YES, I DID IT!

posted by Leila Bates

I thought this was so appropriate for Speakers. We all know the self inflicted barriers we have to overcome to become the "YES, I DID IT" person.  The fact is we need to adapt, keep moving and invariably, we will all reach the top.

New Year. New You.

Posted by Leila Bates, Area 63 Governor; CC, ACB

Happy 2013.
Look at every morning as a time of Re-birth; Tabula Rasa. Reach high for whatever it is you want.

How To Prepare A Speech On Your iPad

by Promod Sharma, CC

When you're creating a speech, there are three steps

1. Outline
2. Write
3. Practice

Your iPad is an exceptionally convenient and powerful tool for each step. Android tablets probably work well too using different apps.

Outline

A speech consists of an introduction, several main points and a conclusion. There's plenty you could say and different ways to arrange your content. A mind map gives you an easy, visual way to make changes. You may want to add sub-points to your main points.

I use iThoughtsHD, which keeps improving. It’s easy to export content in various formats.

You can probably deliver your speech from the mind map. I sometimes do. If that's your plan, consider adding images to help you remember the points. You’ll get better results if you plan out each word you want to say.

Write

Next, export your mind map as text into a text editor and prepare your script. The quality comes from the revisions. You want to use words and phrases that are easy to say, easy to hear and easy to understand.

I use the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, which is much faster and nicer than using an onscreen keyboard.

Using the right app makes writing easier, even enjoyable. I use iA Writer, which I also used to draft this blog post. The font is large and inviting. There are no distractions to interfere with your writing.

Practice

When you're satisfied with your content, you're ready  to practice. The timing of a speech is especially important. Recording yourself is too. That's where a teleprompter helps.
If you're prone to speeding up (or slowing down) when you speak, a teleprompter keeps you on track.

I use Teleprompt+ and make any further edits in this app.

A teleprompter is an essential app to improve your speaking even if you don’t use it when you deliver your actual speech.

Links

• Prepare your speech with a mind map
• Learn to memorize with storytelling 
•  A preamble weakens your speech
• Preplan all your speeches

Promod Sharma is an actuary who uses his iPad for every speech. You'll find more about him at promodsharma.com.

Sheltering Your Potluck Picnic From A Storm

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

Last year, we looked at how to organize a potluck picnic. We used the same process this year. There was one big difference: the weather.

Shelter

The picnic announcement said we'd proceed rain or shine. We could because our party took place under a large tent at a yacht club.

The night before, the Picnic Organizer expressed concern about the weather. A thunderstorm was predicted. That creates safety issues. Should we postpone?

Picnics require advance preparation. Members would likely have bought or made what they were planning to bring. The items might not keep for another week. There was no guarantee that we could get the facility again. We certainly couldn't guarantee good weather.

We decided to proceed. After all, forecasts can be wrong. We counted on attendees to rely on their own judgment.

Outcome

The weather was excellent … until an hour before our picnic. That's when the heavy rain started. There was some thunder too. Since the storm was heavy, it didn't last. The rain stopped about an hour after the picnic started. The barbecuing proceeded without much interruption.

The lesson: pick a spot that's well protected from the weather (and close to parking).

Speeches

A Toastmasters event would be incomplete without speeches. We had three after dinner.

1. Picnic Organizer

The Picnic Organizer (Lyle) welcomed everyone, thanked Dave for getting us access to the members-only yacht club and thanked Rick for manning the barbecue.

2. Outgoing President

The outgoing President (me) thanked

• the Picnic Organizer
• the outgoing executive as a group
• the club members for attending and electing them

Why wasn't each outgoing executive thanked individually? This was already done at election time and the Executive Transition Meeting. There wasn't much more to say. Formal thanks will be given in a blog post next week.

3. Incoming President

The incoming VP of Education (Andrew) spoke on behalf of the incoming President. He gave a gracious speech using notes. He thanked the outgoing executive,  introduced the incoming team and said other nice things.

Drizzle

The picnic ended with a mild drizzle, smiles and full bellies.

Links

• Planning a potluck picnic
• Transitioning to new executive
• Image courtesy of Tony Kennick (London, England)

Promod Sharma tweets about trust (@trustandyou) and blogs about risk (Riscario Insider).

Learn To Memorize With Storytelling

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

I have trouble memorizing speeches. I checked online and the best advice is to practice and practice. There are no shortcuts. That's democratic but not enjoyable. 

Since your audience doesn't know exactly what you want to say, you can (and will) improvise when speaking. Words matter. You'll then have difficulty delivering the same speech consistently but will get through the speech.

Since speeches are short (often 5-7 minutes), I want to express myself just so. As a writer, I keep tweaking the content. How can you memorize text that keeps changing? 

Shortcut
There's an easy way to memorize: by telling stories. Stories are easy to remember and enjoyable to practice. They're also interesting for audiences. I know this because when I give presentations with PowerPoint, some segments are stories I've learned over time and re-use. The visuals are mental guides that keep me on track.

Formal Help
Once you're a Competent Communicator, you can work on the advanced manuals. Each has five projects. I selected Storytelling as one (and Communicating on Video as the other). After read them, I see that Storytelling gives a good foundation. I'm tackling that one first. 

The Surprise
For Storytelling, the instructions say "you should tell the story without a script or notes". 

Gulp! I always use notes or mind maps when speaking. For Storytelling, that would be "cheating". Memorizing is already a challenge but working without aids removes he safety net.

You're also told: "Ask your listeners to sit in a semicircle facing you. Don't stand behind a lectern or other obstacle". 

I normally have a barrier but will follow the guidelines.

The Pledge
To stick to the spirit of Storytelling, here's the pledge
- do all five projects in Storytelling without notes. This will take more preparation.
- make each story original or a modified interpretation. This is more challenging than re-telling someone else's story or one that you've heard a professional tell.
- record and post each story on YouTube. This takes courage.

You may want to make a similar pledge. As a bonus, I'm not planning to use PowerPoint. I might use physical props. 

Promod Sharma publishes a free monthly newsletter called Marketing Reflections. We're all in marketing.

Mommy, Learn To Speak Better

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

If you're a mother with a young child, your speaking skills may deteriorate. When you spend time with other mothers with young children don’t you talk about similar issues? You need a break.

Would you like to sharpen your communication skills? Consider joining a Toastmasters community club. You meet adults with diverse backgrounds and get a chance to stop speaking like a mommy.

Preparation Time

You’re busy. You may not have much time to prepare. Some roles like Greeter, Timer and Crutchword Counter require no preparation. Roles like Quote Master, Trivia Master or Humour Master require limited preparation.

Random

Table Topics gives you an opportunity to practice your impromptu speaking. You talk about a randomly-selected topic for a minute. Since children come up with the weirdest things, you may already be good at this. You may get ideas to discuss at home.

This week, we pulled pennies from a bag and spoke about what we did that year. The assignment was both easy and difficult. Depending on how old your children are, you could do something similar. For instance, use a magnifying glass find the date on the coin (that'll be fun). Take the last digit of the year and treat that as an age. What were you doing at that age? [Not recommended for children who swallow coins.]

Speeches

Children have such energy and curiosity. Your experiences with them could be ideal for speeches. You won't know unless you try. Notice how children make many mistakes but learn from them. If you fear speaking in public, Toastmasters gives you a safe environment to improve.

As a side benefit, you can practice your speeches with your children and get them creating stories. Learning the basic structure of having a beginning, middle and end gives them a solid foundation for future speaking. You're also showing the importance of communication skills.

Other

It's Mother's Day today. Maybe you get breakfast in bed, a nice card or a meal out. Enjoy that.

For a gift with lasting value, consider Toastmasters. You'll find an inexpensive and worthwhile way to spend solo time away from home. We're well-behaved.

Links

• Finding the right Toastmasters club for you
• Three steps to get the most out of Toastmasters
• Three steps to get understood better
• Table Topics ideas
• image courtesy of Stanislav Komogorov

Promod Sharma wishes all mothers a wonderful Mother's Day (promodsharma.com).

Should You Join An Advanced Toastmasters Club?

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

After you complete your Competent Communicator (CC) manual, you can join an Advanced Toastmasters club. You still maintain a connection with your home club but now you can also benefit from being with more experienced speakers.

In theory.

But

You have limited choices since there aren't many advanced clubs. If there are fewer members, you won't get as many suggestions on how to improve. If you don't like a member or two, you may not like the chemistry of that club.

The big problem is the meaning of "advanced". It's difficult to get a failing grade on a Toastmasters speech. Encouragement is motivating but speakers might think they're better than they really are because of the certificates they've received.

Rut

Speakers can get stuck in ruts. That's why many PowerPoint presentations still have too much text and too few visuals. Change is difficult.

Do you see the dilemma? You might be getting feedback from speakers who think they're great but are stuck in worn-out routines. You risk getting tips that don’t work well with today’s shorter attention spans. For instance, there’s an old speaking formula: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them and tell them you told them. Sensible but boring. Do you see that approach routinely used in movies, plays, keynotes or TED Talks?

Wisdom

Members of a niche (say speakers, entrepreneurs, economists) tend to think in similar ways. They become predictable and hence redundant. You might find greater wisdom in a diverse crowd.

For years, I've been speaking to the financial sector. The audiences tend to be technical (or think they are). Advice from self-proclaimed expert speakers tends to be similar. Listen to them and you'll become a speaker much like them. Deviate and you'll stand out.

See For Yourself

If you're already in a club you like, you may benefit most by staying there. You'll also be helping less experienced members.

Visiting an advanced club is definitely worthwhile. Joining might not be.

Links

• You’re a Competent Communicator. Now what?
• Preplan all your speeches
• image courtesy of  bjwebbiz (Texas)

Promod Sharma (promodsharma.com) is currently working on his Advanced Communicator Bronze in his original club.

Finding The Right Toastmasters Club For You

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

Please don't judge Toastmasters by a visit to a single club or what someone else tells you.

Each club is different. Before joining, do try more than one (unless you love the first one). Clubs meet at different times of day (morning, noon or evening) and different days of the week. Some are open to the community and others are restricted to employees of a single company. Some clubs don't run all year (e.g., university clubs).

Most important, each club has a different feeling. You may be surprised at the variations. Some feel stuffy, formal and nitpicky. Others feel warm, forgiving and welcoming.

Your choices depend on where you live or work. A big city like Toronto offers many options, especially if you're willing to commute.

Finding

To find a club, go to Meetup (http://toastmasters.meetup.com) or the official Toastmasters website (http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub). A normal web search may help too.

Example

Goodyear Toastmasters meets weekly all year long (except around Christmas and New Years). You don't take the summer off. In some ways, the summer is the best time to attend. The atmosphere is more relaxed and there's even more flexibility in the scheduling.

Meetings take place on Thursday evenings at 6:45 PM for two hours. Thursday is the ideal day of week because you're closer to the weekend. Meetings take place after dinner, which reduces time pressure. Meetings run for two hours, which eliminates the rush to zip through. There's also considerable flexibility. If a member wants practice a real-life presentation or answer mock interview questions, there's often time because 20 minutes is set aside for a Lesson, Viewpoint or Debate.

The club is also open to the community, which fosters diversity. Even if you normally speak to a niche audience, practicing among "regular" people is an excellent way to build skills.

Your Choices

You may think the ideal club meets at lunchtime where you work. By visiting other clubs you may find a better fit.

Links

• Three steps to get the most out of Toastmasters
• Get feedback from the right group 
• Turbocharge your club with social media
• Lessons from one year in Toastmasters
• A Toastmasters Journey --- Yours!
• image courtesy of S

Promod Sharma joined Goodyear Toastmasters without visiting any other clubs (promodsharma.com).

Becoming Club President Changes You

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

I didn't expect to become the President of Goodyear Toastmasters, especially just months after joining. Somehow, I got nominated and then elected. I knew I could fill the role but still felt awkward.

Modesty

At the start of club meetings, we introduce ourselves. In the beginning, I was reluctant to say I was President. I didn't want to look superior to other members. I'm more of a servant leader. Titles don't matter. Being President doesn't make you better at Table Topics or speaking. Yet titles raise expectations.

Within weeks, I became comfortable stating my position in person and on LinkedIn. It's funny how a title bestows more authority. Your opinions carry more weight. I knew that happened from my years in the corporate world. I had 10 staff and indirect influence over dozens more.

Mandate

Now I feel proud of the role and what we've achieved in our club. If you want to run for club executive, have an inspiring vision in mind backed by a plan that can be implemented within a year.

My focus was on leaving a legacy that the 30 year old Goodyear Toastmasters club could celebrate in 10 years on our 40th anniversary. This required replacing the website and embracing social media to accumulate our history (see the living legacy Viewpoint).

The Meetup group is successful. Twitter is sporadic (@gytm81). This blog is doing well (this is the 49th post!) and traffic is growing (but there are too few contributors). Some members have put videos on our YouTube channel.

Overall

Overall, I feel more confident due to being President. I'm perceived as a better speaker. My LinkedIn profile looks more credible too. The overall experience has been excellent.

A club role may be ideal for you. There are positions for different levels of experience (including none). If don't want to run but get nominated, please don't reject the nomination without suitable consideration. You’ll lose an opportunity to make a difference and improve yourself.

Links

• Running a club election
• Viewpoint: The living legacy of Goodyear Toastmasters
• Transitioning to new club executive (new)
• image courtesy of Daniel Wiedemann (Brazil)

Promod Sharma is the President of Goodyear Toastmasters from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 (promodsharma.com).

Running A Club Election

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012, CC

This is post is specifically about Goodyear Toastmasters but our process can apply to other clubs. We've already appointed an Election Chair and held an Election Panel.

Election Chair

The Election Chair oversees the whole election process. This includes informing/motivating members, collecting nominations and running the election. Our Chair is a former club President who is not running for a position.

Election Panel

Members may not know

• the specifics of an executive role
• the profile of a suitable candidate

As a result, members --- especially new ones --- may feel a role is beyond their capabilities.

To overcome these concerns, we had an election panel in which the current executive explained and answered questions.

Since some members were unable to attend and others might want a refresher, we put a video on YouTube. I can't share the link since the video is candid and some people get concerned about being filmed. That means viewing is restricted to club members.

Nominations

The Election Chair will send additional details to members and answer questions. The names of nominees are not announced until the time of the election. That means there is no formal campaigning.

Exceeding Expectations

If a club has problems, you can likely make improvements and get labeled a hero. What if the club is already running well? Candidates may wonder how to exceed the already high expectations. This is a false concern. Improvements can always be made.

The unexpected happens too. During this term, there were rumours that our room rental rates might skyrocket. That could have required an unwelcome boost in membership fees. Luckily, nothing materialized.

Voting

The club has excellent members which will make voting challenging. Members who do not get elected can still participate.

Links

• Three steps to get the most out of Toastmasters
• How to discuss taboo topics
• Toastmaster roles: Chair
• The six basic fears
• image courtesy of Igor Nikolayev

Promod Sharma has been in other groups which do not run elections as smoothly. He blogs about marketing and risk.

Thoughts On The Theme: Write A Book

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

At Goodyear Toastmasters, the Chair picks the theme for the meeting. I had this role this week and chose Write A Book. You’ll find more details here.

Members with key roles provide their thoughts on the theme to the

• Chair: Table Topics Master, Debates Master, Lesson Master, Viewpoint Master, Toastmaster, or
• Toastmaster: General Evaluator, each speaker

The Chair or Toastmaster reads the thoughts when introducing the club member. Examples follow.

Thoughts From The Table Topics Master

This is what Magie wrote:

The title of my book would be “The Hard Asked Questions”. It would be recommended for married couples or those who plan to get married. My book would cover controversial questions that you dare to ask your significant other. It encourages open communication to help couples get to know each other better in your not-so-typical discussions. It would be located in the self-help section in the book store right beside Dr. Phil’s book called “Relationship Rescue”.

Thoughts From The Toastmaster

This is what Ed wrote:

My new novel is about a homeless man who kicks a can out of anger and frustration one cold night. He hears a rattling inside the can and empties it into his palm. A shriveled green pea falls into his hand. Something beyond his understanding compels him to make a wish. A most incredible, supernatural tale unfolds at this point but I shall not ruin the rest of the story for you. The book is called, " The Old Can and the Pea". My pen name is Bernie Hemway and I'm self-publishing because most publishers don't know a good story when they read it. Look for it in paperback. No tree has every saved me from anything.

 

Thoughts from the General Evaluator

This is what Jonathan wrote (not read due to timing constraints):

I LOVE writing - no joke! When I was less than 10 years old I started writing a Pokemon story that was nearly 100 pages long, handwritten (never finished it). I've been in the process of writing a fantasy novel for the past couple of years but so far I've really only worked on the backstory for it - hope to be able to take that a little more seriously!

As you can see, these thoughts are well-considered and diverse. They are also lengthy, which can affect the meeting timing.

Links

• Toastmaster Roles: Chair
• How to keep Toastmaster meeting on time
• image courtesy of Reynald Lassire

Promod Sharma generally limits his thoughts on the theme to a sentence or two. He wants to write a book. Here’s why and how.

A Preamble Weakens Your Speech

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

Building rapport with your audience is essential, but how? One common way is to thank the introducer and make irrelevant comments. Telling a joke falls into this category. Common doesn't mean optimal.

The Big Stage
There's another way: Get into your talk. At big events, you may notice the speaker enters from the side of the stage away from the introducer. While the audience claps, the speaker gets into position. After a pause, the speaker starts. This gives the speaker maximum impact and control. 

Common
Contrast that with thanking everyone and giving a preamble about what you're going to talk about or other miscellaneous thoughts. You're building rapport but you're not building anticipation. 

Concerts start with the music. There's time for the "How are you all doin'? It's great to be back in (fill in the blank)." later in the performance. 

Movies and stories don't start with a roadmap. They grab you at the start and draw you in. Your speech can too.

Backstory
Your audience may be interested in the backstory to your speech. Where did you get the idea? How did you go about preparing? What mishaps did you encounter? What did you take out? What else do you want the audience to know?

In a movie, there’s the Director's Commentary. In a book, there are footnotes. For a speech, there's a blog. 

A blog gives you unlimited space to augment what you did on stage. You can post a video recording and add your commentary. I've done this. For example, here is a behind-the-scenes look and a backstory. What do you think?

When you remove the preamble, you maximize the impact of your performance and enhance your digital tapestry. For some, your backstory may prove to be more interesting and lasting than your actual speech. 

Promod ("pro-MODE") Sharma blogs about marketing and risk.

You’re A Competent Communicator. Now What?

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

After you finish the 10 speeches in your Competent Communicator manual, you've graduated speaking school. You're now a Competent Communicator. You're among the elite. That's quite an accomplishment. Congratulations!

Now what?

You can stop but if you keep going, speaking becomes more interesting. You've mastered the basic skills. Now you're ready for speaking university. You get to pick what you'd like to learn from 15 advanced manuals with five speeches each.

1. The Entertaining Speaker
2. Speaking to Inform
3. Public Relations
4. Facilitating Discussion
5. Specialty Speeches
6. Speeches by Management
7. The Professional Speaker
8. Technical Presentations
9. Persuasive Speaking
10. Communicating on Video
11. Storytelling
12. Interpretive Reading
13. Interpersonal Communications
14. Special Occasion Speeches
15. Humorously Speaking

You'll find descriptions here.

There are three levels beyond Competent Communicator: bronze, silver and gold.

Bronze

Complete two advanced manuals and you earn your Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB).
What's more, you get these two manuals free.

Silver

Once you're an ACB, you complete two more advanced manuals (not free this time). You also give two presentations from the The Better Speaker Series or The Successful Club Series. Now you've earned your Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS).

Gold

Guess how you get your Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG)? You complete two more advanced manuals, give a presentation from a specified set and mentor a new member through their first three speeches.

Overall

If you're going for the gold, you'll complete six advanced manuals (30 speeches). You can pre-select the manuals now. You might want to buy all 15 manuals as a set.

You might want to stretch by resisting the "obvious" choices for you. For instance, in real life I'm mainly Speaking To Inform (226B) and doing Technical Presentations (226H). While I can certainly improve, the incremental advantages are limited. I could get more advantages from straying further from comfort and taking greater risks.

Roadmap

Here’s my roadmap.

Bronze	Silver	Gold
Communicating on Video	The Professional Speaker	The Entertaining Speaker
Storytelling	Public Relations	Specialty Speeches

I’d like to finish one level each 12 months. What's your plan?

Links

• The Advanced Communication manuals (District 4 website)
• The communication track (Toastmasters International)
• Preplan all your speeches

Promod Sharma completed his Competent Communicator manual this month, exactly 15 months after his first speech. For more about him, visit promodsharma.com.

Learn To Pause By Echoing

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

Applause starts with a pause. As we prepare a speech, we learn our content well. As we practice, we may speak faster and faster. That allows us to cram in more content. Perhaps we had too much at the outset and have to speak faster to squeeze it in.

Less is more.

Our audience is experiencing our speech for the first time. They need pauses to understand the ideas. They need pauses to feel the impact. Those who are unfamiliar with your topic need even longer.

Observe

Have you noticed how comedians pause after the punch line? Professional trainers pause too. The silence can last for seconds. The breaks show mastery. The willingness to stop shows control. We benefit as an audience.

Practice

How can you learn to pause? There's an easy way: listen to live recordings and pretend you're an echo. Repeat what the speaker says instantly and in the same way. You'll quickly match their pace, which may seem sooo slooooow.

Recordings of someone you already know work well. Bill Cosby is excellent. So is Jim Rohn.
Here's a short example from John F Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."



Did you realize how much JFK paused? There are limits. Please don’t pause as much as Bob and Ray in “Slow Talkers”.

At First

Pausing may be uncomfortable at first. You might feel you're wasting the audience's time with planned silence. You're not. You're adding impact.

Rapid repetition has another advantage. You remember better too. When you are the echo, you needn't say anything out loud. Silent repetition works well too.

But Wait ...

Pausing reduces the time you have for your words. If you're trying to cram in as mug as you can, this is a problem ... for your audience. You're depriving them of pauses. That means you're overloading them. They'll still clap but you're reducing your impact.

As you edit, you distill and your content becomes more potent. The process takes you longer but the results are better. What you prune and shorten creates time for the pause, impact and applause.

Links

• Prepare your speech with a mind map
• Control the fear of public speaking
• image courtesy of Emilien Auneau (France)

Promod Sharma had problems pausing before joining Toastmasters. You’ll find more about him at promodsharma.com.

Prepare Your Speech With A Mind Map

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

You can draft a speech in many ways. Have you tried a mind map? This is a fancy version of bullet points or point form but enhanced to look like a diagram. You can also add visuals or use different colours for different branches.

Here is a primer.

 

Paper?

You can mind map on paper but I much prefer using iThoughtsHD on my iPad (iTunes). Navigating with your fingers is much more convenient than using a mouse or stylus. Pinch/zoom is a very easy and powerful way to see what you want to see at the moment. You have unlimited space. You can rearrange points and branches. You can add images. Everything is legible since you're typing.

Process

I start with a simple, universal structure that shows

• beginning / introduction / hook
• middle
• end / action / takeaway

Every speech has those elements.



I then add branches. When the ideas flow, the basic structure takes 15-30 minutes to create. The editing takes hours since there is usually too much content for a 5-7 minute speech. I also practice what I’ll say at the same time.

Next

What's next? You can turn your speech into text. Sometimes, I speak directly from the mind map. Since the key points are there, you're unlikely to miss anything important. Since you're not reading from a script, you have flexibility. You'll also sound natural, as we do when speaking impromptu.

This week, I'm giving my ninth speech from the Competent Communicator manual. The goal is to persuade with power. I will follow-up on Speech 8: The Six Basic Fears According To Napoleon Hill. I got the idea of having a second part from fellow blogger Barbara Berezowski who most recently wrote control the fear of public speaking. This means a deviation from  preplanning all speeches, but that's fine.  Spontaneity spurs creativity.

Which Way?

I may speak directly from the mind map. I'll record myself since I'd like to create a transcript which can be turned into a blog post.

I’d prefer to use PowerPoint. The slides then become the script. Unfortunately, my main computer broke down and won't be repaired until Tuesday. That doesn't leave much time to prepare the visuals and practice for Thursday.

To be safe, I may create a one page handout with blanks that the audience can fill in during the presentation. Regardless of option, mind mapping guided the preparation. Maybe that technique can help you too.

Promod Sharma discovered mind mapping in early 2010. Now he's hooked. For more than you'd care to know about him, visit promodsharma.com.

How To Run A Webinar

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

Even if you're an experienced live speaker, be wary of webinars. There are major differences that make your presentation both tougher and simpler.

If you think body language is important, tough luck. You can't show any. Compensate by adding energy to your voice and zing to your visuals.

You don't know the varying environments from which your audience is watching. How fast are their Internet connections? How noisy is the background? What other distractions are taking place? Are you like the climax of an edge-of-your-seat movie or like a TV playing in the background while real work goes on?

Voice

Since no one can see you, add more energy and enthusiasm to your voice. Slow down. Depending on Internet connections, sound quality varies and your words might fade in and out. You needn't talk in sloooooow motion, since that's annoying too.

Tech

Use a high quality microphone that sounds natural. You could use a headset but a table microphone is more convenient, captures room ambience better and soon feels invisible.

Use a fast, reliable Internet connection. Have a backup plan. Some recent smartphones can become mobile hotspots. Be mindful of your data plan. Connect your smartphone to power to save your battery.
Turn off or silence gadgets. If you forget and they ring, beep or buzz, just turn them off. There's no need to apologize or draw further attention to this oversight.

If you're co-presenting, see if all presenters can be in the same location. This avoids delays and glitches when switching speakers. If you can't be together, have a way to communicate privately. Text messages or emails may be enough.

Visuals

You'll be using PowerPoint or something similar. Learn the tool by watching others. Here's a sample presentation from 2008 (no need to watch the full thing).

Build your points one by one to help your audience focus. That's an excellent technique for in-person presentations too. In a webinar, you can't point to a spot on the screen or use a laser pointer. Instead, move the cursor smoothly and pause. There's a lag in what you're doing and what your audience sees.
Video probably won't play well and audio may not transmit. You can include a screenshot instead.

Logistics

Make sure you know how to work the equipment in advance. There are probably video tutorials online.
Not only are you speaking, you have additional controls to monitor audience questions. Working with a partner helps, even if you're the only one speaking.

Get interactive. You may have tools to ask questions, run surveys or to raise hands.

"Are you with me?"

Record

Do record your session. You'll get valuable feedback to improve and now have content you can post online. PowerPoint has a built-in recording

Questions

Allow time for attendees to type questions as you proceed and at the end. A helper or co-presenter can monitor them while you're speaking. As with a live presentation, you'll want to have typical questions prepared to get the discussions started.

You might find that you like webinars more than in-person presentations. Or not. Either way, you'll improve your webinars with these tips and practice. What do you think?

Promod Sharma has conducted webinars. He prefers creating YouTube studio recordings and speaking live. You’ll find more about him on LinkedIn.

The Painless Way To Blog

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012 [Blog Editor]

Blogging may seem intimidating at first but don't worry. As a member of Goodyear Toastmasters, the details get handled for you. All you do is draft content suitable for a general audience.

Guidelines

Write a post that's at least 300 words. That may seem like a lot but that's just a few minutes of talking. We talk effortlessly all day long (or know people who do). Writing takes more work but is within your grasp.

You can write using a free text editor like WordPad or a blogging app like Windows Live Writer (download page). You don’t need a heavy-duty tool like Microsoft Word but can use that if you’d like. If you have an iPad, iA Writer is excellent (see how to write better and faster).

Identification

Don't you want credit for your posts? Include your name and a sentence or two about yourself. You can include a link to your website or LinkedIn profile, if you like.

Send a photo too. Larger is better. The photo will be cropped and reduced to 100x100 pixels.
If you're reluctant to use your real name, you're free to use a pseudonym or maybe just your first name.

Editing

When you're satisfied, email your draft to the Blog Editor. You're done. If the changes are minor, you won't be notified.

If the changes are more extensive, you'll be contacted with suggestions. This can be a valuable learning process. Speaking has "crutchwords". Writing does too. You might be using passive verbs, complicated words or lengthy sentences. In the beginning, the editing will be minor and get more detailed as you get better. Isn't that exactly what happen when you progress through your speeches?

Posting

Your post will be scheduled for publication. For an instant notification when it goes live, Follow @gytm81 on Twitter. To get a copy of every post, subscribe. It’s all free.

As you get comfortable with the process, you’re welcome to become a regular contributor. You might even decide to start your own blog. That could change your life …

Frequency

You can blog as frequently as you like. The risk is getting burned out. Start with one post for now. Maybe you can commit to one per month? That's just a word per day!

Start

The goal is to publish every post but the Blog Editor decides. Some ideas may not suit the tone of our blog. In that case, you'll be notified. You may wish to make changes or publish elsewhere (e.g., another site or your own blog).

To participate, send your creation to something to the Blog Editor. How about today?

Links

• Revisiting New Year’s Resolutions
• Revitalizing this blog
• Image courtesy of jaylopez (Philippines)

Preplan All Your Speeches

by Promod Sharma, President 2011-2012

If you're in Toastmasters, you probably want to speak better. As a new member, it's easy to get overwhelmed with everything going on in the meetings. You can simplify your life with simple planning.

To become a Competent Communicator (CC), you'll give 10 speeches. Why not plan the topics now? Brainstorm. Jot down at least 10 things you'd like to talk about. If you’re stumped for ideas, consider topics you know well: hobbies, personal experiences or work-related items.

Now, look at the focus of each speech and assign your speech ideas. For example, you may love taking photos of birds. Speech 8 focuses on using visual aids. Maybe that's a good fit for a speech about birds. Do you get the idea?

You'll need to decide on your topics some time. Why not at the outset? If you've read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, this is #2: Begin with the end in mind.

You needn't finish your list in one sitting and you can make changes later. You now have a workable path through your speech manual.

Example

Here’s the plan I formulated before my first speech.(It's a simple table made with Microsoft Word.)

#	Theme	Length	Title	Date
1	The Ice Breaker	4-6 min	Born At An Early Age (my life … so far)	Dec 9, 2010
2	Organize Your Speech	5-7 min	Your Everlasting Orchard (how to grow your network on LinkedIn)	Jan 13, 2011
3	Get To The Point	5-7 min	Saving The Government Way (going beyond three common ways to save)	Jan 20, 2011
4	How To Say It	5-7 min	How To Choose An Advisor You Trust (the three key elements)	Feb 24, 2011
5	Your Body Speaks	5-7 min	Body Movin’ (challenges with body language)	Jul 7, 2011
6	Vocal Variety	5-7 min	Drive Your Voice (tips to prepare your voice)	Sep 15, 2011
7	Research Your Topic	5-7 min	The High Cost Of Dementia Four Steps To Lasting Wealth	Nov 24, 2011
8	Get Comfortable With Visual Aids	5-7 min	Ideas (each using PowerPoint) 1. Do You Market Like It's 1999? 2. The Changing Face Of Trust 3. The Six Basic Fears From 1937
9	Persuade With Power	5-7 min	Ideas 1. Get An Insurance Review 2. Live A Low Noise Life
10	Inspire Your Audience	8-10 min	Start Leaving Your Legacy Now

This list is flexible. For Speech 7, I changed to a more uplifting topic. For #8 and #9, I’ve yet to decide. At least I have a shortlist. That alone saves time and gives peace of mind.

What do you think?

You’ll find more than you want to know about Promod with a Google search.

Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

by Jennifer Moon, DTM

If my recollection of Roman history is correct, we have Janus to thank (or to curse) for the practice of setting New Year’s resolutions. Janus, the mythical king of Rome, had a unique perspective on life. He also had two faces. One face looked back on past events while the other looked toward the future, making him the perfect symbol for reflection and promise.


History tells us that we’ve been making resolutions since about 150 BCE, so I guess you could say people have been making, and breaking, New Year’s resolutions for over two thousand years. Fortunately for Toastmasters, we’ve still got six months left in our year and January is the perfect time to reinvigorate ourselves and our clubs.

As we transition into a new year, have you thought about your Toastmaster resolutions? Have you taken a look at your goals and realized you’re in great shape? If so, can you spare some time and expertise to help a struggling club or to coach a member in need? January is a great time to volunteer in these capacities.

What if you realize that you’re a little behind schedule? Not to worry! Unlike the traditional resolutions that have a “best before date” of December 31^st, Toastmasters have until the end of June to realize our yearly ambitions. Do you need a little help from a mentor? Would you benefit from scheduling your projects well in advance, leaving you little choice but to stay on track?

Let’s adopt a little bit of Janus’ wisdom as we work toward our Toastmasters goals. Take time to look back over the past months of success and realize just how far we’ve come. What roles have been mastered? What fears have been overcome? Use some of that inspiration as we look toward the future, and all the challenges that lie ahead. As we transition into the new calendar year, take time to celebrate successes – yours and the club’s – and enjoy accomplishing your Toastmasters resolutions.

Jennifer is a long time member of Goodyear Toastmasters and served as our Area Governor for 2010-2011. She recently joined the Board of Governors of the Ontario College of Trades. You’ll find more about Jennifer on LinkedIn.