop every time I made even the slightest mistake or paused in the wrong place, and start the paragraph again. That can be very frustrating!

      After that, I would recommend trying to write a speech (can be on anything; a story from growing up, a recent holiday, something that happened at work, explaining features of new phone, explaining how to stack coupon codes for the best bargains etc) for around 5 minutes, practice it lots and then present it to some friends or family.

      I definitely think this is a situation where Toastmasters could help though. It is generally free to go along to a few meetings and see if it is something that would interest you. I’d recommend going to the Toastmasters International website and clicking through to find some clubs near you.

  • serpserpserp on 27/06/2018 - 21:46
    +1

    What is the most inspiring story you've seen as being a part of Toastmasters? Maybe hearing a story how someone went from being shocking to becoming great at public speaking help propel them to great heights would get some of the OZB community to go?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 23:52

      At every club and any moment you would be able to walk in and find somebody who couldn’t dream of talking even in front of a few people, and are now relaxed and charismatic on stage talking off the top of their head. It really does happen all the time (that is not to say it is a fast process though! It takes a lot of time and effort).

      Just recently I have known somebody who joined Toastmasters and was lacking the confidence to be able to communicate effectively, and just really struggled to be up in front of people. In under a year they have now taken on the role of Club President, has joined a second advance speaking club, are confidant and charismatic on stage and has just bought out their boss in the small business they worked at.

      I know a few people who suffered from such incredible anxiety that they had trouble talking to anybody one on one at the coffee break, let alone on stage. Now they still definitely have big nerves to work on, but you could almost describe as outgoing in the one on one situation and can confidently deliver a prepared speech.

      The ones that are I think most relevant to most people are people who come in okay. They can stand up there and talk if they have to. The speech is structured but very plain and a bit monotone. Certainly not interesting to listen to. In just a few months you can watch them just becoming more interactive with the audience, more charismatic, better vocal variety etc. they are the sort of people who will get noticed at work and really help their future.

  • cainen on 27/06/2018 - 22:09
    +1

    Pretty sure my work actually pays for people to go to toastmasters if they want.

    As a shy introvert with moderate level of social anxiety I know I would absolutely hate doing this type of thing. I know it would likely improve certain aspects of my life but would make me extremely uncomfortable. I hear a lot of good things about it but are there other people that end up saying nope, this not for me (as I am pretty sure I would)?

    • AutomationGuy on 27/06/2018 - 23:37

      I have no doubt that you would find it uncomfortable… but that’s the point! You get to work through the uncomfortable and anxious stages of speaking in a safe and supportive environment with people who do not judge you. They have all been there at one time or another. A club usually has 10-25 people in it, so you do get to know them all pretty quickly and it is not such a foreign environment anymore.

      There are definitely a lot of people that come along and don’t sign up, but I would say usually it is for other reasons. Most of the time the guests see members up talking and say ‘I want to be able to do that’ and recognise that there is a path to get there.

      In terms of membership turnover in general, I believe the average ‘life’ of a Toastmaster is about 18 months. Most people join up to achieve a specific task (I want to be able to talk at my daughters wedding, I want to be able to give a presentation at work without falling apart with nerves etc). Obviously you can always improve the longer you work at something, but I would definitely say the 3-12month period is where most of the magic happens.

  • ozzpete on 28/06/2018 - 04:12
    +1

    place to practice public speaking and develop leadership skills .
    I'm curious as to how toastmasters approaches development of leadership skills ?
    Also, I have been interested somewhat in joining toastmasters at my uni, but I was worried about showing others up (I don't want to make them feel bad). I have extensive public speaking and voice training from age 5-15. It seemed that with the toastmasters recruitment day at campus, they were all about going from being extremely bad or lacking confidence with speaking in public, to being a lot better.
    I'm not sure if people who are already trained/talented in public speaking would be accepted by toastmasters, or does the group tend to only like others who have had problems previously with speaking in public.
    I'm sure there would be many people there that are great public speakers now; but Im guessing they all started off with difficulties in public speaking, then progressed with the help of toastmasters. I would be joining, having never had difficulties in public speaking, yet I would still like to get better than what I am atm.

    • AutomationGuy on 28/06/2018 - 07:01
      +1

      Toastmasters clubs are run by the members; there is a full executive committee like any other club or society (see one of my other comments from earlier for a run down). Simply within the course of being an active club member you would be exposed to a range of leadership skills to develop (I have gone into more detail above - put another reply below if you want more detail on anything specifically).

      Within the educational program of Toastmasters they also focus on skills like giving evaluations, chairing the meeting (being MC) and performing club roles.

      Absolutely not, you would be welcomed in! Professional speakers bring so much excitement and energy to clubs, and serve as an inspiration to others. In the clubs I am in we have one person who is a radio station presenter, a couple of people who teach speaking and presenting professionally and another who has recently been in a theatre production. Another trick is to join an Advance club as soon as you can. They usually require you to be a member or a normal club too, but being with a group of like minded professional speakers is inspiring and you learn even more.

      The other thing to note is that you might still have more to learn than you think. I had done drama (focussing on vocal projection) outside of school for probably about 5 years as a kid, I’d been school captain, band captain, leader of whatever clubs you could think of…. but outside of my voice and confidence there were still many areas I was lacking in that Toastmasters helped me improve drastically, which I hadn’t truly appreciated before I started.

  • grasstown on 28/06/2018 - 08:36

    How much have you spent in 4.5 years with toastmasters?

    • AutomationGuy on 28/06/2018 - 09:28

      I am an unusual case in that I have spent much of my time as a member of 2 and sometimes 3 clubs (my ‘home’ club, an advanced club that I love going to and another community club that I am coaching).

      At Toastmasters you pay per club, so I would estimate around $2500 for myself. If you were just doing one club for that period closer to $1k.

      That is obviously excluding the drinks at the pub afterwards with my Toastmasters friends!

      As I eluded to before, this is a hobby and a social event for me, not just professional development, so whilst the cost is critical to some, it isn’t really a consideration for me.

      • grasstown on 28/06/2018 - 18:40

        Hi, thanks for responding.

        I should disclose I am sceptical about these places. Though I have no knowledge of toast masters.

        I fear they run off peer pressure, and make members feel bad when they try leave. I wonder if you could just walk away tomorrow with no hassle if you chose to. I have no doubt that everyone there are kind giving wonderful people. I just wonder if there is a real pressure against questioning, dissidence or not wanting to do something, like stay another semester or better oneself. Indoctrination worries me. Some places appeal to our desire to help others and these places offer that. I wonder whether a lot of people there volunteer. I am full of wonder.

        • AutomationGuy on 28/06/2018 - 23:58

          I have never experienced any of that. I have actually left several clubs in my time and there were no hard feelings or high pressure tactics. I could leave tomorrow and the only people who would be harassing me are the close friends I have made who I won't be seeing as often. The actual organisation doesn't follow up on membership renewals / drop outs etc.

          These clubs are run by the members that are all there to learn, they aren't paid to recruit people, it's no skin off their nose if people leave and there is no training given on changing people's minds. I very often tell people who want to join a club I'm in, to go and try a couple of others as well to make sure they are getting the one that best suits them.

          The whole cult / indoctrination concept is so far off the mark in this scenario, I'm not sure where those perceptions come from.

          It's generally free to go and check a meeting out - might not have to wonder so much afterwards!

  • droodle on 10/07/2018 - 22:35

    whats the general age range at toastmasters ?

    • AutomationGuy on 11/07/2018 - 11:52
      +1

      That is very dependant on the club (location and time of day are key).

      I have been to a Monday morning 9am in the suburbs club that was almost all 60+, I have been to university clubs where it is almost all under 25.

      The clubs I am in at the moment (all after work, one in the city, two about 10km out) all have a good range of people from about 22 to 60.

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